7 Ninjas
Sherry Galeazzi
Following the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th century, the ninja faded into obscurity.[5] A number of shinobi manuals, often based on Chinese military philosophy, were written in the 17th and 18th centuries, most notably the Bansenshūkai (1676).[6]
By the time of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, shinobi had become a topic of popular culture in Japan which featured in many legend and folklore, where they were associated with many supernatural abilitiles.
It was believed the espionage activities of Ninja were attributed to Chinese military strategy, such as The Art of War by Sun Tzu.[12] According to traditional evaluation, The ninja were stealth soldiers and mercenaries hired mostly by daimyōs.[13]
Despite many popular folktales, historical accounts of the ninja are scarce. Historian Stephen Turnbull asserts that the ninja were mostly recruited from the lower class, and therefore little literary interest was taken in them.[14] The social origin of the ninja is seen as the reason they agree to operate in secret, trading their service for money without honor and glory.[15] The scarcity of historical accounts is also demonstrated in war epics such as The Tale of Hōgen (Hōgen Monogatari) and The Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari), which focus mainly on the aristocratic samurai, whose deeds were apparently more appealing to the audience.[16] Historian Kiyoshi Watatani states that the ninja were trained to be particularly secretive about their actions and existence:
So-called ninjutsu techniques, in short are the skills of shinobi-no-jutsu and shinobijutsu, which have the aims of ensuring that one's opponent does not know of one's existence, and for which there was special training.[17]
However, some ninjutsu books described specifically what tactics ninja should use to fight, and the scenarios in which a ninja might find themselves can be deduced from those tactics. For example, in the manuscript of volume 2 of Kanrin Seiyō (間林清陽) which is the original book of Bansenshūkai (万川集海), there are 48 points of ninja's fighting techniques, such as how to make makibishi from bamboo, how to make footwear that makes no sound, fighting techniques when surrounded by many enemies, precautions when using swords at night, how to listen to small sounds, kuji-kiri that prevents guard dogs from barking, and so on.[18][19]
Later in history, the Kōga ninja would become regarded as agents of the Tokugawa bakufu, at a time when the Shogunate used the ninja in an intelligence network to monitor regional daimyōs as well as the Imperial court.[20] During this time, there are some definitive terms to classify their activities such as spying (kanchō), scout (teisatsu), ambush (kishu), and Agitprop (konran).[21] The ninja clans organized into larger confederation, with their own respective territories.[20] A system of rank existed. A jōnin rank ("upper person"). Followd by the chūnin rank ("middle person"), which task was personal assistant to the jōnin. genin rank ("lower person"), field agents drawn from the lower class for field operations.[22] Ninja trainees also studied survival, poisons and explosives.[23] Physical training involved long-distance runs, climbing, stealth methods of walking[24] Training to disguise themselves also taught.[23] Some evidence of medical training can be derived from one account, where a Iga ninja provided medical to Ii Naomasa, general of Tokugawa who was injured by gunfire the Sekigahara battle.[25]
The skill sets of ninja agents known in modern times as ninjutsu (忍術), which comprised a variety of espionage and survival skills with each its own unique characteristic for each ninjitsu schools. Some view ninjutsu as evidence that ninja were not simple mercenaries because texts contained not only information on combat training, but also information about daily needs, which even included mining techniques.[26] The guidance provided for daily work also included elements that enable the ninja to understand the martial qualities of even the most menial task.[26] These factors show how the ninjutsu established among the ninja class the fundamental principle of adaptation.[26]
Ninja usually worked in team to scale a wall by providing a human platform to assist their team members in reaching the top of the wall.[27] The Mikawa Go Fudoki gives an account where a coordinated team of infiltratiors usually using passwords to communicate to recognize their team members during the disguising operations as they dressed in the same clothes as the enemy.[28]
In his Buke Myōmokushō, military historian Hanawa Hokinoichi writes of the ninja that they travelling in disguise into foreign territories to scout and enemy forces and setting enemy castle on fire attack, carrying assassinations,[29] and Infiltration tactics.[15][29] Espionage was the chief role of the ninja. With the aid of disguises, the ninja gathered information on enemy terrain and building specifications, as well as obtaining passwords and communiques. The aforementioned supplement to the Nochi Kagami briefly describes the ninja's role in espionage, as Stephen Turnbull stated that the Iga and Kōka ninja usually infiltrated enemy castles.[30] Turnbull further added, Ninja gained notability as hired mercenaries during the 15 century to use many asymetrical warfare tactics such as scoutings, raidings, arsonists and even terrorism. which considered abhorrent by Amongst samurai class members. During the Sengoku period, demands for such unconventional operations were increased.[31][1] Meanwhile, Turnbull also stated there is no evidence to prove that Ninja actively employed as professional assassins, as it could be argued they could be just hired bandits.[32] Modern historian Tatsuo Fujita opined that based on the historical texts in 16 century by Naito Munekatsu, vassal of the Miyoshi clan, ninja warriors was actually feared as mercenaries who were proficient in the castle siege warfares.[33] Buildings were constructed with traps and trip wires attached to alarm bells to prevent enemy ninja infiltrations.[34] In battle, the ninja were also used to cause confusion amongst the enemy.[35] A degree of psychological warfare in the capturing of enemy banners can be seen illustrated in the Ōu Eikei Gunki, where a ninja once stolen the banner of samurai lord Naoe Kanetsugu and hoist it to next day to demoralize Kanetsugu's army in the war.[36]
Most ninjutsu techniques recorded in scrolls and manuals revolve around ways to avoid detection, and methods of escape.[6] These techniques were loosely grouped under corresponding natural elements. Some examples are:
The use of disguises is common and well documented. Disguises came in the form of priests, entertainers, fortune tellers, merchants, rōnin, and monks.[38] The Buke Myōmokushō states, that their missions were to disguise themselves as firewood gatherers and gaining information about the enemy[30] A mountain ascetic (yamabushi) attire facilitated travel, as they were common and could travel freely between political boundaries. The loose robes of Buddhist priests also allowed concealed weapons, such as the tantō.[39] Minstrel or sarugaku outfits could have allowed the ninja to spy in enemy buildings without rousing suspicion. Disguises as a komusō, a mendicant monk known for playing the shakuhachi, were also effective, as the large "basket" hats traditionally worn by them concealed the head completely.[40]
Ninja were believed to use used a large variety of tools and weaponries, which described and illustrated in the 17 century record Bansenshūkai,[41] including climbing equipment, extending spears,[25] rocket-propelled arrows,[42] and small collapsible boats.[43] Although it was believed the ninja wearing black garb (shinobi shōzoku) during their work, as depicted in modern media, there is no evidence for such attire.[44] instead, ninja usually operated in disguise of civilians.[29]
The accounts about Ninja's armor existence cannot be verified. Depictions of famous persons later deemed ninja often show them in Japanese armour. with concealable types of armour made with Kusari (Japanese mail armour) and Karuta (armour) that could have been worn by ninja including katabira (jackets) made with armour hidden between layers of cloth. Shin and arm guards, along with metal-reinforced hoods are also speculated to make up the ninja's armor.[29]
Tools used for infiltration and espionage are some of the most abundant artifacts related to the ninja. Ropes and grappling hooks were common, and were tied to the belt.[41] A collapsible ladder is illustrated in the Bansenshukai, featuring spikes at both ends to anchor the ladder.[45] Spiked or hooked climbing gear worn on the hands and feet also doubled as weapons.[46] Other implements include chisels, hammers, drills, picks, and so forth.
Ninja also using mizugumo to walk on the water.[43] This pair of footwear distributing the wearer's weight over the shoes' wide bottom surface, allowing the wearer to walk on the surface of water. The name of this equipment mizugumo was derived from the native name for the Japanese water spider (Argyroneta aquatica japonica). A similar footwear ukidari, also existed in the form of a flat round bucket, although arguably more unstable to use.[47]
Goshiki-mai (go, five; shiki, color; mai, rice) colored (red, blue, yellow, black, purple)[48] rice grains were used in a code system,[49][50] and to make trails that could be followed later.[51][52][53]
Ninja often used the katana as weapon of choice, which carried on the back.[40] The scabbard of katana sword of Ninja could be extended out of the sword, and used as a long probing device.[54] The sword could also be used to scale the wall, usingtsuba.[55] there's no known historical information about the straight ninjatō pre-20th century. The first photograph of a ninjatō appeared in a booklet by Heishichirō Okuse in 1956.[56][57] Ninja also using darts, spikes, knives, and shuriken as weapons,[58] The chain and sickle (kusarigama) was also used by the ninja.[59] Variant explosives such as Soft-cased grenaed designed to release smoke or poison gas, along with iron or ceramic shrapnel explosives also reportedly used by them.[27]