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

by Antony Cummins

  外聞きをたより謀略之事

  Tokigi wo Tayori Boryaku no Koto

  Using togiki to create deeper tactics

  In one province there was a togiki who was captured. One of the capturing retainers said to the togiki: “We are going to spare your life, this puts you in our debt, therefore when we send our own shinobi to investigate your province we will have them communicate in secret with you and you are to give them aid. Also, you yourself should periodically return to us and report. Lastly, do not inform those in your home province of this when you return.”

  When the togiki returned to his home province he informed his lord-commander of this, to which the lord-commander was greatly pleased. In response this togiki was sent back periodically to the where he falsely reported on his own side and of his lord’s behavior and [tried to] deceive [the enemy] with such a connection. [But the enemy who had captured him knew that he was lying and] in this way the [true] plans were known to the enemy [and they could see the truth] with the clarity of a reflection in a mirror. [The enemy] did not show or display that they knew these factors but instead they made [the togiki] give false speeches and undertook various tactics and this person deceived and “blinded” [his own side], leading them to ruin.

  I must say that this approach is a technique to destroy the enemy plans by pretending to accept that which cannot be accepted, and that if also something has been moved to ruin then you should use such a failure [in a positive way as to integrate it] into your plans. This is essential in skills of war.

  夜討白出立ちを仕たる事

  Youchi Shiroidetachi wo Tsukamatsuritaru Koto

  Dress in white during night attacks

  One lord-commander who had with him 300 men fought against another lord-commander who had 1,000 men. There was a small river that lay between the two. The commander of the smaller force advanced to the river but as the enemy was larger in number, he did not proceed to enter battle. The larger army saw the smaller army as insignificant and therefore they also did not take the opportunity to enter combat either. The commander of the smaller army sent shinobi to investigate the status of the enemy—and to find where the shallows of the river were. The shinobi investigated these points, returned, and made their report.

  The shinobi said: “Generally I have found that this enemy, from the highest rank to the lowest, are content to rely on numerical advantage. This is because while there were watch fires, there were no men standing by them. It looks as if they are not well-guarded. Also, they are rumoring among themselves that even if we attack, our numbers are so small that it would not have an effect on such a larger number. As there is a small river positioned between our sides they have concluded that we will not attack. The rumors also say that our enemy general has the intention to fight as he has come to the river, but that he has yet to cross it. They continued and said that we are not so proficient and therefore they do not have to initiate combat. They say that if their lord forces our army back with his massive army, then we cannot hold out for long.”

  At this the lord-commander of the smaller army said that this was indeed fortuitous. He had all ranks of his men wear white jackets, telling them that they would carry out a night raid that very night. No one should strike anyone wearing a white jacket, even if it is an enemy. After this they made a night attack on the enemy camp and won a victory, just as they planned.

  敵の窃盗をかりたる事

  Teki no Shinobi wo Karitaru Koto

  To utilize enemy shinobi

  In one battle of the past both lord-commanders were experienced men. They both moved with caution and the battle could not be concluded. One old retainer from one of the sides made his men prepare for night attacks for six or seven nights in a row. Those men did this in various ways but did not actually commit to the attacks. After this period, the leader of the attacks pretended to be ill and said:

  “I am now extremely ill. If the enemy gets wind of this they will approach with a night attack. Therefore this force of 150 people before me should be split into two groups, taking turns to perform night duties with armor prepared.”

  On that night he used 70 people to commit a night raid against the enemy (who numbered 200 people). He killed more than one hundred of them, including low-ranking soldiers, while only three people of the attacking side died. At this someone said:

  “This is a technique of using the enemy shinobi and has been used since the days of [Kusunoki] Masashige. Beforehand he had his men prepared to night attack for six or seven nights. This was used as a threat to the enemy. These false “attacks” caused the enemy to become defensive, keeping their guard firm. This, in turn, tired the enemy out. At which point the commander pretended to be ill so that the enemy would relax—they were exhausted from suspense. Thinking that a night raid would not come allowed them to take off their armor. At this point the troops came and won their victory. These skills are used when you assume that shinobi have infiltrated your own men, and you wish to deceive them. If shinobi are blind-sighted and know nothing of this skill, then the enemy will be defeated without fail.”

  Generals and retainers should understand this deeply. They should not rely on the judgment of monomi and shinobi alone, but should not dismiss them either. It can be said that the secret traditions of war are here.

  眠薬の事

  Neburi Gusuri no Koto

  Sleeping powder

  Supplementary—protection from sleeping powder

  ♦ Bat – 5 momme, charred

  ♦ The leaves of a Kiri tree – 8 momme, charred

  ♦ Centipede – 5 momme, dried in the shade

  ♦ White sandalwood – 5 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Cotton plant seeds* – 2 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Cloves – 5 momme in their natural state

  ♦ Agar wood – 8 momme, in its natural state

  ♦ Kigyufun (yellow cattle dung)† – 8 momme fully dried

  ♦ Suiginro – this is not mercury but is medicine made from “stone” called ginseki (silver stone) – 3 momme

  Powder the above and use it when undertaking shinobi activity. Burn it around a guardhouse and if this smell enters the nostrils of even the most well-prepared warriors they will fall asleep and become unconscious—there are oral traditions for this.

  When you burn the above powder, apply the following around your own eyes and nose:

  ♦ Sulphur – 5 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Borneal – in its natural state

  ♦ Bat droppings – 2 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Asiatic Ginseng – 3 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Cloves – 2 momme in their natural state

  ♦ Kunroku (an amber-like substance) – 3 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Benzoin resin – 5 momme, melt this in sake and then transfer it to water to solidify it and then powder it down

  Powder the above ingredients, mix it with sesame seed oil and apply this oil around the eyes and nose; even if you smell the sleeping powder you will not sleep. There are oral traditions for this.

  水防薬の事

  Suibogusuri no Koto

  Water sealing substance

  This was recorded in the manual Yoshitsune-ko Kakisute-monogatari and is a tradition from Yoshimori.

  ♦ Oil of toad: On the night of the fifteenth day of the eighth month face the moon when it is not hidden by clouds and place toad(s) in a “red bowl;” erect chains around the four corners of the vessel and light candles in front of the chains. When the lights have gone out, the toad(s) will have secreted oil—there are more oral traditions.

  ♦ Camphor – 5 momme, place this in a pot and roast it seven times

  ♦ Frankincense – 3 momme, in its natural state

  ♦ Pine resin – 5 momme, hard, as it is in its natural state

  ♦ Mouse droppings – 8 momme, powder these mouse droppings just as they are

  ♦ Cedar resin – 2 momme, in its natural state

/>   The toad oil should equal one third of the above ingredients—mix them together into an ointment and apply it when you swim. Place it around the eyes, mouth and nose—more in oral traditions.

  If you apply this above to the rim of a barrel and put the barrel over your head you can move along a riverbed and water will not seep into the barrel—there are oral traditions.

  火をとる薬の事

  Hi wo Toru Kusuri no Koto

  Ignition powder

  Those people who are skilled in the way of the shinobi have transmitted this recipe for ignition powder.

  ♦ Moxa – 10 momme, soak in water and crumple well until it is soft

  ♦ Sulphur – 8 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Saltpeter – 5 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Kettle soot – 5 momme

  ♦ Camphor – 8 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Agar wood – 7 momme

  ♦ Jisseki* – 10 momme in its natural state

  Crumple the moxa until it is like cotton, powder the other ingredients and then mix them together. This ignites amazingly well, especially when you ignite it using the sunshine of a clear sky. Using a flawless crystal ball should ignite this. If shinobi do not carry embers upon them then they should use this ignition powder—this is a secret skill of the shinobi. The above can also be used as tinder or the wick of tamagohi—“egg fire.”

  まき松明の事

  Makitaimatsu no Koto

  The rolled torch

  Supplement to this the powder to be used.

  The scatter torch: this is taken from the same tradition as the above ignition powder and is excellent at burning down camp quarters when on a night raid.

  The rope that secures the torch should be thin and soft so that it will burn quickly.

  Place the above small torches together as one, the more the better. As they burn the rope will snap open and they will scatter and separate. Make sure to apply the powder below to each section in order that the fire will spread quickly.

  Recipe for the powder:

  ♦ Sulphur – 10 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Saltpeter – 8 momme in its natural state

  ♦ Camphor – 5 momme in its natural state

  Dissolve the above in sesame oil and apply the oil to the torch. In addition to this, you can form a candle-like shape and solidify it, using it [as ignition] for the wick. There is more on this in oral traditions. Furthermore, this recipe will catch fire quickly and when it rains it will not go out when wet.

  袖松明の事

  Sodetaimatsu no Koto

  The sleeve torch

  This is used on night raids and shinobi missions:

  ♦ Sulphur – 8 momme

  ♦ Camphor – 5 momme

  ♦ Blue vitriol – 3 momme

  ♦ Jisseki* – 8 momme

  ♦ White lead – 3 momme

  Mix the above in sesame oil and apply it to a very old cloth. Then split cherry tree wood into thin sections and roll the cloth around it—this will make a torch of four or five sun in length. Carry this in your sleeve and know that it will catch fire very quickly when you need to use it. It will burn for one ri per one sun in length—more information in oral traditions.

  たうの火の事

  Donohi no Koto

  The body warmer and ember container

  The recipe for the donohi is a secret tradition of the shinobi:

  ♦ Blue vitriol – 5 momme

  ♦ Mouse droppings – 3 momme

  ♦ White lead – 5 momme

  ♦ Charred sugihara paper – 3 momme

  ♦ Jisseki† – 5 momme

  ♦ Polygonum longisetum – 5 momme, use the root and the leaves together

  A Donohi from Natori-Ryu, which is also a copper cylinder

  Knead the above with glue [made from seaweed], ignite it and carry this in a copper cylinder—more in oral traditions. This can also be called kaichu no hi—“fire in the breast of the kimono.”

  The latter six traditions have been gathered from various writings and traditions passed down from skilled people. Future students should be hands-on and experiment with them.‡

  事によするてだての事

  Koto ni Yosuru Tedate no Koto

  The tactics of using pretext

  Someone asked me:

  “On a battlefield, some things should be made clear while other things should be performed discreetly. Moreover, it seems that most things should be hidden from the enemy. There is no possibility that your own side and the side of the enemy will not have shinobi. Information on what you do will be speedily leaked to the enemy. If you are to attack the enemy by taking advantage of where the enemy is insubstantial but do not inform your own men, then there will be many people who are not fully prepared. On the other hand, if you give them prior warnings then your plans will be given over to the enemy. All will be in ruins. Thus old man, tell me of this?”

  I said to him:

  “Tactics are constructed to attack where the enemy is insubstantial. Therefore if things are carried out in secret then there is a true advantage. In this, you must take precautions against those enemy shinobi inside your own forces. That being said, if you do not inform your men but attack the enemy without them having time to properly prepare, disaster will follow as well. For this there is a skill called koto ni yosuru.”

  The questioner asked:

  “What is koto ni yosuru?”

  I answered him:

  “An example of this is to pretend to move to the left but in fact you move right, or you advance while pretending to make a retreat. These are examples of koto ni yosuru. Also, by taking advantage of [the enemy’s negligence due to] snow—as we spoke of earlier*—where a general pretended to retreat and made his rearguard look secure, with the intention to get back to the enemy province [which was a ruse].

  “Also, if you plan to attack the enemy before they sit for their meal, have your own men finish their meal [early and get ready] using the cold night to come as an excuse to eat early.”

  Through these examples, consider what should be done.

  敵中をさきたる事

  Tekinaka wo Sakitaru Koto

  To split the enemy with discord

  A commander-in-chief once had difficulty capturing an enemy castle. He was contemplating which military tactics he could use to divide his enemy. A clever man said to him:

  “It has been said from ancient times by excellent generals that a larger enemy should be divided. However, it looks easy to achieve but in fact it is most difficult to do. As I have discovered a good plan, and if you execute my plan, then know that nine times out of ten doubts will be created within the enemy. The castle will fall.”

  This was said with confidence. The commander replied:

  “How is this to be done?”

  The man answered him by saying:

  “If you give your patronage to my descendants, my sons and grandsons, then I will be determined to sacrifice my life for you; leaving my fame for these descendants.”

  The commander shed tears of gratitude and said:

  “I think most of such a man like you. I appreciate how much divine blessing is given for such a warrior. Such plans cannot be successful without brave and loyal people to engage in them. In order to ease the suffering of our soldiers and to benefit your decedents, also for your own [honor], conduct these tactics, devoting your life and mind to them. I will never forget the will you have.”

  This was said and an oath was made. The man accepted this mission with pleasure and infiltrated the enemy castle. When the enemy detected and found him, surrounding him in larger numbers, he intentionally took out a suspicious looking letter from his kimono. He immediately burnt it with fire he had upon him. He then drew his sword and tried to fight them but ended up upon the floor. The enemy pinned him to the ground and captured him alive. They bound him in the takategote style and took him to the higher retainers. The retainers said:

  “The writing t
hat you took out from your kimono and burnt was probably a secret letter; therefore just confess its contents. If you show signs of lying then we will torture you.”

  The captured man, carrying out such tactics, laughed at him and said:

  “Oh, our enemy retainers know nothing about the way of the samurai! To me in a situation like this, nothing will be considered as pain no matter how much you torture me. If I was not determined to sacrifice my life, how could I have infiltrated an enemy castle? Also, even if I have mastered the skills of the tengu—goblin, how could I infiltrate* such a strictly guarded castle like this without aid in my tactics? I would never confess and you will find out the truth of this situation in four or five days anyway.”†

  This was said out loud, he then killed himself by biting off his own tongue. Listening to this the retainers and their men become worried. Doubts between each other arose until they fully feared one another. The castle fell soon after that.

  内通を請たる行の事

  Naitsu wo Uketaru Tedate no koto

  The tactics to be taken when having received secret communication

  A retainer of a castle received a secret communique from the besieging side. Being tactical in mind, he replied to the enemy thus:

  “I agree to that matter to which you sent in secret, therefore prepare secret night attacks where my men are guarding, the night after tomorrow. At this point we shall kill the lord-commander in the confusion this creates. I will do this to prove loyalty to your general; therefore, please keep your word as was said in your letter.”

  While he sent this reply to an enemy retainer, he had actually shown this secret letter to his own lord-commander and said:

  “There is no discussion about whether I would ever betray you, but you may get suspicious of this type of ruse. Therefore I will display how all of this has come about here.”

  He wrote an oath of loyalty to the lord and signed it in blood, saying:

  “I have no intention to take up with the enemy but I have sent a reply that says I have accepted their wishes. This was done to plant a seed of a strategy. If you still doubt me in any way then please place those that you truly trust in my own people and prepare with tactics. Without fail the enemy will rely on me and approach in secret, coming close to the fences the night after tomorrow.”