Shuriken
The ninja's concealed throwing weapon
The shuriken is a small Japanese throwing weapon, and as its name, meaning a blade hidden in the hand, suggests, it was an auxiliary weapon carried in secret and thrown. It falls into two broad families: the bo-shuriken, a thin spike or needle form about 15 to 25 cm long thrown point-first, and the shaken, the flat, multi-pointed star form widely known as the ninja's throwing star, about 10 to 15 cm across. Although popular culture portrays it as the ninja's main weapon, it was in fact not a main arm but an auxiliary tool of distraction and deterrence that scattered the enemy's attention. Several were carried hidden in the clothing or the sash, and they were made of iron or steel.