The Blowgun, or fukiya, is a projectile weapon of Japan. It was one of the Long-Range weapons of the Ninja.
Description
The Blowgun was a hollow tube, usually bamboo, about 20 inches long. Unlike American guns, the Japanese blowgun had no mouthpiece; the user wrapped their lips around the pipe. The darts were usually tipped with tetrodotoxin taken from the puffer fish.
Uses
Because the Ninja blowgun was shorter than other blowguns, it had a shorter effective radius. Because of this, it was typically fired from a concealed location, using the poison to kill the opponent while the Ninja made his getaway. Many schools of Ninjitsu, such as the Togakure-ryu, are dedicated to the art of using the blowgun alone.
The blowgun could also be used as an improvised straw or snorkel to help the Ninja survive in the wild.