Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique

by Antony Cummins

  忍術門入起證文

  The Shinobi-Jutsu Oath

  [A shinobi, having being chosen to train as such or who has been born into a family which specializes in shinobi no jutsu, will first make promises and oaths, maybe even exchange a hostage, giving a wife or child into the care of the lord to ensure trusty service. They must also understand the origins of their art and in the case of the Akutagawa, understand that the art is divine and was inherited from the gods.]

  忍術来由

  Shinobi-jutsu origin

  Transmitted from the Akutagawa to the Kimura Family of Koka

  [The Akutagawa family consider their skills to be given through the divinity of the gods to humans, who then passed them down the generations until they ended up in the area of Koka, with the Akutagawa Clan.]

  Menkyo Level

  [The first step for a shinobi is to master the basics. As a warrior they can fight; they have various levels of education and have been brought up in a medieval world where blood and death are not separated from life. The first part of their training consists of tools and the fundamental building blocks requiring mastery, before they progress further. From here the skills increase and move towards the more difficult. Sometimes the same skills are expanded upon.]

  天之巻

  Ten no maki

  The Scroll of Heaven

  入用道具之事

  The Tools Needed

  [Shinobi must be proficient in tools that allow them to infiltrate enemy mansions and castles. Ladders, climbing spikes, saws, nails, drills, lock picks, etc., are all manufactured and used when a shinobi needs to enter an enemy position.]

  起臥ヲ知ル事

  The Art of Knowing if Someone is Asleep or Awake

  [Once inside an enemy position, the shinobi has to know if the enemy is asleep or awake. Sometimes this is done before the final infiltration, i.e., the shinobi has moved into the grounds of the target complex but has yet to reach the inner quarters and is listening to those “asleep” in the room. In Akutagawa-Ryu this is a mixture of folklore and skill and also appears in other schools. A string is tied to a roof beam and a rock or weight is hung from the string, allowing this weight to hang close to the ground. When the stone hits the floor (which is most likely when the roof beams have contracted in the coldest part of the night) the shinobi will enter, believing all inside to be asleep. This also has a religious element and a shinobi will pray for sleep to come over those inside.]

  手火之事

  The Art of Palm Fire

  [Once inside a house the shinobi need to see where they are going. The use of small lights—often with a bluish flame—allows the shinobi to see inside. The “fire within the palm” is a popular torch among the shinobi and consists of small flammable mixtures, either rolled into a ball or applied to a small splint of wood. When the shinobi fears detection, they simply close their hand to extinguish the light.]

  塀乗之事

  The Art Climbing Fences and Walls

  [The walls of samurai houses are set at around seven feet or more with the average Japanese man of the medieval period measuring only five feet in height. Castle walls are of course much larger. The shinobi have various skills for climbing, including sets of spikes for placing into cracks in a wall, grapples and ropes, and even pulley systems.]

  Gabriel Rossa with the Cloud Ladder from the Bansenshukai manual and (below) a two-pronged grapple and rope ladder.

  菱ヲ知事

  The Art of Understanding Caltrops

  [Caltrops are small objects thrown on the ground that will always stand with one point in the air; they are spread to stop people from giving chase. These are not normally scattered at random but are positioned where the shinobi feels they will be most effective. They are also attached to strings so that they can trail behind the shinobi, catching the feet of anyone in pursuit. They may be scattered while on the run if an emergency arises.]

  堀ノ浅深ヲ知事

  The Art of Knowing the Depth or Shallowness of a Moat

  [Knowing the depth of the moat is a key factor when the shinobi is infiltrating a mansion or a castle. This is also done for information gathering for a lord who wishes to attack a castle. Normally depth is measured by a lead weight and a rope, while distances and heights are worked out with mathematical equations. The science of measuring is an art in itself.]

  堅キ物ヲ切ル事

  The Art of Cutting Through Hard Objects

  [Without doubt, on most missions a shinobi will have to cut through a wall, fence or door, etc. There are various traditions on helping the agent cut through these objects, most deal with a form of lubrication that will muffle the sound of a hand drill turning or a saw cutting.]

  咳仕様之事

  The Art of Coughing

  [To date, this art has been found in Akutagawa-Ryu and Mubyoshi-Ryu and consists of using a bamboo tube to cough into. The aim is to either suffocate the cough to stop the sound from reaching the enemy that they are about to infiltrate and therefore not giving away the shinobi’s position; or it can also be used to give the illusion that the sound of the cough is at a distance, at which the guards will hear the cough, but because the sound is “small and light” they will look beyond where the shinobi actually is.]

  続松之事

  The Art of the Torch

  [Torches should not be underestimated in value nor should they be considered simple. Shinobi torches are varied and numerous, with many alternative mixtures for different opportunities. A selection of torches and gunpowder skills are required to be mastered by shinobi and torch construction is fundamental to the shinobi arts. One of their primary tasks is to lead people through the dark of no-man’s-land in war—which could stretch for miles—and also to journey in harsh weather conditions across many leagues; therefore, torches need to be strong, weatherproof and long-lasting.]

  巾着火之事

  The Art of Kinchakubi—

  Fire in Drawstring Leather Purse [To ignite the above torches and to commit arson, a shinobi needs fire time and time again; manuals continually state the importance of fire. Even with the aid of modern fire-lighting equipment it is difficult to start fires in wet conditions, and for the medieval person without modern aids it could be an extremely difficult task. The shinobi developed many recipes that allowed them to maintain hot embers for extended periods of time and they also developed many methods of carrying them. These could range from metal cylinders to the example here, a kinchaku, which is a leather drawstring purse; this version would have the insides treated so that hot embers could be carried on the shinobi, either in his kimono or on his belt—these were often kept in the sleeve.]

  眠薬之事

  The Art of Sleeping Powder

  [Sleeping powder is normally a mixture of a charred creature, such as slugs or intestinal worms which have been ground to powder and then wrapped in cloth tablets, or alternatively they can be coated on paper soaked in blood. A shinobi would place this tablet or paper into a closed room and its effects are said to cause those in the room to fall asleep, or those who are already asleep will fall into a deeper slumber. To prevent the shinobi from succumbing to their own weapon, they would stuff grass up their nose or inhale pepper so that their nose became blocked.]

  無言薬之事

  The Art of the Speechless Powder

  [This theme tends to come in two versions. Once a shinobi is passing those who are asleep, they will sprinkle or lightly dust this powder on to the face of the enemy. If their enemy should wake, disturb the powder and breathe in then they will inhale it and their voice will be rough and their throat sticky. The second version is that of blinding powders, as displayed in Natori-Ryu, where ground burnt tadpoles are sprinkled on the eyes of a sleeping person—then when they awake and open their eyes the powder will act as an irritant.]

  道ニ不迷之事

  The Art of Not Losing Your Way in a House

  [One tool that shinobi carry is a long cord that wa
s attached to a doorway or exit—after a shinobi had cut out a section of a wall the cord was reeled out behind the agent. In the dark of the house with only a small amount of light they may lose their way; then if an emergency arises or if the mission has finished and they need to leave in stealth or in haste, they can simply follow the cord back to the opening and escape into the night.]

  闇所ニテ人ヲ見ル事

  The Art of Observing People in the Dark

  [Once in the main rooms of the house, with people sleeping in quarters, the shinobi will need to identify who is there and how many are present. This can be done in many ways; most involve the use of small lights and fire. One method from the Bansenshukai ninja manual is to blow a dart from a blowpipe into a wall. The dart has a very small charge of gunpowder; with a slight hiss, it ignites. This illuminates the inside of a room for a second. Another way is to test with light on the end of a stick, pushing it through gaps while another shinobi looks into the room. In addition to this, directional lights can be used.]

  地之巻

  Chi no Maki

  The Scroll of Earth

  忍物語口傳書

  Shinobi Monogatari Kudensho

  Secret Shinobi Sagas that have been Orally Transmitted

  [The second stage in Akutagawa-Ryu is to understand the deeds of shinobi that have gone before them: the tales of ancient masters. Often such stories are included in ninja scrolls to encourage students to aspire to the heights of previous shinobi. The tales often return to events in China, or of famous ninja who helped achieve a great victory, either by burning down a castle or succeeding in killing someone who was well protected—naturally all of these tales hold keys to the arts of the shinobi. These also hold applicability and correctly concentrate the mind.]

  人之巻

  Jin no maki

  The Scroll of Man

  [This scroll repeats from the first scroll; this is due to differing degrees of learning. The repeat skills have been left in place so that the full scroll-list is available; however no further explanations are given, they simply go into greater detail.]

  空立火之事

  The Art of Karatachihi

  [Text missing from author’s collection]

  巾着火之事

  The Art of Kinchakubi Drawstring Leather Purse for Fire

  [The recipe and construction for the skill described above]

  胴之火之事

  The Art of the Donohi

  [A donohi is another form of fire-carrying tool, normally a cylinder or package which contains live burning embers.]

  無音薬之事

  The Art of the No Sound Power

  [Recipes of powders that dampen the sound of tools, etc.]

  郭公之事

  The Art of the Cuckoo

  [A shinobi must learn to imitate animal vocalizations; during an infiltration, the shinobi will call out like an animal or insect; anyone in the target house will be familiar with the noise and ignore any movement outside, thinking it is just the “animal” that is getting closer.]

  霧之印之事

  The Art of Mudra of Mist

  [Blinding powders are often kept in small containers, muskets, canes or cloth. The idea is to gain a position upwind from the enemy and then sprinkle the contents on the wind so that the eyes of the enemy will become blurry and they will be confused. These powders can be thrown at the enemy’s face or placed inside of fire rockets and projectiles.]

  無言薬之事

  The Art of No Speech Power

  [Recipes for the above]

  眠リ薬之事

  The Art of Sleeping Power

  [Recipes for the above]

  眠リ薬之事又ノ法

  An Alternative Sleeping Powder

  [Recipes for the above]

  手火之事

  The Art of the Palm Torch

  [Recipes for the above]

  松明之事

  The Art of Torches

  [Recipes for the above]

  袖松明之事

  The Art of the Sleeve Torch

  [A form of torch kept in the sleeve; this is normally another way of carrying embers, or it can be a miniature torch.]

  水防薬之事

  The Art of Waterproof Medicine

  [Shinobi need to have at least a basic knowledge of medicinal plants and travel medicines. Recipes to cure sunstroke, vomiting, headaches and aid in coagulation of blood to close wounds are all required alongside other medical treatments and first aid that is needed while out performing a mission.]

  刀拭之事

  The Art of Cleaning a Blade

  [The concept of quick-cleaning and sharpening a blade, normally this is the skin of an animal with crushed stone applied. The shinobi will sharpen their sword or clean their blade with these methods.]

  兵粮丸之事

  The Art of Hunger Pills

  [Working in “the field” for days if not weeks on end, a shinobi needs to maintain physical and mental stability. Hunger pills are common among soldiers in Japan and consist of different recipes that are formed into pills and tablets. These are light and small but calorie packed. They are to be taken to keep a shinobi from starving.]

  遠道労ヲ治ス薬

  The Art of Medicine to Cure Exhaustion after Extended Travel

  [This requirement for energy and medical aid to prevent exhaustion helps to display the extreme conditions under which the shinobi worked. Shinobi were the long-distance scouts, a black ops team in enemy territory that may have had to infiltrate the enemy camp. They were expected to be in the field for extended periods of time with little or no food, and their health was expected to decline.]

  灯燈之事

  The Art of the Lantern

  [There are various lanterns and lights that a shinobi must use; also there is the art of avoiding lights and illumination.]

  御符之事

  The Art of Charms

  [This is where the arts of the shinobi start to become magical and superstitious. All Japanese war arts have an element of magic; however, it must be remembered that a modern English reader is probably from a Christian based country. “Magic” has become divided from “godly.” For samurai and shinobi the “magic arts” can be divine and given from the gods. They would perceive nothing heretical about this. Therefore to help shape the image of the shinobi, consider any charms or magical spells to be equal to a European knight’s prayer to God for success in battle. Consider it equal to using holy scripture to protect them, or even a cross emblazoned on armor. The samurai and shinobi would also ask the gods for protection in such a manner.]

  削火方

  The Art of the Shaved Fire

  [Further recipes for starting fires]

  紙燭之方

  The Art of the Paper Candle

  [Further fire recipes for illuminating areas]

  続松

  Torches

  [Even more information on the use of torches]

  隠形之文大事

  The Art of Ongyo no Bun—words of hiding

  [Ongyo is the art of hiding. It is a collection of spells and mantra’s to help a shinobi hide from the enemy in the dark. The power of the goddess Marashiten is called upon to cloak the shinobi from the eyes of the enemy.]

  極意口傳之事

  The Art of Oral Traditions of Deep Secrets

  [Inside a shinobi school—or family—there are deeper secrets that are passed on to only a few of their students. These secrets differ from school to school but normally—not always—they gravitate towards the magical. With the basic skills now achieved, the shinobi can move towards the higher methods of their school, including esoteric Buddhism.]

  Kaiden level

  The first three scrolls in Akutagawa-Ryu teach the shinobi their skills and tricks. These they need to know to be a good infiltration agent. They have understood some of the deeper magical elements and can call on the gods for aid. However the final stage is the deepest level
of “magic,” with ancient rites that have been passed down. They were given to the ancients by supernatural beings.

  神伝矢車之法

  The Way of the Divine Arrow Windmill

  [A magical ritual where arrows are placed in a circle—upon a mirror—and connected by thread, allowing the image of the shinobi to be “buried” below ground where it will stay hidden until the shinobi has finished his mission.]

  隠形法

  The Way of Ongyo Hiding

  [Deeper secrets from the tradition of the goddess Marashiten.]

  縮地之法

  The Way of Shrinking Great Distances

  [A ritual which takes place at an altar and grants success and speed on dangerous missions.]

  打電抄

  Attacking Like Thunder

  [The concept of attacking swiftly and striking the enemy with speed.]

  芥子之秘法口授

  The Oral Traditions and Secret Methods of Opium

  [Poisons and drugs are used in secret missions. Different schools have different versions and uses. From the venom extracted from puffer fish to strychnine and opium, these chemicals are put to use in various ways, poisoning water supplies, food, guard dogs etc. The shinobi becomes a form of chemist and administers his deadly toxin. However, in Akutagawa-Ryu this article is an esoteric ritual.]

  The above headings are the shinobi curriculum of the Akutagawa clan. The commentaries are of course mine, but they have been placed there to form a detailed idea of shinobi no jutsu. It becomes evident that the above is, primarily, a list of In-nin skills—classic shinobi infiltration, and that Yo-nin—infiltration through disguise, has not been addressed. However, other Akutagawa scrolls do have a small sample of disguise skills.*

  The preceding is a basic understanding of the shinobi curriculum through the Akutagawa family. To give a further example, the next translation is a collection of extracts from a military manual known as Giyoshu 義葉集. This was written by Ohara Masanori 小原 正規 in 1690 and is divided into three volumes:

  義葉集