In Search of the Niinja (13 page)

A point of interest – the diagonal dash normally inserted through the upper left part of the ‘blade’ ideogram
was originally extended and as can be seen in all of the historical examples, this dash cuts through both sides of the radical in early manuals but is drawn back and only dissects one side in later texts.

As we have seen, the use of the ideogram
is a more complex subject than one might think, with variations in meaning and grammatical differences due to placement. The simple fact is that in most cases, it has nothing to do with the ninja of Japan. So when identifying if a document is in fact referring to the shinobi, the reader must establish if the ideogram is grammatically used in context with infiltration and whether it is referring to a person, a skill or activity, or even mindset. It is only after establishing these points that you can clearly state if a document is discussing the ninja or not.

Notes

39
    There is more confusion as there are even more ways of pronunciation.

40
    The scroll often shows the ‘
nin
’ ideogram next to the character for heart, pointing to a ‘determined will’.

N
ext to the modern concept that ninjutsu is a specific form of martial art, the ninja
versus samurai myth is the second most popular misconception. The idea that the ninja formed as a counter culture to the samurai has taken root, not only in Japan but also the rest of the world. This is not only a recent construction, it is also an outright mistake. The term ninja refers to a position and is not representative of social status. A ninja is a man undertaking a job who is trained in a particular set of skills, his social rank does not come into play. The majority of the population were not samurai and large sections of armies were in fact taken from the peasant class to form
Ashigaru
, or foot soldiers. This means that social status was not a factor in training the ninja and that any man could be taken from any social class and trained, depending on circumstance. Therefore, it is only logical that a high percentage of ninja were from the
Ashigaru
ranks and that an unknown percentage were from the samurai class. The only factors which militate against this logic are that it may have taken a fully retained person, i.e. a samurai, to have the time to concentrate on perfecting the skills of ninjutsu
and that many of the listed retainers recorded as ninja were of the samurai class. Remembering that social movement was considerably easier in the Sengoku period, it was not too difficult for a peasant to achieve status as a mercenary and we must not become trapped in the modern connotations of the term ‘peasant’. Vast armies were drawn from the peasant class; however, some of these men were promoted and did in fact help shape Japanese history.

Some ninjutsu lines were contained within families and passed down through the bloodline or to a relevant candidate in the family, but family connection was not a prerequisite as is commonly believed. Samurai martial arts and skills were passed down through the clan and to those attached to the family who would also be trained in these arts; ninjutsu is one of those samurai arts and thus was transmitted through a family but not always to those connected by blood. This is inevitable with ninjutsu as it requires a special type of person and therefore recruitment must have been mainly based on ability. It is not uncommon for manuals or documents to recount how certain shinobi would take people of worth in an army and proceed to train them in the arts of the ninja
,
sometimes with the help of
Iga no mono
. However, social positioning does play a part in the world of the ninja to a small extent and this will be discussed in the next chapter.

Ninja documentation and historical evidence for the fact that there was no divide between the ninja and the samurai comes in many forms and establishes without doubt that during the Sengoku and Edo periods, the ninja were considered as fundamental sections of an army and were indeed not only required elements of medieval defence but were also government employees. Samurai trained in the arts of the ninja or those who understand their use would command and govern their official but hidden ninja agents.

Ihara Yori Fumi was a samurai active in the early part of the 1700s and was retained by the Fukui domain to teach the
Gunpo
arts or the military arts to the clan. Further to this, he held the position of
shinobi no mono shihai
or ‘ninja commander’ and his job was to orchestrate the shinobi of that domain and ensure that their system of spies was working correctly. His position as a shinobi and ninja commander underlines the respect given to the ninja arts from a military perspective and the need for individual provinces to undertake espionage on a committed level. In his manual he states that raiding groups should consist of ten shinobi and 25 ‘fighting samurai’ and that there are difficulties in leading and taking charge of ‘fighting samurai’ on night raids. These difficulties are highlighted in Yoshimori’
s
ninja poems and show that shinobi are needed to lead squads of men at night, as they are trained in this matter. The
Shoninki
states that ninja used to be known as
Yato
, or leaders in the night, as they took command of samurai teams. So samurai bowed to the command of shinobi, men who were considered to be essential for the job. Ihara Yori Fumi has the shinobi as the leader in the following quotation from his manual:

In peace times when you go to other provinces on missions you should take those of a lower [social] position
41
and carry alternative
42
rain coats, spare clothes and so on. You should reach for the appropriate contact and proper person. This is how you will be able to see and hear [what you need to]. Before you go to a place of importance you should leave your swords somewhere and you, as the master, should exchange places with those below you (
ge-nin
). Or you may take on the form of a merchant, pilgrim or yamabushi.

Alongside obvious references to social class, his writings also contain more subtle clues to the position of a ninja as here he advises changing places with servants to aid in disguise, showing that having servants was usual for a shinobi.

When taking part in a mission within your own province, and as it is secret, you should frequent suspicious
43
places. Further to this do not carry luggage and do not hire labourers [to aid you] but stay stealthy and investigate. This way people will give you lodgings with ease.

Ihara Yori Fumi does not stop there as he instructs on measures to be taken by a shinobi commander to ensure the secrecy of his teachings: ‘[A shinobi commander] should have lower people sign a blood oath with their fingerprint before they teach them how to capture prisoners, of archery and of gunnery.’

The
Onmitsuhiji shinobi-dai
scroll gives an insight into rank within a ninja band:

When entering a battle, you should carry arrows, guns, an investigation or measuring rod, togikinawa,
44
tools to help cross moats and rivers, stone wall climbing tools, Donohi [body warmers and fire lighting equipment], torches and fire projectiles. The highest ranking person should plan the forthcoming infiltration. Remember not to throw away your tools as they may come into the possession of the enemy and your plan may be detected. Remove your armour when you steal in.

A later piece of evidence comes from the
Gohoko no Shina Kakiage
document, which is a record of the retainers who served in the Okayama domain. It has an interesting case that indicates the social level of the shinobi
.
In 1864 a ninja was punished for becoming involved in money lending with common people. The mention of ‘ninja’ in contrast to ‘common people’ in itself makes them of a higher social class. The restriction on money lending is a samurai prohibition, implying that the ninja in question was restricted from lending or borrowing due to his social position as a samurai. And finally, the document is a list of retainers, that is, samurai, or at the lowest, military staff above the peasantry.

Having established that ninja were taken from any class and that often shinobi were placed in charge of samurai, it is best to look at the more famous shinobi authors and ascertain their position. The three most prolific writers on the shinobi are Fujibayashi Yatsutake of the
Bansenshukai
, Natori Masatake of the
Shoninki
and Hattori Hanzo I of the
Shinobi Hiden
.

Fujibayashi lived on the borders of Iga and Koka 100 years after its decimation by Oda Nobunaga. At this point, the families of Iga had been displaced from their land as governors and were sometimes considered as
Koshi,
or displaced samurai. It is difficult to discern from which level Fujibayashi came but he writes that he is a ‘retired warrior’, which would make him of samurai status, or at least a displaced samurai. Natori is without doubt a samurai and comes from a relatively prestigious family (of around 250–300 Koku in income) and is in the personal employ of the Kishu-Tokugawa clan, one of the most prominent families in all Japan. He is also the head of the
Natori-ryu,
45
which is considered one of the premier schools of war within that clan. Furthermore, Natori is a personal retainer of the family and his position will be discussed in depth in a later chapter. Continuing with the Kishu-Tokugawa clan retainer lists, in the Edo period they show payment in Koku for the
Iga
and
Koka no mono
(shinobi), a payment level which makes them lower grade samurai or even
Doushin
,
46
a reflection of their drop in status but still with one foot firmly on the samurai ladder.

The listings from 1638 state: ‘45 Koku is to be divided between three men of the Koka group [shinobi]’ making it fifteen Koku each. The listings state that the Koka group was reduced to two people three years later but at 30 Koku between them. This arrangement later returned to the original three men. The listings from 1781 state:

•
    Ten Koku for the seven Iga Kumigashira or Iga group captains with the permission to hire two servants

•
    Nine Koku for each Iga mono – being 61 in total and each with permission to hire two servants

•
    Five Koku for each of the fourteen Iga kodomoyaku or trainee ninjas with permission to hire two servants

The
Iga mono
also are also listed with the extras that they were awarded or paid and consists of eleven items, including
Haori
jackets and uniforms needed, money for what appears to be lacquered raincoats, silk jackets, end-of-year bonuses and money to aid them in their service in Edo, the capital. Interestingly, the listings also state that in 1793, the original name of the men was
Okusurigome
or [those who handle] gunpowder but was changed to
Iga
. The listings describe the jackets as marked with a circle with a cross in the centre and state that these Men of Iga
wore them at all times (presumably only in the castle grounds). These men were under a commander called the
Ohiroshiki Goyonin
. This Iga group, or at least a group which bears the name Iga, were said to have been founded from the remnants of the ‘
Koka shinobi no mono
’, that is, ninja from Koka. Their job was similar to the ‘
Oniwaban
’ or the Shogun’s secret spy network when this listing was compiled at the time of the Meiji restoration in 1868. The document even goes as far as to list their duties, paraphrased as: