If sushi, sakura cherry blossoms and Mt. Fuji are representative icons of Japan, ninja should probably be in the same category, as movies and anime inspired by the athletically gifted Japanese spies have garnered quite a bit of popularity around the world, serving as the basis for such characters as Naruto and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Iga, in western Mie Prefecture, is the birthplace of the Igaryu (Iga clan) Ninja, one of the two main ninja clans; the other being the Kogaryu from Shiga Prefecture.

The image that comes into most people's minds when thinking of ninja is often inaccurate. In movies and anime, ninja are portrayed as flying through the sky, or camouflaging themselves as trees to escape their many enemies. Often, they are shown sneaking behind enemy lines to assassinate senior military leaders. However, these portrayals are far from the reality.