Vintage Ninja still has an open call out for what we call “Kosugi Kicks” — images of ninja in movie posters, VHS sleeves, toy packaging, advertising, whatever, that are cribbed from the iconic two-sword jump kick publicity shot Sho Kosugi … Continued
I love me some Botan Rice Candy! I was first exposed to the slightly citrusy chews with their dissolving edible wrappers and souvenir stickers in the 70s by my uncle Hiro, and saved a ninja-themed one from the 80s. They … Continued
How many times, in a jealous fit of childish resentment, have I openly cursed all Australians on this site? Seriously, that continent probably hates me, but dammit, their head start on the ninja craze outside of Japan beat us by … Continued
Last year we put out an open call for images knocked-off from the iconic “Kosugi Kick” dual sword jump kick pose. Read the original post here. We got some nice entries, from comics to cheap merch to costume catalog photos. … Continued
Birthday gift to myself at the beginning of the month — this astounding 8″ sofubi statue done in the style of wooden Netsuke charms, called “Sushi Dokuro.” I know… right!?!?!? “Sushi Dokuro” was designed/sculpted by Osaka tattoo artist Mitomo Horihiro. … Continued
No, not a vinyl toy post… this is one for you record collectors. Spotted on eBay recently: (Click for full-size versions) I know nothing of this “The Ninja” band, and I’m not an 80s hair metal guy by any stretch of … Continued
A neat little menko card, likely from the 60s, featuring characters from Onmitsu Kenshin, the ground-breaking TV series beloved in Australia as The Samurai. It’s pretty rare to see a color image from this seminal B&W series, and what few … Continued
Originally published February, 2010 Have owned this “sugoroku” illustrated game board for years but am finally discovering the actual nature of it. Essentially a Japanese version of Chutes and Ladders, these thin paper game boards have been produced for centuries … Continued
Super pressed for time lately, but I will leave you all with another nice selection of vintage Menko cards. These seem to be Fujimaru-themed, with plenty of the loose dot patterns, off register color and dodgy third-party artwork that make … Continued
So yeah, man did the month of December sneak up on me in the dark with a piano wire… This was planned as three individual posts, but today is the first day I’ve been able to breathe in three weeks, … Continued