The purpose of this paper is to analyze the situation in which ninja were used during the Shimabara Rebellion, and to discuss the actual status of their activities. I chose the ninja of the Kumamoto domain as my research subject because relatively many historical materials remain. In this study, in addition to information from historical sources, I used reconstructed sun and moon data from the time to analyze the time period in which ninja activities took place. As a result, it was discovered that ninja was used for intelligence-gathering, reconnaissance, and ambush activities during times including nights when there was no moonlight. Additionally, it was discovered that one of the most important abilities needed by a ninja is night vision. On the other hand, it was newly discovered that the attack on Amakusa Shiro’s residence by Yoshida Juemon was carried out with the cooperation of two ninja, Maruyama Ichibei and Hattori Genzaemon. From this point of view, it becomes clear that ninja cooperated with each other when specialized skills and knowledge were required.

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This paper examines the definitions, precepts, and status of Shinobi as expressed in Yamaga Sogo’s Bukyō Zensho through the lens of several commentaries. According to Kubota Sugane’s Bukyō Zensho Seikai, the Shinobi assumed the role of a warrior who could penetrate into castles and camps where visibility was difficult. For ninja, the selection of individuals was prioritized over physical skills, and even if they served with dedication, they were viewed with caution if they were from enemy territory. On the other hand, the Shinobi valued loyal servants, and their precepts shared some similarities with the theory of bushido. 　However, Shinobi were required to keep their war merits secret, and this differs from the view of honor held by soldiers who propagated their military merits. Although Shinobi were considered to be of a lower rank in military history books, Tsugaru Masakata’s Bukyō Zensho Shosetsu Hyōron Kadenhishō locates them among the highest ranks of spies as expressed in the Yōkan section of Soko’s text. In contrast to the seemingly contradictory position of “spies,” Masakata argued that any “samurai” could be spies if they demonstrated superior strategy. Shinobi were not mere employees, but “warriors” with a sense of nobility, and their utmost efforts as strategists were sometimes regarded as ideal.

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In recent years, Japan’s ninja has crossed national borders and become internationally famous NINJA, gaining popularity around the world. In this study, I try to clarify how NINJA is perceived by people overseas. The data used are questionnaire surveys conducted in four countries : Vietnam and Indonesia in Asia, and Bulgaria and Hungary in Europe, conducted in 2017 〜 19. This time, I report the results of the aggregation of responses by university students including some graduate students. 　Using quantitative text analysis software, I analyzed the open-ended responses regarding the fascination and image of NINJA. The results can be summarized as follows. As for the fascination of NINJA for them, it is basically judged that （1） NINJA’s unique techniques, tools, and special abilities, and （2） the influence of Japan’s cool culture, manga and anime are great. Next, the image of NINJA seems to be made up of four elements. They are（ 1） people wearing black clothes and masks,（ 2） people with skills, abilities, and martial arts using unique tools,（ 3）fighting assassins and spies, and （4） people from manga and anime. And both the fascination and the image of NINJA are similar, with no clear differences between countries. This is thought to be due to the development of the modern internet, which conveys NINJA information globally.

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