Jinichi Kawakami


Jinichi Kawakami

Jinichi Kawakami is the 21st head (sōke) of the Kōga (Koka) Ban family, a historic ninja lineage in Japan. Widely regarded as the last authentic master of Ninjutsu, Kawakami sōke has devoted his life to preserving the ancient techniques, philosophies, and cultural heritage of the shinobi. Trained extensively in traditional martial arts and classical Bujutsu, he embodies a rare blend of disciplined practice, historical authenticity, and scholarly integrity.

Deeply sincere and humble, Kawakami sōke has never sought fame or commercial gain. His lifelong mission has been to ensure the accurate preservation and transmission of true Ninjutsu, free from modern exaggerations and myths. Recognized by the governments of Mie (Iga) and Shiga (Koka) prefectures, his lineage holds a unique place in Japan’s martial history.

Kawakami sōke continues to collaborate with universities and historical institutions to promote academic understanding of the shinobi. Through lectures, demonstrations, and interviews, he clarifies the realities of Ninjutsu—showing that its methods were rooted in practical intelligence and adaptability, not in supernatural powers.

As the respected guardian and final custodian of a fading martial tradition, Kawakami sōke maintains a quiet but profound influence. While he does not lead a large international organization, his teachings live on through dedicated senior students such as the esteemed Shihan Tetsushin Murata.

Tetsushin Murata



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tetsushin Murata (Shihan)

Image
  My thoughts on Tetsushin Murata (Shihan) In July 2025 I traveled to Japan to participate in the Kōka Ban Bujutsu Training Camp, led by Tetsushin Murata (Shihan). Tetsushin Murata is a senior student of Jinichi Kawakami, the 21st Head of the Kōga Ban family Ninjutsu/Bujutsu lineage). Murata Shihan along with his students from Spain met me at my hotel. What most people don’t know is that I worked in the Federal Background investigative field for over twenty years, and I could really understand a lot about a person in just a few minutes of meeting them. Upon meeting Murata Shihan I knew that I was in the presences of a truly dedicated Martial Artist. He was very polite as he welcomed me, but I could tell that he devoted his life to these Martial Arts. He was in tremendous shape, and you could see that his hands were well-conditioned from striking. The training For two weeks we trained seven to eight hours a day, one of the days we trained ten hours. We were training Shinden Fu...
Read more
Image
  Ninjutsu  ( 忍術 ), often translated as “the art of stealth” or “the art of endurance,” is a traditional Japanese martial art that originated among the  shinobi  (ninja) of feudal Japan. It was developed as a  comprehensive system of espionage, survival, and unorthodox warfare , designed to give practitioners the ability to overcome stronger or more numerous opponents through strategy, adaptability, and deception. Ninjutsu is  not  a conventional Martial Art .  The Martial Arts that the Shinobi practiced was Bujutsu. Bujutsu ( 武術 )  translates to “the martial arts of the warrior” and represents the  classical combat systems  developed by the samurai of Japan. Unlike modern martial arts that focus on sport or competition, Bujutsu was created for  real battlefield application , emphasizing efficiency, control, and precision. Modern " Taijutsu”  Martial systems that draw from  classical Japanese schools (ryūha) ...
Read more