Nagare Manji Hira Shuriken
Nagare Manji aren’t associated with any traditional Ryuha that i can find, They appear to be produced in a reverse swazstika (Manji) design with long flowing (Nagare) points. The points have an almost Kissaki like geometric tip that forms a sharp edge.
The Swazstika although associated with the Nazis during World War Two is actually a holy and auspicious symbol in Japan and throughout Asia. It’s commonly used by Japanese schools girls putting them in their hair taking photos on Instagram and is the word Manji is used somewhat like the word “Cheese” when taking photos. The word can be used in a variety of ways in the Japanese language such as to appear strong or high class or even as a sarcastic “Really?!” Or. “Seriously?!”.
The Manji has been closely linked to Buddhism for thousand of years before the Nazis adopted the symbol. The Japanese call the Nazi variation “Haaikenkuroitsu” ハーケンクロイツ
The specifications for the Nagare Manji Shuriken are as follows:
Length: 11.5cm
Width: 11.5cm
Thickness: 4mm
Type: Swazstika (Manji)
Material: Tool Steel/Tempered Steel
My overall opinion of Nagare Manji Hira Shuriken is they are ok, They are perfectly functional Shuriken if thrown with the curvature of the Shuriken facing away from the target so that the points hook into the target. If thrown the other way around with the curvature facing the target they tend to bounce off without doing any noticeable damage.
The Nagare Manji have to be thrown quite hard to get them to penetrate the target properly when practicing so I would say they are an intermediate level Hira Shuriken in comparison to some of the Juji Shuriken from specific Ryuha (Schools).
I do like the Nagare Manji but if I’m honest, they aren’t my favourite Hira Shuriken, They have a solid construction, they are quite heavy, they are robust and will take a lot of punishment but they just refuse to stick in the target 99% of the time. They just aren’t reliable enough to be used as an effective weapon in the Ninjas arsenal.
Trying to get 3 to stick in succession feels like a really labour intensive task by attempting to force the Shuriken to rotate enough to stick in the target, it’s not easy! Which makes me wonder if they would be effective in reality? Maybe you would give Uke a concussion or a nasty scratch.
In conclusion the Nagare Manji look the part but fall a bit short of when it comes to functionality, They will stick in the target but it doesn’t feel natural throwing them, I think a lot of that could be solved by sharpening and honing the arms down into a fine edge but then that could compromise the overall structure of the Shuriken.
The Nagare Manji is a good addition to any Shurikenjutsu practitioners collection but not essential, fun if your looking for something more challenging to practice with but their are better Hira Shuriken available.
