The Secret of Samurai spies

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:01]Did you know that the name for a samurai spy is ninja?

[00:00:06]Did you know that that name is properly said as shinobi no mono?

[00:00:12]But did you know that there's actually another name, >> [music] >> a different one? And you'll see it being written on the screen now.

[00:00:19]And the second kanji, which is being written now, is exactly the same as nin sha, that's sha, but instead of it being shinobi, it is kanja.

[00:00:30]Spy, or the spy, or the person who goes through the gate. All this information comes from Natori Sanjuro Masazumi in the book of samurai series published by Watkins. There'll be links below, so do get yourself a copy. And it's been done by James who is number 301 of Natori Ryu. If you'd like to know more about Natori Ryu, you can [music] get our books, and you can find us on Facebook under Natori Ryu Hub. So, >> [music] >> please go over there. So, what would be the difference between [music] kanja and shinobi?

[00:01:04]Now, if you look at the kanji, it actually is a gate with a sun in the middle. So, and then the word sha at the end. Now, this is the type of person who hangs around in market stalls, or in bars, or in positions. It could be the guy there looking at the screen, but it could also be the guy there selling the cloth, or maybe even the fish merchant.

[00:01:25]It could be the guy in the local izakaya, the local pub if you like, listening in. But it could be the two in the background, or it could be the guy there just behind with the green clothes. You would never know.

[00:01:38]But, there is another point to this.

[00:01:41]Sometimes people did know. So, the spy working for side A might actually know the spy working for side B. [music] And they might both might know they're spies. And everybody's got to be careful to what people are listening to. So, the guy then who was clearly on the left listening is also a form of spying called behind listening. Now, of course, you get this these whispers go up the chain and the command ladder, and they go all over the place on the battlefield, everywhere.

[00:02:11]Now, the main difference between ninja and shino- shinobi, sorry, and kanja, or ninsha and kanja, is that probably ninja are more battlefield stroke out at war, and kanja was used more for the peacetime spying. But, unfortunately, guys, they get mixed up a lot inside documentation. They used about 50 to 60 70 years after the wars, so we don't really know wholeheartedly. So, I would say shinobi no mono is a commando spy, and a kanja is a spy commando. So, there's a little bit of little bit of leeway either way. And you can see there, it's writing gate, and then inside it is the kanji for sun. So, that's kan means gap. So, a person, so the next one is person, who looks for gaps in gates. Not not literally gates, but it means look for gaps. So, the person who creeps [music] in. And whereas shinobi itself is the person who stealthily comes in. So, they're very close, actually. They're very [music] close. The creeping through the gate and the stealth person for that kanja. So, do get yourself a copy of the book of samurai series, and subscribe here, and thank you so much to James of Natori Ryu.