Produced by Nishimura Shunichi

Teleplay by Igami Masaru

Director of Photography Nakamachi Takeshi

Art Director Abe Saburo

Lighting Kurematsu Yoshiji

Sound recording Yamamoto Sanya

Assistant Director Toyama Toru

Editor Kakui Michiko

Production Manager Ogawa Katsumi

Hairdresser Kawaguchi Yoshihiro

Wardrobe Mano Hiroshi

Music Ogawa Hirooki

Director Funatoko Sadao

with Yoshikawa Yoichiro, Kobayashi Jushiro, Watari Shinji, Tomoda Teru

Obviously shot in winter (people's breaths coming out in smoke even indoors), this introduced the ninja to the series. Its opening narration does this well. A voiceover intones the following over an opening ninja scroll, followed by shots of ninja weaponry. " In Japan 300 years go, there were two secret societies of people who called themselves ninja. One group was called Iga, the other Koga. They were professional spies and assassins, experts in acrobatics, swordsmanship, judo, karate and hypnotism. The secret scroll of ninja had three basic rules: To train your body to endure any hardship; to forget all of your friends and family and keep your real identity secret; to accept death rather than divulge any of the secrets of the society of ninja."

It also introduced Shintaro's boy companion, Shusaku. Set in Kai Province (Yamanashi Prefecture), it concerns the attempts of a society of 13 Koga ninja to use a secret gold mine to further their own ambitions and Shintaro's efforts to foil them. In this, Shintaro befriends a ninja, one Kurobei of the Koga, who appears to have gone over to his side. Through Shintaro, Kurobei comes to appreciate the beauties of nature and the heartlessness of his life as a ninja. A real conflict of loyalties arises when he is forced to betray Shintaro by his chief. This one also features a spectacular sequence where Koga Ryushiro, the master Koga ninja hovers over Our Heroes on a giant kite with a swastika on it.

"New adventure series set in medieval Japan telling of Shintaro the master swordsman and of his relentless search for his enemies, the black robed society known as the Koga ninja. On a Tokyo street at midnight, a lonely traveller is passing when a dark figure springs out of the darkness, kills him and begins ransacking his pockets in a hasty search for a bag of gold he was taking to one of the Shogun's ministers."

"The first of the 13 ninja of the Koga society is dead after challenging Shintaro to a fight. Now Shintaro and his young companion,. Shusaku, are in search of another challenger."

"While walking along a dusty road on their way to Kofu, Shintaro and Shusaku notice an express courier in a great hurry and they catch sight of a ninja knife falling out of his pocket. That night Shusaku is kidnapped."

"While he and his companions are resting in an inn, Shintaro sees a scared rat running from the closet and realises there is someone hiding inside"

"When the leader of the infamous Koga society harangues Kurobei for failing to rescue another ninja from Shintaro, Kurobei decides to turn against the society and join the master swordsman."

"After sneaking out of a temple in which Shintaro has sought refuge for the night, Kurobei is challenged by a black clad figure in the belfry."

"Shintaro goes to the rescue when he sees a band of villainous sedan-chair carriers running off with a girl named Chikage. Then he decides to help her locate her father."

"Shintaro and his young companion have finally arrived in Kofu after many adventures but their arrival is being observed from afar by Sarobei and Genzo, two more master ninja."

"The Koga ninja has been committing a series of crimes including arson and murder with the sole purpose of coaxing Shintaro into the open so he can be their next victim."

"Ninja Kogento enables an expert rifleman to do away with Shintaro."

"Shintaro offers to escort some fugitives from the Koga ninja into Kofu though this means he will have to walk back towards his enemies who are pursuing him."

"While searching for a secret entrance to a hidden gold mine, Shintaro sees a group of ninja attacking a woodsman."

"Shintaro and Shusaku, while journeying through the mountains, save the life of a farmer who is hanging upside down in a tree. He tells them he was attacked by the Koga and Shintaro realises they are nearby."