If your little one loves action and adventure, then Teetot’s ninja costume is for them. Ninjas have become increasingly popular in our modern world, and your little one can embody the stealth skills that ninjas utilized in feudal Japan. Here we’ll take a look at the history of the ninja as well as our ninja costume and accessories and their relation to ninja history.
The History of the Ninja
Ninjas were known as secret spies and occasional assassins in feudal Japan, often pitted in direct opposition to samurai. Ninjas were a part of clans and their skills were passed down from father to son in the art of Ninjutsu. Many ninjas were in fact, ordinary people who spied on others through the disguise of their day jobs, such as farming. This allowed them to go largely undetected in society.
Teetot’s Ninja Costume, Accessories, and Ninja History
Ninjas in feudal Japan were trained to move about undetected and with stealth, as opposed to the Japanese Samurai warrior who wore bold garments as an outward sign of his allegiance and status. The ninja's stealthy function called for clothes that could make a ninja unseen to others, and they often wore plainsman's clothes. The modern ninja costume imagery of all black and a face covering with an eye slit is a product of Japanese Kabuki theatre, where stagehands wore all black, so as not to be detected by the audience.
Teetot’s ninja costume draws inspiration from this well-known imagery, and is made of loose fitting black fabric, perfect for helping your child move with secrecy on ‘missions.’ The costume’s black and silver fabric ‘armor’ detailing keeps your little one protected from enemies on imaginary missions. Our ninja costume comes with toy accessories that are commonly associated with ninjas. Here are a few of them and how their association came to be:
Long Sword- The swords used by ninjas in Japan are called ninjatos. These swords are shorter than the curved Japanese katana and feature a straight blade. With his own ninjato, your little ninja can protect his community from harm.
Nunchucks- Nunchucks are a commonly associated weapon with ninjas today, but they have been highly popularized by modern pop culture, including the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Bruce Lee. Ninjas may not have used nunchucks in feudal Japan, but your little ninja can save the day just like his favorite Hollywood heroes with our nunchuck toy accessory.
Throwing stars- Throwing stars, often called ‘shuriken’ or ‘ninja stars,’ were also a weapon highly popularized by Hollywood movies and associated with ninjas. In reality, it would have been difficult for them to carry around throwing stars inconspicuously, making throwing stars more of a popular culture association with ninjas. If they were used, it would have been more as a distraction for their opponent than a weapon for actual harm.
Teetot’s ninja costume can help your child imagine and play out the skills of a secret Japanese spy in the days of feudal Japan. For more information, contact us today.
