Living life as a modern-day ninja
Living the ninja life
Location: Iga, Japan
Genichi Mitsuhashi realized ninjutsu
held the key to survival
when he was held at gunpoint
during a stay in Brazil aged 19
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 45-YEAR-OLD MASTER'S DEGREE HOLDER IN NINJA STUDIES, GENICHI MITSUHASHI, SAYING:
"You are allowed to use weapons or make use of your enemy's body, you can use anything you need in order to survive, it's based on reality. It's liberating and flexible - this is what I learned. After seeing this, I felt I wanted to do more and that's how I came to be interested in learning more about ninjas."
Mitsuhashi is the first of seven students
to finish a two-year program on ninja launched in 2018
Like the ninjas of feudal Japan
he grows his own rice and vegetables
while teaching martial and ninja arts
hoping to protect the ancient tradition
He also runs an inn in Iga
a small city known as the home of many ninjas
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 45-YEAR-OLD MASTER'S DEGREE HOLDER IN NINJA STUDIES, GENICHI MITSUHASHI, SAYING:
"We shouldn't pick one aspect of ninja but should aim to learn their way of life. This includes self-defense, a sustainable lifestyle. At the root of this, there must be the skill to utilize nature properly and to also be able to do this with like-minded people. I think we should aim for a comprehensive way of life, and we should learn this from ninjas."