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PERSPECTIVE

Woven into the rich fabric of Japanese cultural, political, and religious history is the story of an incredible art of espionage and individual combat. Its name is ninjutsu 忍術, the art of stealth, the way of invisibility, and its practitioners were the legendary spies and commandos of feudal Japan known as the ninja 忍者. Ninjutsu flourished amid the civil turmoil of the fourteenth through seventeenth centuries. During this period the art was refined into a deadly science, incorporating sophisticated techniques for warfare, intelligence gathering, and spiritual development. When the odds were unfavorable or dishonor threatened, the ninja could be hired to bring victory and restore the harmony of society through espionage or assassination. Often a few black-garbed ninja could do by subtle means what it would have taken hundreds of armored soldiers to accomplish. It was these exploits that gave rise to legends that are still popular in Japan today.

The ninja’s guiding philosophy was to choose the dark, quiet, and subtle method over the bold, active, and forceful. In this way, the natural order of events was disturbed as little as possible. Suggestion took the place of force, deception replaced confrontation, and the adversary was guided into unknowingly doing the ninja’s bidding instead of being crushed in humiliating defeat. This psychological slant characterized ninjutsu, and allowed the ninja to accomplish the most while expending minimum energy and exposing himself to the least amount of danger.

Its practitioners considered ninjutsu to be a comprehensive art for the attainment of their goals, “the art of winning.” This approach required a graphic visualization of the goal and unswerving commitment to reaching it, all under the guidance of perfect moral judgment. The ninja were commoners, far below the exalted status of the samurai warrior class, and thereby free of the samurai’s rigid code of honor and prescribed way of handling situations. The samurai had to balance the dual considerations of achieving his goal and maintaining the honor and prestige of the family name, whereas the ninja was able to concentrate his energy exclusively on the goal at hand, having no honor or name to protect. Because of this total commitment, the service of the ninja commanded a high price.

Women as well as men were trained in the complex art of ninjutsu. Kunoichi (female ninja) posing as dancers, entertainers, or servants were often used for observation or espionage inside the enemy camp. Many times female assassins were able to gain the confidence of their victims through beauty and charm when other means of attack had proven futile.

ORIGIN

Looking back over a thousand years of history, it is difficult to sort out fact from fancy. There is no documentary evidence to support any one theory of the birth of this obscure art. The stories of the superstitious tell of the ninja’s descent from the tengu, terrifying long-nosed demons said to be half man and half crow, and supposedly possessed of the ability to alter the laws of nature and the workings of men’s minds.

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2. Ancient documents preserving the lore of the ninja.

3. Scroll depicting a ninja climbing tool.

Probably closer to the actual playing out of history are scrolls indicating that the art had its ultimate source in military men who fled collapsing T’ang China around A.D. 900. When the mainland kingdoms that had employed them fell, generals and commanders such as Ikai, Cho Busho, and Cho Gyokko found themselves hunted men, and so sought sanctuary across the narrow sea on the islands of Japan. Their teachings found receptive ears and blended with the indigenous attitudes and approaches to warfare.

As well as Chinese military tactics there came the closely related teachings of Chinese mysticism, developed from the esoteric knowledge of India and Tibet. Chinese monks and shamans came to dwell in the forests and caves of the Kii Peninsula beginning about A.D. 1024. They expounded systems of integrated mind-body awareness, based on personal understanding of the order of the universe, which were taken up by the Japanese yamabushi (mountain warrior-priests), and sennin and gyoja (warrior-ascetics of the wilderness). Chinese mystic priests such as Kain Doshi, Gamon Doshi, and Kasumikage Doshi, as well as their Japanese disciples, are said to have been the. teachers of the original ninja families. These beliefs remained closely associated with the ninja even after they became codified into the mikkyo (esoteric doctrine) sect of Buddhism in later years.

Ninjutsu coalesced gradually from a mixture of these Chinese and native Japanese elements; unlike most Oriental religions and martial arts, it was never actually founded at any one specific point in history. The basic body of knowledge that was later called ninjutsu was at first considered merely an unconventional way of looking at situations and accomplishing things. What went on to eventually become a highly systematic method of combat and espionage began as a shadowy counterculture, a reaction against the mainstream of Japanese political and social tradition.

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4, 5. Old books explaining ninja tactics and symbolism.

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6. Instructions for making torches and other lighting apparatus.

For example, the ninjutsu ryu (tradition or school) of the Togakure family was not formalized until three generations after Daisuke Togakure began to develop it. Allied with a clan that was defeated in a series of battles against superior forces, Daisuke lost all, including his samurai status, and escaped to the mountainous wilderness southeast of Kyoto. Wandering among the pine forests and marshes of the Kii Peninsula in 1162, he met the warrior monk Kain Doshi, who had fled to Japan from the political and military upheaval in China. There in the mountain caves of Iga Province (within present-day Mie Prefecture), Daisuke studied with this mystic, learning new concepts of warfare and personal accomplishment based on Chinese and Tibetan ideas about the order of the universe. Daisuke was taught the practical applications of the balance of the elements in diet, in combat, in thought and emotion, and in utilizing the forces and cycles of nature to advantage. Thus, away from the limiting conventions of samurai conduct that he had never thought to question, he discovered a completely new way of working his will. It was Daisuke’s descendants ants that developed and refined these notions into the Togakure-ryu of ninjutsu, and came to be called by the name of ninja.

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7. Old book showing ninja weapons.

Most of the ryu of ninjutsu grew up in the mountains of south central Honshu island, including the two largest ones: the Iga-ryu and the Koga-ryu. The Iga-ryu, which like the Togakure-ryu operated in Iga Province, was under the control of the Momochi, Hattori, and Fujibayashi clans. The Koga-ryu, located in Koga Province (in modern Shiga Prefecture), took in 53 lesser-known families, including the Mochizuki, Ukai, Nakai, and many that adopted the name Koga.

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8. Shuriken.

There were also many smaller schools of ninjutsu, each with its own specialities, and each handed down through the members of a family that guarded its secrets with their lives. For example, the Koto-ryu specialized in techniques of bone breaking known as koppojutsu, which later evolved into jujutsu and karate. The Fudo-ryu relied heavily on shuriken (steel throwing blades) to hinder adversaries. A vast network of spies was maintained by the Kusunoki-ryu to gather and pass along information. The Kukishin-ryu developed many unorthodox methods of utilizing standard weapons of the period. The specialty of the Gyokko-ryu was the use of koshijutsu, the attacking of nerve centers with pinching or striking finger-drives. The Togakure-ryu’s secret was the shuko, a spiked iron band worn around the hand, enabling the ninja to stop sword blades or climb trees and walls like a cat. Another device utilized by the Togakure ninja was the tetsubishi, a small spiked weapon used to slow pursuers or protect doorways. Made with spikes sticking out in all directions, the tetsubishi were scattered on the ground to be stepped on by the unsuspecting. In addition to these, dozens of other families such as the Taira, Izumo, Toda, Kashihara, Abe, Sakaue, and Mori were active in the secret arts collectively known as ninjutsu.

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9. Shuko.

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10. Tetsubishi.

11. Wearing the shuko.

As ninjutsu took form, the ninja developed an organizational system designed to preserve the essential element of secrecy. Three distinct ranks were established within the ryu, each rank with a specific type of work to do and specific responsibilities.

At the head of each ryu was a commander in chief known as a jonin (high man). The jonin controlled the activities of the ninja organization, and made the decisions about whom his ninja would aid and at what price. In the larger ryu, the jonin was a wise man who was well informed on all events in his area. His decisions were based on a philosophical understanding of the scheme of totality, and he was prompted to aid others by a concern for the righ’t and the fitting. The true jonin was a maintainer of harmony, aiding the underdog faced with hopeless odds and no honorable recourse.

The jonin reduced his vulnerability by remaining anonymous to most of his agents. This made it impossible for the agents to reveal his identity under torture or in selling out to rival organizations. Furthermore, the jonin could assign several agents to the same mission without their knowledge, to prevent a double cross. By receiving bits of information from all of these agents, he became the only one with a complete picture of the situation. This system of invisible command is popular among many modern criminal organizations for much the same reasons.

Working for the jonin was a group of officers known as chunin (middle men). To this group fell the duties of actually organizing the operation decided on by the jonin. The chunin knew how to get the job done and which agents to assign to particular tasks. He also served as a buffer, carrying orders from the jonin to the field and thereby insuring the leader’s safety and anonymity.

As an officer class, the chunin rarely took active roles as agents. Their training included some of the ninja’s fighting techniques and espionage tactics, but strategy and effective management were the prime areas of concern.

The field agent was known as a genin (low man). He had the responsibility of carrying out the plans and operations of his superiors. It was this genin that inspired all the fantastic legends connected with the exploits of the ninja.

When not engaged in espionage, genin lived with their families in remote, secret villages, almost always located in hard-to-reach mountainous areas. Appearing to be farmers, the ninja could live and train without constantly being on guard. Because of the insulated system of organization, two groups of genin often had no idea that they were working for the same jonin.

TRAINING

Historically, ninjutsu was a profession inherited at birth. From infancy, the children of ninja families were conditioned to be constantly aware of the things around them. As they grew up, they were gradually educated in the secrets and traditions of the ryu. At age five or six, their play activities began to take the form of training exercises. Games stressing balance and agility were introduced. The children would walk atop narrow horizontal poles, run up inclined planks, and leap over low shrubs. At age nine, body conditioning for muscle limberness and joint flexibility was stressed. The children practiced rolling, jumping, and yoga-like movements. As the young ninja matured, striking and kicking techniques were practiced against targets of bundled straw. From this training the children progressed to the basics of unarmed self-defense techniques, and later to the fundamentals of using the Japanese sword and the traditional wooden staff.

In the early teen years, the ninja learned to use the special weapons of their ryu. Blade throwing, the concealment of weapons, and rope or chain techniques might be taught. They practiced swimming and underwater tactics, and learned how to use nature to gather information or conceal themselves. Hours were spent in confined quarters or hanging from trees to build patience, endurance, and stamina. There were exercises in silent movement and distance running, and the ninja were taught to leap from tree to tree, and from roof to roof.

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12. Ninja in training.

In the late teen years, ninja learned to be actors and practical psychologists. Through observation of their own actions as well as those of others, they came to understand the workings of the psyche, and how to use the mental weaknesses and limitations of others to their own advantage. The young ninja also learned how to prepare medicines and drugs. They were shown how to gain surreptitious entrance to buildings, and techniques for climbing walls, crossing ceilings, and stealing under floors. Ways of tying and binding the enemy as well as methods of escape were taught. The ninja also practiced sketching maps, routes and landmarks, and faces.

AT THE HEIGHT OF POWER

By the fourteenth century, the ninja had developed into powers in the areas of Iga and Koga. They worked to secure their own local influence, served as protectors of the mikkyo temples, and hired out their services to diose who sympathized with their unconventional methods and life-style .

But as political turbulence and war increased after the battle of Onin no Ran in 1467, there was more call for the ninja’s deadly skills throughout Japan. They were employed by powerful rulers such as Shogun (military dictator of all Japan) Yoshihisa Ashikaga, and many lesser warlords. The mystics of the mountains began to stress military tactics, and emerged as a force to be reckoned with. No longer content to remain aloof in their secret villages, performing at the whim of others, the ninja extended their own influence in Japan by assassinating hostile lords and attacking their forces.

One result of this increased activity was the blossoming of popular tales about the ninja, which portrayed them more as sorcerers than as commandos. Able to walk on water, pass through solid walls, read minds, know the future, disappear at will, or transform themselves into wolves or crows, the ninja of the sixteenth- century legends seemed fearsome and invincible foes to their adversaries.

The tales were the result of a mixture of imagination, exaggeration, and deception. The original ninja were mystics, in touch with powers that we would describe as psychic today. Their ability to tune into the scheme of totality and thereby become receptive to subtle input from beyond the usual five senses was strange and terrifying to the common foot soldier. Thus, confronted by a single ninja with fingers entwined in one of the mystic kuji-in (energy-channeling hand positions), a superstitious opponent might indeed feel weakened by his own subconscious fear. The opponent naturally attributed this weakness to ninja magic. Furthermore, by using their knowledge of the laws of nature and the character of an adversary to anticipate the outcome of a series of events, the ninja developed the reputation of being able to know and guide the future. Unique and imaginative weapons and tools, special methods of walking and climbing, and completely unorthodox combat techniques all intensified the awe in which the ninja were held.

THE DECLINE

The avowed enemy of all ninja was the powerful general Nobunaga Oda, infamous because of his high regard for forceful and usually violent action as a means of attaining his goals. A cold pragmatist, Nobunaga detested the mysterious and occult teachings of the ninja mikkyo, and even went so far as to protect and encourage the budding Christian religion in Japan to combat the influence of mysticism. The Christian church structure, with its hierarchy of European priests and bishops to control the followers, seemed ripe for use as a tool to Nobunaga. The esoteric ninja beliefs, in which every man was his own priest, were just an obstacle to the ambitious general’s plans to become shogun.

Legend has it that while riding through Iga with his samurai one time, Nobunaga was thrown from his horse for the first time in his life. The haunting desolation of the eerie, fog-enshrouded forests of Iga, coupled with the unprecedented fall from his horse, planted in Nobunaga a feeling of apprehension that culminated in his ordering his son Katsuyori to attack the ninja stronghold.

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13. One of the ninja’s 81 mystic hand positions.

In the battle of Tensho Iga no Ran in 1579, Nobunaga’s samurai troops under the command of Katsuyori were soundly defeated by ninja of Iga led by Sandayu Momochi. Infuriated, Nobunaga retaliated by himself leading a massive invasion of Iga in 1581. This time, outnumbered by more than ten to one, the men, women, and children of Iga were slaughtered by their enemies. The ninja, the legendary invisible ones, had been crushed by the brute force they so despised.

A few ninja survived, to scatter and go into even deeper hiding than before. Families like the Tarao, Hattori, Togakure, and Momochi took their remaining members and withdrew to regroup in new mountain retreats. The training of ninja slowly began again, and a new life unfolded for the outlaw families.

With the 1582 murder of Nobunaga in Honnoji, his ally Ieyasu Tokugawa had to move safely from Sakai in the Osaka area to his stronghold of Okazaki Castle near present-day Nagoya, without passing through the dangerous Honnoji territory. The only route left was through the treacherous mountains of Iga and Koga. Ieyasu left his fate in the hands of Iga-ryu ninja Hanzo Hattori. Hanzo successfully organized several ryu in Iga, as well as their one-time rivals in Koga, to afford protection and safe passage to the man who would become shogun in 1603 and whose family would rule Japan for the next two and a half centuries. Some of the ninja families were happy to assist Ieyasu, simply because of their joy at the death of Nobunaga. Some families saw it as a chance to secure a more stable future for themselves. Some remained silently apart from the action, keeping warily to themselves and neither attacking nor assisting.

Ironically, it was peace, not defeat in battle, that caused the final demise of the ninja clans. The rule of the Tokugawa shoguns -Ieyasu and his descendants-brought peace and civil order, which cut off demand for the ninja’s services. With less opportunity for work in the ryu, many chunin and some genin struck out on their own, but without the philosophical direction of the jonin their wisdom and effectiveness declined. Some found applications for their unique talents in police work, and others in the military. Many turned to crime, so that the right amount of money, regardless of purpose, could hire men who had once been ninja, but had become mere thugs in ninja clothing. Others cut a more romantic figure as outlaws or guerrilla fighters. The deeds of ninja bandit heroes such as Sasuke Sarutobi, Saizo Kirigakure, and Goemon Ishikawa are glamorized in the children’s tales of Japan, just as the stories of Robin Hood, Zorro, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are told in the Western world today.

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14. A modern reconstruction of the Hakuhojo ( White Phoenix Castle) in Iga. The original castle was established in 1581 by a vassal of Nobunaga to help control the ninja ; seized by the ninja after Nobunaga’s death, it was later enlarged by Ieyasu, and destroyed by a typhoon in 1612.

After becoming shogun, Ieyasu hired a number of ninja and gave the Hattori family the job of organizing them into a secret police force to protect the ruler and his family members. Former Iga and Koga ninja assumed the roles of gardeners and caretakers on the estates of the shogun and his chief retainers in order to be close at hand at all times. However, security and comfort brought about the downfall of the descendants of the original ninja. Without the threat of war or the need to employ ninjutsu skills, their role gradually declined over the years, until the men who had once been deadly ninja agents had deteriorated into little more than glorified security guards. Their pay was miserably low, their status was degrading, and their official duties were restricted to such activities as opening doors and posing as targets for snowballs thrown by the girls of samurai families.

The few ninja families that remained in the mountain wilderness outside the old capital of Kyoto shrouded themselves in total secrecy, staying completely concealed from the Tokugawa shoguns in their new capital, Edo (today’s Tokyo) . Meanwhile, the ninja under contract to the shoguns decayed into ineffectuality. The Shimabara rebellion of 1637-38, in which Christian peasants living near Nagasaki revolted against religious and economic oppression, provided an opportunity for the shogun’s ninja to go back into action. A group of ten former Iga ninja, the oldest of whom was 63, was resurrected from decades of retirement and sent to the site of the battle to gather intelligence. The aged ninja were able to steal food supplies for the government troops, but since none of them were linguists, they were unable to imitate the Kyushu dialect necessary for slipping into the rebels’ fortress and obtaining information. The mission was not considered successful, although the government troops did quell the rebellion.

The last activity of the Tokugawa ninja occured with the arrival of Commodore Perry’s “black ships” in 1853. The ninja Yasusuke Sawamura was ordered to board Perry’s ship secretly and search for information that would reveal the intentions of the foreign barbarians. To this day, the Sawamura family archives in Mie Prefecture’s Iga-Ueno City still contain the two documents purloined by their stealthy ancestor-two letters containing a Dutch sailor song extolling the delights of French women in bed and British women in the kitchen.

NINJUTSU IN THE MODERN WORLD

As Japan emerged from the devastation of World War II, all martial arts were banned from practice for a time by the American occupation forces that ruled the conquered nation. Ninjutsu came to be seen as a pointless antique by the Japanese people themselves as they adjusted to a role of international cooperation in the postwar era. Along with the introduction of Western troops, culture, and political concepts into Japan came a reliance on skill in commerce and economics to provide for the security and general welfare of the people. The Japanese of today belongs to the corporation instead of the clan; his armor has been replaced by the ubiquitous dark-blue suit; and his monsho (family crest) has become the company lapel pin. Training in the skills of survival no longer takes place in the mountains. In glass and steel skyscrapers, a new kind of knowledge is taught for a new kind of competition on the commercial battlefields of today.

Finding a master of the dark art of ninjutsu in modern westernized Japan seems as unlikely as finding an active practitioner of the magic of Merlin in contemporary industrialized England. Yet, incredibly enough, the art did survive through centuries of obscurity. The ways of the ninja were secretly perpetuated by a small group of quiet, concerned men, committed to the ideals of enlightenment set forth by their ancestors. In the mountain forests of Iga the knowledge survived down through the centuries, passed from the Togakure clan to the Toda family, then handed on to Toshitsugu Takamatsu. The young Toshitsugu was trained in what had been northern Iga by Togakure-ryu ninja of the Toda family, and later earned the name Mongolian Tiger while living and studying with the best of the boxing masters in China during the early 1900s. Master Takamatsu kept his ninja training a secret throughout his entire life. So thorough was the deception that when his neighbors read of his background in the obituaries in 1972, they were stunned.

Toshitsugu Takamatsu, having inherited the legacy of the Togakure- ryu, willed it on to its thirty-fourth generation in Masaaki Hatsumi, who in the 1950s and 1960s traveled across Japan every week to study with his teacher. Now in middle age and an osteopath by profession, Masaaki Hatsumi passes on the knowledge of the centuries from his quiet small-town residence in Noda City, a little north of Tokyo.