Ninjas were secretive agents, soldiers, assassins, and were a fascinating subject for many young individuals.
However, some historians question their existence, considering the ninja as part of Japan’s folklore.
Nevertheless, it is certain that if ninjas did exist, it was during Japan’s 15th-century Sengoku period and like European knights, they are no longer around. Having said that, there were reports of a bold figure dressed in black who carried out a long crime spree in Japan between 2009 and 2017.
Is it true that a ninja caused terror in Osaka in recent times?
Verdict:
TRUE – to an extent
While he was not a traditional shinobi, there was a man who baffled the police for a decade.
Between 2009 and 2017, he committed over 250 burglaries, always dressed in black, including a black balaclava.
Known as the “Ninja of Heisei,” he managed to evade capture for eight years and was only captured on CCTV performing impressive feats of agility, like running on walls and scaling vertical surfaces effortlessly.
However, he was ultimately caught when he revealed his face on camera during one of his thefts.
Investigators discovered that the ninja would change into his black attire in an empty room of an old apartment building before committing his crimes.
Afterwards, he would change back into ordinary clothes.
Due to his physical abilities, investigators believed they were dealing with a young man, but the apprehended suspect, Mitsuaki Tanigawa, turned out to be a 74-year-old retiree.
Upon his arrest, Tanigawa confessed to the robberies, stating that he did them because he preferred theft over work due to the ease involved.
During his eight-year spree, Tanigawa carried out 254 burglaries, stealing an estimated 30 million yen (RM983,305) worth of goods and cash.
When questioned, Tanigawa expressed confidence in his criminal skills and claimed that if he were younger, he would have never been captured.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
