The Reason the World Loves Naruto—And the Secret Truth About Ninja

Three years after the debut of the manga, Naruto was adapted into an anime by Studio Pierrot in 2002. It, and the sequel Naruto: Shippūden, was broadcast on television until 2017. (© Kishimoto Masashi, Scott/Shūeisha, TV Tokyo, Pierrot)

Members of the “Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzō Ninja Squad” pose in front of Nagoya Castle. Ninja culture continues to thrive in modern Japan. (© Jiji)

On October 3, 2022, Kishimoto Masashi released this illustration to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the debut of the anime series. (© Kishimoto Masashi, Scott/Shūeisha)

The fighting game Naruto-Boruto Ultimate Storm Connections, which commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the anime, is scheduled to launch on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox in 2023. (© Kishimoto Masashi, Scott /Shūeisha, TV Tokyo, Pierrot; © Naruto Movie Production Committee 2012; © Naruto Movie Production Committee 2014; © Boruto Movie Production Committee 2015; © Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.)