Tag Archives: togakure ryu

The Day That Changed My Life

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I still remember it like it was yesterday.  I was 16 years old, sitting in the back seat of my parent’s car thumbing through the latest issue of Black Belt magazine when I came to a full page advertisement for the 1989 Tai Kai with Ninjutsu Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi.  To my shock and utter astonishment this 3-day seminar with the master ninja and his top students from Japan was being held in the United States.  Not only was it being held in the US, but in my home state of NJ, not even an hour drive from my house!  Something clicked in my brain – I HAD to go to this thing!  Continue reading →

Preparing Ninja for a Mission

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My name is Ichiro Watanabe.  I am a chunin, a middle level ninja of the Togakure clan.

Our small village is secluded deep in the mountains near Mt. Togakushi, otherwise known as Togakure Mountain.  I could tell you exactly where, but I’d have to kill you.  No joke, it’s a matter of survival for my family and clan.

You see the year is 1601, one year after the famous Battle of Sekigahara which brought Ieyasu Tokugawa to power uniting Japan.  There is still much to do, however, and the need for the services of our ninja clan is still very great. Continue reading →