In medieval Japan, where women were often prized for beauty rather than skill, a kunoichi’s beauty was one of her most valuable-and deadly-weapons.īut that doesn’t mean the female ninja depended exclusively on her looks. Shinobi training for both genders focused on utilizing the ninja’s personal strengths to best advantage.

Assassinations by male ninja often took the form of clandestine (usually nocturnal) missions, a medieval form of “seek and destroy.”īy contrast, a kunoichi could gain her target’s trust until he allowed her intimate access, at which point she could attack-when both his pants and his guard were down. In these disguises, kunoichi infiltrated temples, castles, and fortresses, either to gather information or to strike at well-protected targets male assassins could not reach.Ī male shinobi might assume the role of a samurai retainer or an artisan, but those positions seldom allowed the assassin unfettered access to his target. Kunoichi frequently posed as performers, courtesans, or servants. Samurai rarely trusted strangers, but often made exceptions for women, either because of their beauty or because the woman filled a “harmless” social role (a maid, for example). Medieval Japan was ruled and dominated by men of the samurai class. All shinobi could kill in the line of duty, and many did, but others acted as covert agents-often deep undercover in enemy territory. Shinobi (which is the Japanese pronounciation of the characters Westerners read as “ninja”) worked as spies as well as assassins. Like their male counterparts, kunoichi trained in combat, disguise, and stealth, though their missions and function differed from those of male shinobi in several important ways. Most Westerners think of ninjas as black-masked men with swords who appear from the shadows and strike without warning.īut not all ninja assassins were male, and not all of them walked in shadow.įemale ninjas, known as kunoichi, formed an important part of medieval shinobi clans.

Climb by Susan Spann