Mizu gumo ( ja, 水蜘蛛, lit=

water spider The diving bell spider or water spider (''Argyroneta aquatica'') is the only species of spider known to live almost entirely under water. It is the only member of the genus ''Argyroneta''. When out of the water, the spider ranges in colour from m ...

) was a water crossing device used by

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

. In one description a device was worn like a

harness A harness is a looped restraint or support. Specifically, it may refer to one of the following harness types: * Bondage harness * Child harness * Climbing harness * Dog harness * Pet harness * Five-point harness * Horse harness * Parrot harness * ...

around the hips and had small air pockets to keep the ninja afloat. Another description says that two were used and worn like shoes. The pockets were usually made of animal hide. In an episode of

MythBusters ''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internatio ...

, another mizu gumo made of wood and rope which was attached to the feet was tested. This was deemed to be 'busted' for walking on water, though possibly effective for rice paddies or marshy areas.

See also