The allure of ninjutsu lives on in its twin historic strongholds The Pyle family from Australia strike a pose during a hands-on experience at the Samurai Ninja Museum Kyoto in Kyoto's Nakagyo Ward on Sept. 24. (Photo by Yo Inoue) KYOTO -- Masters of the mysterious arts of ninjutsu wield exotic weapons and melt into the shadows to assassinate their enemies. This is the popular image of the ninja, one that has captivated imaginations around the world for generations.Now, the mystique surrounding these covert agents of feudal Japan is proving a powerful draw for visitors to the country, with ninja-themed experiences and performances becoming fixtures of the tourism landscape.But what is it about ninja that continues to exert such a hold on overseas visitors?To find out, we visited ninja attractions in Iga and Koka, the twin heartlands of ninjutsu, as well as Kyoto, the cultural jewel of Japanese tourism, and spoke with the people drawn to this elusive world.Foreign tourists flock to the Samurai Ninja Museum Kyoto in the city's Nakagyo Ward, where visitors can explore the history and traditions of ninja and samurai.Located near Nishiki Market, the museum attracts many tourists looking to squeeze a ninja adventure into their sightseeing itineraries.When a staff member asked in English what came to mind when visitors heard the word "ninja," the answers came back in an enthusiastic chorus."Assassins!" "Spies!"Especially popular is a hands-on experience in which visitors dress as ninja and try their hands at throwingshuriken, small metal weapons that come in various shapes such as stars, and shooting darts throughfukiya, traditional blowguns.Nathan Pyle and his family, visiting from Australia, sent star-shaped shuriken flying into their targets one after another.Wow! I hit the bullseye!" they could be heard shouting. Visitors who were asked about their countries of origin named places as far apart as the U.S., Slovenia and Colombia.Ninja have achieved worldwide recognition through movies and other works of fiction, but the paths by which these visitors first encountered them were surprisingly varied. Some had discovered ninja through Hollywood movies, while others had learned about them at school. Relatively few cited Japanese manga or video games as their first introduction. What explains the enduring fascination with ninja? We put the question to Yuji Yamada, a professor at Mie University and a leading authority on ninja history."Part of the reason ninja have been loved around the world for so long is that we don't have the full picture of who they actually were or what they actually did," he said.When films or novels portray samurai and other bygone warriors in ways that depart from the historical record, they often invite criticism."But with ninja, however you portray them, no one can say it's impossible," Yamada said.Ninja were real, yet much about their lives and activities remains shrouded in mystery. That very uncertainty has given storytellers extraordinary freedom to reinvent them, allowing their appeal to transcend national and cultural boundaries.Ninja culture also encompasses a remarkably diverse range of disciplines, from martial arts and chemistry to pharmacology and mental training. This breadth gives children and adults alike something to capture their interest. For tourism operators, it offers a wealth of possibilities for combining activities and tailoring experiences to visitors' tastes.But Yamada cautions against assuming that the ninja label alone guarantees lasting success."Simply using ninja to build a tourist attraction won't make it last," he said.Today's travelers, he argues, increasingly seek compelling stories grounded in historical authenticity.Unless attractions draw on the distinctive culture and history of places with genuine ninja connections, they are unlikely to sustain visitors' interest.In May, Iga in Mie prefecture and Koka in neighboring Shiga prefecture -- which are both celebrated as historic centers of ninjutsu -- launched NINJA ORIGINS, a public-private initiative offering exclusive tours of the two regions to international travelers that have money to spend.Prices start at 200,000 yen ($1,270) per person for an overnight stay.Rather than relying solely on the spectacular feats of ninja legend, the tours emphasize authentic experiences rooted in the regions' histories.To give guests a sense of how ninja, believed to have included farmers and lower-ranking samurai, actually lived, itineraries combine activities such as farm work, preparing medicinal herbal teas and visiting shrines, tailored to individual interests. For some foreign visitors, the opportunity to explore the historic home of ninja is worth a journey well beyond Japan's major tourist destinations.Overseas visitors account for more than 20% of admissions at the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, dedicated to the Iga school of ninjutsu and located near Iga Ueno Castle, a fortress with origins in the 16th century.Renato Patrcevic, from Croatia, said he had been fascinated by ninja ever since reading novels about them as a child. For more than 40 years, he had dreamed of visiting their homeland."I've finally made it to where the ninja actually lived. My dream has come true," he said, visibly moved.Another destination drawing enthusiasts from abroad is Akame 48 Waterfalls, a series of cascades winding through a forested gorge in Nabari, Mie prefecture. Steeped in local traditions linking the area to ninja training, the gorge is promoted as a place where visitors can experience something of the physical challenges once faced by Iga ninja.Matthew Molarius, visiting from the U.S., booked a ninja experience there as a surprise for his son, Wren, an enthusiast of Asian martial arts.Surrounded by nature, the family threw themselves into training exercises that included scaling walls and crossing ropes. At Koka Ninja Village in Shiga prefecture, visitors can explore a residence once occupied by descendants of ninja and try usingmizugumo, literally "water spiders," traditional devices thought to have helped ninja traverse marshes and other waterlogged terrain. On some days, nearly all visitors are from overseas.To accommodate them, the facility has staff members who can speak English, Chinese and Tagalog. Australian Ryan Dunn provides guidance in English."We want to explain the history and culture in a language each person can understand, so they can appreciate it more deeply," he said. Will the worldwide fascination with ninja continue? Yamada believes their enduring appeal lies precisely in the freedom that surrounds their portrayal."As visual technology and staging advance, the ninjutsu of fiction will evolve with the times," he said.Unlike historical figures whose lives have been extensively documented, ninja remain elusive enough to accommodate almost any new interpretation.And therein may lie the secret of their remarkable longevity: The less the world knows for certain about ninja, the more room there is for the imagination to roam. Their mystique, it seems, is far from exhausted.