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I think I will poke a plot inconsistency here.

Since the first chapter, you can see Naruto using what seems to be plastic googles, his clothes are made of seems to be synthetic fiber clothes. You can see that the village have video tapes (which also suggest the knowledge of electricity) and radios. They know the internal combustion engine, going by the mission to protect the bridge designer, in which they prefer not using the engine because it makes noise.

But later, or more like in all the plot, there seems to be instances where this technology could be used, like sending messages between villages/members, or setting up vigilance, but are not used.

Why is that?

Braiam
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  • technological inconsistency are almost similar to all mangas. also some things are added by anime team to make more authentic which are not present in manga. – Sp0T Mar 28 '14 at 12:49
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    It's over 9000. – Almo Mar 28 '14 at 15:30
  • @Sp0T that's a gross generalization – o0'. Mar 28 '14 at 23:29
  • Hayenn's answer is pretty much definitive, but I'd say Naruto falls into the category of [schizo tech](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SchizoTech). It picks up and uses modern/advanced technologies seemingly at random, or avoids them simply for the sake of the plot (as the interview in Hayenn's answer indicates, military techs were avoided so that Ninjas were still relevant) and blends it with older techs. – zibadawa timmy Jun 27 '15 at 00:40

5 Answers5

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Here's an extract of Kishimoto's interview

Konohagakure no Sato Guns and vehicles shouldn't be drawn.

A: Well, well, we reach the final keyword. The main stage of "Naruto", "Konohagakure no Sato". To you, what image do you have of this place? For example, was it modeled on the scenery around your parents' home in Okayama?

Masashi Kishimoto: That's right. To be honest, I didn't think much about this, and got a lot on my inspiration there. Maybe it was subconsciously modeled on Okayama's scenery.

A: What kind of time period did you set it in? If it was in the distant past, then covenience stores wouldn't be there...

Masashi Kishimoto: It's not really any different to present-time. Though possibly a little in the past, maybe?

A: What kind of place is it? Is it Japan? If so, what prefecture...?

Masashi Kishimoto: It's a completely original place. I didn't set it anywhere. A place inside my own head... If anything, the climate and topography resemble that around Kyoto. As I've never been to Kyoto, it's my own image of it. (laugh)

A: What material did you use for it?

Masashi Kishimoto: I like Japanese culture, and since I studied it, I used a lot of material from that. Crests and folding fans... I often look at Japanese-style gardens and watch Kabuki.

A: Do you have any rules about what is definitely not allowed to be drawn in the "Naruto" world?

Masashi Kishimoto: Firstly, projectile weapons such as guns aren't allowed. (The one exception is Inari's bowgun.) Guns aren't suited to ninja. Gunpowder is used in the anime, though I don't think it should be there. And, vehicles such as aeroplanes are not allowed. I try to restrain technology that can be used for war... For example, if missiles were in it, it'd be the end. (laughs)

A: Well, thank you very much for everything today.

Masashi Kishimoto: Thank you very much!

And from Shonen Jump

Shonen Jump:Your work seems to have a science fiction influence. Approximately speaking what is the technology level in the world of Naruto?

Masashi Kishimoto: Actually, the world of Naruto doesn’t differ very much from our present time. TV, refrigerators and air conditioners exist in the world. The only exceptions are weapons and explosives, which I’ve decided to set in a much earlier era. That’s why you don’t see firearms.

Hayenn
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    So, everything that would pose a military advantage over the enemy is restricted, noted. – Braiam Mar 28 '14 at 13:02
  • The only exception is the fifth movie, when suddenly ninjas from the land of the sky fly over konoha and fire from their kunai-guns. – looper Mar 28 '14 at 14:37
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    `For example, if missiles were in it, it'd be the end.`, well, one of Nagato's path, the cyborg, uses missiles during the invasion of Konoha. – OnesimusUnbound May 19 '14 at 04:56
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For sending messages between villages, they will be needing a satellite for communication, but this level of technology doesn't exist in their world. From how much I have read and watched Naruto, their technology is somewhere around 1940s of our world. Short range radio devices, basic combustion engine, but not that advanced.

It is because there is a difference in their world and ours. In our world when wars (World War I and II) happened, we concentrated on developing science and technology, whereas they developed ninja manpower and ninjutsu for the war.

Gao
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adimoh
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Given they have walkie talkies and motion pictures and the level of engineering to build relatively modern bridges, as well as the tools Orichimaru uses I would argue they have a level of technology equivalent to the early 1900s roughly before the space race.

Outlaw Rave
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I believe that the Naruto series is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where nuclear weapons and the influence of a re-created Soviet Union destroyed the world's economy and led to World War 3. That's why the Hidden Rain looks like a destroyed version of an American city (actually, it is all that remains of New York).

Dimitri mx
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Brandon Danvers
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    Do you have any credible sources to back this assumption up? Fact based answers are preferred here, instead of fan based theory's – Dimitri mx Jun 27 '15 at 00:19
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I feel like we can’t really judge it from our standards. They’re a completely different universe with different needs and knowledge. Something we think is necessary in our world, they might not need. Things like bridges and transportation might be necessary, but things like phones might not if there are other ways to communicate (trained birds, or using different kinds of abilities that don’t exist in our world.) We also don’t really see the daily lives of normal civilians, mostly ninjas who are all about tradition and heritage, so what they have in their houses might not be what common people have.

Randomguy121
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