Arts & Culture Jul. 12, 2010 - 06:31AM JST ( 20 )

TOKYO —

Ninja. The word is loaded with connotations, most rooted in fantastic flights of pop culture. But the truth behind these shadowy assassins is more mind-blowing than any manga, more astounding than any anime, more fascinating than any martial-arts flick.

“Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws” introduces dozens of unforgettable real-life ninja straight out of the annals of Japanese history—many of whom are all but unknown outside of their home country. Ninja masters. Solo assassins and operatives. Femme fatales as deadly as they were sexy. Swordfighters out of legend. And the Shogun and warlords who commanded them.

Each individual is profiled with a full-page, full color manga-style drawing, and a dossier brimming with top-secret information, including photos, anecdotes, and dramatic stories of the individuals in action.

The book covers ninja clothing styles, the types of weapons that were used, ninja tools, ninja tricks of the trade, and the basics of the ninja diet. It also includes a do-it-yourself tour of ninja related spots in modern Tokyo.

  * The totally real-life adventures of the bad-asses who made ninja a household name
  * All of the major figures—from the ninja to their rivals and the men who used them
  * Detailed looks at the clothes, weapons, tools and fighting techniques—even the labyrinth-riddled ninja house
  * Introduces the modern-day ninja legacy, even a “ninja tour” of Tokyo.

The authors, Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, are a husband and wife team who run a Tokyo-based translation company that specializes in producing the English versions of Japanese video games, comic books and literature. They are the co-authors of “Yokai Attack!”, a guidebook to traditional Japanese monsters and demons. Their ninja experience includes credits as script consultants and translators on several of the “Ninja Gaiden” video games.