[2] The art possesses many originators and innovators who discovered and developed their own various methods of adapting everyday objects into throwing weapons, hence the wide variety of both schools and blades.

[3] Shuriken consist of two basic designs: The decree to outlaw shurikenjutsu during Japan's Tokugawa period drove the practice underground, and further shrouded it in secrecy.

As the Edo-era drew to a close, the abolition of the Samurai caste system and the subsequent modernization of Japan's military, led to the near extinction of shurikenjutsu.

Modern-day shurikenjutsu authorities, Naruse Kanji 成瀬関次(1888 - 1948) and Fujita Seiko 藤田西湖(1899 - 1966) also transmitted valuable information to future generations in the form of articles, books, photos and illustrations.

Today, the largest organization focusing on the use of shuriken is the Meifu Shinkage-ryū, a modern-day school, founded by Someya Chikatoshi in the late 1970s.