The Ninja of medieval Japan were noted for their ability to blend in, to go unnoticed, to surprise with the suddenness of their appearance, action and violence. Legend credits them with invisibility. Had they dressed all in black, as they are popularly depicted, they would hardly have disappeared among the citizens.
In traditional Japanese theatre, the Kabuki, Noh and especially the Bunraku, those shifting the scene, those controlling the puppets, were rendered invisible by black clothing from head to toe.
Who would be less likely to lash out, less likely to suddenly enter the story itself, than the stage hand in a costume designed specifically to remove them from view? Figures onstage that the audience has entered into an agreement not to see?
A magnificent betrayal.
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