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Front cover of Chugaku Ninen Course magazine April 1957 inaugural issue featuring the Fujita Seiko ninja interview.

Fujita Seiko Chugaku Ninen Course Feature – April 1, 1957 Issue

04/01/1957

Japanese title
中学二年コース 1957年4月創刊号
Publication
Chugaku Ninen Course (中学二年コース)
Type
Magazine
Language
Japanese
Editor
Gakken Editor
Publisher
Gakushuu Kenkyuusha (学習研究社)
Collection
Fujita Seiko Collection
Authors
Fujita Seiko , Tomita Tsuneo
People
Fujita Seiko

Notes

This historical document preserves the complete eleven-page feature article, Ninjutsu Is Alive (忍術は生きている), published on pages 104–114 of the inaugural April 1957 issue of Chugaku Ninen Course (中学二年コース), issued by Gakushū Kenkyūsha (Gakken). Presented as an extended interview between Fujita Seiko (藤田西湖) and novelist Tsuneo Tomita (富田常雄), the article examines the history, philosophy, and practical application of historical Kōga-ryū ninjutsu during Japan's postwar period. The feature includes contemporary photographs of Fujita Seiko, biographical profiles of both participants, photographs of Fujita's privately preserved ninjutsu manuscripts (伝書), instructional illustrations, editorial artwork, and discussions covering disguise, reconnaissance, survival techniques, endurance training, tactical deception, memory, observation, specialized equipment, and the practical philosophy of ninjutsu. Throughout the interview, Fujita consistently distinguishes historical practice from the exaggerated supernatural image of the ninja that had become popular in contemporary entertainment. As one of Fujita Seiko's longest known postwar magazine interviews, this feature provides an important primary source documenting how he publicly interpreted and explained the traditions of Kōga-ryū ninjutsu to a general Japanese readership during the mid-twentieth century.

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Description

Fujita Seiko Interview — Published in the inaugural April 1957 issue of Chugaku Ninen Course (中学二年コース), this rare eleven-page feature, “Ninjutsu Is Alive” (忍術は生きている), presents one of the most important postwar magazine interviews with Fujita Seiko. Conducted by novelist Tsuneo Tomita (富田常雄), the interview explores the history, philosophy, and practical application of historical ninjutsu at a time when popular culture increasingly portrayed ninja as supernatural figures rather than highly trained intelligence operatives.

Throughout the interview, Fujita Seiko challenges popular misconceptions by explaining ninjutsu as a disciplined system built upon observation, reconnaissance, disguise, deception, endurance, survival skills, psychological warfare, and scientific thinking. Drawing upon historical traditions and his own decades of research, he demonstrates practical methods while separating authentic techniques from theatrical myths and popular fiction.

This complete archival presentation includes high-resolution scans of every page, the original Japanese text, a complete English translation, editorial notes, captions, and historical annotations. Topics discussed include the origins of ninjutsu, Kōga-ryū traditions, disguise techniques, intelligence gathering, escape methods, specialized equipment, physical and mental conditioning, survival rations, espionage practices, and Fujita Seiko’s philosophy that the true legacy of ninjutsu lies not in secret techniques, but in lifelong discipline, resilience, adaptability, and continuous self-improvement.

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Robert C. Gruzanski

Curator of the Gruzanski Archives

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