The Most Influential Ninja Males in History Fujibayashi, Nagato Hattori Hanzo is a Tokugawa Ieyasu-era Samurai fighter. Ishikawa Goemon is a Robin Hood-like figure who works for the Mayoshis. Munetoshi is a well-known fighter who possesses Shinkage-Ryu School sword abilities.... Fujibayashi, Nagato: The Most Influential Ninja Males in History Hattori Hanzō is a famous swordsman who has been mentioned by name in many articles about ninjas. He is known for his expertise with the katana and his involvement with both civil and military conflicts during the Edo period of Japan. The story of how he came to be one of the most influential ninja males in history begins over 200 years ago. He was born in 1645 in a small village called Fujikawaguchiko in what is now part of Tokyo Metropolis. His father was a farmer who also taught him the art of war from an early age. When he was 18 years old, Hanzō traveled to Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to work as a samurai for Lord Torii Kiyosu. However, he soon left this job to join a group of ronin who were fighting against the Tokugawa clan which had conquered their lord. This led to a series of events that would change the future course of Japanese history.