Bronze Medal Winner, 10th International Manga Awards  This historically grounded manga follows the ninja Nagata Saburo as he teaches his son, Hisaaki, the weapons, secret tactics, and values of the ninja. Based on the real-life writings of the famous ninja Hattori Hanzo,  Secrets of the Ninja  combines a familiar coming-of-age story with a historically accurate background of political intrigue and Sengoku-period Japanese culture. As Hisaaki grows from boy to man, Wilson skillfully interweaves real lessons, weapons, and skills used by ninja in feudal Japan, depicted with detail by artist Akiko Shimojima.  All of the tactics Saburo teaches to his son are drawn from the Shinobi Hiden, the most famous of the "ninja scrolls" written by Hattori Hanzo, general to the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu and one of the most famous warriors in Japan. These scrolls provided practical instruction for professional ninja, but they also provide insightful theories of social relationships and human interaction, studying the nature of deception, falsehood, and self-protection. An extensive supplementary section written by Antony Cummins provides fascinating details on these scrolls and their practical lessons. Accessible, insightful, and exciting,  Secrets of the Ninja  is the perfect introduction to the world of samurai and shinobi warfare. SEAN MICHAEL WILSON is a Scottish writer living in Japan. He has written more than 20 books, published by a variety of US, UK and Japanese publishers and translated into ten languages. In 2016 his book of Lafcadio Hearn stories,  The Faceless Ghost  was nominated for the prestigious 'Eisner Book Awards', and received a medal in the 2016 'Independent Publisher Book Awards'. He is the first British person to receive an 'International Manga Award' from the Japanese government.  AKIKO SHIMOJIMA is a comic and manga artist from Tokyo, Japan. A teacher of digital comics art at a school in Tokyo, she is the illustrator of  The 47 Ronin  and has contributed work to many other publications.  ANTONY CUMMINS is the author of The Secret Traditions of the Shinobi and  True Path of the Ninja, among other books . He has also worked as a historical consultant on TV documentaries such as  Ninja Shadow Warriors and Samurai Head Hunters . More information can be found at his website, natori.co.uk.