Being the centre stage of battle during the medieval Warring Nation Period, the Central Japan area is home to two major groups of Ninja; the Iga Ninja from Mie Prefecture and the Koka Ninja from Shiga Prefecture.
The Iga Ninja are famous for their loyal service to Iyeyasu Tokugawa, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate which ruled Japan for more than two hundred and fifty years. In Iga City, Mie Prefecture, is the Ninja Museum of Igaryu, where visitors can learn about their history as well as the special tricks they employed to deceive their enemies.
Aichi Prefecture, being the home territory of Iyeyasu, has organized a performance group, Hattori Hanzo and the Ninjas, named after the legendary commander of Iga Ninja. The group not only greet visitors at the Nagoya Castle in Nagoya City every day, but also performs Ninja action there every weekend. They occasionally appear at the Centrair Chubu Airport, as well.
Shiga Prefecture houses another Ninja museum, the Koka Ninja House. Located in Koka City, this is a true Ninja house where once the leading clan of the Koka Ninja lived. The museum, seemingly an inconspicuous farmhouse from the outside, offers visitors a chance to see and experience intriguing gimmicks such as hidden chambers or trapdoors to intercept intruders. It also houses a collection of Ninja arms like Shuriken, a type of concealed dart, as well as ancient scrolls describing secret combat techniques.
