THE BOOK OF - Night Ops become a corner stone of the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team and whose knowledge on Japanese locks, history, politics and subtleties is profound. Secondly,

THEBOOKOFNINJA

TheFirstCompleteTranslationof

THEBANSENSHUKAIJAPAN’SPREMIERNINJAMANUALANTONYCUMMINS&YOSHIEMINAMI

READERWARNING

The Bansenshukai is a Japanese military manual based on samurai guerrilla tactics,espionage, assassination and destruction, which contains dangerous and deadlyinformation. Instructions include: theft, explosives, poisonous gases, toxins, clandestineandunderhandedactionandarson,amongmanyothermilitarytopics.ThistranslationhasbeenmadeavailableinEnglishforthepurposeofhistoryandforeducationandisadeepandacademiclookintothemisunderstoodartsoftheJapaneseshinobinomono,orninjaas they aremore commonly known. Therefore, the information containedwithin is forresearchpurposesonlyandshouldnotberecreatednorre-enactedinanyway.

DEDICATION

Weshouldrememberthatwithinthesepagesisthecombinedknowledgeofgenerationsofmenwho fought in forgottenwarsandconfrontations,whowereunknown, facelessandwhodied,notonthefrontlines,butwaybeyonditsborders.Wemustalsorememberthatwhiletheshinobihavebecomeiconicinourworld,theywereoncerealpeoplewhowerecaughtupinthehorriblerealitythatiswar,apracticehumansstillclingtoeveninour‘enlightenedsociety’.ThesemenofIgaandKokashouldbecollectivelyremembered,aswhiletheywerepartofthatworld,theypushedtheconventionallimitsandwentbeyondthe required norm and perfected themselves on the darker path of clandestinewarfare.Thus, we should take their teachings and forge them into positive ways for futuregenerations, taking theirseedofperfectionanddetailed thinking,making the shinobioftomorrowindividualswhocanfathomthelogicaloutcomesoftoday’sdecisionsandwhocanhelpmakethosedecisionscount,forthebenefitofeveryone.

SPECIALTHANKS

A special thank youmust go tomemberswho have helpedwith the pursuit of and theinterpretation of this manual. Firstly and most importantly to Steven Nojiri, who hasbecomeacornerstoneoftheHistoricalNinjutsuResearchTeamandwhoseknowledgeonJapanese locks, history, politics and subtleties is profound. Secondly, toDrNakashimaAtsumi,whose avid research into the lives of thepeople ofKoka and Iga is helping torediscover and respect thewaysof theuntoldnumbersof faceless combatants from thepast and to all the familymembers and friendswho have understood ourneed to dragancientwritingsintothismodernage.Lastly,athankyoutooureditor,JamesHodgson,for his phenomenal effort in bringing this script to life and toRebecca andDeborah atWatkinsforalltheirhardwork.

Foreword

byDrNakashimaAtsumi

FirstofallIwouldliketoexpressmysincereadmirationtoMrAntonyCumminsandMsYoshieMinami,whohave translated theBansenshukai and introduced it to theEnglish-speakingworld.Therefore, toappreciate theirdevotedwork, Iamgoing tocommentonhowthispublicationhasbeenrealizedandalsoontheoutlineoftheBansenshukaimanualitself.

AntonycameheretoJapan,fromtheothersideoftheworld,fromthedistantlandofEngland, and has travelled around this country of Japan with Ms Minami conductingthoroughresearch.Throughthesetravels,wecametobeknowntoeachotherduetothefact that I have previously published a commentary on the Shoninki ninja manual andother bookson the subject ofninjutsu.The first timewemet, I realized that theywereamazingly passionate and strongly determined to publish the English translation ofmyShoninkiandthentofollowupwiththeBansenshukaitoo,whichmovedmesodeeplyandintruthleftmefeelingalittleenvious.

Of the numerous ninjutsu scrolls, the Bansenshukai is profound, and is the largestcompiledvolumeof informationfromtheninjutsu schoolsofbothIgaandKoka,whichwereconsideredthelandsof theninja.Fortunately,compared to theShoninki–whichIbelieve is a realmasterpiece– the textof theBansenshukai is straightforward and self-explanatory. In addition, it is also fortunate that the transcription kept in the NationalArchivesiswritteninastylecomparativelyclosetomodernJapaneseandcanbereadandunderstoodbythosewhoarenotsofamiliarwitholdwritings,whichisagreatadvantage.Therefore,itispossibletoconveytopeoplewhatiswrittenwithinwithoutmakingmanyseriousmistakes.However, in order to achieve a complete interpretation of the text, astherearesomanyplacesinitspageswhichhavedeeperconnotationsandaredifficulttounderstand in a profoundway, even a discourse of three thousand pageswould not beenoughtomakeaperfectexplanationofallthemeaningswithinanditwouldtakemanyyearsofstudytotrulyexplaineverydetail.Thisisbecausehiddenwithinthemeaningofthe text is themassesofknowledge thatwasmadeupofkudenororal tradition,whichnow,unfortunately,hasbeenlost.

Generally, when defined in short, ninjutsu is a set of arts, including: life skills,espionage, sabotage, murder, military science, divination, astrology, astronomy, magic,various kinds of observation skills, and any other skills people needed to survive and

achieve their aims.Thesemightalso include themartial arts, foraninjawouldhave totrainhimselfinartssuchasjujutsugrappling,kenjutsuswordsmanship,archeryandhorseriding etc. Also, there are many other skills required by the ninja, but they are tooextensive and various tomention here.Manuscripts onninjutsu have only the simplestmention of general skills of living or astrological skills and the arts of astronomy, andassume that the reader shouldwell understand these things. In particular, they have nomentionofswordsmanship,horse-ridingskillsorothercombatskills,becauseitwastakenfor granted that people would naturally train themselves in those areas. Other generalskills that the ninja learned are left not in ninjutsu manuals but in other forms. Forexample,intheUmasugiclanofKoka,theyhavepasseddownamenkyocertificateforthehorse-ridingskillsoftheotsuboryuintheirfamily,meaningthatsimplylookingatjusttheninja scrolls limitsourunderstandingof the full rangeof skills inwhichshinobiwouldhavebeenproficient.

Mostwritingsonninjutsuhaveonlysimplifiedinformation,andwhereitneedsdetailedexplanations,theywouldnotwritedowneverythingbutsimplysay‘kuden’,whichmeans‘passed down in oral traditions’. Therefore, to interpret those manuscripts, you need agreatdealofcapability.Inotherwords,itdependsonyourlevelofcomprehensionastowhetheryoufeelthattheBansenshukaiismarvellousoritisnot.

EvenwiththetitanicworkoftheBansenshukai,ifyouwereaninja,youwouldnotbeable to fullyunderstand everything at once.Therefore, please takeyour timeand try toreadbetweenthelinesandwithpatience.

Anumber of transcriptions of theBansenshukai have been left and, as theywere alltranscribedbyhandandnotmechanically,notwotranscriptionsarecompletelyidentical.Imyselfhaveinterpretedfourversionsofthemanual,whicharedifferentfromeachother,some havingmissing parts, some adding supplementary sections, or even omitting thatwhichthetranscriberthoughtwasunnecessary,etc.

Of themultiple transcriptions thatexist today, thisEnglish translation isbasedon thetextkeptintheCabinetLibraryintheNationalArchivesandtheOharaversion,whichareconsideredtobestandardversions,andhasstraightforwardandreasonableinterpretations.It clearly indicates what is unknown, so I believe it makes a great introduction to theBansenshukai,andgivesanobjectiveunderstandingofshinobinojutsutoforeignpeopleofdifferentcultures.

Likemost ninjutsumanuscripts, theBansenshukai was written in the Edo period, in1676,whichwas a long tranquil timewithoutwar, leavingmanyninja – including theKokaninja–unemployed.Asaresult,someKokaninja travelledthedistancetoEdotoappeal to the shogunate against their difficult situation in the hope of recovering theirstatus by offering them the Bansenshukai manual in 1789. To their disappointment,however, their appeal was not accepted. Through this deposit in Edo, this secretinformation was revealed and later used in cartoons and stories, which even today issupplying Japanese children with future dreams. The Bansenshukai is full of veryinterestingstories,asitisacompilationofskillsfromvariousschoolsfromIgaandKokaandthereforedocumentsthehistoriesofvariouspeople.

Thedefinitionofninja,however,isnotsoclear.Inmyopinion,ninjawerethosewho

metthefollowingtwoconditions:

1.Theyshouldhaveknowledgeoftheskillsandartsoftheninja

2.Theyshouldworkforaclan,haveaclearaim,andmeasuresthatenablethemtofulfiltheirmutualaimsuccessfullywithoutdelayandwiththegreatestresultpossible.

TheaboveisexactlywhatIgamonoandKokamonowere,andtheBansenshukaiwasborninsuchanenvironment.IftheBansenshukaicouldbeofanyhelptoanindividualperson,itwouldbeonlythieves,robbersorbandits.Thatisexactlywhyitpreachestheneedforacorrectmindandatgreat length.Theninjahad to leada lifeas in-betweens,whoweresamuraiandnotsamuraiatthesametime.Mostlivedasfarmerswhocarriedtheirskillsastheirsidebusinessthroughthepre-moderneraoftheEdoperiod,asthosebushioftheearlyWarringStatesperiodgraduallyfadedintothemistsoftime.

Itisfunforustofindthetracesofninjaintheskillsandtoolsoftheshinobi.Arecentmaster whose name was Fujita Seiko, who acclaimed himself as the last Koka ninja,foundedtheBujutsuResearchInstituteandwasinvolvedactivelyasthefirstchairmanoftheorganization,anorganizationtowhichIoncebelonged.MrFujitawasthepenultimateteacher ofmine and he also taught at theNakanowar school of the Japanese imperialarmy,whichwasafacilityforthetrainingofspiesduringWorldWarII.Thisteachingwasonthesubjectofninjutsu.MybeginningsandnowthislinkwithAntonyandYoshiemakemefeelthatfatehasbroughtmetowritethisforeword.

Lastly,IamsincerelyhopingthattheBansenshukaiwillbereadbymyriadpeoplefromvarious fields and with interest, and furthermore that it will give you inspiration toimproveyourlife.

DrNakashimaAtsumi

Chairman,theFederationofJapaneseKoryuBujutsu(anorganizationforthetraditionalschoolsofthemartialartsinJapan)

Contents

ForewordbyDrNakashimaAtsumi

Author’snotes

Introduction

AshortintroductiontoJapaneselocksandtheartoflock-pickingbyStevenNojiri

TheBansenshukai

VolumeOne

PrefaceIntroductorynotesTableofcontentsQuestionsandanswersaboutninjutsu

VolumeTwo SeishinI–TheCorrectMindI

VolumeThree SeishinII–TheCorrectMindII

VolumeFour ShochiI–AGuidelineforCommandersI

VolumeFive ShochiII–AGuidelineforCommandersII

VolumeSix ShochiIV–AGuidelineforCommandersIV

VolumeSeven ShochiV–AGuidelineforCommandersV

VolumeEight Yo-ninI–OpenDisguiseI

VolumeNine Yo-ninII–OpenDisguiseII

VolumeTen Yo-ninIII–OpenDisguiseIII

VolumeEleven In-ninI–HiddenInfiltrationI

VolumeTwelve In-ninII–HiddenInfiltrationII

VolumeThirteen In-ninIII–HiddenInfiltrationIII

VolumeFourteen In-ninIV–HiddenInfiltrationIV

VolumeFifteen In-ninV–HiddenInfiltrationV

VolumeSixteen TenjiI–OpportunitiesBestowedbyHeavenI

VolumeSeventeen TenjiII–OpportunitiesBestowedbyHeavenII

VolumeEighteen NinkiI–NinjaToolsI

VolumeNineteen NinkiII–NinjaToolsII

VolumeTwenty NinkiIII–NinjaToolsIII

VolumeTwenty-One NinkiIV–NinjaToolsIV

VolumeTwenty-Two NinkiV–NinjaToolsV

TheBansenshukaiGunyo-hikiSecretsonEssentialMilitaryPrinciplesbySasayamaKagenaooftheOharaClan

Author’sNotes

Inallmyyearsoftraining,therewasnowayonearththatIwouldhavebelievedthatoneday the threegreatestninjamanuals everwrittenwould be in the laps of other people,writteninEnglishandpassingtheirknowledgeontoanewaudience.OnlyinadreamdidthosebookshavemynameuponthemanditwasonlyinfantasythatitwasIwhocausedthem to exist. Then, YoshieMinami stepped into the breach, a new friend and a newpartner, and year by year she has helped me pass through the issues of the Japaneselanguageanditscomplexitiesandhasallowedmetocreepdeeperintoninjaterritory.Oneafter the other, the combined forces of her language ability and my historical trainingpushed us forward, etching out a new path in the historical record, a way to the truehistory of the ninja, through the writings of the shinobi themselves. Tearing away themediaimage,therealandveryprofessionalninjacameintoviewandreconstructingtheirworldstartedtolookachievable.Then,thesheerwallthatistheBansenshukaiconfrontedus, the gleaming black ramparts of a fortress that we could look into but yet whosevastnesswasincomprehensible.Yet,hourafterhour,dayafterdayandevenmonthaftermonth,andeventuallyintoyears,togetherwechippedawayatthoseblackfoundationsoftheancienttextandhavefoundourselvesattheheartofthekeep,nolongerontheoutsidebutnowacentralpartofthestoryoftheBansenshukai,thegreatestofallninjatexts.

With thisvolumenowinEnglish, thehiddenworldof theshinobi isno longer in thedarknessnorisitcoveredbythewhisper,‘itissecret’,butitishereandfullyinthelightforalltoenjoy.Sopowerfulisthismanualthatitbreaksopenawindowtoaforgottenandmisunderstood world and for the first time in the English-speaking world, the mostcomprehensive set of instructions on ninjutsu (shinobi no jutsu) can be studied. It issimply a joy tobe even a small part of that history and tohave enabled the arts of theshinobitopenetratetheWestforthefirsttimeinfull.

WithouttheaidofYoshieandwithoutthesupportofmyteam,familyandfriendsthiswouldhavebeenanimpossibletask,yethereweallstandatthegoal’sendandhereyoustandabouttoembarkononeofthegreatestjourneysintohistoryyouwillevertakepartin. Therefore, enjoy the practical and appreciate the archaic but overall remember thepeoplewholivedthisartforreal,thosewhoarenowlonggone.

AntonyCummins

Saitama,Japan,2013

Introduction

AbriefintroductiontotheJapaneseshinobi

The Japaneseninja, or shinobi nomono, as theywere originally known,weremilitaryunitsorsingleagentsutilizedbythemedievalsamuraiclansandfamiliesofJapan.Thesewerespecialistsinclandestineandguerrillawarfare,espionageandinfiltration,arsonandexplosivesandthievery–areasthatallcomeunderthetermshinobinojutsu1ortheartsoftheninja.Theninjathemselvesweretakenfromanysocialclassbuttendedtocomefromthe lower samurai ranks andworked as retainers for a clan lord. This relationshipwaseitheracontinuedandloyalserviceorwastemporaryandmercenaryinnature.Whilestillapartofthesamuraiculture,theshinobiwerespecializedandfewinnumberwhenseeninarmylistings;approximatelyoneforeveryfourhundredmeninanarmy,andshouldbeconsidered as extremely far-reaching scouts,menwho partook inwhat are colloquiallyknownas ‘blackoperations’ andundercover agentswho infiltrated the enemy lines andactedinespionage.

Theshinobithemselvesdodeservethepopularityandrespectthatisattributedtothem,astheyrepresentsomeofthemostwelltrainedmilitaryunitsthathistoryhasseen,withthepremiergroupscomingfromtheprovincesofIgaandKoka,whichtothisdayclingtotheirninja fame.While their physicalmartial arts and fighting skills were no differentfrom the rest of their samurai ‘brothers’ they were trained in other elements, such asinfiltration and burglary and,whether the target be amountain-top castle or a fortifiedmanorhouse,theimageoftheshinobicreepingintheblackofnightishistoricallycorrect.However, in tandem with this, the ninja were the street peddlers, the merchants andentertainers, swordsmen forhire, and they even took theguiseofpriests.Nooneknewwho theninjawere; a samurai lordmight realize thatninja had infiltrated his army orprovince,buttheproblemwashowtofindoutwhotheywereandhowtogetridofthem.Recordedasearlyasthelatefourteenthcenturyandfinallyintheturmoilofthenineteenthcenturyrestoration,theninjaenjoyedanextendedperiodofmilitaryusebeforetheyweresupersededby themodern spyandarmySpecialForcesunit.Fromhereonout the spywould takeupespionageand theSpecialForcesunitwould takeon the roleof forwardshocktroops,sharingbetweenthemthetwomainfunctionsoftheninja.

WhentheTokugawafamilytookcontrolofJapanin1603,thecountryenteredaperiodofrelativepeaceandtotalitariancontrol,whichledtothedeclineoftheshinobiasaforceonthebattlefieldandpromptedthemtoconcentratemoreontheespionageaspectoftheirskillset.Thisdeclinepromptedanincreaseinthecompilingofninjarecords,withtheaimofpreservingthewaysoftheninja,andin1676oneshinobinamedFujibayashiYasutake,who was probably of Iga and from a former samurai family, finished working on his

masterpiece, a collection of shinobi information that he had obtained over an unknownamount of time and through personal experience. This work was known as theBansenshukai ,whichtranslatesas‘AMyriadofRiversMergingintoOneOcean’.

AbriefhistoryoftheBansenshukai

Inthedarkrecessesofninjapopularity,thenameBansenshukaihasbeenbandiedaroundwithalimitedunderstandingofthework’scontentsanddetailsanduntilnowithasneverbeenpublishedoutsideoftheJapaneselanguage(eventhenonlyinsmallsections).Ithasalways been spoken of next to the Shinobi Hiden (Ninpiden) and the Shoninki ninjamanuals,andtogethertheyformthetriumvirateofninjainformation.TheShinobiHidenisacollectionofskillsattributedtothesixteenth-centuryninjamasterHattoriHanzo,theShoninki is a record of the Natori family’s secret tactics, and the Bansenshukai is theuniversal collection of ninja skills from Iga and possibly also from Koka. Written byFujibayashi in 1676, theBansenshukai is a document that was written to preserve thedisappearingskillsoftheshinobiandtoretainthecomplexitiesofthedetailedartknownasshinobinojutsu.Written inJapanese, inboundformitconsistedof tenbooks,whichweredividedintotwenty-twovolumes,2withalateradditionalvolumetitledBansenshukaiGunyo-hiki,whichisacollectionofmilitarystrategies.Thiscompletecollectionofbooksappearstohavebeenputtogetherbytheauthorafterextensiveresearchandinformation-collectingfromotherfamiliesandclansintheregionwhoalsoheldtheartsofshinobinojutsu.Fromheremultipletranscriptionsappear,withslightvariations,includingexamplesofreduced‘pocketversions’.

BansenshukaiorMansenshukai?

Theideogram canbereadas‘ban’or‘man’,whichmeansthatthistitlecanbereadaseither Bansenshukai or Mansenshukai. Without a direct lineage from the Fujibayashischooloranyschoolthatcandirectlytraceitselfbacktothemanual,thecorrectreadingisimpossible to gauge. A phonetic marker or kana would allow us to know the correctreading,butsadlynoneexistsinconnectionwiththistitle.Theonlyoptionleftistotakeintoaccounttheopinionsoffamilieswhostillowncopiesofthemanual,whichhavebeenpasseddownasfamilyheirlooms.ThedescendantsoftheOharafamily,whohavegivenpermission for their version to be published as a collector’s piece, have allowed themanualtobepresentedastheBansenshukaiasdidotherresearchersandenthusiastswhoworkedwiththemanualinthetwentiethcentury.However,accordingtotheresearcherMrIkedaofIga,thereareIgafamilieswhoclaimthatthecorrectnameistheMansenshukai.It is impossibletoestablishif this isaregionaldifference–beingMansenshukai for theIgaandBansenshukaifortheKoka–owingtothecontaminationofmodernresearchandcommunicationsnetworksbetweenenthusiasts,whomayhaveswayedtheopinionsofthefamiliesonthenamingofthemanual.Itwouldtakeagatheringorconferencewithallthefamilies who own thismanual to establish if they had adopted one pronunciation overanother or if they could testify that their pronunciation was a direct teaching or not.Therefore,despitethepossibilitythatthemanualmayhavebeennamedMansenshukaibysome or all of the families, we have decided to continuewith the nameBansenshukaibecauseofitspopularityandthepossibilitythatitalsowasanoriginalpronunciation.

VersionsoftheBansenshukai

OnlyarelativelysmallnumberofversionsoftheBansenshukaiarelefttous,andofthoseonlyaselectnumberareactually‘complete’versionsof theoriginal text,andeven thenthetextsdifferslightly–notincontentperse,but intermsofextrasnippetsfoundhereand there in the body, or extra volumes (currently unavailable).While it is known thatother versions of the manual exist in private collections in Iga and have not yet beenidentified and catalogued, the most complete list at present of the known translations(predominantlyofKokadescent)isasfollows:

1.AfulltranscriptionoftheOharaKazumaversion–NationalArchivesofJapan

2.TheFujitaSeikoversion–IgaUenoMuseum

3.TheOkimoriversion–IgaUenoMuseum

4.TheOsawaversion–privatecollection

5.TheYamagaextract–TokyoUniversity

6.TheTakiversion–privatecollection

7.TheSawamuraversion–privatecollection

The Ohara (Katsui) of Kyoto family private collection – entrusted to the Koka NinjaVillage

1.TheOhara(Katsui)fullversion(onwhichthemodernreproductionisbased)

2.Otsu3-bon–volumesthirteenandtwenty-one

3.Hei-bon–volumesthirteenandtwenty-two

4.Tei-bon–volumestwenty-oneandtwenty-two

5.Ju-bon–atwo-pageextractdealingwithtools

Also,theOharafamilyofKoka:

1.TheOharaKazumaversion

Thebookthatrepresentedtheshinobi

As the age of peace accelerated and the age of the shinobi declined, more and morefamilieswhowere trained in the arts of shinobi no jutsu began to fail in theirmilitaryeducationandtheshinobi,whilenotextinct, inmanyrespectsbecamelessfunctionalasagents.Thisturbulentshiftintoanagewheretheninjawerenolongerrequired,andtheirsubsequent‘fall’,waswelldocumentedduringtheEdoPeriod(1603–1868)andmustbeviewedalongsidethedeclineofIgaandKoka,whichwereindependentandself-sustainingregions, where the social elite were considered as independent families, who thendramatically fell into the categoryof ‘lowerpeople’ andwerewithout land incomeandwhonowcameundertheheavyhandoftaxationandservitude.Theseissues,alongsidealack of demand for their military services, pushed shinobi ‘families’ to their limitsfinancially and poverty started to take its toll. As a result of this there were various

attemptsbythefamiliesofKokatogaingovernmentemploymentandsponsorshiptohelpcontinuethemilitarytrainingoftheninja.In1667AkutagawaGingobeiattemptedtogainemploymentforthefamiliesofKokawarriors,whichisrecordedinadocumentsimilarto,orconnectedto,theKokaNinshiYuishogakiof1815–atranscriptionofa1789documentdiscussing thebackgroundandactivitiesofwarriorsofKoka. It lists theKokasamurai,what theydidand theirancestryand in this record, they insisted that theKokawarriorsfirstservedTokugawaIeyasuin1560(thisshouldmostlikelybe1562),andatthebattlesofMikawa,UdonoandTaiji.ItalsoincludestheirserviceatKomakiNagakutewhichwasin1584andthedefenceofFushimicastlejustbeforethebattleofSekigahara(1600).Andalso the hiring of a band of one hundredKokawarriors by the shogun, and finally theserviceofKokawarriorsattheShimabaraChristianrebellion,wheretenwarriorsofKokafoughtunderwarriorMatsudairaIzu-no-KamiNobutsuna(hehimselfwasnotashinobi).ThenextmajorattemptatemploymentbythewarriorsofKokawasmadein1789whenOharaKazuma,UenoHachizaemonandOkiMoriichirovisitedthecapitalofEdowithacopy of the Bansenshukai and presented it, along with a sake cup, to the magistrate,MatsudairaUkyonosuke.Theiraimwastodisplaytheirheritageandprofessionalismandthedirestatusof thefamilies inKoka,someofwhich theyclaimno longer taught theirancientfamilyartsoftheninja.AfteracceptingtheBansenshukai,themagistrateofferedthemasmalldonationofsilvercoins(muchlessthantheyactuallyneededandmoreofapartinggift)andanothertokenamountofsilvertogivetotheotherfamiliesinKoka.Thecopy of the Bansenshukai that they presented is the primary version used for thistranslationandisstillkeptinNationalArchivesofJapan.

Figure1.AntonyCumminsandYoshieMinami(outofshot)intheNationalArchivesofJapan,viewingthedocumentpresentedtoaJapanesegovernmentmagistratein1789bythreeKokashinobiwiththeaimofgainingemployment.

Figure2.AntonyCumminsandninjutsuresearcher,authorandninjathemeparkownerMrShun’ichiroYunoki,whocurrentlypublishestheonlyavailablereproductionoftheBansenshukai,whichisanexactcopyoftheOharaKatsui

version.

IsitanIgaoraKokamanual?

Both IgaandKokaare fiercelyproudof theirshinobi ancestryandclearlydisplay theirconnection to theninjawith pride.At the centre of that pride is theBansenshukai, thegreatestninja record inhistory.However, theoriginandauthorshipareclaimedbybothparties.ThemostcommonversionoftheBansenshukaiistheOharafamilyversion,whichhasbeenon themarket in itsoriginal Japanese for a long timeandclearly states at thebeginningthatitisamanualofKoka.However,alongsidethisthereisversionheldattheUeno Iga Museum, but unavailable for viewing. This latter version has twenty-sixvolumescomparedwithtwenty-fourintheKokaedition.TheBansenshukaiiscommonlythoughtofasacollectionofbothIgaandKokamaterial.However,oncloserinspectionitappearsthatthedocumentisprimarilyoneofIga,andtheword‘Koka’isfoundonlyonthe titlepageasan indicationoforiginbutdoesnotappear in the text in reference to itbeingamanualofKoka4–meaningthatitispossiblethatthistranscriptionhadthewordKokaaddedbythoseofKoka.Infact,allreferencestoanyoriginfirmlyplacethisasanIga document and the researcher Ishida Yoshihito claims to have seen a versiontranscribed as ‘Iga’ and also states that the change of text to Koka was made for thepresentation to the government by the Koka families. Throughout themanual, hints atFujibayashi’shomelandcanbefound;hestatesthattheelevenbestinfiltrationshinobiarefromIgaandusesthetermIganomono(menofIga)yetfailstomentionKokanomono.He also gives anecdotes to explain sections of shinobi no jutsu, all of which involvepeople from Iga and any of the families mentioned in the manual in connection withshinobinojutsuareIga-based.Alternatively,uponavisittoMrShun’ichiroYunokioftheKokaNinjaVillage,heputforwardthe theorythat the twoversionsof themanualwerecompiledbytwomembersoftheFujibayashifamily,FujibayashiofIgaandFujibayashiofKoka.While plausible, this theory does not account for the lack ofKoka referenceswithintheKokaversion,whichpointstoitbeingacopyoftheIgaedition.Therefore,itislogicaltoconcludethattheBansenshukaiisanIgamanual,whichwashappilysharedwith

Kokainanattempttostoptheartsoftheshinobifromslippingoutofhistory.

Theimportanceofthetext

Thetextitselfhasclearlybeenofparamountimportancetotheshinobicommunityfromits first incarnation and has been held as the highest form of shinobi no jutsudocumentation from that day until this. The mere concept of it being given to theshogunateasanofficialapplicationand itsuseamongthecollectivefamiliesofIgaandKokaprovebeyonddoubtthatthesefamilies,famousfortheirshinobiarts,heldthistextwith reverence and trust. It has also been claimed but not substantiated that theBansenshukaiwas also not available for public viewing until themid-twentieth centuryowingtoitsdangerousnature.Iftrue,thisisanotherfactortosupportthepowerandtherespectaccordedtothemanual.Also,itisrecordedthatYamanakaTonaisworeanoathofsecrecytoOharaKazumaandUenoTamakiinordertoobtainanextractofthefirstfewbooksoftheBansenshukai.

Uponreadingthemanualitiscleartoseethattheelementswithinthetextclearlymatchother more ‘respected’ documents, such as theGunpo Jiyoshu or the Gunpo Gokuhi-densho,wheretheauthorsdiscusstheninjafromanoutsideperspective.Buthere,withtheBansenshukai, we get the full internal view.Where other authors may simply say, ‘becarefulofgapsinyourdefenceandoftheshinobi’,theBansenshukaitellsushowtofindandinfiltratethosegaps,givingtheworldthemostcomprehensiveviewoftheworkingsoftheninjainfiltrationarts.

With the explosion of the shinobi in the West, the Bansenshukai, along with theShoninkiandtheShinobiHiden, isadefenceagainst thefalse.Foryears‘ninjamasters’haveclaimedninjutsulineageandhiddenbehindtheshieldoftheBansenshukaiandothermanualstosupplyanddripfeedinformationonninjutsu.Withthefullpublicationofthesethree texts, peoplewill have a clearunderstandingof the truthofhistorical shinobiartsandarenolongerleftinthedarkaboutthem.HereforthefirsttimetheworldmayseethedeadlyandcomplexwaysoftheshinobiandappreciatethesubtletiesofJapanesespyingandoperationsinenemyterritory.

ThefutureoftheBansenshukairestsalongtwolines.Firstly,asasurvivalandguerrillawarfare manual, it allows a single human to train diligently to become a clandestineoperativewithknowledge that rivalsmodernSpecialForces, and the skills it teaches, ifadapted, can have relevance formodern espionage and clandestinewarfare even today.Secondly, the Bansenshukai makes an immense contribution to Japanese and militaryhistory;withthismanual,historianscangainaccesstocountlessareasofresearch,fromarmymarchingorders to the art of hanging a decapitatedheadon a horse saddle, fromarchitecture to lock production, from social interactions to attitudes to women, the listgoeson.Thisisnotonlyamanualforshinobiandsamuraienthusiastsbutalsorequiredreadingforanyoneinvolvedwithmilitaryhistory,Japanesearchitecture,theinfluenceofChinesereligiononJapanandmuchmore.

AwordontheChineseinfluence

Initially,someresearchershavestatedthattheBansenshukaiisamanualbasedonChinese

thoughtandishighlyinfluencedbytheChineseclassics;however,uponinspection,thisissimplynotthecase.ThereisundoubtedlyaChineseinfluenceontheBansenshukaibutithas never been investigated to anydepthnor analysedwith a critical eye.The absolutefirst step in understanding theChinese connection to the Japanese text is to understandthat Japanese society across most of its medieval history viewed China as a centre ofcultureandcivilization,anditmustberememberedthatJapanesecultureitselfisbasedonimported ideas, architecture, philosophy and warfare, all of which stemmed frommainlandAsia.AtthetimeofFujibayashi,Chinesethoughtandwritingsweretherealmofthe educated, the military elite and aristocracy, and to read in Chinese, to understandChineseandtoeducateothersinChinesewasasignofqualityandstatus.Itisnosurprise,then, that Fujibayashi should quote and teach Chinese military tactics within theBansenshukai.

With thisunderstanding, thenext step isnot to fall into the trapofbelieving that themanual was written in Chinese or that the information is simply a collection of stolenChineseideas.Firstly,itisamisconceptionthattheBansenshukaiiswrittenentirelyintheChinesestyleofkanbun;itisnot.ItisinfactwrittenmainlyinJapanesewiththeadditionofquotesfromChineseclassicsintheiroriginalChineseform,whichiskanbun,makingthemanual a Japanese text. Secondly, the Chinese elements in the text are not evenlydistributed throughoutnorare they integral to the text; theuseofChinese ispurposefuland deliberate. Primarily, Fujibayashi uses anecdotes from the Chinese classics to addsupportandcredencetohis ideas,andtoestablishthecontentof the textasvalid in theeyesofthecontemporaryaudience.Theearlierchaptersofthebook,forthisreason,arequitefullofreferencestoChineseepisodes,allofwhicharetheresimplytohighlightthetruthofwhatheissayingandtoreinforcehisideasinthemindsoftheeducatedreader.However,interestingly,thequotationsbegintothinoutashegetsclosertothecoreskillsofshinobino jutsu.By themiddlechapters,which focuson the ‘handson’ skillsof theninja such as burglary, infiltration and espionage, one notices thatChinese thought hasbeenalmostentirely replacedbyaverypracticalandpurelyJapanesecollectionofarts.These are conveyed in a ‘matter of fact’ way and apparently without any support, asreaders would presumably have recognized them as ninjutsu without needing to beconvinced.Then,instarkcontrast,comevolumessixteenandseventeen,whicharewrittenwithaheavyChineseslant.HereFujibayashiisrecordingtheChineseartsofdivination,themethodsofestablishingifadirection,dayortimeisauspiciousornot.Ifthissectiondidnot includeChinese influence, then itwould indeedbe strange.Fujibayashihimselfstatesthattheseskillsaredubiousandnottobetrusted.Theskillsthemselveswereformsof divination that were standard among Japanese generals and well understood to beChineseteachings.Therefore,thetwomajorChinesesectionsareopenlyacknowledgedassuchandareloadedwiththewarningthatthesepracticesarenottobetrusted,butthattheknowledgeofthemisusefulwhenconductingwarfareagainstageneralwhodoesbelieveintheirsupernaturalpower.ThisisechoedintheShoninkimanual,wheretheheadoftheNatori school of secret tactics also quotes from Chinese literature on the arts ofphysiognomyanddivination.TheBansenshukai continues after theseChinese teachingswithfollow-upvolumesontoolsandexplosives.Fujibayashicommentsonthenewnessofsomeof the tools, indicating that theyarepurely Japanese inventions.Heappears tobeunawareof,orfailstostate,theprobableChineseoriginsofothertoolsthathadbeeninexistenceinJapanforalongtime.

Therefore,on thewhole, itcanbeconcluded thatFujibayashiwasnot ‘stealing’ fromChinesetexts,butsimplyutilizingthemtosupporthistheories,togivetheartofshinobinojutsuahistoryandtounderlineforthereadertheimportanceofkeepingtheartalive.Now,with his target audience inmind, it is possible that Fujibayashimayhave had anegotistical need for such Chinese inclusions, to ensure that his social inferiors wouldrespect his level of education and that his social superiors would be impressed by hisunderstanding of matters that they would have assumed to be beyond his station.Remembering that the shinobi were drawn mainly from the lower end of the samuraiclass,sucheruditionmayhaveseemedbeyondthesocalled‘farmer-samurai’ofIga,yetitis clearly apparent in theworks of Fujibayashi, showing to all that Igawas not such abackwardandisolatedregion,butaplaceofcontemporaryculture.

TheChinesecalendar

Oneofthemostdifficultconceptstograspwhentryingtoimaginethelifeofashinobiisthedatingsystemusedand the recordingof thepassageof time.Basedon the lunisolarsystem,acomplexequationofthecycleofthemoonandtheadjustmentsrequiredtoalignitwith a solar year, thewhole system is alien to aWestern understanding. ThismakesFujibayashi’s commentary on times, dates and celestial points far more difficult tounderstandthanitwouldhavebeenforacontemporaryandexpressionslike‘houroftheMonkey’,‘dayoftheRat’,‘countfivestepsfromthetimeoftheBoar’,causehavocandcanbecomeanightmareforanystudentofshinobinojutsuwhohasnothadachancetoinvestigatethetopic.Therefore,beyondthebordersofthisworkitisrecommendedthatagood understanding of the Chinese calendar is undertaken and knowledge of the TenCelestialStemsandtheTwelveEarthlyBranchesisacquired,forwithoutanappreciationof these main issues an understanding of some sections of the Bansenshukai will notfollow.Forexample,thetextmaystate:dosuchandsuchanactiononadayofKinoe(oneoftheTenCelestialStems)orevenwhenthedayofKinoeandthedayoftheBoarmeet(oneoftheTwelveEarthlyBranches).Fujibayashioftenaddsadirection,whichalsohasaconnectionandconnotationintheabovesystem,whichonlycompoundstheconfusionoftheuninitiated.Therefore,abasicunderstandingisrequiredtofullyappreciateandinteractwith the teachings. However, for ease, the following illustration will guide the readerthroughmostoftheinstructionsfound,particularlyinvolumessixteenandseventeen,themostesotericofthemanual.

Infigure3,youwillbeabletofindanytimeexpressionthetextstates,suchastheday,hour or direction of the Tiger, Boar, Hare etc., and in most cases simply count in aclockwise or anticlockwise direction. It is very important to note that in this manualFujibayashiclasses theanimalhenamesas thefirst in thecount.Forexample,countingfour places in a clockwise direction from theRatwill include theRat and finish at theHare.

Figure3.TheChinesecalendar

CountingfourplacesinaclockwisedirectionfromtheRatasseenintheimageabove:

1.Rat

2.Ox

3.Tiger

4.Hare

This is different from the standard Western way of starting to count on the positionadjacenttothestartingpoint.Also,itisbeneficialtonoticethatintheabovediagramtheanimalshaveassociateddirections:Rat–north;Hare–east;Horse–south;Cockerel–west,etc.

TheJapanesewithinthetext

DecidinghowmuchJapanesetoleaveinthetextisalwaysdifficult:toomuchandthelay-readerbecomesconfused,toolittleandtheavidpractitionerfeelsfrustrated.Therefore,inthisbookyouwillfindsnippetsofJapanesetohelpanystudentandresearchertoget togripswiththeconnotationsofspecificwordsandphrases.Also,Chineseideogramshavebeeninsertedwhererelevantforanyonewhoisresearchingandwhowantstoknowwhichideogramwasusedintheoriginal.Thetranslationaimstoretaintheflavouroftheoriginaldocumentandtocapturethespiritofthetimesinwhichitwaswritten,inordertobring

theworldoftheshinobivividlytolife.

Lastly, there is the issue of the ubiquitous Japanese term kuden, which translates as‘passingoninformationbywordofmouthalone’.Anactualstudentofninjutsumayhavebeengivenamanual,butthiswouldhavebeenaccompaniedbyoralexplanations,givingmore information than could be written down – sometimes to shed light on deepermeaningsortoprovidemundaneexplanationsthatwouldhaveweigheddownthewrittentext.Forexample,anexplanationofhowtomakeaformofwaterproof torchmayhavehad the basic instructions, but a final piece of information may have been required toperfectthis,ortheinstructionsonbindingmayhavebeenjudgedtobetoolong.Inthesesituations,theideogramkuden hasbeenplacedattheendofthetextinquestion.Thisplacementdoesnotcomewithagrammaticallinkandwassimplyaddedonattheendofasectionofinformation.Translatingkuden intoEnglishcausesmanyproblemsanditgetstruly repetitious tocontinually state ‘oral tradition’at theendof sectionsoreven in themiddleofparagraphs.However,itistoomuchtotranslatekudenas‘secret’,asthetermdoesnotalwaysrepresenttheconceptofsecret–indeed,everythinginthemanualwasasecret.Therefore,toavoidconfusion,wehaveoptedsimplytotranslateeveryoccurrenceofkuden in theoriginalmanualas ‘oral tradition’or ‘tobepassedonbyoral tradition’,eventhoughitisrepetitious.

Ninjaorshinobiandninjutsuorshinobinojutsu?

The termshinobi dates back to the fourteenth century andwithout a doubt predates thewordninja.However,thereadingofshinobi insteadofnin isonlyguaranteedwhenitisfoundincertaingrammaticalpositionsandwhenfoundinthesepositionswithinthetext,wehavetranslateditsimplyasshinobi.Thereisanongoingdebate,bothpublicandwithin the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team, as to which reading is correct for theideograms .Firstitmustbeestablishedthatthistermcanbereadeitherasshinobinomono or ninja. The question is actually, which reading did Japanese people of themedievalperioduseandinwhichwayshoulditbetranslated?Thereisastrongcaseforshinobi no mono, as whenever there are phonetic markers to help the reading of theideograms,theyalwaysandwithoutfailindicateshinobinomono.However,whentherearenophoneticmarkers thereadingcouldbeeither.Also, inallcaseswhereadifferentideogram is used, the reading is always shinobi,when there are no ideograms but onlyphoneticsinuse,thenitisalwaysandwithoutfail,shinobi,soinalllikelihoodshinobinomonoisthecorrectreading.But,fromanativeEnglishspeaker’spointofview,constantlyreadingoutshinobinomonoisnotcomfortableandninjaflowsbetterandalsohasmoreeducated connotations than the sometimes derogatory term shinobi. So it is debatablewhenandwherethechangefromshinobinomonotoninjacameabout,andwhetherourauthor,Fujibayashi,meantninjaorshinobinomono.

Similarlycontentiousaretheideograms ,whichcanbereadasninjutsuorshinobinojutsu,andmeantheartsoftheninja/shinobi.Onlyoneexampleofaphoneticmarkerhasbeenfoundtodateandthatmarkergivesshinobinojutsuasthereading;nevertheless,the same argument applies. Because of this, as a team we have opted to divide ourtranslationbetweenboth.Therefore,wheretheideograms and appearinthetext,weshiftbetweenninjaandshinobinomono, andninjutsu and shinobi no jutsu, yet the

connotationsarethesameforbothversions.

Measurementsandnumbers

Throughouttheoriginaltext,therearenumerousnames,tools,recipesandskillsinvolvinga myriad of Japanese measurements, which have been translated in the text in theiroriginalformtoavoidconfusion.MeasurementsintheEnglish-speakingworlddifferfromregion to region and between age groups; somepeoplemeasureweight in stoneswhileothersusepoundsorkilogramsandsomemeasuredistanceinfeetwhileothersusemetres.Therefore, to avoidmisunderstandingsor evenmathematical errors in the text,wehaveleftallthemeasurementsastheyappearintheoriginal,sowordssuchasshaku,ryo,buetc.willbecomeall toofamiliarasyouprogress throughthe text.Toaidunderstanding,the following tablehasbeenproduced so that the reader cancalculate themeasurementusingtheconversiontheyaremostcomfortablewith.

Measurement Ideogram Metric Imperial

Lengths

rin 0.3mm 0.01in

bu 3.03mm 0.11in

sun 3.03cm 1.19in

shaku 30.3cm 11.93in

ken 1.81m 5.96f

cho 109.1m 357.9f

ri 3.92km 2.435miles

MassorWeight

bu/fun 0.37g 0.013oz

momme 3.75g 0.132oz

ryo 37.5g 1.32oz

kin 600g 21.16oz

VolumeorCapacity

shaku 18.04ml 0.63foz

go 180.4ml 6.34foz

sho 1.8l 3.17pt

to 18.4l 31.74pt

koku 180.4l 317.4pt

Furthermore, numberswithin the textwill be given in theirwritten form– one, two,three, etc. – to allow for titles of skills and chapters to begin with a word and not anumerical.However,numbersgiven in recipesordateswillbegiven in theirnumericalformat of 1, 2 3, etc. Finally, some of the articles and sub-articles will be titled withRoman numerals (I, II, III, etc.) where appropriate. This has been done to fit withpreviouslypublishedworkstomaintainatheme.

1Shinobinojutsuiscommonlyknownasninjutsu.However,whilebothversionsarecorrect,phoneticmarkersonhistoricaldocumentsshowshinobinojutsuwasusedwhereastherearenorecordsofthewordbeingspokenasninjutsu.

2Itispossiblethatothersectionsdidexistasthereareslightvariationsbetweenversions.However,thedifferencestendtobeinorganizationratherinthetextitself.TheoriginalBansenshukaiisnowmissingfromthehistoricalrecord.

3Otsu,Hei,TeiandJumeanA,B,C,Dinthiscontext.

4Theterm‘Koka’appearswhendiscussinghistory,butalwayssecondto‘Iga’.

AShortIntroductiontoJapaneseLocksandtheArtofLock-picking

byStevenNojiri

Japaneselockbypassingisbothsimplerthanitsmodern-dayequivalentbutyet,insomeregards,paradoxically,canbemorecomplicated.Tounderstandtheworldoftheshinobiand the lockbypassing sections of theBansenshukai, the readermust comprehend – tosome extent – the old Japanese practice of ‘stealing in’. While this topic is certainlycomplex and takes time to appreciate fully, it can be explained rather succinctly andwithouttoomuchconfusion.

Tobegin,thereadershouldknowthatJapaneselocksofthisperiodwerenotbasedonthesamemechanicsofthoseoftoday.Themajorityofmodern-daylocksrelyonrevolvingcylinderswhosemovementsareallowedordisallowedbyaseriesofspring-loadedpins.‘Picking’ them entails a combination of pin manipulation and proper torque to thecylinder. In comparison, old Japanese locks were designed centuries before suchintricacies couldbemachined, and therefore contain larger and less complexparts.TheJapaneselocksofthetimeoftheBansenshukaireliedonprongs,latchesandnaturalforcesof gravity and tension. The designs of the locks were not complicated, but they werenonetheless effective at barring entry and a shinobiwouldhavehad tobevery familiarwithlocktypologyand,asFujibayashistates,efficiencyandknowledgeonlycomeswithhands-onpractice.

Lockpickingandlockbypassing

BeforeIbrieflysummarizethelocksandtheirstandardpickingmethods,Imustexplainthe difference between picking and bypassing. The act of picking a lock is the act ofmanipulating the internal components in such a way that your picking tools and youractionswiththemreplacethekey.Thus,youareabletooperatethelock,whichinturn,allowsyouactuallytounlockthedoor.Alternatively,bypassingisliterallyadisregardforthe lock internalsandeven the ideaof lockpicking. Instead, it is amanipulationof thedoor and/or lock itself in away that is not a simulation of the key. It is of paramountimportance to understand the difference between the two, as lock picking and lockbypassingbothhavedifferentmethodsanddifferentresults.Forexample,breakingalockis a formof bypassing.However, breaking a lock can never be a formof picking.TheBansenshukai touchesonbothaspectsandshowsthepickingoflocksandthebypassing

ofbars,locks,latchesandhooks.

TheBansenshukai is not only a critically important piece of shinobi history, but anintriguingwindowintoJapanesecultureaswell.Thefinalchaptersofthein-ninsegmentcontain historical Japanese lock-picking and bypassing methods, which are almostimpossibletofindrecordedinanyotherdocument.Thisdocumentallowsusaviewoftheworkingsofasamuraihousehold,itsmakeup,andthemeasuresittooktoremainsecure.

Fujibayashifirstexplainsthemaintypesoflocks,suchasbars,hooks-andrings,latchesandpadlocks.Hethenfollowsthisupwithbriefteachingsonthemethodsforpickingandbypassingmostlocktypologies.Further,Fujibayashiexplainsandevenprovidespicturesofthehandfulofspecialtoolsutilizedintheninja’sbreaking-and-enteringarts–toolsthathave toooftenbeenmisunderstood andmisinterpreted inmodern times.While someofthese tools make appearances in other ninjutsu documents, theBansenshukai seems toprovideaparticularlylargeandcohesiveassemblyoftheseimplements,givingthereaderalargerviewofshinobinojutsulock-pickingandbypassingskills.Thisallowsthereaderto ‘creep in’ to history and view a darkened secured samurai house from a ninja’sviewpoint.

Locktypology

The lockingmechanismsvary indesigndramatically.However, thisdoesnotmean thatone lock is better than another. Historically, most locations would be locked with acombination of lock types and at various points. For example, a single doormay havebeenbothlatchedontheinternalfaceandsecuredexternallywithapadlock.Inthiscase,ashinobi had to break through andmanipulate the door latch and also pick the padlock,making his task doubly complex. Therewere numerous padlock styles, but all of themreliedonthesame‘wingedprong’design.

Inthisdesign,aselectionofprongs,whenthetwohalvesofalockarepushedtogether,snapintoplace,securingthe lock.Thiswasonlyopenedwhenakeywasslidalongtheprongs to force them together, allowing the lock to open and disengage back into twosections…orwhenaskilledshinobisimulatedthesameeffect.

Figure4.Theinternalwings,or‘prongs’astheyhavebeentranslatedinthisedition

Figure5.Anexampleofatypicaltwo-partJapaneselockshowingthe‘prongs’methodofentry

Inthecaseofaring-and-hooklatch,theshinobihadtofindawaytoknockthehookoutof the ringlet from theexternal sideof thedoor,whichusually involved insertinganL-shapedprobingdeviceinacrackinthedoororahole–theholeusuallyhavingbeenmadebytheshinobi.Oncethrough,thisprobewasusedtomanipulatethehookandspringopenthelatch.

Numerous approaches to the lockswere takenby the shinobi, each requiring finesse,skill and the correct tool and these fundamentals still apply today in modern-daylocksmithing. It is because of the timelessness of the principles that the lock-pickingteachings of the Bansenshukai are still applicable to this day. As a trained locksmithmyself, I can assure the reader thatmanyof the techniques andprinciples found in theBansenshukaiareused topickandbypassmodern-day locks,whichcreatesa three-foldvalueforthisdocument:itshistoricalninjutsuvalue,theJapaneseculturalvalue,andthemodern-dayrelevanceoftheprinciples.

Overall, the lock-picking section can appear too technical to some.As you read thissection,trytoimaginethescenario–aninjacarryinglock-pickingtools,enteringbamboothickets,usingauspicioustimes,contemplatingthepositionofthemoonandwaitingforthecorrectvolumeofwind–totakeyourminddeeperintoancientJapan.Asyoumakethis journey, see the shinobi as he plans his route in and out of a location. Come tounderstandtherealityoftheshinobi’sassignment.Thiswill,withoutadoubt,helpyoutoerasethemythofaninjacarryingmultipleweaponswhilestormingalocationanditwillrevealtoyouthetruepictureofthelightlyarmedspycreepingthroughahouse,listeningtoallhecan,possiblyevenburningthelocationdowneventually.

Intheend,weoweFujibayashiforputtingthisrealityintowritingandpreservingthisinformation,sothathere,manyyearslater,thetruthofninjutsulockpickingcanbeknowntousall.

TheBansenshukai

VOLUMEONE

Preface

Themilitaryisthefinallinewhenconcerningthesafetyofacountryandtheissueofstatesurvival.It isofextremeimportancebecauseit is thebasisofstatecraftandthenation’ssafetyandisbynomeansaminorissue.Militarycraftisincrediblydeepandvastanditisnotamattertobetakenlightly.

Inanymilitarysituationyouneedtoconstructadetailedandpreciseplanbeforehand,speculateclearlywiththeFiveConstantFactorsandtheSevenPlans,1understandthefeelof your people thoroughly and then, based on these factors, devise a stratagem andconductyourfrontalandyoursurprisewaysofattack.Also,ifthefivecharacteristicsofwisdom, benevolence, trust, courage and strictness are achieved, and if advantages arederivedfromthethreeareasofHeaven,EarthandMan,then,evenifyouhaveonlyonethousand soldiers and have to fight an enemy ofmultitudes, you can be victorious onehundred times out of one hundred battleswith absolute certainty. Even though it is thecasethattherearenotsomanylordsofwisdom[atthistime],youshouldremembertheChinesegeneralSunTzu,whoservedKingHelu,2oralsotheDukeofPei,whounifiedthecountrybyutilizingthestrategistZhangLiang.Alongsidethis, ifa lordhighlytreasuresthewisdomofhiswisegenerals,governs thecountrywellanddisciplineshisclan, thenthereisnothingtobeafraidof,evenifthebordersofhiscountryarevast.Thisisbecauseawiselordmakespreparationsforthewholecountry,whichasaconsequence,makeshisgeneralsallthemoreaccomplished.

Sinceancient times therehavebeennumerousgoodgenerals inourcountryofJapan.However, they governed the country but only through conquering it by sheer power. Isthereanyoneofthemwhohaseverachievedtruebenevolence?KusunokiMasashigeandsomeotherscopedwiththeir[difficult]situationbuttheirlordswerenothighlyvirtuous.Therefore,theyendedupdyinginbattle,keepingtheirloyaltyfirmtotheend.Sincethenhasanyoneelseachievedthis?Inthisageofdecadencethatwelivein,people’smindsaretwistedandonlywordsarelovedbutnotpracticaldeeds.LookingbacktoancientChina,thepeopleoftheZhouDynasty(1023–255BC)werenotasgoodasthoseoftheShang(1766–1122BC),whowere in turnnotasgoodas theXiaDynasty (c2070–c1600BC),whowere not so good as those of the period of Emperor Shun (who preceded theXiaDynasty). Thus,will people in future days competewith those of this age?Howmanypeople are ready to keep righteousness and to carry forth their lord’s orders if the timecomes, or fight for loyalty and resourcefulness? If a great general excels in planning astrategybutnoneofhissoldierscanactappropriatelyaccordingtocircumstances,thenitis hard for him to gain victory. In warfare, you should catch the enemy in a state ofunpreparedness,hitthemquicklyandbysurpriseandgrasptheenemyintentioncorrectly.Ifyouhavemyriadstrategiesbutdonothaveninjutsuortheartsoftheninja,theninthis

case you will not be able to obtain details about the enemy’s secret plan or theirconspiracies.

Looking into the military manuscripts byWu Qi and Sun Tzu , reading thesecretbookswrittenbyZhangLiang ,HanXin andothers, if youdonot havespies,youcanneverknowwhat is substantialor insubstantial concerningyourenemy’sintention,youcannotsucceed in invadingamassivewallofnumerousmiles,or leadanentire[enemy]armyintoatrapandachieveavictoryineverybattlethatyouenter.

Isthereanythingelsewhichenablesasinglepersontoruinaforceofcountlesspeople?Youhaveeveryreasontostudyuntilyoureachamasteryoftheartofninjutsuandbyanymeansyoucan.Then,withthemasteryofninjutsu,eveniftheenemyhasbuiltupastrongsiegeoriron-likedefences,therewillbenowaytopreventyourforcefrominfiltratingitskeep.

The skills of ninjutsu are not occult or wondrous but are just like the strategy ofswordplay; that is, it is about hitting the enemy through their gap, hitting by takingadvantageoftheirresponsesorhittingbysurprise.Therefore,withthemainpointstakenfrom theKanrinseiyo3 manual, I here write more than twenty volumes on thesubjectofninjutsu togetherwith theQuestions andAnswers section, introductory notesandothersubjects.Idothistorecordthesesecretsofthemilitaryarts.

Written in thefifth lunarmonthofEnpoFour, in theYearof theDragon(1676)byawarriorofsmallrenown,4FujibayashiYasutakeofKoka5inGoshu6

1SunTzu’sArtofWarstatesthattheFiveConstantFactorsare:Path,Heaven,Earth,GeneralandLaw.TheSevenPlansare:whichlordunderstandshispeople’smindmore;whichcommander-in-chiefisbetter;whichsideheavenandearthbenefit;onwhichsidethedisciplineisstrictlyfollowed;whicharmyisstronger;whichsidehasbetter-trainedsoldiers;whichistheprincipleof‘workandyouwillberewardedwell’.

2TheKingofWu(544–496BC)

3AmilitarymanuscriptthatismostprobablyanIgaGunpomanual.

4Literally‘hiddenwarrior’;however,itisastatementofmodestytoimplythatheisnotofgreatachievementorlearning,orisamasterlessSamurai.

5TheauthorlivedonthebordersofIgainYufune.IthasbeentheorizedthathishomehasbeentranscribedasKokaherebecausethistranslationisfromthemanualusedbytheKokafamiliesmentionedintheOharadocumentasdiscussedintheintroduction.Fujibayashi’ssyntaxusuallyplacesKokasecondtoIga,makingthetitleheremostprobablyanadditionbytheKokafamilies.

6CommonlyknownasOmi.

Introductorynotes

ThiswritingishereaftertitledtheBansenshukaiandfromitsbeginningtoitsend,itisinaccordwithimportantpointsfoundintheKanrinseiyomanual.ThisBansenshukai referstoninjutsuandninja tools,whichhavebeenkept secret by the elevenninja of Iga andKoka. Alongside this, I have discarded the negative and included only the positiveelements fromvariousschools thatarepresent to thisday.Also, Ihavecollectedall theninjutsustrategiesconstructedbyexcellentgeneralsinbothJapanandChinaandIdaretoreleasewhathasnotbeenmadeknownbefore.

Byrevealingmoralprinciples,pursuingrighteousnessandnotconcealinginjustice,wecometotheextremesecretsofninjutsuandthusweexpresseverythinginaproperorder.Thusallriversintheworldflowintotheocean,intosomethingextremelydeepandvastandthat’swhyItitledthisentirewritingtheBansenshukai,‘AMyriadofRiversFlowingintotheOcean’.

Thiscollectionofvolumes[isthetruewayoftheninja]andisfarremovedfromanylesserconstructionmadebyotherninja,whobeingfromanotherplacehaveonlylearnedone or two things but claim themselves to bemen from Iga.7 Alongside this, there arenumerous expert skills that should be mastered completely for every single plan orachievement and people in the world should not know how deep these skills go. Thatbeingsaid,hereIchosetomakethedescriptionssimplifiedbutnotsosimplethattheycanbeeasilyunderstoodjustfromthiswritingalone.Theintentionbehindthis is topreventlaypeoplefromtalkingabouttheseskillswithoutrespectandtreatingthemasanobjectoflight entertainment. Only when a student makes effort to deepen his knowledge for aconsiderable lengthof timewhilebeing taughtorallybyhis teacher,willhe findoutbyhimselfhowdeepthisarttrulyis.Ifyouarenottaughtorallybyateacherandtrytolearnonlywiththiswritingalone,youwillnotbeable toarriveat thedeepestmeaningof itssecrets.

Thismanuscriptconsistsofsixparts:TheCorrectMind;AGuidelineforCommanders8;Yo-nin;In-nin9;OpportunitiesBestowedbyHeaven(astronomyandastrology);andNinjaTools.Ofthese,theCorrectMindchapterisplacedinaprimarypositionbecauseacorrectmindshouldbethebasisforeverythingandeverydeed.Atfirstningei10artsseemclosetotheartsof thievery,aswithin its tacticsandstrategyyouneed toclimbafenceorstonewallorpickvariouskindsofpadlocks,bolts,hooksandringsorlockingsticks.Therefore,ifavilepersonwhodoesnothaveareverencefordivinejusticemasterstheseskillsandcommitseveryevilwithinthiswriting,theendresultwillbethatIhavetaughtthemtheart of robbery. To avoid such a risk, I put the Correct Mind chapter first of all.[Thischapter]willdiscussthepathofloyaltyfirstofall,thenthereasonforyourlifeanddeath,whichwill togetherhelpyouacquire thecorrectmind.Although todedicateyourself tosincerityandwisdommightbringridiculeuponyourself,doingsomethingwiththecorrectintentionwillaidyouintheend.However,amerenoviceshouldusethischapterasalead,and keep its teachings close to heart all of the time, even when taking rest, sitting or

sleeping,thusbuildingabraveandfearlessmind,withhiseyefirmlyonloyalty,andwiththeaimtocontinuepractisingtheseskillsforalongtimetocome.Havingachievedthis,hewillbeenlightenednaturallyandknowwhatcorrectmindmeans.Ifyouknowthisskillineveryway,asoftandweakpersonwillbecomehardandstrong,anevil-mindedpersonwill become loyal and a stupid person will become wise. With justice, courage andwisdom,thereisnowayyoucannot‘steal in’.However, ifyouhaveanevilmind,deeptacticswillnotsucceed.Nomatterifyoutrytocarryoutaconspiracy,yourplotwillbegivenawaytotheenemyatsometimeoranother.Nomatterhowcourageousyouare,youwillnotbeable toachieveahardmission.This isbecauseacorrectmindshouldcomefirst.

AGuidelineforCommandersshouldbeplacedasthesecondmostimportantelement.Whenaninjahasmasteredeveryaspectofloyalty,courage,tacticsandachievement,ifhislord does not use him, any tactic will hardly be able to succeed. If tactics cannot besuccessfullyaccomplished,thesaidcommanderdoesnotunderstandhowusefulninjutsutruly is. Ifa lorddoesnothaveagoodunderstandingof thisart,suspicion[of theninjaarts]willforminhismind,whichwillpreventhimfromtakingtheseartsintoaccountandthuswillpreventhimfromsendinganinjaintotheenemy’sposition.Ifheisnotgoingtosendninja,hehasnowaytoknowtheenemy’ssecrettactics.

Furthermore,ifhecannotknowtheenemy’ssecrettactics,hewillnotbeabletodecidehow to deploy his army or what tactics he should have. If he cannot decide on thesethings, it will invite dire consequences. Also, if he makes tactics or decides thedeployment of his force by only speculating the status of the enemy, without using ashinobi, itwill be akin to throwing a stone in the darkness at night thatwill not hit itstargetandthereforethestrategyanddeploymenthedecidesuponwillnotplayoutwell.

Therefore,itisoftenthecasethatifacommanderispreparinginanticipationofattackfromtheeast,theenemywillattackfromthewestandhewillbeoverturned.Ifpreparingforattackfromthesouth,hewillgetattackedfromthenorthandbethrownintoconfusionanddefeat.Alongsidethis,inthecasewhereageneraldoesnotknowhowtouseashinobiand even if that shinobi infiltrates the enemy’s castle or position, the unknowingcommanderwill fail to achieve a synchronized attackwith the ninja who is inside thecastle,whilehe,thecommander,isontheoutsideandinthiswayhewillnotbeabletorealizehisdesiredresult.Inthiscasehewillnotwinthebattleand/ortheninjamaydieanuntimely death. This iswhy I have put theGuideline forCommanders in the rank andimportanceofsecondplace.

Inthesecondsectionofthisvolume,Imentionthemethodsofpreventingenemyninjafromgettingintoyourposition; thiswasplacedhereso thata lordwillbecomefamiliarwith thesedefence tactics.With these latter techniques, I alsodescribehow togetyourninjaintotheenemy’sposition.

Yo-ninor‘opendisguise’isplacedbeforein-nin,whichis‘hiddeninfiltration’.Thisisinaccordancewiththefactthatyo(yang)meansbirthwhile in (yin)meansdeathor theend.Evena resourcefulpersonwill notmakeagoodyo-nin performerwithout trainingregularly,especiallyifhelearnsthisskillbywordalone.Anyonewhowantstomasterthisskillofdisguiseshouldalwaystrainhimselfwiththeutmosteffort.

In the third section of yo-nin, I write on the skills of ‘seeing’, ‘observing’ and‘inferring’, because there should be nothing that youdo not see or hear concerning theenemy–thisisthetaskoftheshinobinomono.Thosestudyingthisartshouldnotthinkthat these skills of observing and listening are not the skills of the shinobi and mustremembernottoneglectanything.

In the fifth section of in-nin, I write about shinobi night attacks, robbery, etc. Youshouldnotmakelightofthesetaskseither,asyoumaythinktheyarenotwhatashinobishould do. Night attacking is a shinobi’s job in every respect. Therefore, night attackswithout the knowledge of ninjutsu will not be effective. Also a ninja without theknowledgeofhowtoattackatnightcannotreachthetrueessenceofninjutsu.

Tocapturesomeoneortochasecriminaltargetswasnotoriginallythepathoftheninja.However, it seems to be regarded as aninja’s job these days, and therefore I write anoutlineofthetechniquesthathavebeendonesinceancienttimes.Itoriginallywouldnotbeincludedinthis,thepathoftheninja,becauseitisnotaninja’staskbutataskofthelower-classpeople.11

Thevolumesondivination[thetimeofheaven]andastronomyandastrologyareplacedfifthinpositionandarebasedonthephilosophyofthewisemenofold.Theysaythatthetimeofheavenisnotasinfluentialasthebenefitoftheearth,andinturnthebenefitoftheearthisnotasimportantas[theharmonyofman].12However,inthesevolumes,therearequite a few important things forninjutsu andyou should not neglect to learn them, butthenbecarefulnottopaytoomuchattentiontothem.13

Theuseofninjatoolsisameasureneededtofulfiltheartofin-nin,butthevolumesonthetoolsteachhowtouseandproducethembuttheydonotcontaintheprinciplesoftheshinobi.Therefore,theseareplacedinsixthandlastposition.

Youshouldtrytolearntheuseofthesetoolsonyourowntodecideiftheyaregoodornot.Unlessyouprovetheirworthforyourselfyoushouldnotusethem.Itisgoodforyoutoconcentrateoncreatingassimpleatoolaspossiblesothatitcanserveinvariousways.Themethodofmanufacturingeachtoolismentionedindetailwithinthesaidvolume.

7Fujibayashiissayingthatwhileothersmaybeninjaandknowasmallamount,theirteachingsareextremelylimitedcomparedtotheteachingsofIgaandthecollectiveinformationhehasgathered.

8Aclosertranslationwouldbe‘WisdomforGenerals’butwefeelthat‘AGuidelineforCommanders’betterrepresentsthetext.

9Yo-ninistheartofdisguise,whilein-ninistheartofinfiltration.

10Ninjaskills .

11Fujibayashiisharkingbacktoatimewhenmostshinobicamefromthewarriorclass,butbythetimeofwriting,themenofIgahadbecomemusokunin,alowerformbetweenthesamuraiandpeasantclassesbutwhowerenotgivenfief,adropinstatuswhichcanbetrackedthroughthehistoricalrecord.

12Thistranscriptionmissedthisideogram;however,thepassageitselfisafamousquotefromtheChinesephilosopherMencius.

13Thisisanimportantpointtoremember:theChinese-basedskillsofweatherforecastinganddivinationandcalculatingthepositionofthemoonarecommonskillsusedinanagriculturalsocietyandtheirusagecanbeimportanttoninjutsu.Fujibayashitalksoftheskillswithreserveandcautionowingtotheirpossiblydubiousnature.

Tableofcontents14

VolumeOne

Preface,Introductorynotes,Tableofcontents,Questionsandanswersaboutninjutsu

VolumeTwo

SeishinI

TheCorrectMindI

VolumeThree

SeishinII

TheCorrectMindII

VolumeFour

ShochiI

AGuidelineforCommandersI

Aboutninpo–theshinobitreasure

VolumeFive

ShochiII

AGuidelineforCommandersII

Aboutpromises

Threepointsabouttheprohibitionswithinshinobinojutsu

Twopointsonsecretwriting

Twopointsonyabumisecretletters,whicharesenttiedtoanarrow

Fourpointsonsignals

Secretletterswithoccultpower[textmissing]

Sixpointsonpromises

Threepointsoncooperationwiththegeneral

Twopointsonthepromisefortheguaranteeofthesecurityoftheninja

Reasonsastowhyashinobinomonoshouldbeemployed

VolumeSix

ShochiIII

[Alltheoriginaltextappearstohavebeenomitted]

VolumeSix15

ShochiIV

AGuidelineforCommandersIV

Howtoprotectagainsttheenemy’splansI

Six16pointsonhowtoavoidemployingenemyshinobi

Seven17pointsonthedisciplineofthearmy

VolumeSeven

ShochiV

AGuidelineforCommandersV

Howtoprotectagainsttheenemy’splansII

Threepointsonwatchfires

Five18pointsonpasswords,identifyingmarksorsignsoractionsofidentification

Sixpointsonbehaviourintheguardhouse

Threepointsonnightpatrols

Twopointsontogikilisteningscouts

Twoskillsfordefendingagainsttheenemybyusingtools

VolumeEight

Yo-ninI

OpenDisguiseI

Infiltratingalong-termundercoveragent

Sixpointsonlayingplans

Threepointsonkatsuraotokonojutsuortheskillofthe‘ghostonthemoon’

Threepointsonjokeinojutsuorshadow-likeninjutsu

[Twopointson]kunoichinojutsuortheartofthefemaleagent

Twopointsonsatobitonojutsuortheartofthelocalagent

Twopointsonminomushinojutsuortheartoftheworminyourstomach

Three19pointsonhotarubinojutsuortheartoffireflies

Twopointsonfukurogaeshinojutsuortheartofreversingthebag

Twopointsontendanojutsuortheartofspittinginyourownface

Twopointsonshikyunojutsuortheartofrelaxingyourbow

Yamabikonojutsuortheartofechoes

VolumeNine

Yo-ninII

OpenDisguiseII

Infiltratinginhaste

Sevenpointsonryakuhon-jutsuorinformation-gathering

Fourpointsontheartofpasswords

Fourpointsonsecretsignsandmarks

Threepointsonmukaeirenojutsuortheartofapproachingtheenemyforinfiltration

Twopointsonbakemonojutsuortheartoftransformation

Three points on katatagae no jutsu or infiltrating the enemy while others are movingduringanightattack

Threepointsonsuigetsunojutsuortheartofthemoononthewater

Fivepointsontaniirinojutsuortheartof‘eatingdeepintotheenemy’

Twopointsonryohennojutsuortheconvertedprisoner

Twopointsonfukurogaeshizenjutsuorthecompleteartofreversingthebag

VolumeTen

Yo-ninIII

OpenDisguiseIII

Ongaugingandmeasurement

Twopointsongaugingmountainsandvalleys

Eightpointsyoushouldkeepinmindwhenexaminingamountain

Fourpointsoninvestigatingseashoresorrivers

Fourpointsonhowtoestimatethedepthofmudinaricefield

Fiveontheartofknowingthedepthandwidthofamoat

Understandinghowstronglyacastleisfortifiedornot

Twopointsonhowtoestimatetopography,distanceandelevation

Threepointsonhowtoidentifyiftheenemyisstrongornot

Ondistinguishing

Twopointsonmakingaroughestimationofthenumberoftheenemyforce

Fourpointsonestimatingthenumberinaformation

Three20pointsonestimatingthenumberoftheenemy’sarmywhileonthemarch

Tenpointsonobservingacastleorcampbyexternalobservation

Threemistakesyouarelikelytomakewhenobservingatnight

Onobservingfromadistance

Threepointsonhowtojudgeiftheenemyisadvancingorretreatingfromacastleorcamp

Twopointsonhowtojudgeiftheenemyistakinguppositionorretreating

Fivepointsonjudgingwhetherfushi-kamariambushesarepresent

Todetermineiftheenemyisgoingtocrossariverornot

Sevenpointsonhowtojudgetheenemybyobservingthedustorflags

VolumeEleven

In-ninI

HiddenInfiltrationI

InfiltratingacastleI

Tenpointstoconsiderbeforethemission

Twentypointsontheartofinfiltratingwhiletheenemyisoffguard

Eightpointsontheartofinfiltratingbytakingadvantageoftheenemy’snegligence

VolumeTwelve

In-ninII

HiddenInfiltrationII

InfiltratingacastleII

Twelve21pointsonappropriateplacesforinfiltration

Fifteenpointsontheartofusingtools

Twopointsonchakuzennojutsuortheartofinfiltratingbeforeyouralliesarrive

Twopointsonosoi-irinojutsuorinfiltratingbyusingthecoverofyourallies’raid

Kakure-minonojutsuortheskilloftheinvisiblemantle

Fourpointsonkakure-gasanojutsuortheartoftheinvisiblehat

Sixpointsontheartofarson

VolumeThirteen

In-ninIII

HiddenInfiltrationIII

Infiltratingahouse

Asurveyonhowtodistinguishpeople’ssleeppatternsaccordingtotheseason

Two22 points on how to detect if people are asleep or awake according to their age,dispositionandbehaviour

Twopointsondealingwithdogs

Fourpointsonthewayofwalking

Sixpointsonjokeijutsuortheartofprojectingnoshadow

Eightpointsontheappropriatenightforinfiltration

Fourpointsontheappropriateplaceforinfiltration23

Fourpointsonyo-chu-injutsuortheartsofin-nininsideofyo-nin

Fivepointsontheartoflisteningtosnoring

Fourpointsontheartofobservingtheenemy

Fivepointsonongyojutsuortheartofhiding

Threepointsonhowtoarrangeyourmenwheninfiltratingahouse

Twopointsoncaution

Thesevenwaystousethesageoswordcord24

[Sevenpointsontrapstoinjuretheenemy]

VolumeFourteen

In-ninIV

HiddenInfiltrationIV

Gatesanddoors

Threepointsonthepreparationforopeningdoors

Sixpointsondiscoveringthepositionofshirizashilockingsticksbytouch

Fourpointsonhowtounlocklockingsticks

Fivepointsonhowtofindthepositionofkakeganehookedlatchesbytouch

Eightpointsonhowtounhooklatches

Twopointsonhowtodetectdoorbolts

Threepointsonhowtounlockbolts

Twopointsonhowtoknowifthereisasenwoodenpeginthelatch

Twopointsonhowtoreleaseasenwoodenpeg

Six25pointsonhowtoidentifyjoshipadlocks[andtheirworkings]

Eightpointsonhowtoopenvariouspadlocks

Twosecretpointsonhowtoopenvariouspadlocks

VolumeFifteen

In-ninV

HiddenInfiltrationV

Shinobinightattacks

Twopointsonmonomiscouting

Fourpointsontheoutfittobewornonnightraids

Sevenpointsontheinstructionstobegivenduringanightattack

Fourpointsonthetacticstobeusedbeforeanightattack

Fourpointsontheappropriatetimeforanightattack

Eighteenpointsonthewaysofshinobinightattacks

Twelvepointsonthegandoburglarraid

Twenty26pointsoncapturingpeople

VolumeSixteen27

TenjiI

OpportunitiesBestowedbyHeavenI

Tonko–auspiciousways

Ageneralsurveyonhowtochooseadateordirection

TheFivePreceptsandthetimesoftheday

Knowing a lucky day or direction by the generating and destructive cycles of the FiveElements

VolumeSeventeen

TenjiII

OpportunitiesBestowedbyHeavenII

Astronomyandastrology

Fifteenpointsonforecastingthewindandrain

Threepointsoncalculatingthetimeofmoonriseandmoonset

Fourpointsonhowtoknowtheebbandflowofthetides

Twopointsonidentifyingthedirection

Twopointsonknowingthetime

VolumeEighteen

NinkiI

NinjaToolsI

Climbingtools

Illustrationsof tied ladders, flying ladders,cloud ladders, rolled ladders, spiked ladders,high ladders, kunai, probing irons, the long bag, grappling hooks, spider ladders, thedragonclimbingtoolandhooks

VolumeNineteen

NinkiII

NinjaToolsII

Watertools

Illustrations floatingbridges, sinking bridges, cattail rafts, jar rafts, wicker-basket rafts,water spider floating seats, flippers, the ‘cormorant bird’ tool,28 marsh shoes29 andcollapsibleboats

VolumeTwenty

NinkiIII

NinjaToolsIII

Openingtools

Illustrations of the toihazushi probing tool,hamagari angled saw,nobekagi extendablekey,irekokagiretractablekey,hasamisnippers,nomichisel,drills,theshikorosaw,kamafoldingsickle,kuginukinailremover,padlockkeys,thelistening-iron30andsilentsandals

VolumeTwenty-One

NinkiIV

NinjaToolsIV

FiretoolsI

The spider [tool],31 tinder, eight points on tsutsunohi fire cylinders, illustrations oftorinoko, thefirebox,theeverlastingfire, theimmortaltorch,Yoshitsune’s torch,gandolanternsandtheirekohiadjustabletorch

Recipes for signal fires, the waterproof hinawa, the toothpick fire,32 the torch ofappearanceanddisappearance,watertorches,fivewaysofthewindandwatertorch,twoalternativesforthewaterfire,yakigusuriignitionpowders,kumabibearfire[missing],thekurumatorch,sleepingmedicine,keepingsleepatbaymedicine,thepowderofimmediatedeath [missing], powder for travelling [missing], the basket torch, the camp fire in thecold,theattacktorch,thewatchfire,blindingpowder,rolledfire[missing]andthewatermusketshot

VolumeTwenty-Two

NinkiV

NinjaToolsV

FiretoolsII

SupplementaryVolume33

TheBansenshukaiGunyo-hiki

SecretsonEssentialMilitaryPrinciplesbySasayamaKagenaooftheOharaClan

14Thetableofcontentsdoesnotalwaysfaithfullymirrorthetext.Thismaybeasaresultoftranscriptionerrorsoritmaybethattheoriginalwaswrittenthisway.Whereneeded,wehaveaddedthemajormissingsections.

15Originallyvolumeseven;thoughttobeatranscriptionerror.

16Theoriginalmanualsaysfive.

17Theoriginalmanualsayssix.

18Theoriginalmanualsayssix.

19Thisisinthewrongpositionintheoriginalmanualbuthasbeenmovedintothecorrectplace.

20Theoriginaltableofcontentsstatesfour.

21Thetextonlyhastwelvepointsbutstatesthirteenintheoriginal.

22Theoriginalmanualstatesthree.

23Notfoundintheoriginaltableofcontents.

24Notfoundintheoriginaltableofcontents.

25Theoriginaltableofcontentsstatessixteen.

26Theoriginaltextsaystwenty-one.

27Manytitlesaremissingfromtheoriginaltableofcontents.

28Thistoolismissingfromthetext.




32Thistoolcanbefoundintheauthor’sbookIgaandKokaNinjaSkills.

33ThisdoesnotappearintheoriginaltableofcontentsasitwasnotwrittenbyFujibayashi.

Questionsandanswersaboutninjutsu

Question:Inwhichperioddidninjutsucomeintoexistence?

Answer:Originallytheartofwar[includingninjutsu]appearedintheperiodofEmperorFuXi34 and afterwardsbecamemoreprosperous in theperiodof theYellowEmperor.35Since then ithasbeenpasseddown through thegenerationsand therewasnopersonofprudenceanddiscretionwhodidnotvalueitgreatly.Thus,ninjutsuisthekeytomilitaryaffairs.EventhoughitexistedintheperiodsofFuXiandtheYellowEmperor,thereisnomentionofninjutsudirectlyinanywrittendocuments.Onlyitsessencewasthere.Inthissenseyoucanfinditinsomeancientwritings.

Question:Whydoyousayninjutsuisthekeytomilitaryaffairs?

Answer: In the volume on the employment of spies, which is found in the thirteenvolumes of theArt ofWar written by Sun Tzu,ninjutsu ismentioned.Other than this,almostallmilitarymanuscripts throughallperiods inChinaand inourcountryaswell,haveareferencetoninjutsuintheirtext.Ifninjutsuwerenottheessentialkeytostrategy,why did it happen that those wise sages in history wrote down this art for futuregenerations,orhaveyounotheardthat?Somemilitarymanuscriptssay,‘Themilitaryartsconcerndiscipliningtheinsideandknowingtheoutside.’Inshort,youshouldknowyourenemy’ssecrettacticsandobtainpreciseinformationaboutthem.

Inordertoknowtheenemy’sconditionexactly,theskillsyoushouldutilizeare:

[Normal] scouting warriors should scout quickly from a distance to get informationsuchastopography,iftheenemyisadvancingorretreating,howlargetheenemy’sforcesare,howfarawaytheyare,etc.andreportitbacktothelord.

Ontheotherhand,ninjutsumakesitpossibleforyoucovertlytogetveryclosetothemoatorfenceoftheenemy’scastleorposition,observethesituation,infiltratethecastleorposition,gathereverypieceofinformation,suchaswhattheinsideislike,theenemy’sstratagems,secrets,etc.bywatchingandlisteningcloselyandbringingthembacktothelord so that he can decidewhat kind of deployment has to be taken, and alsowhetherregularorsurprisestrategiesare tobeemployedinorder todefeat theenemy.If itwerenotforthisskillofninjutsu,itwouldbedifficulttoknowtheenemy’stacticsandsecureavictoryoverthecountry.Withthisinmind,youshouldknowthatninjutsuisthekeytothemilitary.

Question:IsthisartcalledshinobiinChinaaswell?

Answer:Shinobi isaname thatwas invented inourcountry. In thestateofWu36 itwascalledkan ; in the Spring andAutumn period, cho ; and in and after the [Chinese]WarringStates period, saisaku , yutei , kansai and so on.All these namesrefertoninjutsu.Alongsidethis,intheSixSecretTeachings37itisreferredtoasyushi(‘playingwarrior’)andintheYinJing manualwrittenbyLiQuanitisknownaskojin

.Asseeninthesemanuals,ithasbeencalledmanydifferentnamesaccordingtothe

period,orthelord’sintention.Itisquitesimilarinourcountry,aswecallitshinobi,yato,suppa,nokizaru,mitsumono,kyoudan,etc.

Question:Isthereanyreasonninjutsuisnamedkancho,yutei,saisaku,kansai,yushi,kojinetc?

Answer:InthechapterontheemploymentofspiesintheArtofWar,thecharacterforkanisannotatedandmeans‘gap’or‘opening’andistohaveapersongetintoagapwithintheenemywiththeaimofgettinginformationabouttheircondition.Thuskanmeans‘gap’.Itissendingapersontolookfortheenemy’sgaptotakeadvantageofitandtogetintotheenemy’s castleorposition so thathewill gather informationabout the enemy’splot, orsecret plans, in full and report them to you. Otherwise, it is to take advantage of anenemy’sgap,infiltratethecastleorposition,setfireordeliveranightattack.

Thecharacterforkanhasthesecondmeaningof‘estrange’.Similarly,ninjutsuincludesaskill ‘toestrange’.Ninja estrange theenemy’s lord fromhis retainersbymaking falsecharges, by disturbing the agreements made between the enemy and the lord of theirneighbouring province so that they cannot expect reinforcements, or by estranging theenemy’s lord fromhis retainers so that theywillbeoffendedbyeachother.Therehavebeen lots of examples since ancient times both in China and Japan where victory wasobtainedbycreatingconfusionamongtheenemy.Atheorysaysasthecharacterforkanconsistsofthetwoparts‘gate’ and‘sun’ , that, therefore,theessenceofthisartistoinfiltrate the enemy’s castle and positionwithout delay, even through the smallest gap,which is the same as the sunlight immediately coming through an open gate. Thisprincipleissodeepandsubtlethatordinarypeoplecanhardlyunderstandit,andalsothecharactersforcho andtei mean‘todetect’.Generally, theartofshinobi looks likeplaying38 while the job of the spy is to look for a gapwithin the enemy, sneak in andobservetheircondition.Thisiswhytheywerealsocalledyuteior‘playingdetectors’.

InKusunokiMasashige’sninjutsu,therewasaskillwherehedividedforty-eightninjaintothreeandalwayshadoneofthegroupsofsixteenpeoplestayinginKyoto.TheywereobservingthesituationtherebyutilizingvarioussecretplansandkeptKusunokiinformed.Thisisexactlywhatyuteimeans.Also,saisaku39means thatninjagoover to theenemy,observetheirconditionfullyandreporttotheirlordsothelordcanmakehisstrategywithprecision. [Ninjutsu] is also called kansai because kan means ‘wicked’ as it is used inkankyoku (‘evil-minded’) or mokan (‘falsehood’). Hence, even though ninjutsu looksnormal on its surface, it always has an extremely distorted and a deeply plotted tacticbeneath the surface. Even though [a shinobi] is on the righteous path of loyalty, hismethodshaveinjusticewithinthemandarecrookedinside,thusthenegativewordkansaiwasalsoused.

Yushioriginatesinthewayoflookinglikeoneis‘playing’,butinrealityadeepplotisinmind.Itisalsocalledkojin40because[shinobi]gobetweentheenemyandtheallies.Koalsohas theothermeaningof ‘to convey’ or ‘to suppress’; this is the reason theywerenamedkojin.

Question:WhywasitcalledsuchvariousnamesinChina?

Answer: In theArtofWar itwasnamedkan and since then those in this job are calledkanjaanduponhearingthewordkanpeoplewouldclearlyhaveanideaastowhatthey

do.Originally,asthedeepestwayofthisartsays,youarenotallowedtoletyourname,skill or art be known to people, this is so that you will be able to fulfil your purposewithoutbeingdiscoveredbyothers.Thusitisessentialtokeepthisartadeepsecret.

For this reason, it seems that in China they changed the names for this skill fromgeneration to generation so that they could keep the fact that they were involved inninjutsuasecret.

Question:WhileithaschangednamesinChina,itiscalledshinobiinourcountry.Whyisthis?

Answer:AllthenamesinChina,suchaskancho,yutei,saisaku,kansai,yushi,kojinetc.,asmentionedabove,weredesignatedbecausetheirjobistodetectagapwithintheenemy,orestrangethelordoftheenemyfromhisretainersortheenemyfromtheirneighbouringcountries.Thatis,thenameshaveoriginatedbecauseoftheconsequencesoftheobjectivefortheninjutsuused.

On theother hand, in our country,we call it shinobi because the charactermeans‘blade’ and ‘heart’ . It is named this way because it refers to the essence that isfundamentaltoallsectionsofninjutsu.Withoutconsideringthismeaning,youcanhardlyknowtherealoriginofthisart.

Question:Ifpossible,Iwouldliketoknowthedetailsoftheabovestatement.

Answer:Theessence[oftheircharacter]whichenables[ninjatoperformsuchdeeds]andto detect gapswithin the enemy, and even to ‘creep in’while undertaking all the riskswhichare involved in suchactions, displays that they [theninja] have a heartwhich ishardandvirtuous,justlikeabladewhichishardandsharp.Iftheheartisnotsosharporhardbutinsteadisbluntandsoft,evenamostskilfulplancannotbecompleted,assuchanagentwillbefaint-heartedwhengettingclosetotheenemy.Eveniftheycouldmanagetogetclosetotheenemy,theywillbenervousandgrowflusteredandtalksomuchthattheywill give the plot away and end up being captured, which will result in not onlythemselves being killed but obviously in damage being caused to their lord. Therefore,youcanonlysneakinthroughagapwithintheenemyifyouhaveahardandloyalheartthat is tempered like a blade.This iswhywehave changed thenames fromChina andrefertothisartusingthischaracter ,whichmeans‘aheartlikeablade’.Forshinobiitisessentialtogetclosetotheenemy,thereisapoemfoundinIsenoSaburoYoshimori’sonehundredpoems:

Thoughtherearesomanythingsashinobishouldkeepinmind,thefirstthingofallishowtogetclosetotheenemy.

Question: The name shinobias just mentioned has been changed in various ways likeyato,suppa,nokizaru,mitsumono,kyodanetc.Suppaandyatohavebeencommonlyusedfora long time in IgaandKoka,and theyareobvious.But thenamenokizaru41 isusedinsteadofshinobijustbecauseitistheirjobtolookattheinsideoftheenemyandtheirposition.Thenforwhatreasonareshinobicalledmitsumonoorkyodan?

Answer:Theshugo (‘provincial lord’)ofKai,calledTakedaShingenHarunobu,wasan

excellentwarlord.Hehadaspecialunitcalledmitsumonoconsistingofthirtyloyalbravepeoplewhowerecompetenttocarryouthistacticsveryskilfully.Hewouldgivethemagoodstipend,rewardthemenough,keepthembyhissideandutilizethemasthekeytothemilitary.Theunitwasdividedintothree:Espionage,StrategyandCounterespionage,thusitwascalledmitsumono–‘menofthreematters’.OfShingen’spoems,42therearesomethatincludethewordmitsumono:

Ifitwerenotformitsumono,thelordwouldkillhimselfbyjumpingintodeepwaterwithastoneinhisarms.

Forbattle,setasidethedivinationforthedateorthedirectionandsendmitsumonobeforeyoumakeanyplanandconsidereverything.

LordOdaNobunaganamedshinobiaskyodanandutilizedthem.Heachievedanamazingvictoryover thegreat forceof theImagawaclanandwonscoresof impregnablecastlessuchasInuyamacastleofBishuandUdonocastleofSanshu.Alsohebeatstrongenemiesin various provinceswithout any serious damage to his own forces, all because of theservicesofthekyodan.43

Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo province is said to have given great importance to them,thinkingheachievedcompletevictorybecauseoftheirwork.

As in the above, great commanders employed shinobi under various names to servethem because they could bring very subtle advantages to the fray. For any lord, it isessentialtomakemuchoftheshinobi.

Question:44 It is said in the above that the path of the shinobi came into being in theperiod of FuXi and became prosperous in the period of the YellowEmperor. After theYellowEmperor,howhasitbeenpasseddownuntilnow?

Answer:AsIamneithereducatednortalented,andamignorantaboutthedetails,allIcansay is thatas farasweknow,generally that is, therehavebeenonlya fewpeoplewhohaveknownninjutsusincethetimeoftheYellowEmperor.Thoughfewpeoplewouldusethispath,as lateas in theperiodofYin,apersonnamedYiYinmastered thiswayandservedKingTang.HecreptintotheplaceofKingJieoftheXiaDynastyandkilledhim.

Inancienttimes,theriseoftheYinDynastywasduetoYiYinwhohadservedundertheXiaDynasty.ItwasbelievedthatthetyrantdrovehimawaytotheSungDynasty.Hetook thesideof Jie five timesand thesideofTang five times;however,peopledidnotknow thatYiwasworkingas a spy.Afterwards the traditionwaspasseddown to JiangZiya45 and he wrote a treatise on ninjutsu that consisted of seventy-one chapters andintroducedittotheworld.TheproofforthisisintheQuestionandAnswerbetweenTangTai-zhongandLiJingandstates ‘LiJingsays thatwith theseventy-onechaptersofTaiGong,troopscannotbeexhausted.’Accordingtothefootnote[inthisancientmanual],thissayingmeans‘theartofspying’,whichmeansshinobihere.

This writing [by Jiang Ziya] has not been brought here to our country. However,

according to the Yiwen Zhi,46 ‘the three elements of strategy, speech and battle are allrecordedintheSixSecretStrategicTeachings.’Therefore,wemustconcludethat,astheSix Secret Teachings also talks about shinobi-related things, the seventy-one chaptersaboutspyingarecontainedinthewritingsoftheSixSecretTeachings.

Alongsidethis,theArtofWarmentionsinitschapterontheuseofspiesthatJiangZiyasneakedintotheenemyranksofKingJieandruinedhim.Accordingtothechapter,‘ZhouroseandLuZiyahelpedtheenemy.’Accordingtoanannotation,ZhouwasthenameofthedynastywhenKingWuconqueredthecountryandLuZiyawasinfactJiangZiyaandhisenemywasKingJie.PeopleonlyknowaboutthebattleofMu-yebutdonotknowthat[JiangZiya]wenttotheenemy,offeredthemwomenandbribes,thenfreelycarriedoutaconspiracy.Thisquoteexplainstherealityofwhatwentonbehindthisbattle.

Afterwards,[thesearts]werepasseddowntoSunTzuandhethoughtoutthefivetypesofspiesthatarecalledgokanandwroteoftheminthechapterontheuseofspies.Sincethentherehavebeennogreatgeneralswhohavenotusedninjutsu,allthroughtheSpringandAutumnperiod,the[Chinese]WarringStatesperiod,theThreeKingdomsperiod,theTangperiod,theFiveDynastiesperiod,theNorthernandSouthernSungperiodsandalltothepresenttime.However,itseemsthattheartoftheshinobiofJiangZiyaandSunTzuwaspasseddowntoZhangLiang(?–1898BC)oftheEarlierHanDynastyandalsotoHanXin(?–196BC).ThisfacthasbeensupportedbytheDialogueofTai-Zong, inwhichLiTing(571–649)says:

‘ZhangLiang learned the SixSecret StrategicTeachingsand the Three Strategies ofHuangShigongwrittenbyJiangZiya.Also,HanXinlearnedSimaRangju47andSunTzu.’

However, itwas limited to theThreeFocuses48 and theFourSchools.49One of thesethreefocusesisaboutninjutsu.

Question:Whendidthiswaycomeintouseinourcountry?

Answer:Abrotherofthethirty-eighthEmperor,Tenchi,50wasEmperorTemmu.51InthisperiodwhenPrinceSeikoplottedtreasonagainsthimandholedupinacastlethathehadconstructed inAtagoofYamashiroprovince, theEmperorTemmuhadashinobi namedTakoya andheinfiltratedthefortress.Takoyagot intothecastleandsetfire toit,andinunisonwiththistheEmperorpenetrateditsdefencesfromtheoutsideandthecastlefellwithoutdifficulty.Thisisthefirsttimethatninjutsuwasusedinourcountry.Thisiswritten in the Chronicles of Japan. Since then no general has not used this skill. Thegeneralswhofullyexploitedninjutsuare:IsenoSaburoYoshimori;KusunokiMasashigeand his son; Takeda Shingen; Mori Motonari; Kenshin of Echigo; and Lord OdaNobunaga.OfthemYoshimorimadeonehundredpoemsabouttheshinobiandtheyhavebeenpasseddowntothisday.

KusunokiMasashigewrotedownthesecretsofmilitaryaffairsandshinobinojutsu insixsectionsandthenintegratedthemintoonevolume.Hekeptitsecretandwhenhewaskilled inabattle inHyogo, itwashanded toOnchiSakonTaro topassdowntohissonMasatsura,soithasbeenlefttoposterity.ThiswritingiscalledKusunoki’sIkkannoSho(‘one-volumewriting’).

Everyoneof thegreatgenerals inour country, suchasYoshimori,Kusunoki andhisson, Shingen, Motonari, Lord Nobunaga and Lord Hideyoshi, achieved victory by

utilizingninjutsuandtherearetoomanyexamplesofthistocountthemall.

Question:Iheardthatthisartwaswidelyusedallthroughthecountry.ButwhatisthereasonthatIgaandKokaarethemostrenownedofallthevariousprovincesforshinobi?

Answer: In ancient times after the shogun Ashikaga Takauji ruled the country, hisdescendentsinheritedtheshogunatesuccessivelybutthecourtcouldnotgovernverywelland the rank system became confused.Officialswere already corrupt, and therewas aconstant state of war. On top of this, one after another lord or official came out tosubjugateeachotherandtherewasnopeaceatthattimeinourcountry.ThiscontinuedaslateasthegovernmentofthethirteenthshogunafterLordTakauji,whowascalledLordKougen-inYoshiteru,atwhichpoint thepoliticalrelationshipswerebecomingmoreandmoreconfused,resultinginthecompletedevastationof[thethree]waysofmorals,[whicharethepathsof‘lordandvassal’,‘fatherandson’,andalso‘husbandandwife’,]andalsothedevastationofvirtue.

Throughoutthewholecountry,asallwereatwar,alltribes52wereinextremeconfusion,all places were in dispute. However, apart from the people of Iga and Koka, everyprovincehad its shugo provincialmilitary governor and the people therewere ruled bythem.

ThepeopleofIgaandKokahadneverhadashugogovernorandeachclanwasself-governing;theyconstructedsmallcastlesineachestateindependentlyandhadfreerein.As having no shugo or a lord, there was not a governor to oversee them. There werenumerous instances of them fighting with each other to take away the other’s land.Therefore, theirmainconcentrationwassetonbattles,eachmorningandeveryevening,and their life revolved around armament and defence.53 They would search for a gapwithin each other, send shinobi to infiltrate and to set fire on each other’s castles, getinside information on the enemy, interfere with the enemy’s plans of alliance bydisinformation, carry out raids or night attacks, and conduct strategywith innumerablechangestocatchtheenemyoffguard.Thustheywouldalwayskeeptheirhorsessaddled,even those of lower rankwould have their straw sandals put on the scabbards of theirswords54andneverlettheirguarddown.

Therefore,theresultwasthattheythoughtthat, inordertodefeattheenemy’sgreaterforcesbyusingonlyasmallnumberofpeopleanddefeatingthehardandstrong,itisbesttousetheflexibleandsupple,andnothingisbetterthantheuseoftheshinobitodothis.Therefore, they55 had every samurai hone himselfwith the skill of the shinobi and thelowerpeopleorgenin learn in-nin or ‘stealth’ techniques.56 Thus it turned out thatelevenlow-classpeopledistinguishedthemselvesasskilfulperformersofin-nin.Forthesepeople, in their own provinces or in others, sneaking into places to take others’possessions,captureacastleandachievevictorywasaseasyas‘rollinganobjectinthepalmsoftheirhands’.

Because of this, though therewere several powerfuldaimyo with great forces in theneighbouring provinces, none of them could take possession of Iga. Even such aformidable57lordasLordNobunagawasoncedefeatedinIga.Thusitwasevenlesslikelythat other lords would have the ambition to take this land. There was simply noopportunity to take this province. Even though [Iga] was a small domainwith a small

numberofpeople,hadnolordandwasajumbleofsmallclansanddidnotlookresoluteinposition, it had not succumbed to the great forces led by the powerful lords in theneighbouring provinces. Why was it possible? It can only be attributed to theachievementsofninjutsu.ThusIgaismadethehomelandoftheshinobi.

Question:Iwouldliketoknowthenamesoftheelevenmastersofin-nin.

Answer:

1.NomuranoOdakiMagodayu

2.ShindonoKotaro

3.TateokanoDojun

4.ShimotsugenoKizaru

5.[Shimotsugeno]Kozaru

6.UenonoHidari

7.YamadanoHachiemon

8.KambenoKonan

9.OtowanoKido

10.KabutoyamaTaroShiro

11.KabutoyamaTarozaemon

Thesepeoplewereoftheutmostimportance,butwhenitcomestomodern58shinobi,theteachings[ryu]ofDojunaredividedintoforty-eightseparateschools,thusthereareforty-nine59schoolsofshinobiinIgaandKoka.

Question:ForwhatreasondidDojun’sryuproduceafurtherforty-eightschools?

Answer: SasakiYoshikata’s religious namewasBakkansai Jotei, and hewas the shugopoliticalgovernorofOmidomain.InhislowerwarriorstherewasamanwhosenamewasDodo.HeroseinrevoltandholedupinthecastleofSawayamawithinOmidomain.Joteiattackedhimforseveraldaysbutthecastlehadsuchanimpenetrableterrainsurroundingit,thatitseemedhardtotakeitbyassault.ThenhavingthoughtoutaplantoemploysomemastershinobiofIgatogethiminthere,hecalledtheskilledninjanamedDojuntohimandaskedhimforhelp inhis infiltration.Uponhis request,Dojunassembledforty-fourmen from Igaand four fromKoka, andwent to Jotei’sMoriyamacastlewith the forty-eightpeople.OnthewaytheystoppedatatemplenamedHeisenjiinYufuneinIga,andadivinerwhosenamewasMiyasugi lived in thearea.Dojun tookaudiencewithhimandhadhimcast the fortune for theirshinobimission.Thedivinersaid itwouldbea luckymission.Ontopofthat,hemadeandgaveDojunapoemtocelebratetheirdeparture.

ThethunderroaringisDodoandisaboveSawayamamountain,butitwillfallwhenthelightningstrikes.

Lightning is a play on words here. It has the double meanings of lightning and thesurnameofDojun,andthusDojun60wasverypleasedwiththispoemandgavethediviner

onehundredhikicoins.61Thenhewent to Joteiandprearranged thesignsandpromisesneededfortheinfiltration.SoonafterthatheinfiltratedSawayamacastlewiththeskillofdisguise that is calledbakemono jutsu and then set fire inside of the castle,while Joteiconductedaquickassaultfromtheoutside.Dodo’sforce,whiletryingtoputoutthefire,had to cope with the enemy intruding while also trying to defend against the enemyattackingfromtheoutside;thefirewasragingmoreandmorefuriouslyandtheycouldnotdoanythingandwereruinedatlast.Afterwardstheforty-eightmenfoundedschoolsandnamedthemindependently.Thusit

issaidDojun’sschoolspawnedforty-eightschools.

Question:Canitbesaidthatacrosstheagestheseelevenandforty-eightmenofIgaandKokaaregreatshinobi?

Answer:Onotherpathsandinotherskills,thenamesofthosewhoaregoodattheirownskills come to be known to people.However, this path of the shinobi is different fromotherarts;thosewhoareknownasgoodareonlymedium-gradeninja andarenotasaccomplishedasshinobinomono.Ifpeopledonotknowhowgoodtheyareandiftheyareskilfulattheart,thentheyareconsideredtobejonoshinobi ,orhigh-levelninja.Anancientsayingsaysthatwatermakessoundwhenitisshallow,whiledeepwatermakesnosound.Justlikeamountainstreammakessoundasitisshallow.Ifyoureflectonthisconcept,medium-gradeninjawhodonothavedeepstrategytendtobefamousforvarious reasons.This isbecause thoseexcellentninjawhohaveadeep strategyusuallywillnotgive themselvesawayasninjabuthide itdeeplyandpretend tobeanordinarysamurai, ahermitoramasterlesssamurai.Theywouldnotgive the slightest indicationthat they know ninjutsu but look like ordinary people. When an opportunity comes,withoutlettingevenseniorcounsellorsorprincipalretainersknow,theywouldonlymakepromisessuchastherequiredsignalstothelordhimselfandinsecret,thentheywouldgotoinfiltratetheenemy’scastle,andcarryoutdeepandsubtlestrategiessothattheenemywillbedepressedandruined.

Even after the enemy spoken of above had fallen into ruin, theninjawould not talkaboutwhattheydid,abouthavingsneakedinandlaidtheirplot.Forthisreason,peopledonotknowthattheenemywasruinedbecauseofhisachievementsbutbelievethathewenttoruinasamatterofcourse,asiftheenemyhadrunoutofluck.

As in the above case, competent ninja, even if they have accomplished theextraordinary,makenosound,leavenosmellandgetnofameorhonourfortheirbravery.Theresultstheyhavebroughtaboutlookasnaturalasiftheywerebeingcreatedbynatureitself.Universally,inspringitisbeautifulandtreesandplantsgrowandflowersbloom.Insummeritishotandtreesandplantsgrowluxuriantly.Inautumnitiscoolandtreesandplants turn theircoloursandthe leavesfall. Inwinter it iscold,snowyandfrosty.Treeslosedead leavesandplantsreturnunderground.Aswellas thefourseasons,duringoneday, somany various [and natural] things take place, but nobody knowswho is doingthesethings.

Similarly, thewisdom of a competentninja is as vast as heaven, so that nohumanbeingcanknowitexactly.Aninjashouldlookstupidwhiletheirstrategiesareasprofoundanddeepastheearthoranabyssandbeyondmerehumanknowledge.

Inconclusion,therootsofninjutsuarefarbeyondtheaboveelevenskilledshinobiandtheforty-eightmen[whowereunderDojun].Thesefifty-ninepeoplearefamousbecausethey are shallow. Even though not known to theworld, theirmasters knewninjutsu sodeeplythattheydidnotleavetheirnamesforustogivefameto.

Question:Ourcastleisfirmlyguarded,inafaultlessdefencetakingaproperformationaccordingtoanyofanumberofwell-knownformulaeandkeptinvulnerable.Passwordsoridentifyingsignsareprearranged,watchfiresaremadeproperlyatnight,theguardhousesandthegatesarestrictlyguarded,nightpatrolsareperformedoneafteranother,andanysuspiciouspersonisquestionedcarefullysothatalmostanyninjutsuperformerwillbeshutout.Howcanhesneakinsuccessfullyunderthesecircumstances?

Answer:Nomatterhowfirmly the lordfortifieshiscastle,nomatterwhat formationhetakesfordefence,nomatterhowstrictlyheorganizeshisforceandguardswiththegoalofkeeping the enemy at bay, all thesemeasures are insufficient and trivial. To startwith,ninjutsu should be prepared in times of peace, they should observe the politics of theentirecountry,seehowgoodorbadthelordsare,iftheretainersareright-mindedorifthesamurai down to lowest people respect their lord or not, and so on.When things areurgent,aninjawillalreadyhaveanamazingandsubtlestrategyreadyandwillbeeasilyable to get into positionwithout any hint of their plan even before the enemy starts toprepare. Only after they do this, do they have such perfect control over all strategieswithoutanybreaks,justlikearinghasnoends.

TheArtofWar says, ‘Besubtle,besubtleandyoucanusespiesanywhere.’TheYin-jingsays:

‘Ifyoushootatafalconandithidesinadenseforest,ifafishisswimmingaroundandgetsintoadeepabyss,therewillbenotraceforyoutofollow.Therefore,ifLiLou62couldnot see with his head bent down and Kuang63 could not hear a subtle sound withoutlisteningtoit,howcanageneralwhoisbraveandthinksnothingofhislife,somuchsohewouldthrowitawaylikedust,howcouldevensomeoneasgreatasthispossiblydetectakojin spy?’

Question:Aswasstatedabove,ifitisdifficulttoblockaninja,isitcertainthattheenemy’sshinobiwillgetintoourcastleorposition,oristhereanywaytopreventthemfrominfiltrating?

Answer: The skill is extremely advanced.Nomatter how good a ninja is at defendingagainsttheenemy’sshinobi,[hisefforts]willbefruitlessifthelordisnotontherighteouspathasaruler.Therefore,thelordshouldteachjusticetohisretainersfirstandthenloveallofhispeople,whichwouldmakehissoldierseveninasituationofcertaindeathnotdisobeyhisordersintheslightest.Thisispossiblebecauseheteachesandlovesthembytherightpathatalltimes.Ifthelordunderstandstherighteouspathasstatedabove,then,if an urgent situation takes place, the general will use large-scale tactics and will useninjutsu topreventenemytacticsandtofortifyhiscastleorposition,andinthiswayhemaybuildupaperfectdefence.Ontopofthat,highlyskilledninja shouldalsodefendagainstlessertacticsusedbytheenemyshinobi,theyshouldhelpestablishmilitarypolicy,questionoldandnewsoldiers,dividethemintogroups,deploythem,arrangeforthepasswordoridentifyingsignsateachinstancerequired,havewatchfireskeptproperly

during thenight,assign thosefor the taskofnightpatrolsand thesearchofblindspots,makeupfakewalls,scattercaltropsorlayanambushwheretheenemyshouldcomeonandkeepstrictguardateverygate.Thenif this isdone theenemy’sshinobiwillnotbeabletogetin.Inacaselikethiswherethelordandshinobiareworkingontherightpathtogether,itwouldbeeasytogetintotheenemy’sforcebutdifficultfortheenemytofindagapwithinyourdefences.

Question:Intimesofpeaceastoday,supposethataninjawantstoservealordinsomecountryandsothelordtellshim:‘Hereisatest.Iwillgetmysoldierstogetherinmycastle,makethemguardeverygatefirmly,andkeepthemonalertstrictlyjustasiftheyweredefendingagainsttheenemy’sshinobiinarealbattle,sothatyoucannotgetin.Canyouinfiltrateourcastlequickly,ifitisguardedstrictlylikethis?Ifyoucandothis,Iwillgiveyouasmuchstipendasyoulike.’Whatshouldhedoinsuchasituation?

Answer:Originallyninjutsuisastrategythatshouldhaveitsrootinfidelityandhonestyandthereisnoskilltodeceiveyourlord.AsisstatedinthechapterTheCorrectMindPartII, thosewho are on the path ofninjutsu should not use it for the benefit of their owndesire under any circumstance. Nor should they deceive a lord who is against reason.However,itisnotthatthereisnowaytoinfiltrateyourlord’scastleduringsuchatimeofpeace as described. As Jiang Ziya points out, you should be very attentive in makingstratagems.Intimesofpeaceitisnotappropriateatalltoseekforthefameoftheninjabyperformingthesubtlewaysofninjutsu.Ifwhatthelordwantsistoknowsomethingaboutthe inside of a castle of another province, he could send the shinobi for that purpose.However,whyshould[theninja]deceivehisallies,whichwillnotachievefamebutlosethe true benefits of ninjutsu? Even if you display to the lord your ability to infiltratethroughyourextremeunderstandinganddemonstrateyourskillswithease,itwillbeofnouse,asthelordwillonlyseethedirectoutcomeofyouractionsbutnotrealizewhatthetrueunderlyingprinciplesare.Therefore,youshouldnotserveafoolishlordwhodoesnotusetherightpathfromthebeginning.Thisisaprincipleforallninshi orshinobi[no]samurai.64

TheArtofWarsays,‘Ifyouarenotasage,youcannotusespiesproperly.Ifyouhaveneither justicenorbenevolence,again,youcannotmanagespiesproperly.Ifyouarenotsubtle,youcannotdiscoverthetruthfromtheinformationthatspiesbringtoyou.’

With thesepoints inmind,youshould thinkandbeaware thatninjutsu shouldnotbeshownintimesofpeace,butifthetrueprinciples[ofninjutsu]arerealized,itwillenableyou to help the lord to govern the country in a timeof turbulence.Also, theninja willwithoutfailaccomplishamazingachievements.

34Mid-2800sBC.

35AlegendaryChinesesovereign;traditionholdsthathereignedfrom2697BCto2597BC.

36AstateduringtheSpringandAutumnperiod(c585–473BC)inChina.

37AtreatiseonmilitarystrategyinancientChina,whichisbelievedtohavebeenwrittenbyJiangZiya.HewasthemilitaryadvisortoKingWenandKingWuandhelpedthemtoestablishtheZhouDynasty.ItisoneoftheSevenMilitaryClassics.

38Thecharacterforyuinyuteimeans‘toplay’.

39Thecharacterforsaimeans‘indetail’or‘closely’,andtheoneforsakumeans‘tomake’.

40Thecharactersforkojinare:ko(‘togo’)andjin(‘person’).

41Literallymeans‘amonkeyintheeaves’.

42ThisfollowingsectionisnotintheversionofthetextfromtheNationalArchivesandistakenfromtheIgaMuseum’smoderntranslation.Therefore,theideogramsmayhavebeenchangedbytheIgaMuseumtopresentamoremodernslant.

43TheIgaversionfromtheIgamuseumendsatthispoint.

44ThisquestionanditsanswerarenotintheNationalArchivesversion,butarefoundinthetranscriptionsoftheIgaUsenoMuseum.

45AprimeministerofKingWenoftheZhoustate;alsocalledTaiGong.

46TheHanshuYiwenZhiistheoldestsurvivingbibliographyofancientChina.

47AfamousChinesemilitarygeneralduringtheSpringandAutumnperiod.

48Strategy,troopsandresources.

49‘Strategiesandtactics’,‘circumstancesanddevelopments’,‘yinandyang’and‘techniquesandcrafts’.

50Lived626–672andreigned668–672;also,theoriginaltextreferstohimasthethirty-ninthEmperor.

51ThefortiethEmperor(631–686),whoreigned673–686.

52FujibayashiusesaChineseidiomtomeantribehere,butbydefinitionitshouldbeclan.

53ThisisanimportantpointasitshowsthewarlikenatureoflifeinIga,anddispelstheimageofunityanddemocracy,beforetheclansunifiedagainstOdaNobunaga.

54Anidiomaticexpressionmeaning‘tobeinaconstantstateofpreparednessforwar’.

55Thisparagraph’ssubtexthererelatestothepeopleofIgaandKoka.

56Thissentenceisofgreatimportance,itappearsthathigh-rankingpeopleperformedpredominantlyyo-ninasitrequiredahighlevelofeducation;however,itisdifficulttoassesshowmuchofeachdisciplinethedifferentclasseslearned.

57Inthetext,itsays‘weakgeneral’andisthoughttobeatranscriptionerror.

58Seventeenthcentury.

59Thismovefromforty-eightschoolstoforty-nineisbecauseoftheadditionoftheoriginalschoolDojuncreated.

60TheconnotationhereisthatDojunwillwinthebattle.

61Hikiwasaunitofmoneyatthattime.

62AlegendaryChinesecharacterwhowassaidtohavehadamazinglygoodvision.

63AlegendaryChinesecharacterwhowassaidtohavehadanacuteearandamasteryofmusic.

64Thetwoideogramshereareninjaandsamurai,andthetwowayslistedarethetwopossiblewaysofpronouncingtheword.Also,inthiscontext,thewarriorhereiswithoutquestionofsamuraistatus.

VOLUMETWO

SeishinITheCorrectMindI

Thebasicprincipleoftheshinobiistohavecorrectmindinallrespects,eventhoughtheendresultsofthisartareconspiracyanddeception.Therefore,unlessyoucancontrolyourmindinarighteousway,youcannotcarryoutyourtacticsinaflexiblemanner.Confuciussaysthatnomanhasevergovernedhimselfwhilehisownfoundationsareconfused.WhatwecallCorrectMindisaboutkeepingbenevolence,righteousness,loyaltyandfidelityincheck.Withoutthesefactorsinmind,youcannotattainanygreatcourageousachievementnorfulfilanytacticsrequiredforthecircumstancesathand.

Therefore, theGreat Learning1 says, ‘If yourmind is not present in the “here”, youcannotseeevenifyoulook,youcannothearifyoulisten,oryoucannottasteifyoueat.’‘Here’meanstheprinciplesofbenevolence,righteousness,loyaltyandfidelity.Thosewhotakethispathshouldnotneglecttheirrootsnorregardthebranchestoomuch.

ZhengYouxiansaid:

Therehavebeennoancientpeoplewhoachievedarighteousend,whodidnotfollowtherighteous way when going about a great affair. If you utilize power, not by takingadvantageofpowerbutbysavingtherighteouspath,whatcouldnotbedone?Whereverrightprinciplesare,therewillbejusticeintheend.

Thus,power itselfdoesnotharmbut is instead thevirtueofasaint. Insomemilitaryschoolsthisartiscalledkan andbysomesagesitiscalledpower .

Without thehelpofYi,KingTangcouldnothaveknowneveryevildeedofKingXia.Also,ifitwerenotforYiinXia,KingTang’srighteousactswouldnothavebeenfulfilled.WithoutLu,KingWucouldnothaveexercisedhisvirtuousrule.

Withoutthesetwomenmentionedabove,thekingsinquestioncouldnothavefollowedheaven’swill,andonearththeycouldnothavesympathizedwithpeopleaccordingtotheneedsofeach,norhavepunishedtheguilty,norhaveestablishedareign.Whatelsecouldhave brought back the way of justice in the end, if they had performed the spyingrequired?

Whenyoustudythemeaningofthesepassages,youshouldbeawarethattheskillsoftheshinobishouldnotbeusedforyourowndesireorforalordwhodoesnothaveamoralcode.Inthecasethatyouuseninjutsuordevisestratagemsforyourself-interestortohelpanunprincipledlord,nomatterwhatschemesyouaretryingtocarryout,theywillendupfailing, this iswithout doubt.Even if thesedeedsmanage to escapebeingdetected and

benefityou for the timebeing, itwill inevitably turnout todoharm toyou in theend.Thereforeyoushouldbehavecarefully.

Herearesomeninjapoemstoguideyou:

Ifashinobistealsforhisowninterest,whichisagainstcommonmorals,howcanthegodsorBuddhaprotecthim?

Amononofu2shouldalwaysbereligious.Howcouldhebeprotectedifheisagainstheaven?

Howcouldyoubeashamedoftellingalie,sinceyou,asamononofu,thinkthatfaithfulnesstoyourlordistheprincipalissue?

Principlesforthecorrectmind

Thosewho are following this path should appearmost gentle and kind-hearted and actrightwithjusticeandreasonfromthebottomoftheirheart.Onewritingsaysthat‘agentlelookisthestartofastratagem.’Anancientsayingstates:

FanKuai’sangerislikeYangGuifei,whocouldsuccessfullygetthroughanygatewithhersmile.

Therefore, you should be able to distinguish the true from the false in other people’sspeechandtacticsandyoushouldneverbedeceived.

TheAnalectssay:

IwillnotbeconcernedthatothersdonotknowmebutwillbeafflictedifIdonotknowothers.

Youshouldonlytellthetruthandshouldnotjokeorlieorcheatevenonasmallmatteratnormaltimes.Ifyougoagainstthisandyourwordsanddeedsareinconsistent,thenevenwhenyousaythetruth,peoplewillsay‘heisa liarsoweshouldnotusehim’andthustheywillleaveyouunused.

One text says, ‘Thosewhodonot lie at any time say important things at the timeofwar.’YangyouofTang,whobecameageneralofJin,3onceheardthattheenemy’sgeneralLuSunbecamesickatthefrontline.AsLuSunwashisoldfriend,hesenthimmedicine.ThenLuSuntookitwithoutaslightestdoubt.Eventhoughitwasgivenbyanoldfriend,he was the enemy’s general, so by right it should have been regarded as a stratagem.However,YangyouwasalwayssotrustfulandfaithfulapersonthatLuSuntookitwithoutdoubt. If even the enemy’s general thought him truthful, imagine how much his ownsoldiersrespectedandadmiredhiswordsanddeeds.

Zi-lu4wasalwaysofdeeptrustfulnessandsincerity.Hewouldalwayskeepapromise,evenifitwereapromisethatwasgivenonthespurofthemoment.Hedidthatwithout

anyhesitationandkepthimselftotruthandfaithineverything,sothatoncehestartedtosaysomething,peoplehelditinhighregard,evenbeforehefinishedsayingit.

Therefore,Confuciussaid,‘Ofallmydisciples,itseemsonlyZi-lucansettlealawsuitwithafewwordsandconvincepeople.’

OnceamannamedSheofXiaoZhiwasgoingtoformanalliancewiththeLuDynasty.However,ShesaidifZi-lugavehisword,thenhewouldcalloffthetreatyonhisadvice.Normally,suchanalliancewouldbeheldabovethewordsofasingleman;however,thiswaspossibleonlybecausepeoplethoughtZi-luwasfaithfulandsincerewithoutdoubtandhiswordcarriedsuchweight.However,truthisnotalwayspositive,asinthecaseofWei-sheng.Wei-shengoncewaitedtomeetawomanunderabridge,andevenwhenthetidewascominginhewouldnotleavethereandwasdrownedintheend.Hethoughthewouldbreakhispromiseifhewerewaitingonthebridgeinsteadofbelowit.

Thoseengagedinthisway,atthetimeofwar,shouldcarryoutloyaltytothelordasfarastheycan,hopingonlytosucceedingreatachievements,andknowthatalldependsonifthelordissafeastowhetherthedynastycansurviveornot,andwiththisinmindknowthatyoucanonlyfulfilyourdutyasavassalbyworkinghardtoattainsuccessandthentoretire fromyourpositionwith fullhonours. Ifyouget involvedwithunimportant triflesandruinyourselfforyourowninterestwithoutbearingeventhetiniestshame,itshouldbeconsidered as fief stealing or just a simple man’s valour. Therefore, those who get astipendfromtheirlordshouldalwayssaythefollowingpointstopeople:

MylifeisnotwhatIcanspendorgiveasanendatmyownwillbecauseIhaveofferedit tomylordfor thestipendIreceive.Forthis,evenifsomeonetramplesorbeatsme,IwillhavetobearitlikeaBuddhistpriestess.

IshouldnotdoanythingagainstwhatIhavealwayssaidinthepast;alsoitisshamefulfor a samurai to beat such a person just like when beating a priestess. Therefore youshouldalwaystellpeoplenottotrampleorbeatyouandyoushouldalwaystellpeopletheabovewithanhonestmind.5

TheShijimanualsaysthatthosewhoareseizedwithanunimportantdutycannotattainfameandthosewhohatetobearevenatinyshamecannotachievegreatresults.Confuciusalsosaysthatwantofforbearanceinsmallmattersconfoundsgreatplans.

HanXinwastheMarquisofHuaiyinandhelikedtowearaswordinhisearlyyears.SomeboystalkedabouthimandwordspreadthatthisboyHanXinalwaysworealongswordbutthatinfacthewasactuallyacoward.Soitwasdecidedtohumiliatehiminthemarketplaceandhewaschallengedtofightortocrawlbetweenthechallenger’slegsinhumiliation. The sword-carrying boy looked up to the sky and crawled between thechallenger’slegs.Peoplesawhimandlaughedhardat this.However,HanXinhadhighaspirationsandhedidnotwant todiebecauseofsuchastreethoodlum.Later, it turnedoutthatheservedEmperorGaooftheChineseHanDynastyandbecamethegeneralofaforce of tens of thousands.Hewas never defeated evenwhen fighting in a small forceagainstalargeoneandhedefeatedXiangYuoftheGreatChuandwasappointedasalordofQiintheend.

DuMu6wroteinoneofhispoems,whichreflectstheabove:

Hewhocanhidedisgraceorbearshame,thatisaman.

Youshouldalwaysstrictlyabstainfromalcohol,lustandgreed.Neverindulgeinanyofthem.Thesethreevicesareyourenemies,whichdepriveyouofyourselfandyourbetternature. Since ancient times there have been countless people who have indulged inalcohol,sexorgreedandendedupgivingawayastrategyorithavingaseriousinfluenceontheoutcomeofthings.

Onemanualsaysthatyoushouldnotfailtoreadthetruthbehindsomethingbylookingonlyatthesurface,norshouldyouneglectitonceyouhavereadit.

TheAnalectsofConfuciussaythat:

Ifamantakesnothoughtaboutwhatisdistant,hewillfindsorrownearathand.

TaiGongsaid:

Forthosewhoaregreedy,youshouldgivemoneytodistractthemandforthosewhoarelusty,thengiveprettywomentodeludethem.

Shinobi–theheartofanironbladeThis chapter is titled – shinobi.While in China, these sets of [espionage] skills arecalledkan , cho , saisaku and yutei or even kansai ; however, in ourcountry, the ideogramshinobi hasbeenusedas it has adeepmeaningunderlying it.Without realizing themeaning, it isdifficult to even steponto thispath.Therefore, thischapter is entitled TheHeart of an IronBlade and discusses the reasonwhy thewordshinobi isused.

Firstofall, thecharacterforshinobi consistsof ‘blade’ and‘heart’ .Whywasthisnameusedfortheseskills?Itisbecausetheentiresystemofninjutsuisaimedtowardbraveryandvalour.Therefore,thosewhohavesettheirmindonthispathshouldsingle-mindedly try to achievebravery.To achieve thiswayyou shouldkeep the following inmind:ifyoudonotknowthefollowingpoints,youreffortswillbeofnouse.Thatis,youshouldthrowawaybrutecourageorblinddaringandtotallycommit tothewaythroughcourageofduty.Eventhoughbrutecourageis,inessence,aformofcourage,thecourageawisemanshouldkeepinmindisthetypethatarisesfromasenseofduty.Brutecouragemaymakeyoustrongorhardoutoftemporaryrage,butitisdifficulttokeepyourmindstrong and hard deep at the bottomof your heart as the rage calms down.Even if thatstrength through forcegets to thebottomofyourmindandmakesyouworkbrave andhard,itisjustbasedonhotbloodandsoinmostcasesitisnomorethanyourblindrageactingandwhatyouaretryingtodoisbringotherstotermsbyforcealone.Asaresult,youwillnothaveforesightnorbereadytodefendyourselffully,andyouwillonlydestroyyourselfandwillnotruintheenemytoanysignificantlevel.Thinkofancientpeople.Hasanyonewho had brute courage ever been able to succeed in getting out of trouble anddestroyinganentireenemy?

That is why Zhong Ni (a pseudonym of Confucius) and Zi-lu both object to beingimpetuous.Theysayyoushouldnotalignyourselfwithanyonewhohasnofearofdyingasa resultofdoing something stupid, likeattackinga tigerunarmedorcrossinga river

withoutaboat.Youshould takesideswith thosewhohavereasonablefearwhenon thevergeofanemergencyandthosewhoprefersecretplansasameasureforsuccess.Thosewholearnthispathshouldknowthisindetail.

In contrast to the above raging andhot courage, the courageofduty iswhatyou arecompelledtohavetocompleteyourfunctionandobligations.Thiskindofcouragenevergetsweak,never, and since it isdetached frommotive,youcanhavecontroloveryourdesireorgreed,andmakedecisionsinresponsetothesituation.Ifyoufighttothefullestwith the knowledge that you will survive only if you are highly determined to die –throughthecouragerequiredduringyourduty–thenyouwillbeabletoescapedeathandkill the enemy. According to a military proverb, ‘Softness overcomes hardness andweaknessovercomesstrength.’

Tohavecourageofduty, there is a certainwayyouneed to follow.Unlessyou fullywanttoknowandfollowwithaction,benevolence,righteousness,loyaltyandfidelity,youwill not be able to have such courage. As there is so much to learn on the issues ofrighteousness, loyaltyandfidelityaswellasbenevolence,Iwouldliketowriteonlytheoutlinetogiveastartforfirst-timelearnersonthispath.

Benevolenceisaprincipleforbeinggentleandaffectionate.Themindisrichandwarm,gentle,compassionateandcharitable toeverything.However, ifyoukillacriminalwiththeintentionofsavingthousandsofpeoplebycuttingdownoneman,itcanbeconsideredbenevolence. As benevolence is essential to mankind, it can be interpreted that a manwithoutbenevolenceshouldnotberegardedasahumanbeing.Itisbenevolentaswelltobegracefulwhenreceivingfavoursandtobefilialtoyourparents.

Righteousness is the guiding principle for decisions, so it changes according to thesituationandwhatyouperformisdependentonthereasonappropriateforthetimeandtheplace. Alongside this, righteousness is about a sense of shame. If a man is diligentlyservinghislordevenwhenthatlordhashisbackagainstthewall,orifamaniswillingtofight to die for his lord when his life is in danger, it is all owing to righteousness.However,therearethosedeedsthatresemblerighteousnessbutarenotintruthrighteous.Righteousnesschangesaccordingtoreasonandsituation,butitisnotrighteoustoindulgeyour desires or to find courage only for selfish reasons or an unprincipled cause.Righteousnessshouldbecarriedoutaccordingtothereasonofthesituation,butitisnotrighteous,forexample,tocommitrobberywhenyouareinpoverty,andthentomaketheexcusethatitmakessenseinthesituation.Thislookslikerighteousnessbutitisnot.Also,thoughrighteousnesshasmuchtodowithhavingasenseofshame,itisnotrighteoustobeashamedofwhatyoudonothavetobeashamedof.Witharighteousmind,youshouldserve your lord single-mindedly and die in battle for the lord, but it is not righteous toserveanoutrageouslordandtodieforhim.ItislikeinthecaseofZi-lu,whoservedanoutrageouslordwhowastheDukeWenofWei,andthusZi-lulaterdiedinbattlebecauseofthis.

Originally,militarytactics,swordsmanshipandanykindofarttokillotherswereaboutdefeatinganunprincipledbutpowerfulman.Thinkthen,howcanitbepossibletotaketheside of an outrageous and unprincipled man and help him with skills if the skills inquestionwereoriginallydevisedtodefeatsuchmen?

Question:Nomatterhowunreasonableyourlordis,ifyouareservingthatlord,andalife-or-deathsituationarisesconcerninghim,peoplewillcallyouacowardifyoudon’tdieforhimthenandthere.Whatshouldyoudoinsuchacase?

Answer:Youshouldnotservesuchanunprincipledlordfromthebeginning.Ifyouhavecometoservehimwithoutknowingthatheisimmoral,youshouldquitimmediatelyuponfinding this factout.Thenhowcould ithappen thatyoushoulddie foranunreasonablelord?

Question:Whatiftheunprincipledlordinterfereswithyourrequesttoserveanewmaster?

Answer:AccordingtoConfucius,anunprincipledlordwillstaythatwayallhislifeandremainfirminhisway.Withthisteachinginmind,youshouldlookuptoBo-YiorShuQiasyourguide.Unlessyouaredeterminedlikethis,youcannotfollowthecorrectwayoftheshinobi.Furtherdetailsare tobe transmittedorally.Ancientpeoplesay lifeordeathdepends on your own destiny and hardships are opportunity driven. Those who resentheaven’swilldonotknowtheirdestinyandthosewhoresentpovertydonotknowtheirposition[andplaceappointedbyheaven7].

Loyalty is todevoteyourmindentirely toyour lord.Forexample, toserveyour lord,youshouldgiveyourself into thehandsofyour lord, servehimwholeheartedlyandnotleaveanythingforyourself.Loyaltycouldbeconsideredatitsbestwhenyouhavenofearofdeathorifyouloseyourfamilyforyourlordandpaynoattentiontoyourfeelingsoraffections.Theviewsofloyaltyshouldbesharedbetweenparentsandchildren,brothers,husband and wife and friends as well. However, as the ideogram for loyalty means abalancedmind,itcannotbeconsideredloyaltyifyoudevoteyourselftoanythingwithoutkeepingthesebasicprinciplesatthecoreofyourthoughts.

Fidelitymeanshavingonlytruthbutnothingfalseorwronginthemind.Ifyoupretendtobe true-heartedbutarewrongorhavehalf-truthsdeep inyourheart, it isnot fidelity.Fidelityisaprincipleofearth,intermsoftheChinesedoctrineoftheFiveElements.Asevery season has a doyo period,8 benevolence, righteousness or loyalty should havefidelitywithinthem.Withoutfidelityinside,thentheseelementswillnotbeastheyshouldbe.

Thesefourprincipleslistedabovearenotwhatyoushouldseekforfromtheoutsideofoneself.PeoplearenaturallyendowedwiththeprinciplesoftheFiveElements,thustheyhavethemprovidedintheirbodiesandembeddedinmindasitisnatureandallisfoundwithin.

Inheaventhereareprincipleswhileinhumansthereisnature.

Theabovenaturesaregiventothestupidaswellastothesaintlyandwise,inexactlythesameway.However,while thewiseandableare right-mindedandareveryfamiliarwithprinciples,thestupidandthosewhoarenotright-mindedknownothingabouttheseprinciples.Whyisthisso?Itissobecauseasthewiseandableactaccordingtowhatisrighteous,whichisgivenfromheaven,theyareright-mindedandprincipled.Whereasthestupidactaccordingtotheirself-interestanddesire,whichareencouragedbythesixsenseorgansoftheeyes,theears,thenose,thetongue,thebodyandthemind;therefore,theyaregloomyandnotprincipled.Thoughaman’smindandheart9aresimplyhismindand

heart, thereare infact twotypesof thiscentralbeing: there is jinshin ,which is themindofman,andthereisdoshin ,whichisthemindofprinciplesandisunderstoodashavinganaffinitytowhatisright.

Themindofman is easily affectedbywhat the eye sees,worries aboutwhat the earhears,isabsorbedinwhatthenosesmells,indulgesinthefivetastesthetonguetastesandallowsthebodytogiveintolust.Itgiveswaytotheselfishdesiresofthesixsenseorgansand nomatter if the action is on any path of righteousness, peoplewill do anything tosatisfytheirself-interestataparticulartime.Thatisexactlywhatthemindofmanis.Ifyoudependonthemindofman,itwillturnoutthatyouwillruinyourself,nomatterhowgooditseemsatfirst.Intheendallwillbeatotalfailure.

Anancientpoemspeaksofthismind:

Ifyoudonotthrowawayyourconcernaboutyourself,yourmindwilldoharmtoyouintheend.

Commentsontheabovepoem:

To worry about yourself will be to do harm to yourself. This is because it offendsheavenlyprinciples.

A stupid man prays to the gods or the Buddha while he himself offends againstheavenlyprinciplesand,therefore,thatprayerwillnotbefulfilled.

Confuciussaysthatamanwhooffendsagainstheavenhasnoonetowhomhecanpray.Shu Zhu says heaven means principles and this is incomparably sacred. What is themeaningoftheabovewords?Itmeans,thoseinahighseatinpowerarenothingcomparedwiththeprinciplesofheavenandifyouoffendagainsttheseprinciples,thenyouhavenoonetowhomyoucanpray.Howcouldyouescapepunishmentbyprayinghardwhileinfactplayinguptoandfinanciallyelicitingthehelpofpeopleinpower?‘God’10dwellsinan honest heart, so how could ‘God’ accept such discourtesy? Thosewith themind ofprinciplewillnotgiveheedtoanythingunrighteousandiftheyseelustinsomeone’seyes,oriftheyhearotherstheywillletitpass,theydonotdoanythingwhichisnotrighteousitselfornot respectful andwill not indulge innegativity. If youdonotpayattention toyourowndesire,despiteyourself-interest,andfollowyourrighteousnature,andhavenoselfishness,thenitcanbesaidthat,inthisway,youactwiththemindofprinciple.

When you are consistentwith heavenly principles itmeans you have taken a pledgewiththegodsandtheBuddha.KitanoTenjin11leftthefollowingpoem:

Ifyourmindissingularlyinaccordwiththewayofprinciples,thegodsandtheBuddhawillprotectyou,evenifyoudonotpray.

Noone iswithout fleshandblood, thusawiseandablemanalsohas [the lowermind,whichis]themindofman.Ontheotherhand,nooneisnotprovidedwithheavenlyways;therefore,evenastupidmanhasthe[higher]mindofprinciples.Hence,whetheritisthesagesornot,thestupidortheincompetent,withoutanydifference,allpeoplehaveintheir

mindanamalgamationofthemindofprinciplesandthemindofman.

Thosewhoaregoing to learn thepathofkan (spying) should carefully observe theirownmindwhenevertheirmindisengagedinanactivityandateveryopportunity.Thisisdonetofindoutifitisthemindofprinciplesorthemindofman,whichwillallowthemtocontrol theirmindstrictlysothat themindofmanwillnot interferewiththemindofprinciples.Rememberthatyoushouldalwaystrytomakesurethatthemindofprinciplesisalwaysyourlordinallthings,andtomakethemindofmanlistentoandobeywhatthemind of principles instructs or prohibits. That way, the mind of selfish desires willdiminish gradually and the preciousmind of principleswill come out as clearly as themooncomesoutfrombehindtheclouds.Therefore,whenyoupenetrateyourselfintothewayofbenevolence,righteousness,loyaltyandfidelity,yourmindshouldbenothingbutpatientandinastateofself-restraintasintheideogramforshinobi .

Whenyourmindrepresentstheideogramshinobi andisallpatient, it isevenmoreundisturbedbyexternalfactors,sothatyouwillnotbeperturbedbyanythingandhaveacourageofrighteousness.Furthermore,whenthemindisclear,likecrystal,andifyoucanaccordyourselftoanopportunitywithease,thennomatterwhatthesituationis,therewillbe nothing that prevents you from getting into the enemy’s castle or position andaccomplishingagreatachievement,nomatterhowfirmlyaplaceisguarded.

In ancient China during the reign of the Qin Dynasty, there were two lords namedZhaodunandZhibo,whowerefightingagainsteachotherforthedynastyofZhaoforanextendedperiodoftime.OnetimeZhibowasseizedbyZhaodun’sforce.Itseemedthathecouldnothelpbutbekilledasaresultofhiscapturesohesummonedhis tworetainersCheng-yingandChujiuandsaid:

Mytimeisrunningoutnow.Whendawncomes,Iamtobekilledwithoutfail.Youtwohave servedmewith sincere loyalty.Therefore, Iwould likeyou togetoutof thecastletonight, sheltermy three-year-old child andwhen he becomes aman, ruin Zhaodun torevengethehumiliationIhavebeengivenbeforemydeath.

Afterhearingthis,theysaid:

Itiseasyforustobekilledinbattlewithyou,myLord,asyourretainers,whereasitisverydifficult to shelterandbringupa three-year-old childand to survive.However, tokeepourprinciplesas retainers,howcouldwechoose the easierwayandabandon thedifficulty?Wewillfollowyourorderbyanymeansthatwecan,mylord.

Then they escaped from the castle under the cover of night, and when dawn brokeZhibowaskilled.FewofhissoldierswereleftandthusthedynastyofZhaowasfinallyoverthrownbyZhaodunaftermanyyearsoffighting.Meanwhile,Cheng-yingandChujiuweretryingtohideZhibo’schild,butZhaodunknewofthisandattemptedtokillthechildagainandagain.Thenafterawhile,Cheng-yingaskedChujiu:

Our late lordentrustedhis three-year-oldson tous.Here isaquestion.Whichof thefollowingchoicesismoredifficult:tobeguiletheenemybydeathortosurvivetoshelterandsupportthechild?

Chujiureplied:

Deathisachoicemadewhenaimingforjustice,whileontheotherhandlifeistolive,

strugglingwithhardworkandpushesyoutotheedgeofyourwisdom.Therefore,Ithinktoliveismoredifficult.

Cheng-yingthensaid:

Ifso,shallIchoosethemoredifficultone,tosurvive,andyoucantaketheeasierwayofbeingkilled?

Chujiu readily agreed with this and they devised a stratagem. Their plan was [forChujiu] to show his own three-year-old son, here and there and in his arms in public,proclaimingthefalsehoodthathisownsonwasinfacthislord’schild.Whileatthesametime,Cheng-yingwasraisingtheirlord’struechildinsecrecy,pretendingthathewashisownson.

Chujiuwashidingdeepinthemountains,whileCheng-yingwenttoZhaoduntoofferhis false surrender. However, the enemy Zhaodun did not believe him or accept hissurrender.SoCheng-yingsaidthefollowing:

IservedZhiboasavassalandsawhisbehaviourandnowIhaverealizedhedeservedtolosethedynastyofZhao.Opposedtothis,Ihaveheardaboutyourvirtue,youarebetterthanhimbyfar.SowithallduerespectIwouldliketoserveyouandmakeyouavirtuouslordforourpeople,whoarewithoutacountry.Ifyouallowmetoserveyouasavassal,Iwilltellyouexactlywherethethree-year-oldchildofourlatelordishiddenandcaredforbyChujiu.YoushouldkillthechildandthenthedynastyofZhaowillbestableforever.

When Zhaodun heard this, he believed that Cheng-ying had in fact surrendered andtrulywantedtojoinhisvassals.Hethengavehimrankasamartialofficerandbadehimworkasacloseaide.

Next, he asked him exactly where Chujiu and the child were hidden and sent therethousands of hismen to capture them. Then asChujiu had prearranged beforehand, hestabbedandkilled the three-year-old child,whowasyoungenough to sit on someone’slap,andcried:

OurlatelordZhibo’ssonhascometohisfate,andtheconspiracyhasbeenshown.

He then committed suicide through disembowelment. Zhaodunwas pleasedwith theoutcome,thinkingnobodywouldthreatenthefutureofhisdescendents.FromthenonhetrustedCheng-yingallthemoreforthisevent,gavehimalargefiefandahighrankandallowedhimtotakechargeofpolitics.Consequently,thebereavedchildofthelordZhibosuccessfullybecameamanwherehewashiddeninCheng-ying’sfamily.AtwhichpointCheng-yingraisedanarmyimmediatelytodestroyZhaodunandthelord’schildwonbacktheZhaoDynasty.SincethisgreatachievementcouldneverhavebeenattainedifitwerenotCheng-ying’s plan, the newking ofZhao praised him and offered him a large fief.However,hewouldnotacceptit,saying:

IfIenjoyedthepositionandfiefandremainedalive,itwouldbeagainsttheprincipleonwhichChujiuandImadeallthesestratagems.

Then, on the gravewhereChujiu’s bodywas buried, he killed himselfwith his ownswordandwasburiedinthesamegravecoveredbymoss,togetherwithChujiu.

These two people can be called true and brave warriors of justice, they who act on

principles.Thatiswhataninjashouldbe.Becausewithonlysimplebrutecourage,whichacts and is dependent on themind ofman, how could it be possible to attain such anachievementasintheaboveepisode?Itisnotpossible.ThosewhocontinueonmypathshouldlookuptoCheng-yingandChujiuastheirmentors.

1OneoffourbooksinConfucianism.

2Samurai.

3AdynastyofancientChina,havingtwoseparateperiods:theWesternJin(265–316)andtheEasternJin(317–420).

4543-480BC,oneofthetengreatphilosophersofConfucianism.

5InEnglishthisappearscowardly;however,inJapaneseitimpliesbravery.

6Apoet(803–852)ofthelateTangDynasty.

7Literally‘time’butincontextmeans‘theirplacementbyheaven’.

8Withreferencetothelunarcalendar,thiswastheeighteendaysbeforethefirstdayofeachofthefourseasonsanditwasconsideredaperiodgovernedbytheelementofearth.

9Heretheideogramissimply whichtranslatesas‘heart’,butitmeansaman’scharacter,asintheEnglish,‘intheheartofaman’.Therefore,ithasbeentranslatedas‘mindandheart’.

10InJapanese,thetermis‘gods’withalowercase‘g’.However,foranEnglish-speaking,predominantlyChristian,audiencetheterm‘God’hasbeenused.Inshort,itmeans‘correctness’.

11TenjinisthespiritnameofSugawaranoMichizane.Hewasascholarandahighlyrankedgovernmentofficialintheninthcentury.In901hefellintothetrapofarivalaristocratandwasexiledasanofficialinremoteKyushuanddiedinloneliness.Peopleinlatertimesdeifiedhimasagodofscholarshiptoappeasehisangryspirit.

VOLUMETHREE

SeishinIITheCorrectMindII

This chapter is titled ‘OfLife andDeath’. It is said that for samuraiwarriors themostimportant concept is the ‘two word’ idiom, life and death , and this is because ifwarriorsdonotabandonthelife-or-deathissue,theywillstickonlytovisiblephenomenaand thus cannot achieve utmost bravery. Therefore, warriors should detach themselvesfromthelife-and-deathmatterwithoutfail,hencethetitleofthischapter.Thinkingmoredeeplyon thismatter,even ifyouhave these twoideogramsinmind,butdonot realizewhenorwhere you should determineyourself to die, then it is tremendously shameful,andagainwearriveatthetitle‘OfLifeandDeath’.Beawarethattherearetrueandfalseways tounderstand this. Ifyou talkabout the issuebutdonotdeeplycontemplate it inyourmindoractinaccordancewiththeprinciple,thenyoudonotknowanymorethanaparrotknows.

Intheissueofdetachingyourselffromlifeordeath,youshouldrealizetherootofyourmind. If you want to know the root of your mind, you should first know the root ofeverythingintheuniverseandtheoriginofyourmindandbody.Toknowwhatitis,youshouldbeawareof theprimaryprinciple1 in theuniverse.Theprimaryprinciplehasnoshapeandisemptiness,soitcannotbeseenortakeninyourhandbutsincethedawnoftime and until doomsday, without flourishing or diminishing, it fills everywhere in theuniverse between heaven and earth, so there is nowhere it cannot reach. This certainlyexists and though it cannot be taken in your hand or seen, it is there without doubt.Therefore, unless you seewith the inward eye, it cannot be found. Thewise know theprinciple of emptiness while common mortals do not. When this principle is felt andmoved, it thenchanges to the‘onechi’ ,whichforms theflowofenergy.When theflowbeginstomove,itiscalledyo(yang),andwhenitfinishesmovingandisquiet,itiscalledin(yin).Thesuniscomposedoftheenergyofyowhilethemoonemitstheenergyof inandyo.Time is divided into fivekindsofchi:wood, fire, earth,metal andwater.TheyarecalledtheFiveElements .Woodandfireareyowhilemetalandwaterarein.However, earth is in but belongs to yo at the same time. The chi in each of the FiveElements generates or destroys the chi in the other elements and forms a yearly cycle.Thus, it iswarmandpastoral inspring,as it isof thewoodphase, fierceand intense insummer,asitisofthefirephase;inautumnitiswindyandisofthemetalphase,sothatleavesturngold,allthewaytotheirstemsandfallfromthebranchintheend.Inwinteritisthewaterphase;it isfrosty,snowyandcold.Seventy-twodaysareallottedtoeachofthesefourseasons.

Doyo isthenameofaneighteen-dayperiodaftereachseason;thusdoyoaddsuptoanotherseventy-twodayseachyear.Theabovefivephasesoftheseasonsaddupto360daysandrotateeveryyear.2Theearthitselfislocatedinthecentreofalldirections,andsothedoyoperiodthatcomesattheendofsummeristhecentreoftheyearandthusshouldbeconsideredthemostimportant.Atthistimethetemperaturereachesanextremeandisthehottestandmosthumidsectionofthewholeyear.

Just as the sea is filled with water, the Five Elements prevail everywhere in theuniverse. They have nowhere they cannot be, even in a tiny grain of foxtail millet orwithinahugerock.TheFiveElementsmakeitcloudy,rainy,snowyorwindy,theybringabout earthquakes, thunder and lightning, rainbows and all otherwondrousphenomena.Alltheseoccurrencesaremanifestedby[thecycleof]eithergenerationordestructionthatoccurs within the system of the Five Elements. Everything in the universe comes intobeingwhentheFiveElementsareunitedinharmonywitheachother.

Peoplearedifferentfromeachotherinamyriadofways,yetoriginallyare[madeof]theFiveElements,whicharebornfromtheprinciple.Therefore,ashumanbeingsarebornfrom the same principle, each individual being/body is merely a part of a wholebeing/body.It is justaswaterchanges itself intosnow,frost, rain,dew,fog,hail,or ice.Theyalllookdifferentbut,whenthawing,theyalldissolveintowater.Justlikethis,everypart[ofthebody]isrelatedtoalltheFiveElements.However,basically,thefleshofthebodyisoftheearthelementandthatwhichismoistinthebodyisofthewaterphase,thatwhichiswarminthebodyisoffireandwhatisfirminthebodyisofmetal.Theelementsthatcontroleachorganofyourbodyareasfollows3:

•Liver,gallbladder,eyes,tendons,nails–Wood

•Heart,smallintestine,tongue,blood,hair–Fire

•Kidney,urinarybladder,ears,bones,teeth–Water

•Lungs,largeintestine,nose,skin,breath–Metal

•Spleen,stomach,mouth,muscles,breastmilk4–Earth

Mingmen is the right kidney and is of the water phase while, as for the ‘tripleburner’,5detailsshouldbetaughtbywordofmouth.Thetwelvestandardmeridiansandfifteenchannelsareallundercontrolofthefivevisceraandsixentrails6sothattheyarerelatedtotheFiveElements.

As the Five Elements are taking shape, the heavenly principle develops.When it isendowed to people, it is called nature; when in heaven, it is called principles. This isunderstoodby thinking thatwhile in theareaofNaniwa, reedsareknownasashiwhilethey are calledhamaogi in the area of Ise.The same thing is referred towith differentnames in different places. If something moves nature and thus triggers a feeling, it iscalledemotion.Natureandemotionareoneattheroot,justlikepeoplecallitwaterwhenitisstill,whilecallingthesamethingwaveswheninmotion.Emotionmanifestsitselfinthefiveformsofbenevolence,righteousness,propriety,wisdomandfidelity.Benevolenceis of the wood phase, righteousness of the water7 phase, propriety of the fire phase,wisdomofthemetalphaseandfidelityoftheearth.Asabove,youshouldbeawarethatevery part of everyone’s body andmind has the Five Elements and the principle. The

humanmindanditsworkingsareaproductof theFiveElementsandtherefore theFiveElementsarewhatthehumanmindandbodyare.TheprinciplesoftheFiveElementsarereferredtoas theprinciplesofheavenandthechiof theFiveElements isreferredtoasformsofheaven.8Evenonthepathofheaven,thereisnothingthatdoesnotbelongtotheFiveElements.

You should know that heaven andyour body andmind are but one thing.Therefore,whenyoupledgeanyofyourdeedsorwordstotheprinciples,itisasifyoupledgethispromisetoheaven.So,ifyougoagainsttheprinciples,itisthesameasifyougoagainstheaven.

Xing-li-da-quansaysthat:

Heavenisaprincipleandhumanisalsoaprinciple.Theprinciplescycleandmakeonetogetherwithheaven.Theselfisnottheselfbutisaprinciple.Principleisnotaprinciplebutisheaven.

InheavenandonearththeFiveElementsarefoundintheconceptofinandyo,springisfollowedbysummer,summerbyautumn,autumnbywinter,thenspringcomesagain.Everything is born, then grows up; when having grown up, it changes; when havingchanged, then it is settled;when settled, it then storesor conceals itself; then it is bornagain, just like a ring without end. Therefore, nothing continues to exist in the worldforeverbutnothingceasestoexistforeversimultaneously.Whenitdies,itonlygoesbacktotheFiveElements.

Asevidenceofthis, thinkofwhenamandies.Waterfoundinthebodyturnsbacktowaterasitwas,thebodybecomesdry,fireorheatturnsbacktofireagainasthebodygetscold with no heat emitting any more, metal turns back to metal so the body loses itsstrength, shrinks and does not function.After that,whether cremated or buried, it goesback toearth.Thechi that connected thebodywill scatter and thebondsofnaturewillbreakdown.YoushouldbeawarethatyourbodywillreturntotheFiveElements,theFiveElementsreturntoinandyo,inandyowillreturntothe‘onechi’ andthe‘onechi’reaches theprinciple that is thecore9of theuniverse itself.Theprinciple thenstarts thecycle from thebeginning, just like a ring and it has no end.Therefore, theprinciple ofemptinessappearsasthe‘onechi’,thenasinandyo,andnextastheFiveElements,justas water changes to snow or ice. The Five Elements temporarily take the image of ahumanbeingbutitisnotacompletelifebutisinfactlifeinnon-life,andeventhoughthebodyappearstodie,itisnotacompletedeathbutdeathinnon-death.Primarily,whenyoudie, you will return to the principle of emptiness. Therefore, once you penetrate thisprinciplecompletely,youwillunderstandwhatlookslikebirthordeathisinfactnotbirthordeath in the truesense.Alsobirthsanddeathsarerepeatedforeternitywhile there isactuallynochangeoccurringatall.Thiswholecycleshouldbelefttonatureandfollowstheturnsoffate.Ifyoukeeptheprincipleinmindandpenetrateit,youwilldiscovertheveryoriginoftheGreatPath,whichisaverydeepesoterictruthandyouwillreachthestatus of ‘no-birth’ and ‘no-death’. Commonmortalswho are confused and fall do notknowhowthisprincipleworks.10Theythinkthatyouliveasubstantiallife,whileinfactitisonlytemporaryand‘life’isonlytheplacewheretheFiveElementshavetakenshapeasahuman,andalso,theyassumethatthebodybelongstothemthoughinfactitbelongstotheFiveElements.Becauseofthis,peopleholdontotheirlifeandindulgethemselves;or

they think that death is a complete end, while it is in fact just a returning to the FiveElements,andtheygrieveandworryaboutitdeeply.Thuspeoplethinkbirthanddeatharesubstantial,butofcoursetheyarenot,andalsothatvariousaspects[oflife]arereal,whileof course theyarenot, sopeoplehavedoubt, hate todie, love to live andare thereforegreedybynature.Peoplewithdoubtinmind,oncefacingtheenemy,nomatterhowmuchtheyusuallyconsiderthemselvesloyalandbrave,willbecowardsinreality,forgettingallabouttheirloyaltyandactinoppositiontothewaytheyusuallyareorpretendtobe.Thisis because they forget their intentions at normal times but act on their mind’s innerintentions[intimesofcrisis].Thatbeingso,theycannotachievethetrueaimofasamuraibutinsteadbringdisgraceupontheirnameforeverandthuswillbelaughedatbypeopleforalleternity.Besidesthis,theirfamilyaswellwillbedishonoured.Howcouldyouhavemercyonthem?Howcouldyouhavepityonthem?

Toliveortodieisdecidedbyheavenatthemomentwhenyoucomeintobeing,insideof your mother’s womb. At the moment of conception it is determined according towhether the timing isgoodornotandwhether thegeneratingandovercomingcyclesofthe Five Elements are going in a proper order or not. Therefore, if you keep movingforwardwithoutfearofdeath,youmaynotdie,whileifyouliketolivetoomuchandhateto die and run away through fear for your life, youmay not survive. Thus,whether toadvanceorretreatdoesnotmatterasyouwillsurviveaccordingtoheaven’sdiscretion,sowhywouldyounottakethechancetolivebyadvancing,thantryingtosurvivebyrunningaway? Likewise, suppose that if you are destined to die, why would you not makeadvances to the front and die instead of running away? In the same way, if it is yourdestinythatdeterminesifyouachievefame,itwouldbebettertodothatinthevanguardrather than in the rear guard. Therefore, Confucius says that death and life have theirdeterminedappointmentandthatrichesandhonoursdependonheaven.Thismeansthatwhether you survive or die is determined by heavenwhen your life first sprouts insideyour mother’s womb. However, human affairs occur on the earth while the principlesbelongtoheaven,soeventhoughyourpathismarkedoutattheverybeginningofyourlife,ifyoudonotdoanythingtopreserveyourhealth,takenoprecautions,orhavenoartof living but just sit back inattentively and leave all to heaven’s will, you will die anunprincipleddeathandwithoutfail.Ifyousowinthesecondorthirdmonthofthelunarcalendarandre-bed,fertilize,andwaterplantsinthefourthorfifthmonth,thenweed,andguardthecropssothatcows,horses,deerorsuchanimalscannotfeast,thenitwillyieldacropintheninthortenthmonthduetothenaturalcourseofthings.Thingsaredestinedtobefromthebeginningoflifeandyoushouldjustgrowandkeepthemandateofheaven.Ifyoudonottakecare,water,weed,fortifyorfenceagainstanimalswhicheatcrops,butdonothing,justsayingitwillbefineasitisdeterminedbyheaven,howcouldthecropholdoutuntilthebleakseasonoftheninthortenthmonth?Thelifeofamanisjustlikethis.Itiscommonlyknownhowto takeguardor to takecare innormal times inorder todieanatural and principled death in the twilight years of your life, so there is no need tomention it here. However, in an emergency situation, nothing is better than giving upshelteringyourselfand to think thatyouaresure todie.Onceyoudetermineyourmindthatyouaresuretodie,itmightallowyoutosurvivethedifficulty.Wu-zisaysthatifyouarepreparedtodie,thenthisallowsyoutosurvive.Opposedtothis,ifyouguardyourselfwithamindtopreservation,itwillturnoutthatyouwilldieanyway.Wu-zialsosaysthat‘ifyouputyourlifeaboveall,youaresuretodie.’

Thisprincipleabsolutelyholds truenotonlyfor thepathofshinobibutforallartsofwar,beitgunpomilitaryways,kenjutsuswordsmanship,theartofthespearandsoon,orevenwhenyoujumpoffaclifforleapaditch.Thisisbecausewhenyougiveyourselfupto heaven’s path and have an ironwill, free from the ‘threemisgivings’11 and give noattention to your life, you will be free from thinking or reasoning and have noindecisiveness and extinguish all earthly thoughts from your mind. Your mind will beclearandsettledanddetermined,sothatyouwouldhavetheinsighttotellthetrueessenceof things with clarity, just as a mirror reflects things perfectly. Then you will not bedisturbedbyanythingfromoutsideandhavenofearofthemenacewhichliesinfrontofyou.Thatwouldallowyoutobefreefromallideasandallthoughtsandcometobeawareof yourself. As a result, you would be able to change your way or take measuresappropriate to the occasion in accordancewith the principles, just like a ball rolls on aboardorasacalabashfloatsonwater[andadaptstoitsenvironment].Consequently,youcanwinwithoutseekingforvictory,orsurviveadifficultsituationeventhoughyoumayhavedied.Alongsidethis,youwillachievesuchbraverythatyournamemightbeknowntotheworld.Kukaiwroteapoemthatstates,‘Ifyouhaveaswordinyourspirittocutoffyour doubt, any dreammay be realized in your life.’ If you try to protect yourself tosurvive,youwillhaveanindecisivemindfromthinkingandreasoning.Yourmindwillbeinattentive,easilyshockedandnotstablesothatyoucannothaveaclearideaofthewayofthings.Thatmakesyoumoreconcernedwiththingsfromtheoutsideandgivesyoufearof the menace in front of you. Consequently, you will be upset and hesitate, lose fullcontrolofyourlimbs,gopale,notspeakproperly,sothatifyouareonashinobimission,yourtacticswilloftengivethemselvesaway,oryouwill loseinabattle.Youshouldbefullyawareofthis.

Themindisjustlikewateroramirror.Wateroramirrordoesnotmoveitselfbutisstillandserene.However,itisstainedbydustordirtfromoutside,ormovedbywindormen.Itthenlosesitsstillnessandserenityanddoesnotreflectanythingtruly,ifanythingshouldstand in front of it. This is how the ‘original’mind is. If it is clear and stable, then itreflectsexactlywhethertheoneinfrontofyouisrightorwrong,goodorevil,justlikeamirrororwater reflects in thisway.There is nothingwhich cannotbe reflected clearly.However, if anyof the six kinds of impurity – shape/form, voice, smell, taste, feel and‘thingswhichinfluencethemind’12–connectswiththesixsenses,13throughthesixsenseorgansofeyes,ears,nose,tongue,bodyandmind,thenthemindwillbecorrupt,unsettledand unclear, so that it cannot reflect anything clearly, just like muddy water or a dullmirror.Thetruthhereisthatyouhaveanenemyandanallynowhereelsebutinyourownmind.Penetratethisprinciplethoroughly,soyouwillalwaysbetruetoyourself.Ifyouarecommitted to the principles completely, you will never fail to infiltrate when on yourshinobimissionoroncehavinginfiltratedtoachievegreatbravery.

Poemswhichprovetheancientsageshadnofearofdeath:

Nowweareinabreakbetweenthepastandthefuture,14letitrainorletthewindblowasitdoesandtakeeverythingasitcomes.

Ikkyu15

OutofthefivethingsIborrowedfromheaven,Ihavereturnedfour.16NowIamonmywayintothevoid.

Ikkyu

IhavelivedwhileIcansofar.NowIwilldiewhileIcan.Ikkyu

Wewereallborntodieatlast;itislikewehearthewindrustlingoverthepinetreesattheendofthisday.

NinagawaShinemon17

Onsuchanopportunityyoumustvalueyourlife?[Dokan’sreply:]Notatall,asIhavefullyrealizedthatmylifeisnotminetovalue.

OtaDokan18

TheaboveversewaswrittenwheninbattleandwhentheenemyattackedDokanatspearpoint.AstheenemyknewthatDokanlikedtomakeverses,theenemysaidthefirstline.Tothis,Dokanrespondedwiththesecondlineonthespot[asseenabove].

Lifeisasfragileasdewdropsbutitwillremainsomewhereelseevenafteritfloatsaway,otherthaninthegrave.

Choshu19

Aslifeisthatwhichyoucannotdecide,evenadesperatesituationmaybeinterestingintheuncertaintyofthislifeworld.

FujiwaranoMotozane20

Anexplanationofthepoemsabove:

Evenanemperorispatheticallynotfreefromhisworriesasahumanandthushasnobenefit[inthisworld]so,rememberthis,onceyouareborn, thereisnothingbetterthanleavingthisworldandthisisevenmoretrueforthemeanandpoorofthislife,which,ofcourse,goeswithoutsaying.Therefore,deathshouldbecongratulated,asdeathisahappyoccasion andmeans that youwill return to your true home andwill finally be at ease.Thosewhoarenotawarethatyouwillbeateasetendtoworryaboutitormourndeath–howuneducatedtheyare.

Those who rise above the life and death issues will pay as little attention to theboundarybetweenlifeanddeathasaherdboycasuallywalkinginthenearbymountains

whoblowshiswhistleevenwhileallaroundhimisinpanic.

Onceupona time, therewasa thiefwhohada son.Theson thought thathehadnotlearnedhowtostealcorrectlyandwonderedhowhecouldliveonstealingafterhisfatherdied. Then he asked his father to teach him how to steal perfectly. The father thiefanswered that he would teach him. On that night they got into a house and the fatheropenedanagamochilargeoblongchestandtooktreasurefrominside,thenhetoldhissontogetinthenowemptychest.Hissondidashisfathertoldhimandthefatherclosedthechestandlockedhiminside.Thenthefatherranawaywithwhathetook,andwhatisevenworse,heevencriedout,‘Stopthief,stopthief’.Thehousemasterwaswokenupbythiscry and found the thief gone already.Without knowing that he alreadywas robbed, hewent to sleep again.The son in the chestwonderedwhy his father did this to him.Hethoughtifhecouldnotmanagetogetoutthatnight,hewouldneverhaveachanceagain.Aftertryingtofindawayout,hethoughtoutanideaandbeganmakingaloudnoiselikearatgnawing.Thehousemasternoticedthisandwokeuptheotherstoseewhatwasgoingon.Someonesaidthattheremustbearatinthechestandopeneditwithoutmuchcare.Atthatpoint thesonsprangfrominsidepushingtheonewhoopeneditoverandranaway.Whiletheyfollowedhimsaying,‘Stopthethief’,hecameacrossawellwherehetookadeepbreathandfoundandthrewabigstoneintothewellandranaway.Becauseofthis,thehouse-staffwereperplexedthinkingthathefellintothewellwhileinfactthethiefhadmanagedtogetbackhome.Whenhearrivedhomeheaskedhisfatherwhyhelefthimandtoldhimhowhegotoutofthere.Hisfatherlistenedandsaidthathehadsucceededinthetheftinthetruesenseoftheword.

As you can see, because the father threw away his son, the son realized his father’sintentionandwaspreparedtogivehimselfup[tofate]andputhislifeonthelinebybeingcaughtormakinggoodhisescape.Ashecastasidehisworryabouthimselfandputhislifeontheline,hesucceededinknockingdownthemanwhowasbesidethechest.Thelessonhereisthatit isyourindecisivemind,whichcomesfromthinkingandreasoning,thatgivesyoudoubt.Bythrowingthisaway,youwillbecomeyourtrueself,sothatyoucanseerealityveryclearlyandgoodideaswillcomeaccording to theoccasion.That iswhyhecouldmanagetogetoutofthetroublesomesituation.

WangZhene’eofTangcommandedafleetwiththousandsofpeopletodefeattheQinDynasty. They sailed all the way by way of warship to the region of Qin.When theyarrived at Qingqiao of Qin and came ashore, he had hismen leave the provisions andclothing on the ships and took out only their armour and weapons. They went up themountain andhe cast off the ships and left them to the commandof thewind at night.AfterthatZhene’esaidtohisarmy,‘Theships,oars,clothesandprovisionshaveallgone.OurhomeofChangancastleistoofarovertheocean.Nowunlessweadvanceandfighttowin,wewillnotbeabletogobacktoourcountryagain.’Onhearingthis,evencowardsbecamebravewarriorswithdesperatecourage.TheycompletelygaveuptheirindecisivemindbutrushedforwardandwonanoverwhelmingvictoryoverthegreatcountryofQin.

Longago,somemanofgreatbraverysaid:

Whenyouaregoing to fight, you shouldalways takeout the swordhilt rivet of yourwakizashishortsword[so that itcannotbedrawn inanemergency]. In thisway ifyoutaketherivetoff,youwillwinthefightwithoutfail.Ifyoudonotremoveit,youwillnotbe

abletowin.

If you think of why he said this, you will notice that this is exactly what the coreprinciplefoundinsidetheideogramforshinobi means.21

Question:NowwiththeConfucianandBuddhistsecretteachings,youstateandaredeterminedthatyoushouldnotfearorhatedeath.Alongsidethis,youmentionwhatancientpeoplesaidordidandarefullyawareofthesepoints,deepinyourheart.However,whileyouknowthatverywell,peoplesometimeslosetheirnerve.Howcanweavoidit?

Answer:Thatistherustofyourmindandyoushouldpolishyourselfdayafterday.Youshouldthoroughlycomprehendtheprinciplesofthewayofinandyoinsteadofhavingavagueunderstanding.

Asayearhasspringandwinter, inspring treesandplantsgrowwhile inwinter theyconcealthemselves,thesunandthemoonriseandset,adayhasdayandnight,themanwakesor sleeps, livesordies.Spring isyo andof life,whilewinter is in and of death.Also,moonriseisyowhilesunsetormoonsetis inandaman’swakingstateisyowhilesleepingisin.Thismeansthattoliveisyowhiletodieisin.Ifyouhateandfeartodieyoung,whywouldyounothateordreadwintertocome,orthesunandthemoontoset,nighttofalloramantosleep?Assleepisasmallpartofin,sodeathisalargeformofin.Whatisthereasonyouhateonlydeathbutdonothatetosleep?Youshouldbereadytodiewithnothingtofear.

1ThroughoutthischapterFujibayashitalksoftheprimaryprinciple orthe‘one’or‘oneness’,anditmustbestressedherethatthisisnottheChristianorWesternconceptofasingleorchestratingpresenceintheuniverse,butisinfactanOnmyodoconceptandthereforeareadershouldcomefromthatmindset.Inshortandcuttingoutthecomplexities,simplyunderstanditastheessenceoftheuniverse.

2Thatistosaythatthefourseasonsandtheseventy-twodaysofdoyoadduptoafullyear.

3ThissectionrequiresanunderstandingofChinesemedicineandspaceisnotavailabletoexplainthisinfull.

4Or‘milk-givingbreast’.

5ThetripleburnerhasvarioustranslationsandaccordingtotraditionalChinesemedicineistheideaofthreeareasinthebodythatregulateenergy.

6ThisisaconceptintraditionalChinesemedicineknownaszangfu.Zangreferstotheinorgans:heart,liver,spleen,lungsandkidney;andfureferstotheyoorgans:smallandlargeintestines,gallbladder,urinarybladder,stomachandtripleburner.

7Thetextsaysmetaltwice.Thisisbelievedtobeatranscriptionerror.

8Inshort,thefinalsectionroundsuptheconnectionbetweentheoriginandthehumanandthegreatjourneyorpaththatisexistence.

9Notthecentrebutthecentral‘element’whichformstheuniverse.

10Themainpointhereisthat‘life’orexistenceiseternalandthatonceyoumastertheideathatyourbodyisthemanifestationoftheprincipleoftheuniverseinmovement,thenlifeanddeathnolongerhaveanymeaning.

11FromtheShijimanual:‘Forgetyourhousewhenyouaregivenanordertogotowar,forgetyourparentswhenyougotowar,andforgetyourselfwhenyouaregiventhesignaltofight.’

12Literally‘law’ –thepointhereisthatbothlistsmatchandthismeansanyimpuritythataffectsthemind.

13Thetextsays‘sixcolours’ ,whichismostlikelyanerrorandisthoughttobe ,whichisaBuddhisttermreferringtosensesofthepastwhichhavecometoyouviathesixsenseorgans.Inshort,anydependencyontheexternalworldisanegativeaspect.

14Intheoriginalpoem,itsays‘betweentheworldofearthlypassionsandtheworldofenlightenment’.

15AfamousJapaneseZenBuddhistpriest,poetandpainter(1394–1481).

16Earth,water,fire,andwind,whichconsistinthebody.

17AfamouspoetfromtheMuromachiperiod(?–1448).

18Afamousgeneralandpoet(1432–1486).

19IsenoSadachika(1417–1473),high-rankingpoliticianoftheMuromachishogunate.

20Afamouspoetofthetenthcentury.

21Thepointhereisthatasamuraishouldfightwithalongswordandusehisshortswordasbackup,butbytakingouttherivetinthehiltyoucannolongerdrawthesword,makingyoufightwithallyourheartandperseverance.Thisiswhattheideogramforshinobimeans,todothingswholeheartedlyandwithfaithandperseverance.

VOLUMEFOUR

ShochiIAGuidelineforCommandersI

Aboutninpo1–theshinobitreasure

Ifitwerenotforthegreathorse-judgeBo-le,2wewouldnothaveahorsethatcanrunonethousand ri. Even a most excellent horse cannot run as far as one thousand ri if anordinaryman rides him. Even a falcon or a giant bird,3 when flying against the wind,cannotflyatspeedandevenahugefishwhichcanswiminavastriverasitpleasescouldnotbeasgoodassharksortroutwhenhinderedbyasmallstream.Likewise,shinobinomonowhohaveachievedmasteryshouldnotserveanunprincipledgeneral.Ifyouworkforanunprincipledlord,nothingwillturnoutasyouwish,sothatyouwillnotbeabletoattaingreatachievementswhenonshinobimissions.

In theThree Strategies ofHuang Shigong thewise do notmake plans for an obtuseruler. If one who has mastery of tactics meets a good general, it will be as Bo-lerecognizing a fine horse and treasuring it. Or likeWang Liang andHanAi, who oncemanagedwell-knownfinehorseswiththegreatestofexpertise,sothattheyachievedtheperfectaccordwiththehorseandcouldrideitasfarasonethousandri.

Withagoodgeneral,ashinobinomonocancarryoutwhathewishestodoandobtainasuccessfulresultwithease,andbuildupmomentumwithoutdifficulty,justlikeafalconoragiantbirdflyingbeforethewindorabigfishswimmingaroundinavastriverinagrandmanner.

Similarly,ifageneralandashinobiareperfectforeachotherandtheshinobiisfreetoact as he needs, how could it be possible that he could not get into the strongestfortification?SunTzusaysitistheenlightenedlordandthecapablegeneralwhoareabletousethemostintelligentonesfromwithintheirranks,tobedeployedasspies,sotheycanachievethegreatestandmostcompletevictoriesinwar.Thusitisapparentthatitisessentialforalordorgeneraltoemployshinobi,hencethischapteristitled‘Shochi AGuidelineforCommanders’.

Shinobinori

Thebenefitsofusingshinobi

Thischaptershowsthatwhenageneralutilizesshinobiverywell,hewillgaintremendousbenefitandachievevictoryinwarwithoutfail,andthatshinobiarethekeytotheartof

war.

Thetenarticles

I

Whenacommander-in-chiefusesshinobi,itenableshimtoknowallaboutthedefencesofthe enemy’s territory and its castle before he makes any plan, so that he will not besurprisednorwillhefailandallwillbeasplanned,whichisagreatbenefit.Whenalordorgeneralisgoingtoattacktheenemy’sdomain,heshouldsendanexcellentninja intotheenemy’slandtogetinformationorsendhimintothecastletoaidhisplansbeforehand.Inthiswaytheninjawillseeandgetalltheinformationheneedsindetail–suchasthetopographyoftheland,whetherthecastleisstrongornot,lengthsofroads–andthenhecanrecordthesethingsasdrawingsandbringthemback.Thedrawingsshouldberedrawnprecisely to provide the generalwith the details for his reference.With thesemaps thegeneral can think on how to decide to arrange his people,what formation to be taken,wheretosetupanencampment,wheretheenemymaylayanambush,whereheshouldlayanambushhimself,howtoattackthecastle,preparationsfortheattackandeverythingabout his plans. This allows him to launch his army and carry out his plans withoutquestionortroublewhenthetimecomes.Also,throughthesewaysyoucanfindbenefitinmanyareas.

SunTzusays:

Thenaturalformationofthecountryisthesoldier’sbestally;butapowerofestimatingtheadversary,ofcontrollingtheforcesofvictory,andofshrewdlycalculatingdifficulties,dangersanddistances,constitutesthetestofagreatgeneral.Hewhoknowsthesethings,andinfightingputshisknowledgeintopractice,willwinhisbattles.Hewhoknowsthemnot,norpractisesthem,willsurelybedefeated.

Wearenotfittoleadanarmyonthemarchunlesswearefamiliarwiththefaceofthecountry–itsmountainsandforests,itspitfallsandprecipices,itsmarshesandswamps.

FromYoshimori’sonehundredpoems:

Youneedtoinquireofashinobinomonoabouttheenemywhengivingorders.

Itisdangerousifyougiveordersbasedonguessworkalone.[Ageneral]shouldconsiderthisinearnest.

II

Ifyouuseshinobiyoucanknowexactlywhethertheenemyisstrongornotorwhattheenemy’scommander-in-chiefreallythinksdeepdown,thenthisshouldprovideyouwiththerootforall theplansyouneedtomakeanditwillbringyoutremendousbenefits.Ifninja get into the enemy’s domainor their castle they can findout:whether the enemy

general isprincipledorunprincipledandtowhatextent;whetherhe iswiseor ignorant;whetherhe isbraveornot;whether theirmilitaryorders areproperornot;whether thetroop commanders, the higher commanders,4 or even the soldiers are well trained inmilitaryskillsornot;whetherthemoraleoftheentireclanismaintainedornot;howmanypeoplethereare;whetherthelordhasreinforcementforcesfromtheneighbouringlordornot;howmuchfoodiskeptinthecastle;whatwaystheenemylordlikesordislikes,etc.Infactashinobinomonorecordsmanythingsabouttheenemy,otherthantheabove,andbringsitbacktothelord,sothatitallowsthealliestoachieveenormoussuccessintheirplans,butnotetherearetoomanyexamplesofsuchcasestomentionofhere.

FromYoshimori’smilitarypoems:

Whetherastrategyworksornotdependsonwhattheenemyintendtodo.Thus,youshouldsendashinobiacrosstheenemylineinordertopickup

anysounds.

Inwaryouneedtosendashinobi-monomiscouttogettheinformationabouttheenemy’stacticsbeforeyoumakeyourstrategy.

SunTzusaysthat:

Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy’spurpose.Bypersistentlyhangingontheenemy’sflank,weshallsucceedinthelongruninkilling the commander-in-chief. This is called ability to accomplish a thing by sheercunning.

TheBingjing manualsays:

If you wish to strike at the enemy then you must utilize spies beforehand. Do this toobservehowmanyofthemthereare,andtojudgetruthorfalsehoodsandthepresentstateoftheforce.Thereafter,raiseanarmysothatyouwillattaingreatachievementsandneverfailtogainvictoryinbattle.

III

Byusingshinobi, the lordshouldknowexactlywhatformation theenemyis takingandwhere,whetherthereisakamariambushornot,etc.,andthuscanmakepreparationsinadvanceandwithoutconfusion.Thiswayyouwillneverbetakenatadisadvantagebyasurpriseattackandthismethodwillbeatremendousbenefittoyou.Thisisbecausebeforethe lordgoes intobattle,ninjawouldseewhatdefensivemeasuresare inplace, suchasformationsordefensivepreparations,orwhethertheenemyhasambushesornot,andhewould bring this back and report to the lord.Because of this the generalwill have theformidable advantage of forward planning for proper arrangement of battle and inaccordancewiththeinformationgained.

FromYoshimori’spoems:

Amononofuwhoishighlymotivatedtodogreatdeeds,shouldknowthepathtotake,withthehelpofashinobiasaguide.

TheThreeStrategies say that the commander-in-chief shouldmake changes and not beconstantwhenthesituationneedschange.

Question:Asinformationabouttheenemy’sformationsordefencesorwhethertheyintendtoambushornotcanbedetectedbymonomiscouts,surelythereisnoneedtohaveshinobinomonoalsoseethesethings?Whyisitthatyousayamonomi’sjobshouldbedonebyashinobiandthusassumethereareadvantagestousingshinobiinstead?

Answer:Monomiscoutsonlyseefromadistantplaceandsimplyspeculateonanygivensituation.Thereforetheycannotseethingssopreciselyandonlyhaveanapproximation.Ninja,ontheotherhand,creepclosetotheenemyandobservethingsdirectly;therefore,theyknowthesituationexactlyandinalldetailandbecauseof this, intelligencereportswill scarcelybe inaccurate. Inshort, thebenefitsof theshinobi are completelydifferentfromthoseofthemonomiscout.

IV

Whenyourarmyisundersiegeinacastle,ifyouhaveninjacommunicatesecretlywiththoseoutsidethecastleorsendinformationfromoutsideofthesiegeintothecastle,thenthebenefitswillbetremendous.Supposeyouandyouralliesareholedupinacastleandbesiegedbymultitudesofenemies,somuchsothatyoucannotgetoutthroughthesiege,unlessyouwereabirdonthewing.Eveninsuchatightcaseasthis,shinobinomonocangetoutsecretlythroughthesiegetoasktheneighbouringdomainforrescueforces,ortoget through any siege and penetrate into a castle secretly and can then obtain signalinstructionsorothersuchinformation.Asforthis,furtherdetailswillbedescribedlateronbuttherearemoretobetransmittedorally.

V

By ninja bringing forward information to an allied force of where its forces are notexpectedbytheenemyorwheretheenemyarenotprepared,anoverwhelmingvictorycanbeobtained.Thiscanbepossiblebecause,beforethecommander-in-chiefarrivesonthebattlefield and takes up a position, shinobi have already been in the enemy’s castle orcamp.Therefore,theycaninformthealliessecretlyfromtheenemy’sterritorywhereyouarenotexpectedtocomefromorthepositionwheretheenemyisnotfullypreparedandinthiswayacommander-in-chiefcantakeadvantageofanygaptogainvictory.Also,thiscan be done with the minimum strength required and with the smallest number ofcasualtiestakingplace,allowingforanoverwhelmingvictorytobeobtained.

SunTzusays:

Appearatpointsthattheenemymusthastentodefend;marchswiftlytoplaceswhereyouare not expected. An army may march great distances without distress, if it marchesthroughcountrywheretheenemyisnot.Youcanbesureofsucceedinginyourattacksifyouonlyattackplacesthatareundefended.

TheSixSecretStrategicTeachingssays:

Hestrikeslikeasuddenclapofthunder,whichdoesnotgivetimetocoverhisears;strikeslikeaflashoflightning,whichdoesnotgivetimetoclosetheeyes.

VI

Whenninjasendsecretinformationtotheirallies,suchaswhethertheenemyisadvancingorwithdrawing,youwillgainthebenefitofamassivevictory.Byninjareportingwhethertheenemyisadvancingornot,orwhetherwithdrawingornot,inwhichdirectionandbywhichroutetheyareadvancingorwithdrawing,inthiswaytheenemy’splanswillbolsterthe allied campaign, and then youwillwin a sweeping victory and there are numerousexamplesofthis.Also,tostrengthenthispoint,itisknownthatsomemilitarywritingssayyoushouldrideinthesameareasastheenemy[tounderstandtheirpositionandtactics].

VII

Shinobi no mono working undercover on the enemy’s side can bring internal discordamongtheenemylordandhisretainersbyslanderingthemdiscreetly,whichwouldenableyoutotakeadvantageofthediscordanddefeatthem.Yourninjaworkingontheenemy’ssidecouldcarryoutvariousplansortacticstosourtherelationsbetweentheenemylordandhisretainers,ortheycancausedoubtamongtheenemytroopssothattheywillnotbeworkinginaccordancewitheachother.Ortheycancausediscordbetweentheenemyandtheneigh-bouringdomainsoastoisolatetheenemy’slord.Thenifyoutakeadvantageoftheseflaws,youcouldoverwhelminglydefeattheenemyinthisweakenedstate.

SunTzusays:

Iftheenemy’sforcesareunited,separatethem;alsopreventtheirunification.

VIII

Ifshinobigetinformationontheenemy’ssecretplansortacticsandbringittoyou,itcanbring you a great victory without expellingmuch strength. By ninja sneaking into theenemy’sposition,eavesdroppingon itsplansor tacticsand informing the lord insecret,thentheenemyplansortacticswillfail,whichcouldbringyouanoverwhelmingsuccess.Realizethatthebenefitofthisistremendous.

SunTzusays:

Thehighestformofcommandistobalktheenemy’splans.

IX

Ifninjainfiltrateacastleorpositionandsetafiretoit,theleastamountofstrengthwouldberequiredtoattainacompletevictory.Ninjacangetintothecastleorpositionbyusingbothin-ninandyo-ninskillsandsetfirefrominsidewiththeaimofburningitdowntotheground,sothealliescanattainthegreatestvictorywiththeleasteffortinattacking.

SiMaFa5says:

Usetroopstoattackfromoutsideandusementoattackfromwithin.

Question:Wehavebowsandfirearrows,firearms,grenades,firearrowsandsoonwithwhichtoattack[acastle]fromoutside.Whyshouldwehaveninjaburnitdownfrom

inside?

Answer:How is it possible for younot toknow that there is a vast differencebetweenyourtryingtosetfirefromtheoutsidewithfirearrowsorincendiarytoolsandtheeffortsofaninjainsidethecastle,whocanjudgethebestspottokindleflamesandthebesttimeto set fires? That will determine whether it will be successful or not. Furthermore, asexperts in handling fire,ninja are well trained with the kind of weapons that you talkabout,whicharefirearrowsandsuch.

X

Itispossibletokilltheenemygeneralwithshinobinojutsuandifthisisdonethebenefitwillbeimmeasurable.Thereisasecretinshinobinojutsuontheskillsrequiredtokilltheenemy’scommander.Inacasewhereyourninjacankill theenemygeneral, thenitwillbringanenormousbenefit,astheenemywillsubmitwithoutfighting.

TheThreeStrategiessays:

Withoutschemingandbeingunorthodox,youhavenomeanstodestroyevildoers.Withoutplotting,thereisnomeanstobesuccessful.

Question:Itseemstobeutterlywithoutfactthatthereisawaytokilltheenemy’sgeneral.Whatkindofmeasureisthat?

Answer:Thereisaprinciple,whichisextremelysubtle.Therefore,Ishouldremainsilentonthisissueatthispoint.

Alongsidetheabovetenarticles, theKanrinseiyomanualsays:ninjaare theeyesandthe ears of the art ofwar and the timbers of your plans and thus critical to a completevictory.Withoutusingthem,thegeneralcannotknowtheterrainoftheenemy’sterritory,howmanypeoplearethere,ortheirplansorschemes,sotheyhavenomeasuretoplanforvictory.Ifyoumakeaplanonyoursuppositionalone,itisjustastonethrowninthedarkanditcaneasilymissthetarget,makingithardtohitthemark.Therefore,youwillbeinperilinbattle,justlikeablindpersontryingtodefeatanopponentwithasharpsword.Forthis,agoodgeneral,ifhewantstoproceed,thenheusesshinobitoseethetopographyoftheenemy’sland,howmanymentheyhave,ifthearmyisstrongorweak,whethertheyareadvancingorwithdrawing,theirplans,andsoonbeforeheraisesanarmyandsetsouthisplans.Thiswayanyeventwillconstantlybesuccessful,withoutfail.

Supposeaninjaisinsideandsetsfireandthegeneralattacksfromoutsideinresponse.Theenemy,iftryingtohandletheinternalfire,cannotdefendagainsttheexternalattack,oriffightingagainsttheexternalforce,thentheywilllosetheircastle.Thustheywillbedefeatedwithoutdoubt.Youattackcastles, take tobattle,winallbattles, anddefeat theenemy,with tremendousmomentumsweepingallbeforeone.Withsuch little force, thegreatestvictorycanberealized;remember,pushingagatewiththeforceofonethousandpeople isnotasgoodas to remove thebarof thegate.This iswhy therehavebeennogreatgeneralssinceancienttimeswhohavefailedtouseshinobiallthrougheverybattle.

SunTzusays:

Suchistheintricacyandsubtletyofespionage.Indeed,thereisnoplacewhereespionagecannotbeused.Theenlightenedrulerandthecapablegeneralareabletosecurevictories

fortheirmilitarycampaignsandachievesuccessesthatsurpassthoseofmanyothers.Thereasonisbecauseofforeknowledge.

Thisforeknowledgecannotbeobtainedfromthespirits,norfromthegods.Itcannotbeobtained by comparing with similar present or past events and situations. Thisforeknowledgemust be obtained frommen who have knowledge of the situation of theenemy.

When these five typesof agentsaredeployed simultaneously, their complexmodesofoperation will be beyond the comprehension of the enemy. They are like mythical anddivineschemesthatcanbedeemedthemostprecioustreasuresandweaponsoftheruler.Secretoperationsandespionageactivitiesformanintegralpartofanymilitarycampaign,astheplanningofstrategiesandthemovementoftroopsdependheavilyonthem.

The ignorant general or the senseless general does not know how to win by usingshinobi,sotheydonotusethem.However,withoutusingshinobi,scarcelyisthereacasewheretheywillsucceed.

SunTzusays:

Twoopposingarmiesmaybeatwarwitheachotherformanyyears,seekingtheultimatedayofvictory.However,ifoneisreluctanttopartwithhonourandranks,moneyandgold,forespionagepurposesandremainsignorantofthesituationoftheenemy,heisextremelyinhumane. Indeed such a person can never be a general ofmen, can never be a goodassistanttotherulerandcanneverbeamasterofvictories.

Asquotedabove,SunTzuwarnsrepeatedlyandstronglyagainstnotusingshinobi.

Manybooksorwritings, JapaneseandChinese,havebeen leftwith the fact recordedthatgoodgeneralsinancienttimesobtainedgreatbenefitfromusingshinobi.Asaleaderofpeople,thegeneralshouldbeawarethatifhedoesnotusetacticsthatincludeshinobi,letaloneifhetreatsthesubjectwithscorn,heproveshimselftobeseriouslyignorant.

Question:Youmentionedearlierthatusingshinobishouldbringyouavictoryandthegeneralshouldnotfailtouseshinobi,andyouquotedsomeancientsages’wordsasproofofthis.However,ascastlesoranyfortificationsaresofirmlyguardedthesedays,Icannotbelievethatshinobicouldreallyinfiltratethem.AndletusconsiderthepointthatintheQuestionsandAnswersbetweenTanTaiZhongandhisgeneralLiJing,LiJingcriticizesSunTzuforhisusageofspiesandsaysitistheworstidea.Hesaysheoncediscussedthedetailsofitandthat‘Waterallowsboatstofloatonitbutturnsthemoversometimes’.Likewisetheuseofspiesmaybesuccessfulbutbyrelyingonspiesyoumaysufferadefeat.Consideringthesewords,Ispeculatethatthewayoftheshinobiisnotagoodmethodintheartofmilitarycommand.

Answer:Itcomesasnosurprisethatanordinary-levelshinobi,oryonin ,wouldthinkit too difficult to get into the firmly guarded fortifications of these modern times.6However, thebasicprincipleofshinobino jutsuhas in-nin andyo-nin at its root, but itdiversifies itself into ever-changing and countless styles, like that of the leaves andbranchesofatree,somuchsothatnoteverythingcanbedescribedhere.

In essence, principles and performance should go together. If you are ignorant aboutprinciples,yourperformancewillnotmature.Also,ifyoucannotmatureinperformance,

you cannot reach the highest of heights, even if you do in fact know the principles.Therefore,wecannotdetermine theprosand theconsbydiscussingwithwordswhat isrightornotintheworldofbattle.Inreality,ifyoufightwithsomeonewithaswordwiththeresolutiontokillhim,thentwoorthreetenthsofyourattackissubstantial–whichisthatwhichyoucancontrol–whilesevenoreight tenths is insubstantial–which is thatwhichyoucannot control.Even thoughyouhave substanceandarekeenat the startofyourinitialmove,yourattackbecomesinsubstantialwhentheswordisbroughtdownontheopponentorwhen it is raisedagain.This isametaphor for thebaselineofninjutsu,becauseninjutsuistoavoidwheretheenemyisofsubstanceandtakeadvantageoftheirgapsandinsubstantiality.7

Shinobinojutsuhasbeenmentionedinvariouswritings,butinaway,youshouldnottrytomakeordinarypeopleunderstandtheprinciplesoftheartastheprinciplesarebeyondthereachoftheirintentions.

Byquoting theabovewordsofLi Jing itcanbenoted thathequestions theneed forshinobispiesandsuggeststhattheyarenotagoodmeasureinbattle.However,knowthat[shinobi]aretheprimarywayoftacticsandthisiswithcertainty.WhatLiJingmeansisthatitwouldnotberightforanignorantgeneraltouseshinobi.Ashesays,theyarenotagoodmeasureforastupidgeneral.Forawisegeneral,theyareagoodmeasure,becauseastupidgeneralcannotdetectiftheninjaisloyaltothelordornot,norcouldheknowiftheninja iscompetentornot.Hemayuse[shinobi]recklesslybecausehehaslittlesenseofbenevolence,isignorantabouttactics,notcarefulenoughinusingsignals.Therefore,withluckhemightobtainavictorywiththehelpofashinobi,butmorethanlikelyandwithoutluck,hewillgodowntotherealmofdefeatasasimplematterofcourse.Therefore,whileashinobiisabadmeasureforthestupidgeneral,thewisegeneralselectsthosewhohavemasteryintacticsandbraveryandfirmloyaltyandthusappointsthemasshinobi,givinghighrewards.Consequently,insuchacasewhereawisegeneralretainsashinobiandthatsaidgeneralpassesaway, theshinobi couldbe loyal enough to sacrificehisown life tofollow the lord into death.8 Alongside this, the bright general takes the shinobi’swife,childrenorothersfromhisfamilyashostage,makesadeepplan,andarrangesfirmlyforsignalsbeforesending theshinobi to theenemy.Thus,hisarmywillnotbedefeatedbyany means. What is more, whenever he uses shinobi, the shinobi would never fail toinfiltrate but attain great achievement and without exception. Therefore, a shinobi is agoodmeasureforthewisegeneral.

Figuratively,waterandfirearetreasuresintheworldbutiftheyareusedwrongly,theycandoharmaswellasgood.Stillthereisnoalternativeforwaterorfire.Swordsorspearsareweaponstokillotherswith;however,ifastupidmanissostupidastohavehisswordorspearsnatched,itwouldkillhimintheend.Italldependsonwhetherthemanisgoodorbad.Moreover, theextremeprincipleofshinobino jutsu issosubtle thatordinaryorstupidmencannotcomprehend it.Thus, it shouldbepasseddowncarefullybywordofmouth.

1Thisisnotthesameastheninpothatiscommonlyused,asthisversionisconstructedwiththeideograms –shinobi-treasure.

2AlegendaryChinesejudgeofhorsesintheperiodoftheZhouDynasty.Today,thewordmeansgenerallyapersonwithafirst-classabilitytorecognizeanddeveloptalent.

3ThisJapanesewordmeansanykindofbigbirdthatfliesfast,suchasaswan,craneorstork.

4Theideogramsusedhereare .

5WriteroftheMethodsoftheSima,oneoftheSevenMilitaryClassicsofancientChina.

6TheendoftheSengokuperiodsawmassivechangesinJapanesecastleconstruction.

7ThepointtobeunderstoodhereisthatFujibayashiusestheideaofstrikinganenemywithaswordtorepresentthetruemeaningofninjutsu.Whentheswordstrikesanattackeritissolidandhassubstance,butwhenthestrikeispastitscentralpointitmovesoutofcontrolandtheswordsmaniscommittedtothemovementandthereforeheisinsubstantialandopen;thistheniswhenyoushouldattack.Inthiswaythereisaconnectionbetweenninjutsuandmartialarts.Whiledifferentinmanyrespects,bothlookfortruegapsintheenemy’sdefences.

8Thisisanimportantpointtonote:seppukuorritualsuicideistherealmofloyalsamuraiinthiscontextandshowsthesamuraisideoftheshinobiwayoflife.

VOLUMEFIVE

ShochiIIAGuidelineforCommandersII

Aboutpromises

ThreepointsabouttheprohibitionswithinshinobinojutsuI

The name and identity of the shinobi nomono should be strictly hidden. The general,when employingninja, shouldnot revealwhohisninja are.Youmustbe awareof thisbecauseitisthewayoflayingplansduringnormaltimes,beforetheshinobiareactuallyrequired at theoutbreakofwar.Withoutplanningyoucannotgainbenefit but also it ispossible that [a lackofplanning] couldbeharmful toyourown force.For thispurposetherearecertain[typesofwarriors] thataid[disguise] inninjutsu.Theseare:heishinormalwarriors;tonshi hermitwarriors;andrishi separatewarriors.

Thewayofmakingpromisesshouldbepasseddownorallyandindetail.

SunTzusays:

Whenusingourforces,wemustseeminactive.

II

The commander-in-chief should strictly prohibit the leaking of plans concerning hisshinobi.If theplanisgivenaway,itwillnotonlyfail,butevenworse,itcouldpossiblyresult in the defeat of your forces. Thus, this should be kept secret and should not beknowntoanybody,noteventoalord’sseniorcounsellors.Thatisthecodeoftheshinobi.

SunTzusays:

Innootherbusinessshouldgreatersecrecybepreserved.

The‘ColloquialCommentary’on theArtofWar states: things shouldbe frommouth toear,thegeneralspeaksandtheninjalistensandsoknowshismissionwithoutamediator.Also,onewritingsays‘ifputinvoice,itwillresonate,soconveyitnotbymouthbutbywriting.’1

III

Thosewhoarefoundtotalkaboutanyplansconcerningtheshinobishouldbesenttotheir

deathimmediately.Aswellasthosewhoshouldnotknowaboutitbyright,anyofthosewhotakepartinsuchsecretconversationaboutthesaidplanconcerningtheshinobiandwhospeaktosomeoneelse,givingtheinformationaway,shouldalsobeexecutedatoncetogetherwiththeonewhohasheardit.Thisisapartof thecode[usedfordealingwithshinobi].

Evenwhenuniversal peacehas come in the country, there is still the lawof keepingthesethingssecretandnotdivulgingtoanyonethatthereareshinobiinuse.

Itisevenmoresowheninastateofwarandifshinobihavenotyetinfiltrated.

SunTzusays:

When espionage activities and secret operations have been leaked before theirimplementation,thentheagentsconcernedandthosewhomtheyareincontactwithmustbeputtodeath.

AccordingtoIChing(YiJing):

Ifasecretisnotkept,thenthingswillcometoharm.

AccordingtoShiji:

Asecretwillworkifitiskept,youwillloseifwordsaregivenaway.

Twopointsonsecretwriting

I

The secret lettersbetween thegeneral andaninja shouldbewrittenbywayof ‘water’,‘fire’or‘ash’.2Therearevariousotherwaysofwritingthemdownwhichhavecomefromancienttimes,butitisnotsoeasytomasterthemquickly.Shinobisecretlettersarewrittenrecordsof thepromisegivento theninjabythegeneralorofferedtothegeneralbytheninja,andshouldbewrittenin‘water’,‘fire’,or‘ash’thenandthereandnotsealed.Asitisasecretcommunication,itshouldbemadesothatevenasagewillnotrecognizeitasasecret letter. Therefore, you should not expect to grasp thewhole context simply fromreadingit.

Here,‘water’meansironmixedinwater,‘fire’isshin3and‘ash’isthe‘juice’fromasoybean,includingtheseedofacastoroilplant(Ricinuscommunis).Youcanuseanyofthemdepending on availability and on the time and place; further details to be transmittedorally.

Accordingtoonewriting:

Itshouldbeputintoshapeorshadowandwithoutink,soyoucannotseethemark.

II

Anotherwayofsecretwriting

Asecretwritingshouldbecutintothreesothatthreepeoplecankeepitseparatelyandsothatitwillmakesenseonlywhenthegeneralandninjacombineit together.Youshouldcreate further measures, such as dividing the characters4 or such things and doing it

accordingtothesituation.Furtherdetailstobetransmittedorally.

IntheSixSecretTeachingsTaiGongsays:

Whenever youhave secretaffairsandmajor considerations, letters shouldbe employedrather than tallies. The ruler sends a letter to the general; the general uses a letter toquerytheruler.Thelettersarecomposed‘asoneunitandthendivided.Theyaresentoutin three parts, with only one person knowing the contents’. ‘Divided’ means they areseparatedintothreeparts.‘Sentoutinthreeparts,withonlyonepersonknowing’meanstherearethreemessengers,eachcarryingonepart;andwhenthethreeareputtogether,onlythendoesoneknowthecontents.Thisisthenreferredtoasa‘secretletter’.Eveniftheenemyhassagaciouswisdom,theywillnotbeabletorecognizethecontents.

Also, tallies5 are used by dividing them into pieces and are each kept separately byindividuals.However,ifoverused,theycanbeconfusing,complexandhardtoworkout.Therefore,I[Fujibayashi]wouldusesecretlettersinstead.

Figure6.TheShinobiIroha

Thewayofsecretwritinginourschoolisveryconfidential,tobetransmittedorally.6

In case the above code [see figure 6] is not useful in stopping the enemy’s strength,writewithnormalcharacters.7Tobetransmittedorally.

Twopointsonyabumisecretletters,whicharesenttiedtoanarrow

I

Ayabumiisalettersentovertotheotherside.Intheprocessofmanufacturinganarrow,thefletchingsshouldbeusedas tagsand theneedednameshouldbewrittenamong the

fletchings.Theletteritselfshouldbeputinthebambooarrowshaftorrolledaroundit.Tobetransmittedorally.

II

Beforeshooting,youneedtoknowwherethereceiverwillbe.

When a shinobi is going to communicate with the general after he has got into theenemy’scastle,heneedstolethisalliesknowwhereheis,sothat theywillnotshootareply from the lord in front of others bymistake. The shinobi should repeatedly shootarrowsthenmovebackwardsandwaitforaresponse.Itisessentialtoarrangeforthetimeandplacetodothis.Tobetransmittedorally.

Fourpointsonsignals

I

Usesignalflagsduringthedayandhikyakubi8firesignalsduringthenight.Theseareusedwhen the commander-in-chief is in a distant position of five to ten ri away. To betransmittedorally.Howtoproducethehikyakubisignalfireisdescribedinthefiretoolssectionoftheninjatoolschapterfurtheron.

II

Use smoke signals during the day and use the irekobi adjustable torch or conch shellsignalsduring thenight.Thereshouldbearrangementsfor theconchshellsignalsmadewith the general beforehand. To be transmitted orally. Details for sending a signal byconchshellshouldbeprearranged,suchashowmanysequencesofthreevibratosandhowmanysequencesof fivevibratosforasignal,andsoon.Beforesendingamessagewiththeconchshell,thethreeinstrumentsofthegongs,theshellhornsandthedrumsshouldbesoundedtotheutmostsothataninjabeingintheenemy’scastleorpositioncanknowthatasignalisbeingsenttohimwiththefollowingsoundsfromtheconchshell.Thisalsoshouldallbearrangedbeforehand.Thisisdonesothattheagentinthecastleorpositionwho always hears the conch shell soundingwill notmiss the signal, aswithout such aprearranged format a ninja could miss the message. It should be arranged preciselybeforehandthat ifhehears thiswarningsignal thatasignalwillsoonfollowwhichwillexplainfutureactions.Furtherdetailsaretobetransmittedorally.

Figure7.Conchshelltable

Thewaytoconveywordsbytheconchshell

Atthebeginningofawordyouaretosignal,blow asthesignthatthemessageisaboutto start. An example sentence is as follows9: [unknown ideogram]

.

Beforeyousendasecondmessagebyconchshell,blowitintenselyandtakearestforashortwhile,blowit three times insetsof three-sectionvibratos tosignal thestartof thenext message. Then blow it sending out the needed message [in the code you havearranged].[Alternatively,]asmentionedabove, thegongs, theshellhornsandthedrumsshouldbesoundedloudlyasadvancenoticetosignalthestartofamessage.Otherwiseitcouldbemissed,astheninjamightmistakeitforotherusualshellsounds.

[Pointsonblowing:]

•Blowalittlelongeratthestart[ofamessage].

•Whenloweringtheintonation,blowonlyinashortburstandcutitoff.

•Eachword,letterorideogrambeginswithonevibrato.

•Whenblowingapreparationsignalbeforeeachwordbegins,addthreevibratos.

•Notethatwhensomewordswithloweringintonationaretakenfromthesecrettable[seefigure7]youshouldaddonevibration.10

Theaboveisaveryimportantsecretincommunicatingyourwordswiththeconchshell.Itisgoodtoringthegongorsoundthedrumatthebeginning.Ifthegongisrungatthestart,drumscanbegoodforthefirstwordorideogram.Ifthedrumisusedatthestart,thegong

wouldbegoodforthefirstwordorideogram.

Forthosewordswithfallingintonation,onlytheconchshellshouldbeusedforsendingmessages.Fulldetailstobetransmittedorally.

Thosewhowanttolearnthispathshouldpractisethisatalltimes,otherwisetheywillnotbeable tocommunicatewitheachother inanemergency. Ifyoukeep trainingwiththis faithfully, you will be able to understand it as if you are listening to someonespeaking.

III

Thesignalsoficchoikka or‘onefireforonecho11distance’.

Theaboveistobetransmittedorally.

IV

Markingyourfiresignalbyusingthreesignalfires12

Asinglefiresignalmightbeconfusedwithotherkindsoffire,suchasasmokesignalortravellers’torches.Itisalsopossibletheremaybeotherfiresignalssentbyothersinthearea.Therefore,you shouldprearrange thenumberof fires tobeused inyour signals–henceitiscalled‘markingyoursignalbyusingthreesignalfires’.

Accordingtoonewriting:

Signsshouldbe transmitted fromheart toheart, thereforeyoudonothave tostick toancientways.

Sixpointsonpromises

I

Ifyouwanttoinfiltratesomewhereusingtheskillsofkatatagae13 orsuigetsu ,14orsuchsimilarinfiltrationarts,youshouldmakearrangementswiththecommander-in-chiefsothathewilldrawtheenemyoutbyusingaformofbait.

Ifitisdifficulttoinfiltratefromthestart,youshouldusetheseskillsandmakeasuddenattack on the castle or camp in a siege and toward nightfall withweak soldiers, whilehidinganambushtroopattherear.Iftheenemysoldiersarestrongandtheyaregiventheordertochaseoffyourraidingparty,thenyoushouldinfiltratewithsuchmeasuresastheskills of katatagae or suigetsu, which allow you to smuggle yourself into the enemytroops.Thebait used shouldnot be strong soldiersbecause it ismeant just todraw theenemyout.Remember,ifitdoesnotlooklikeatrueraidwhentheyarechasedaway,theenemy will see through your intentions. Therefore, you should employ weak soldiers,encouragethemkeenlyandgivethemanordertobreakthroughthegate.Thenwhentheenemythrustintothem,asexpectedtheywillrun.Youshouldlayanambushofstrongersoldiersalittlefurtherawaysothateventhoseweaksoldierswillnotbekilled.Allthesearrangementsshouldbemadebetweenthegeneralandtheshinobinomonoindetail,verypreciselyandveryfirmly.

II

Whenashinobiinfiltrateswithkatatagaeorsuigetsunojutsu,asuddenattackshouldbedeliveredtoaidhiscover.Onthecuegivenbytheninjatothecommander-in-chiefwhenhe is entering, the attack should be intensified to a higher degree. This increases thepressureontheenemysideandtheninjacancarryouthisplanashewishes.

III

Inperformingkyonin or ‘creatingagapbysurprise’,arrangementsshouldbemadebothforyourentryandyourescape.Whenyouwanttoinfiltratesomewherebywayoftheskillofkyonyu ,thatis,‘infiltrationwhiletheenemyissurprised’,thereshouldbearrangementsmadewiththegeneraltomakesurethatheshallsoundthedrumsandmakemencryharshly,allaccompaniedbyahailofgunfire,rememberingnottokilltheshinobiwhoisonhisside.

Imay say that in the casewhen aninja needs to escape from the enemy’s castle orposition,heshouldcarryamarktoidentifyhimself,sothatheisnottobemistakenasoneof theenemy force.Whenundertakinghismission,he shouldhide themarkamonghisclothesanduseitwhenhegetsout.Thecommander-in-chiefshouldmakeitknowntoallhisforcesatanappropriatetime.

IV

Whenyouralliesdeliveranightattack,thereisamethodwheretheninjawillnotreturnwithhisalliesbutstaywithintheenemysidetothensetafirewhenthenextandarrangedattackcomes.Thisisausefulmeasuretobetakeninthecasethatitisdifficulttoinfiltrateduetotheenemyhavingverygoodtacticsindefendingagainstshinobi.Usingthisskill,youcanstay[intheenemycamp]forashortwhileandthensetfiresasyouwish.

V

Make arrangements to build a temporary or false camp but not too close to your ownheadquarters.Thisisdoneinthecasewhereyourshinobihavebeendetectedandcapturedwhen trying to infiltrate theenemy lineswith theaboveskills.Onsuchanoccasion,heshouldtellliestomaketheenemybelievethathehasbeenpersuadedtojointhemandwillworkagainsthisownalliesforthem.Toprovehimselftruetothemheshouldoffertosetfiretoabuildingbelongingtohisownside.Heshouldofferthismeasureofbetrayalwhenthetimeisrightandaftertellingsuchlies.

VI

Concerningsealsandtalliesandascertainingiftheyaretrueorfalse

Atruecommuniquéwillhave the seal in the rightpositionand/orhaveanoddnumber,whileafalsesealwillbeupsidedownand/orwithanevennumber.Thisisdoneforwhenashinobihasbeencapturedandtheenemytellshimtosendafalselettertohislordandmake him write as they would have it written. In such a case you should have anarrangement like the one above with your general. This arrangement should be madebeforehand.Ifthingsarepreparedthus,whenthetimecomes,justthinkaboutthetacticsyoucanusetodestroytheenemy.

Imaysaythatiftheenemycapturesaninja,takeshimclosetothegateofhisallyandforceshimtospeakastheywant,theninjashouldlethisallyknowifhiswordistrueorfalsebycoughing–thatis,coughanevennumberoftimesifhetellsthetruthandcoughanoddnumberifitisuntrue.Furtherdetailsaretobetransmittedorally.

Threepointsoncooperationwiththegeneral

I

Theshinobinomonoshouldgiveasignaltoinformthelordthatheisabouttosetfireonthewindwardsideofthetarget.Thegeneralshouldattackfromthedirectionofthewind.

SunTzusays:

Whenfireisburninginthewindwarddirection,donotassaulttheleewardposition.

Whenthewindblowsstrongly,beawarethatittendstoceasebeforelong.

Isaythatyoushouldhaveagoodjudgementbaseduponthisquote.

II

Whenthereisnowind,thegeneralshouldinformtheninjaofwhichdirectionheshouldset the fire byway of a flag or of the conch shell. The colours for the flag should bearrangeddependingonthefourpointsnorth,south,eastandwestandtheshellshouldbeblown according to the ‘five ways’. The point to be set alight should be determineddependingonthedirectionofthewind.Whenthereisnowind,itshouldbeinaccordwiththe formation that the lordhasgivenand theninja shouldbe informedofhischoicebyflagsortheconchshell,orbythecodethathasbeenprearrangedforamissionofarson.Thedetailsaredependentonthetimeandtheplaceandfurtherdetails tobetransmittedorally.

III

In response to the signal that theninja gives to show that he has set the fire alight, anassaultshouldbelaunchedinperfectaccord,justasdividedpiecesofatallyfitintoone,andallwillcometogether.Bewarned,iftheshinobinomonohasnotgivenhissignal,byusingsmoke,arrows,orfirearrows,etc.,becausethetimeisnotripeyet,donotlaunchtheattackthoughtlessly–therewillbenovictoryifyoudo.Youshouldwaitforthecuegivenwithabsolute confidencewhilemaking sureof thedirection inwhichyou shouldattack, and once the cue is given, you should start your attack with no delay and notprematurelybutperfectlyontime,justaspiecesofatallyfitintoone.

SunTzusays:

Inassaultsbyfire,onemustusethefivewaysofattackinginterchangeably,dependingoncircumstances.Whena firebreaksoutwithin thecampof theenemy,preparequickly toattacktheenemyfromoutside.Whenfirebreakswithinthecampoftheenemyandthereisno confusionnor commotionamong the soldiers,wait patiently anddonot be eager toattack. When the fire is burning ferociously with opportunities to be gained, followthrough quickly with your attacks. When there are no opportunities to be gained and

followed through, cease immediately. Fire can be started from outside the camp of theenemy.Thereisnoneedtowaitforthefiretostartwithinthecampoftheenemy.Firescanalwaysbestartedatsuitabletimesandoccasions.Whenfireisburninginthewindwarddirection,donotassaulttheleewardposition.

Twopointsonthepromisefortheguaranteeofthesecurityoftheninja

I

Arrangements shouldbemade for aninja escaping from a castle as it falls, so that theallieswillnotkillhimorthem(dependingonthenumberoftheshinobi).Duringdaytimeanymeasure or sign can be arranged, while during night time a lantern with the crestshould be themark. Just before the assault, the arrangement should bemade known toeverysoldier;however,itisnotgoodtotellthemtooearly.Onthefallofthecastle,theninjashouldbeinhidinginaclosedplacewhiletheenemyarerunningaway.Afterbattle,theninjausuallycomesoutofhiding.Sotheabovemeasureshouldbetakenjustincasetheninjacannotstayhiddenbuthastocomeoutmixedtogetherwiththeenemysoldiers.

II

Itiscommonforaninjatocomeoutafterallhassettleddown.

Fromtheshinobi-utapoems:

Afteryouhaveslippedintotheenemy’sareasuccessfully,youshouldgivemoreattentionnottofightamongyourselvesthantotheenemy.

Fightingamongyourselvescanalwayshappen,dependingonwhatinstructionsyouaregiven.Youshouldalwaysdecideonanidentifying

markforyourwarriorsbeforehand.Thischapterdealswiththepromisesthegeneralshouldmakewithhisninja.Unlessthesepromises are firmly arranged, it will be hard for the shinobi no mono to infiltrate theenemy,orevenifhecanmanagetodoso,therewillbenovictoryoradvantage.Ontopofthat,itcouldcauseadisaster.Bewarnedyoumustbecareful.

SunTzusays:

Therulermustknow fullyhow touseandoperate the fivedifferentkindsofagentsandespionageactivities.

Besidestheabovetwenty-twoarticles,nomatterifitbeadhocorwithprecision,andnomatter if there isa firmpromisebetween thegeneraland theninja, thoseperformersoftheseever-changingartsshouldnotgiveoutanythingbeforehand.

Hereinabove is mentioned the established rules of signs and promises. This is anintroductiontothispath.

Reasonsastowhyashinobinomonoshouldbeemployed15

He must have five basic elements: loyalty, courage, strategy, achievement (includingworthydeeds)andfidelity–andontopoftheseahealthybody.

Hemustbegentleatnormaltimes,andhaveakeensenseofrighteousnessbutlittleneedofdesires.Heneeds tobe fondof learning theprinciplesof thingsandnever forgethisindebtednesstoothers.

Hemust be fluent in speech, deep in thought, quick in communicating with people atnormal times and difficult to deceive, especially by using logic to avoid falling for‘smoothtalking’traps.

Heshouldknowheaven’swillandhaveagraspofConfucianismandBuddhismandbealwaysawarethatlifeanddeathhavetheirdeterminedappointment.Hemustaimatrisingabovehisownself-interestatalltimesandbearthewordsofancientsagesinmind.

He should be earnest to know themorals of the samurai class and furthermore shouldlearnmuchaboutthewaysofJapaneseandChineseancientwarriorswhohadloyaltyandbravery,dedicatedthemselvestotheirlord,anddestroyedtheenemywithtactics,andallintheserviceoftheirlord.Also,heshouldhaveagreatinterestinmilitaryaffairsortheartsofwar.Histemperamentshouldbethatofahero.

Usuallyheshouldnotbeargumentativewithpeople.Hemustbegentleanddignifiedand,abovethis,haveanameasbeingrighteousandgood.Withinoroutsideofhisdomain,heshouldbereputedtobecompletelyhonest.

Hiswife,childrenandrelativesmustbeofgooddescent,thusthereshouldbelittlechancethathecouldbeareversedshinobi .

Hemustbewelltravelledandhaveagoodknowledgeofwhatthemannersandcustomsarelikeinvariousprovinces.

Hemuststudyhardandlearndeeplytheartofshinobinojutsu,becompetentinstrategy,be talentedatwriting,skilled inallareasofninjutsu to thehighestdegreeandaspire toperformmeritsinbattle.

As well as military affairs, he must also be accomplished in various arts, be poetic,musical,knowhowtodance,havetheabilitytoimpersonateothersandbeproficientinall

otheractivitiesandcanthenusethemtomakeupforanysituationwithoutblundering.

Thosewhohavetheabovetencharacteristicsareveryrareandshouldbecalledjonin16orhighlyskilledninja.Itisdifficulttofindajoninasmentionedaboveunlessthelord

hasprofoundwisdomandcompletelyunderstandspeople, justasifhecanseeintotheirmind.Ifheisnotasage,hecannotattain[thestatusofjonin].

SunTzusays:

Onlythosewhoarewisewillbeabletoemployspiesusefully.

Asmentioned repeatedly in thechaptersof thiswriting, the stupid lord ifusingshinobicannotattainvictoryineverybattlewhilethebrightlordwhenusingshinobiwillwininallconfrontations.Thechancesofwinningareassuredandhisvictoryissure-footed;itisasifhewillnevermissahitonehundredtimesoutofonehundredtries.Thosejoninasmentioned above are difficult to find. However, it is not difficult to obtain satisfyingresultswithchu-genoninja –middle-orlow-levelshinobi–solongastheyareemployedappropriatelyandinaccordancewiththetimeandpurpose.Everydetailabouthowtousethemwillbementionedinthesubsequentvolumesofthiswriting.Also,IwillquotefromancientJapaneseandChinesewritingsasproofthatmiddle-orlow-levelninjacanbemadethebasisofyourtacticsandthattherearecountlessexamplesofthis.

Thewisegeneralcanmakethebestofchuandge,thatismiddleandlowninja,justasamasterhawkercanmakeafirst-gradehawkofasecond-gradehawk.Whyshouldtheybeabandoned?Besides,evenanalmightyninjacannotcarryouthichonojutsu ,the‘artofflyingbirds’17byhimself,withoutleadingorgettingaidfromordinaryshinobiofmiddleor lowlevel.Youshouldlet themperformtheirdutyproperlyso theywillattainsuccess.Therefore,when employingninja, be sure that all the abovematters shouldbeconsideredverycarefully.Youshouldofcourseseekoutjonin,butthoseordinaryninjaofmiddleorlowlevelshouldnotbethrownaway.Asmentionedinthechapterswithinthiswriting,thatisthisdocumenttheBansenshukai, thereisnothingbetterthanusingheishi(‘normalwarriors’),rishi (‘separatewarriors’)or tonshi (‘hermitwarriors’) [whenusingshinobi no jutsu].18 The use of these people gives you countless benefits, uses that areendless.Furtherdetailstobegivenbywordofmouth.

[Untitledlistwhosemeaningsareinpairs]

•Weepingwillow(todescend)

•Japanesewillow(toascend)

•Praise

•Criticize

•Capture

•Release

•Give

•Take

Detailstobetransmittedorally.

1Thisisperplexingasthequoteadvisesnottosaythingsbuttowritethemdown.Itismostlikelyanidiomimplyingsecrecyandclosecommunicationwithouta‘middleman’.

2Theideahereisthataformof‘special’inkisusedtohidethemessageorpartsofit.

3Givenonlyinphonetics.However,theGiyoshumanualstates‘sake’.

4I.e.makethesecretsystemmorecomplex,suchasbycuttingitintothreepartsbutcuttingthroughtheideogramsetc.

5Oftentalliesareitemsthatarebrokenintopartssothatwhenamessengercomesbearingoneanditfitsyourownpart,heisestablishedasatruemessenger.

6ThisisoneofthemostcommonlyusedsectionsoftheBansenshukaiandhasbecomeknownastheShinobiIrohaorninjaalphabet.Anirohaisapangram(asentenceusingeveryletterofthealphabetatleastonce)andhere,inthisversion,anunusualmixtureofideogramsisused.Itissubstitutioncodeandamessagewouldbewritteninthesubstitutedletters.ItisthesameasusinganygivensymboltorepresentA,B,C,etc.,andanytwopeoplewhoknowthecodecansendmessagestoeachother.

7Thisappearsstrange,asitstatesthatifthecodeisnotworkingthenusenormalwriting,whichdoesnotappeartobealogicalstep.However,asthereisasubsequentreferencetokudenororaltraditions,theremaybeafurtherlayerofinformationaboutthisskill,oritcouldsimplybeatranscriptionerror.

8Hikyakubimeansanexpressmessengerorcourier.

9Thissectionappearstoneedtheoraltransmissiontobefullyunderstood.Theblackandwhitecirclesrepresentspecificsoundsthataretobesentandinvolvesectionsofcodeusedfromthetableabove.Therefore,withouttheoraltraditionandwiththewordsmissingfromtheexample,thissentenceistoouncleartotranslate.

10Thissentenceishighlyreconstructedandisambiguousandactuallypointstocertainideogramsinthetableinfigure7.However,someoftheideogramscannotbetypedinadigitalformatastheyareuniqueninjacodes.Inthesecases,onestandardideogramappears– .

11Aunitofdistanceequalto109mandmostlikelyarelaybeacon.

12Theoriginalsays‘marks’.

13Thismeans‘toenteraplaceaftersomeonehasjustlefttheposition’.Furtherdetailsaregiveninvolumenine.

14Literally,‘themoonreflectedonwater’,orahomonymofthesixthmonthoftheyear.Furtherdetailsinvolumenine.

15Thetitleheredoesnotreflecttherealcontent,whichismorealistofwhatmakesaperfectninjaoraninstructiontoalordastothecharacteristicstolookforwhenhiringaninja.

16Alternativelypronouncedasjonoshinobi.

17Thisisacommonphraseandisusedindifferentwaysfromonehistoricaldocumenttoanother.Hereithastheconnotationof‘skill’orjutsu.

18Heishi,thosewhoareemployednormally;rishi,thosecurrentlynotemployedwhoarelookingforemployment;andtonshi,warriorswhoseidentificationisnotcommonlyknown.

VOLUMESIX

ShochiIVAGuidelineforCommandersIV

Howtoprotectagainsttheenemy’splansI

Militaryschemestodefendagainstshinobionlyfunction toblock thoseninjawhohavenotreachedthetrueprinciplesoftheshinobiarts.Seenfromtheviewpointofthoseninjawhohavemasteredthetrueprinciplesofshinobi,nomatterhowwideanddeepthemoatis,theycouldcrossitaseasilyasiftheywereonflatland,ornomatterhowhighthestonewall rises theycouldclimb itaseasilyaspulling looseropehandoverhand inanopenmeadow.Even ifyouassembleyourarmywith the [Chinese]PrinciplesofFive,keepaguardstrictlynightandday,thentrytoquestioneveryone,itisaseasyasifpryingonyourneighbour.Also,evenifyouarrangepasswords, identifyingmarksorcertificatestostoptheenemyfromslipping in, thatwouldonlyallow themto look likeyouralliesso theycouldgetintoyourarmywithasmucheaseasgettingintotheirowncamp.

According toBuddhist teachings, if you have doubt, the entireworld is like a castle[and contains obstacles], but if you are enlightened then there is only emptiness1 in theuniverse.Thisholds true;however, thatbeing said, it isalmost impossible toget intoagood general’s castle or position or serve with distinction under the orders of a stupidgeneral.Asthestupidgeneraldoesnotknowhowtouseshinobi,eventhemostexcellentninjawhohasbenevolence,bravery, tacticsandachievements,and isenlightened to theextentthatthereisonlyemptinessintheuniverseforhim,evenhewouldactawkwardly,justlikeafinehorsethatcanrunasfarasonethousandriwouldbeasadogorsheepthathasbeenfettered. Ifan ignorantgeneralusesshinobi, it is thesameasaslave trying tocontrol the finest horse.Consequently, aninja could possibly end up in dire straits andlikelyfailtoattainhisgoal.

On the other hand, if ordered by a good general, bright and enlightened shinobi canstealintotheenemylinewithnomoredifficultythanwhenyougetintoyourally’scamp.Therehecouldmovearoundamongtheenemy’sforcesofonemillionpeoplefreelyandwithoutbeingnoticedbyanyone. In this situationhe canattaingreat achievements andpractisehisloyaltytothemaximum,withoutanydoubt.Peopledonotknowhowmasterswith such skills have achieved somuch, just like they do not knowwho hasmade thenatureoftheFiveElementsintheuniverse.Ifthegeneral’sbraveryisrenownedevenindistantdomainsorareas,thensoonerorlatertheenemywillbedestroyed,justlikewhenthe sun rises, frost or snowwill disappear in time. According to theBingjingmanual,secretagentsarerequisiteandessentialintheartofwar.However,itwouldbeusefulto

writeherehowyoucandefendagainstyonin , that isordinaryshinobi ofmiddleorlower level, and this should now serve as a paragon for a general, and also to providethoselearnersonthispathwithsomehintsfortheirway.

Sixpointsonhowtoavoidemployingenemyshinobi

I

Examinecloselythosewhonewlycomeintoyourservice.Theyshouldbescrutinizedsocloselythateventheirpast,theirfamiliesandtheirhomelandsshouldbeunderstood.Also,theirwivesorchildren, ifany,shouldbemade tomove intoyour territory. Ifnot,makehimwedawifethatyouofferandhavechildren,sothatyoucantakethemashostage.

You should have a reliable person standguarantee for them. If there is no suspicion,thenyoucanhavethemserveinyourarmy.Besuretochecktheirreferenceswiththeirpreviousmasterexactlytoseehoworifheappreciatesthem,thereasonsastowhytheylefttheirmasterandsoon.Dothisverycloselyandgiveitfullconsideration.

II

Becarefulofanyonewhosurrendersuptoyou.Youshouldsuspectthatsomeonewhohassurrendered might be teki no ninja , that is an enemy ninja. If this is so, putkakushimetsukeorsecretwatchersinplaceandkeephimundersurveillance,givinganyneeded consideration. If you are in some provisional fortifications and you have noconstructiontokeepnewsoldiersin,simplyputhiminanenclosure.Ifyouareinacamp,you should place him somewhere in the outer area of the camp, outside of the first orsecondsetsoftroops.

Alongsidethis,havehimmakeanoathtothegodsonpaper,andhavehimconfessthatitisnotastratagemandthatthereisnodouble-dealing.However,insuchacasetherearethings you should be aware of in terms of the defence. If he surrenders under falsepretencesagain,therearewaystoexposehistactics.Tobetransmittedorally.

III

Merchants,monks,thosewholiveinseclusion,yamabushi,in-yodiviners,Shintopriests,performers of music, dance or other types of entertainment, local villagers, beggars oranybodywholookssuspiciousshouldnotbeallowedintothecastleorcampatanytime.Thisshouldbestrictlybroughthometoeveryonebyrepetition.

Apoemonmilitaryaffairssays:

Makeupanumberofmerchantsandsendthemintotheenemy’scampwheretheycanobservethem.


Ifabeggaroroutcastcomesneartheguardhouse,treattheminarough

wayandclearthemoff.

Intheguardstation,aweak-mindedpersoncouldmakeablundersimplythroughhisnature.

Youshouldneverallowanyonefromoutsideofyourprovincetocomeclosetotheguardhouse,evenifheorsheisarelative.

IV

You should bring merchants from your province. In the case where you use localmerchants, you should have someone who stands surety for them. According to somewriting,merchantswhoserveinyourcampshouldbebroughtinfromyourownprovince.If you have to use local merchants, inquire into their background closely and have areliableguarantor.Ifyouacceptmerchantswithoutmuchthought,theenemyshinobimaycome in disguised as a merchant and seek information from the inside. In case themerchantsareplacedoutsideofyourcamp,theymaysetafireandmakeacommotionsothattheywilltakeadvantageofitanddeliveranightattack.

Shibata’smartialpoems:

Ifthesmallconstructionsformerchantsorpennytraderswiththickroofsaresetonfire,youshouldbeawareitmaybearson.

Keepvigilanteyesonthehutsbuiltoutsideofyourcampsotheymaynotbesetonfire.

V

Detectingthepossibleconspiracyofasuspectedagent

Ifyouhavethosewhoseemtobedirectedbytheenemyorthosewholooksuspiciousinanyway,you should talk to their close retainersor relatives trying todetermine if theirwords are true, or offer a deal that if they speak the truth, theywill not be blamedbutmightberewardedhighly,eveniftheythemselvescommittedtotheconspiracy.Anotherwayistogiveafeastsoastoloosentheirtonguesandtomakethemrevealthemselves,orhavethemseparatefromeachother,suchasamasterandhisretainers,husbandandwife,brothers,orother relations.This isdone so that theirplanswillbe foundoutwithyourowningenuity.Themethodsyoushouldemployshouldbevariedaccordingto the time,placeandperson.

VI

Not only courtesans or demimondaines but also maidservants, or any kind of woman,shouldnotbeallowedintoyourposition.Whenyouaredefendingacastle,astrictorder

shouldbegivennottoletanywomaninthecastle,evenifsheisfromyourprovinceandhasareliablebackground.

I may say that warriors are yo while women are in. Therefore, if some women arewithinyour force, thechiofyowill bedegradedby in and itwill yield.ZhugeLiang2,whenheencampedwentupahighmountaineverymorningtolookdownontohisforcestoseeiftheywereofinorofyochi.Heoncefoundhisforcescoveredanddistortedbyin.Feelingsuspiciousaboutit,heinvestigatedthetroops.Asaresulthetookoutwomenfromwhere theywere hidden and executed three hundred of them. The spirits of the forceswereregainedatonce.

Sevenpointsonthedisciplineofthearmy

I

Withnewcomersmixingtogetherwithlong-servingsoldiers,thePrincipleofFiveshouldbeequallyapplied.Thefivefoldsystemisconstructedinblocksoffivepeopletomakeaforce of twelve thousand five hundred people. This is because the formation should bearrangedonthebasisofthe‘diagramofdirections’,whichhasthefivedirectionsofeast,west,south,northandthecentre.Thebeginninggivesbirthtothetwofundamentalsofinandyo,thenfromthiscomestheFiveElements,withwhicheverythingintheuniverseisbuilt.ThenconverselyeverythingreturnstotheFiveElements,andtheFiveElementsarereducedtoinandyo,andinandyoendupbackatthe‘one’.

Zhuge Liang’s eight formations use five as a unit, which turns it into the eightformations,allofwhichareunitedintoone.Tobetransmittedorally.

Usefivecolouredflagstoshowwhichformationistobetaken,andusethedrumsandthegongs to informwhether toadvanceorwithdraw,or thespeedatwhichthis is tobedone, according to the situation. Also, the five colours allow your men still to feel incontrolevenwiththeformation’sdefeatordownfall.Thatiswhyithasbeendividedbyutilizingeachsignsinceancienttimes.

[ThePrincipleofFive]

•Fivepeoplemakeago andeachgohasagochochief .

•Fivego,puttogether,makeagroupcalledaryo ,consistingoftwenty-fivepeople,andeachryohasachief.

•Fourryomakeagroupcalledasotsu ,consistingofonehundredpeople,andeachsotsuhasachief.

•Fivesotsumakeagroupcalledaki ,consistingoffivehundredpeople,andeachkihasachief.

•Fivekimakeagroupcalledashi ,consistingoftwothousandfivehundredpeople,andeachshihasachief.

•Fiveshimakeagroupcalledagun ,consistingoftwelvethousandfivehundredpeople,andithasataisho orthecommander-in-chief.

Analternativesystem

•Twogomakeagroupcalledaju ,consistingoftenpeople,andithasajuchochief.

•Tenjumakeagroupcalledasotsu ,consistingofonehundredpeople.

•Asangun isthreearmies,whichmeansthefullforceconsistsofthirty-seventhousandfivehundredpeople.

TheaboveishowthePrincipleofFiveworks.

ImaysaythePrincipleofFiveshouldbeappliedtoamixtureoflong-servingmenandnewcomers, because if there is any possibility of tekinin , or enemy ninja, havingslippedinamongthenewcomers, itwillbenecessarytohavelong-servingorhereditaryvassalsmixedwiththenewcomers.

From the six bugyo senior officers down to foot soldiers, servants, lower people,retainersofnewcomersandlow-ranksamuraiandnewlyemployedronin–everysinglepersonshouldbelaidunderthisprinciple.

II

Thefirststrictlawthattheunitoffivepeopleshouldfollowisthatifthereisdoubtwithsomeone, they should not pretend not to see or not to hear anything or to ignore thesituation. If something dubious is discovered by anyone from another unit, all of themshouldacceptthesameblameforsuchtreachery.

Thesecondlawisthatifevenoneofthefivepeoplebreaksanyofthesemartiallaws,thentheyareallequallyguiltyasagroup.

Thethirdlawisthattheyshouldchecktheirweaponsorbelongingswitheachotherintheunit.

Thefourthlawisthattheunitshouldsynchronizetheirstepsandwalktogether.

Thefifthlawisthatifoneofthemneedstoleavethegroupheshouldgettheirchief’ssealforpermissiontodoso.

Thesixthlawisthatifthereisasuspiciousman,youshouldtellthechiefoftheunitofthatmanandsendhimtothechiefunderguard.

The seventh law is that if you have found a suspicious person or you think that atekinin,orenemyninja,hasslippedin,youshouldpretendnottonoticebutthentellthecaptaindiscreetly.

Theeighthlawisthatanyone,evenifitisacloserelativeofthesuspect,whorevealsinformationshouldbegivenhighrewards.

Thisistheoutlineoftheeightlaws.Thesemartialcodesshouldbeappliedstrictlywiththegreatestattention.

III

Ineachryooftwenty-five,ametsukeoverseer oryokome‘side-eye’spy shouldbesecretlyplaced.Theattributesapersonneedstobeametsukeoverseerare:

•tohavelittlepersonaldesireandagreatsenseofjustice

•tohavenofavouritismtoanythingbutalwaystobeloyaltohislord

•tobefromarespectablefamily

Heshouldbegivenhighrewardssothathewillbemoreencouraged.

IV

Makesurethatwhatisdiscussedanddecidedinacouncilofwar,beityourformationsorother such things,will not be discovered by the enemyninja. You shouldwork out anappropriate way of doing this dependent on the situation. The first thing is that thecommandfromthegeneralshouldberespectedbysamuraiandsoldiersaboveanythingelse and the army of soldiers should keep quiet. If the army is well controlled, everycommand for formation, attack on the castle, night attack or anythingwill be enforcedthroughoutthearmysoquicklyandtheywillbeabletoadvanceorwithdrawfreely.


Whenthegeneral’splansarekeptsecret,enemyspieswillnotbeeffective.

SunTzusays:

Theultimateskillinthedeploymentoftroopsistoensurethatithasnofixedorconstantformation and disposition. Without ascertainable formations, even the most deeplyinfiltratedandobservant spywill not beable toprobeandcomprehend, and thewiseststrategistwillnotbeabletouncoveryourplansorplotagainstyou.

Imaysayshinobiisnotamatterofinbutisinfactyo,whichshouldbeemployedwhenyouperformshinobiduties.Youshouldbeawarethatin-nininfiltrationisshallow,whileyo-nin, that is infiltrationbyopendisguise, isdeep.This iswhatunderlies theskills fordefendingagainstit.

V

Howtodetectthatwhichishiddenoutsidetheofficiallistings3

Detailstobetransmittedorally.

VI

Ifninjaareimprisonedbytheenemyandareofferedpaidservicebytheenemygeneral,theyshouldanswerthattheyagreetoworkforthembuttheninformtheiralliesofthisassoonaspossibleandnotifythemofthesituationdiscreetly.Insuchacase,theyshouldberewardedby theiroriginalmasterwithdouble theamount theenemyhasoffered,whichshouldbearrangedthroughsomeoneinacloseintimacytotheninjaandinsecret.

VII

If someone brings information on the enemy’s movements, whether advancing orwithdrawing,orpertainingto theirsecretplansat least threedaysbefore theevent, theyshouldberewardedhighlyaccording tohowmuchhe isdevoted tohis lord.Aswellassamurai or soldiers,merchants or peasants should also be informed of this offer but in

secret–[thatisawayfromenemyears].

DuringtheGenkoera(1331–1334),whenKusunokiMasashigewasdefendingChihayacastle,therewasageneraloftheenemyarmyofKantonamedKanazawaUmanosukewhodevised various stratagems to capture the castle. In order to hold out against this,Masashigemadehistworetainers,KizawaHeijiandMuneiKofuji,poseasmerchantsandsell armour, horse gear, paper, lacquer-ware and so on, thus having free access to theenemy’s camp. They successfully gained acquaintancewith Umanosuke and he trustedthem. Through this trust he was offered by the false merchants a scheme of treacheryinvolvingawaytodefeatOnchiSakon,whowasageneralofKusunoki’sforces.Becauseof this treachery, in the end, forty valiantwarriors ofUmanosukewere drawn into thecastleunderpretenceandallofthemwerekilled.Consequently,allUmanosuke’sschemeswereimpaired.

AlsoaretaineroftheKusunokiclannamedHayakawaKotawasapproachedbyOsaragiMutsunokamiwith an offer to sell out and in reward to be given a certificate for landyieldingtwothousandkan4withtheadditionofonethousandryoofgold.UponthisofferheimmediatelythentoldKusunoki,whorewardedhimwithalandoffivethousandkanandtwothousandryoofgold.Takinghiscuefromthis,KusunokithenusedHayakawaasashinobi[employinghimasadoubleagent]andsucceededinkillingmassesofenemies.

1Thisisloadedwithconnotation.Emptinessisapositiveinthiscontext.

2181–234,primeministerofShuHanandconsideredagoodstrategist.

3‘Documentsofarrival’ weregivenbyasamuraitothelordwhenhejoinedthearmy–theylistedhisforcesandhisequipment.Themanualhasonlythefirsttwoideogramsandappearstobeaninstructiononhowtotellifthereareextraandunwantedforcesinthearmy.

4Aunitoffief,aboutonethousandeighthundredlitresofrice.

VOLUMESEVEN

ShochiVAGuidelineforCommandersV

Howtoprotectagainsttheenemy’splansII

ThreepointsonwatchfiresI

Instructions for constructing themain standing fires and the extra or expendablefiresforyourcastleorcamp

Themainwatch fires shouldbepositionedonboth sidesof thegateon theouter fenceperimeter [which is made of brushwood hedges or bamboo and surrounds the entireencampment].Extrawatchfiresshouldbemade,evenfive,sixorsevenchoawayfromthecamp.Tobuildtheseextraandexpendablefires,youshoulddigaholeandcrawlintoit.

Somewritingssuggest that themainwatchfiresshouldbebuilt thirtykenawayfromthe fencewith threesidesbuiltupasembankmentsand the rightand the leftembankedwallsshouldbeaboutsevenshakuhigh.

Themainfiresshouldbelitbeforenightfall.Theexpendableandsmallerexternalonesshouldbebuiltthirtyken fartherawayfromthemainfires.Thesearenot tobefedwithmorewood during the night, whichmakes itmore difficult to keep a good fire going.However,onaquietnight, itdoesnotmatterhow it is constructed.But,onawindyorrainynight,itcanbedifficulttolightthem,andthefireswillnotlastuntildawn.Onsuchawindynight,youshouldpilewoodatananglewith theextendedendson the leewardsideandthenlightitfromthewindwardside.Theseexpendablefiresshouldbeburntfrommidnightonwards.

Thoseinchargeofanightpatrolshouldbeveryattentivetoboththemainwatchfiresandthesingle-usefires.Onarainynight,itisbettertoputlotsofstrawonthemainfires,as keeping themainwatch fires burning is difficult. Also, you should have the properknowledgeonhowtoconstructthem.Onawindynight,thesingle-usefiresshouldhavethe flame toward the leeward direction [to prolong its life]. However, if the wind isblowingtowardyou,thewoodshouldbepiledatanangle,inafanshapewiththepointsfacingyou.1Whenthewindisblowingtowardcamp,thenthedistancebetweentheone-usefiresandthemainwatchfiresshouldbelongerthanusual.

Amartialpoemsays:

Whenyouareadvancingandmakingacamponthefrontline,keepwatchfiresburninguntilthedaydawns.

AmartialpoembyShibatasays:

Whenyouencampclosetotheenemyline,youshouldmakelargewatchfiresinfrontofyourcampeverynight.

II

Hanglargelanternsateveryexitofyourcamp.Alongsidethis,putalanterneverywherewhereneeded.Suchlanternsshouldnothavethegeneral’screstbutsomeotheronethatisnotinuseanywhereelse.Itwillaidyoualittleinyourtricks.Tobetransmittedorally.

III

Hanga lanterndownfromthecastleorcampwallsorusesarubimonkeyfire,which isfire on a rope, kurumabi cart fire ormizutaimatsu water-proof torches, to inspect thebottomofthemoatarea.Whenyoudefendacastle,aswellasexaminingwithinthecastleitself,youshouldwatchfortheenemyshinobiapproaching;dothisbyusingtheselightsand lowering them down the outer walls, especially paying attention to the recessedcorners.Thisgoeswithoutsayingwhenconcernedwiththosecastlesthatarenotnaturallyfortified, andeven thosecastlesof strong fortifications shouldbeguarded strictly everynightwiththeutmostofattention.Thetightestsecurityshouldbecarriedoutonastormynightwhenthewindandrainarestrong.

Aninjapoemsays:

Inheavyrainfallwhentherainisatitsmost,youshouldtakeadvantageofitforyourshinobiactivitiesandnightattacks.2

Onewritingsaysthattoseeiftheenemyshinobihaspassedthroughyourcamp,thereisawayofdiggingoutashallowtwo-ken-widetrenchandapplyingfinesandonthebottombetweenthewatchfires.This isdoneso thatyoucansee thefootstepsofsomeonewhohas infiltrated. However, as the ninja may be wise enough to manage to hide theirfootsteps,thesandshouldberakedveryneatlyandexaminedverycloselysothatitwillbenoticed if it is in disarray. Though this is actually a shallow tactic, it might help fordefendingagainstshinobibymakingtheenemyshinobithinkthatyouareconductingthestrictestguard.

Fivepointsonpasswords,identifyingmarksorsignsoractionsofidentification

I

Insomecases,passwordsuseacue,likepullingtheearorblowingthenosetomakeyour

opponentgivethecodeword;alsothereisapresetwayofusingmatchedpairs,whichiseasyforevenlower-rankpeopletouse.Bugyocommandersshouldinventgoodversionsoftheseandchangethemfromtimetotimeandhavetheirmensaythemtoeachother.Ifnecessary,thepasswordshouldbechangedeverynight.Examplesofthesepasswordsare:‘stars to themoon’, ‘themoon to the sun’, ‘waves towater’, ‘smoke to fire’, ‘fruits toflowers’,andsoon.Youshouldinventgoodversionssothateveryone,evenlowerpeople,canmemorizeand say themwithease; changeeverynight andhave themsay it.Tobetransmittedorally.

II

Though there are ancient ways for identifyingmarks, unless you invent new ones androtatethem,theenemywillmanagetoinfiltratebyhavingsimilarorfakeones.Therefore,make sure to change them for every occasion. One of the commonly used ancientidentifyingmarkswasawhitepieceofsilkofaboutoneshakutwosun longwhichwasputonthebackofyourhelmet.However,youshouldarrangethisancientwayaccordingtotheopportunity,likechangingittolinenorcotton[tofooltheenemy].Tobetransmittedorally.

Onewritingsays,wheninabattlecamp,thepasswordsoridentifyingmarksshouldbechangedeverydayandnight.Ifyouusethesameonefortwodays,theenemywillknowthis.Youmighthavetochangeiteveninthemiddleofthedayormiddleofthenight.Byusingassociationbetweenwords,youshoulduseonehundreddifferentpairsforeachonehundred-dayperiod.Oldpairs ofwords that everyoneknows, like ‘forest tomountain’,‘water to valley’, ‘woods to village’, ‘waves to the sea’, etc., are not desirable. Otherinstances,suchas‘Yoshinotocherryblossoms’,‘Miyaginotohagiflowers’,‘MountFujitosnow’,etc.,3couldbecreated–asmanyasareneeded.Alongsidethis,identifyingsignslikeblowingthenoseorholdingtheearshouldalsobeemployed.

III

Whenyouaregoing inforanightattack,youshouldhaveeveryone inyourarmyweardokagaginuunderwearbeneathhisarmour.Tomakethisunderwear,whitelinenorcottonclothshouldbeused.Makethewidthofthisdoublethestandardwidthfornormalclothrolls4andthelengthshouldreachdowntothehipandhavenosleeves.Tobetransmittedorally.

IV

When your army has come back after a night attack or if you suspect that an enemyshinobimayhaveinfiltratedthegroup,youshoulddevelopingenioustachisuguriisuguriidentifying signs as a basis, which are prearranged signals invented by KusunokiMasashigeasawaytofindintruders.Tobetransmittedorally.

V

When your army is going in for a night attack, you need tomake your troops take anidentifyingpassandcheckitat thegatewhentheycomeback,ormakethemrepeat thepasswords.However,itdoesnotworkwellifyourtroopsareverynumerousortheenemy

isveryclose.

Ninjapoemssay:

Duringanightattackyoumayhavetheenemyfollowyouback,andgetintotheranksofyourallies.Topreventthis,youshouldhavea

prearrangedpolicy,awaytoidentifyyourallies.

Ifyoususpectthattheenemy’sshinobimayhaveinfiltratedyourside,discoverthembycountingthenumberofyourallies.

Amartialpoemsays:

Whenyouarethevictimofanightattack,donotletyourguarddownevenaftertheattackershavewithdrawn.Theymayleavesomeoneto

commitarsonandyourcampmaybedestroyed.

Sixpointsonbehaviourintheguardhouse

I

Everygateofthecastleorcampshouldbeguardedwhetherdayornight;everyonegoinginoroutshouldbecheckedforidentificationwithapass.Especiallywhentheenemyisclose,arrangeanidentifyingmarkorpasswordandhaveeveryoneofyourarmy,ofhighor low rank, informed of it without fail. At every guardhouse, any of these threealternativeways shouldbe strictlychecked.Strict rules shouldbeadhered toand in thecasewherethereissomeonewhoisnotvigilant,heshouldbepunishedseverely.Thoseonguard should be turned every two hours. At night everyone should be told to carry alanternwiththegeneral’screstintheupperpositionandhisowncrestunderit.

II

Whether in the camp or castle, guardhouses placed beside the outer wall should beguardedstrictlydayandnight.Recessedcornersofthestonewalls,theinsideofthewaterpipesofafloodgate,therubbishdisposalarea,woodsorbushesinthecastleandanyothersuitablehidingplacesshouldbeinspectedwithspecialcare.Thesearewhereshinobiarelikelytogetin.Evenifitisawell-fortifiedplaceorevenifyouarenotinconfrontationwith the enemy, you should not lower your guard.On stormy nights ofwind and rain,nightguardsorpatrolsshouldbeevenstricter.Ifthereissomeonewhoisnotvigilant,heshouldbepunishedstrictly,andthisordershouldbeenforcedamongall.

Amartialpoemsays:

Donotletyourguarddownevenifyouarenotconfrontingtheenemy.

Nightattacksorarsonistsmayinfiltratefromnearyourpost.

III

Concerningwatchguardswhileinabattlecamp

Halfwaybetweenthemainwatchfiresandtheexpendablefires,tenfootsoldierstogetherwithoneortwomountedwarriorsshouldkeepastrictguardatcertainpoints.Theyshouldfollowthesamerulesasaboveforthelanternswiththetwocrestsandshouldtaketurnsintwo-hour shifts. Before taking turns, they should perform scouting duties in no-man’s-land.

IV

Aswell as the insideof thecastleor a camp, the tobari outer areaor thekedashi area,whichisimmediatelyontheoutsideofyourcamp,shouldalsobestrictlypatrolledwithnight-timewatchguards.Whetheryouaredefendinginacastleorinacamp,night-timeguardsshouldbedividedintogroups,sothattheycansleepinturn,dayandnight.Thisshouldbedonebothfortheinsideandthetobariorkedashiareas.

Thetobariarea,whichistheareathirtytofiftykenoutsideofthecastleorcamp,shouldbe strictly guarded, and for the kedashi areas you should have guards stationed at adistanceoffivetosevenkenoutsideofthemaincamp.

Aninjapoemsays:

Evenifthereisadinoutside,beawarethattheguardhouseshouldnotbeleftcompletelyempty[sothatguardscan]listentosoundsoutside.

Whenyouareonnightpatrolorhavetostandguardinanemergency,youshouldkeepquietsothatyoucanhearanysounds.

[PointVismissingfromthetext]

VI

Whether day or night, scouts for a far-distance observation should be sent out. To betransmittedorally.

Threepointsonnightpatrols

I

For the inside area, three foot soldiers at a time should be on duty in two-hour shifts,patrollinginwardofthewatchfires.Besuretowatchwithutmostcarethenarrowalleys,rooms,latrinesoranyotherplacesthataregoodasshelter.

Fortheouterareaofthefires,fiveorsixmountedwarriorsatonetimeshouldgoround

andkeepwatchcloselyandbeondutyintwo-hourshifts.Indoingthis,everyoneshouldcarryalanternwiththecrestsastaughtbefore.Onnightpatrol,fourorfivepeoplewhoarenotcarryinglanternsshouldfollowthose

carryingthelanternsandatintervals.Tobetransmittedorally.

Apoemsays:

Whenonanightpatrol,whatyoushouldpayattentiontoisanysoundorcommotionamongtheenemy,thefiresandyourowngaps.

II

Kamaritsukesecretscoutingmethodsareusedbythosewithoutalightfollowingthenightpatrol,sneakingalongatintervals.Theygoroundinastealthyway,tryingtofindenemykamari.


Youshouldconductathoroughsearch,followingbehindthepartyofanightpatrol.Thisiscalledkamaritsukeor‘thedetectionofkamari

agents’.

Itreallymattersthatafterthenightpatrolisconducted,besuretoconductkamaritsukeoverandoveragain.

Whenundertakingkamaritsuke,itissaidthatyoushouldmakemultipleroundsatintervalstoenableyoutofindtheenemy’sshinobiagents.

III

When those on night patrol or undertaking kamaritsuke detection methods find asuspiciouspersonthentheyshouldmakehimsaythepasswordorhisname.If theystillhavesuspicionabouthim,theninsuchacasetheyshouldpretendtobeconvincedthatheis on their side and capture him alive, taking advantage of any gaps. Do not kill himimmediately.

Yoshimori’spoemsalsostate:

Ifyoufindasuspiciousindividualwhileyouareonnightpatrol,youshouldcapturehimalivebycallingonallyourresources.

Onnightpatrolitisinadvisableforyoutocutsomeonedown

immediately.Youshouldnotbetoorash–thisistoavoidtheriskofkillingyourcomrades.

Twopointsontogikilisteningscouts

I

Togiki scouting foot soldiers should be placed at intervals of thirty ken and mountedwarriorsshouldbeplacedatintervalsoftwocho.

II

Kagi [thosewho smell] ormonogiki [thosewho listen] are hidden scouts. They shouldkeepthefollowinginmind:

•toheadinthedirectionofbaikijin5

•tomakementalnotesalongtheway

•tostretcharopeacrossthepathways

•tolistentohowthedogsareacting

Whenyouaredefendingacastleorareinacamp,anumberofpeopleshouldbesentforkagiormonogikiscoutingeverynight.Kagiormonogikiistosendpeoplesecretlyalongtheroadswheretheenemymightcometoattackortoplaceswheretheenemy’sshinobimightinfiltrate.Makesuretocommittoathoroughdetectionsweepineverydirectionandsecretly; frontandrearand leftandright.Theyare there tocaptureshinobi;however,ifthe enemy is too large in number then they should comeback to inform the general assoonaspossible.Kagiscoutsgoforward,whilemonogikiscoutsfollowthekagiscoutsatadistanceoftwentytothirtyken.Detailsaretobetransmittedorally.

Thesearealsocalledtogikiorlisteningscouts.Whengoingfortogikiscouting,ifyouare not sure about theway to get back, you shouldmakemarks such as tying grass orplacingabamboostickintotheground.Whenthewindandrainisraginganditispitchblackandtheroadisbroad,youmaynotnoticeiftheenemyshinobihaspassedyou.Inthatcase,youholdaropeinyourhand,stretchingitoutsothattheshinobiwillhititwhentryingtosneakpast.

Inadditiontothis,whengoingfortogikiscouting,youshouldchoosethedirectionofbaikijin–thisiswhereanightattackofshinobiwillcomefrom.Thisiswhatthoseskilledintogikiscoutingareawareof.

Thedirectionofbaikijinis:

•thetwelfthdirectiononthetimeoftheRat,Horse,HareorCockerel

•theeighthdirectiononthetimeoftheOx,Ram,DragonorDog

•thefourthdirectiononthetimeoftheTiger,Monkey,SnakeorBoar

Onewriting says thatwhenyouplacepeople for togiki scouting, you shouldplace footsoldiersatintervalsofthirtykenandmountedwarriorsatsuccessiveintervalsoftwochoand this should extend halfway from the enemy’s front line to your hatamoto

headquarters.This is so that the information from the front line canbedirectly relayedbacktotheheadquarters.Amartialpoemsays:

Sendshinobinomonoouteverynightsothattheywillseeandinformyouiftheenemyisapproaching.

Twoskillsfordefendingagainsttheenemybyusingtools

I

Scatterbamboocaltropsandalsoscatterironcaltropsoftwotypes6onthoseroadswhereyouexpecttheenemyshinobiwillcome.

II

Setharahatabaraitrapstoknockthelegsfromunderpeopleorsettsurioshitrapsbesidetheouterwallandcamouflagethem.Variouskindsoffront-lineforts,fortifications,campsorcastleswhichhavenonaturaldefenceshouldhavethesetrapsaroundthemontheroadswhereenemyshinobimay come from.Also, if thewater gutter that is used to feed thecastleisbigenoughforahumantogetthrough,applyironropetoit.Theabovetoolsareshownwithillustrationslateron.

Theseabovearethe‘hush-hush’sectionsofyourtacticsforpreventingenemyshinobifrominfiltrating.Itishardtotellexactlyhowtoactaccordingtothesituationandthetimeandtheplace.Ifyouhaveasetoffixedwaysoruseaconstantform,howcouldeventhegreatestgeneralobtainavictory?

AsTai-gong-wangsays:

Ifageneral’splan is leaked, thearmywillnotbeable toaffect their strategicplans. Ifinternalaffairsarerevealed,disastersbeyondcontrolwillbefallthearmy.

Ifenemyshinobiareinyourarmy,itwillbringaboutyourdownfallmorethananythingelse.Itisakintohavingagripingpaininyourstomach.Therefore,acommander-in-chiefshouldkeeptheabovemeasuresinmindandenforceallthesegivendisciplinesamonghismen. Then how could ordinary shinobi of middle or lower level infiltrate your army?What aremost subtlewithin the arts of the shinobi are the ever-changing angleswhichinfinitelyalteraccordingtothesituation,andtherearetoomanyexamplestomentiontohelp highlight this. However, the baseline of all stratagems or disguises is always thesame, and that is the art based on the skills of the Five Elements. In order to defendagainst enemy plans or shinobi, or should an emergency arise, youmay think it moredesirable to have a largenumberof people.However, you shouldnot hiremorepeopleintoyourarmywithoutcareful consideration.Rather than leadinga largenumberunderyourcommandwiththeenemymixedupasyourallies,itwouldbebettertoleadasmallnumberoftrueallies.Eveniftheyareasmallnumber,thereshouldbeawaytowinoveramassiveenemyforce.Youshouldnotwastegoldandsilvertopayforuselesspeople.Thatwould be evenmore harmful. Save any expense and instead support asmany full-time

soldiersaspossible,sothat,whenatwar,youwillnotneedtohirewhoeveryoucanfindinhaste,andthiswillpreventmostoftheenemy’sspiesfromfindingtheirwayintoyourforces.

Inordertostopenemyspies,donotfullybelievewhatanewcomersays.Instead,youshouldthinkofmakingaconvertedspyofhim,feedinghimfalseinformation.Disguisedshinobicanbedetectedbythefiveskills:certificationwithstamps;passwords;identifyingmarksandsigns;dokataginuunderwear;and tachisuguri isuguri signalsandsigns.Takenote, mountain castles, outlying castles, fortifications and camps are subject to covertinfiltrationbyshinobi.Todefendagainstthis,frequentnightwatchesandguardsshouldbecarried out. To block converted shinobi, try to know their true intentions, and have adoubtfulmindaboutwhattheysaysothatyouwillnotbedeceived.Shinobialwaystrytolookforanysmallgapwhereyou letyourguarddown.Thecharacterforkan canbealsoreadasma(gap),aida(between)orhedatsuru(divide),andtheonesforcho andtei canbereadasukagau–‘topeep’or‘todetect’.Thuseveryoneshouldbemadefullyaware that shinobi can arise by taking advantage of any gap in your guard. If strictdisciplineismaintainedinconductingeverythingwithoutnegligence,ninjaofthemiddleorlowerlevelwillnotbeabletogetinsuccessfully.However,amancannotbealertallthe time and also any army will have a gap in discipline no matter how strictly it isconducted.Therefore,asuperiorshinobinomonowillbeabletotakeadvantageofeventhesmallestopportunitywhenyouareoffguardorusethenarrowestgapwhereyoufailtomaintaindiscipline.Therefore, he can infiltrate anywhere and, after infiltrating, achievehisgoalwithoutfail.

1hatwaythefirehastofightagainstthewindandwillburnlonger.

2Ortodefendagainstthem.

3Thesewordassociationsarereferencestoclassicalpoetry.

4Seventy-twocentimetres.

5AvariabledirectionbasedonChineseastrologyandusedtodecideaninja’sdirectionofattack.

6Twodifferentplantsarementioned:TrapajaponicaandTribulusterrestris.Oneisusedfor‘round’caltrops–smallspikesformedintoa‘ball’–andtheotherfortwistedironcaltrops.

VOLUMEEIGHT

Yo-ninIOpenDisguiseI

Infiltratingalong-termundercoveragent

Shinobi no jutsu consists of yo-jutsu and in-jutsu.Yo-jutsu is to infiltrate the enemy inplainsightwithelaborateplansofingenuity,whilein-jutsuisto‘stealin’,hidingyourselffrom people’s eyes. In this volume arewritten the techniques to infiltrate by inventinginnumerableplanswhichshouldbeeverchangingaccordingtothesituation,andfindingandtakingadvantageofanygapwithintheenemywhileyouyourselfareinplainsight–thatiswhyitistitledyo-nin.

Secret techniques to infiltrate without fail are deceptive ways which are varied andflexibleandaredoneaccordingtoopportunity.Thus,asabasis,youshouldembracetheoldwaysoftheshinobiwhoservedunderancientgreatgenerals,butremembernotonlytokeep to thesewaysbut toadapt them,eachdependenton thesituationand themoment.Ignorantninjaarenotawareofthisprinciplebutdirectlysticktoancientwaysanddonotevenknowthesimplestoffacts, like‘aball rollsdownwards if it isonaslope’,1whichmeansthatwhentheyseethatamoatisdeepandastonewallishigh,theydonotknowhowtodealwiththesituationandevensaythereisnowaytoinfiltratesuchaplace.Itisfollytoseesomethingasunchangeableandsticktoanoldmethodwithoutrealizingthatthingskeepchangingandareinflux.

Sixpointsonlayingplans

I

Shihogami –varioushairstylesforeachandeveryprovince

Shihogami is one way to prepare yourself by changing your hairstyle according to theplace you are going. Depending on the time and the place, you should choose anappropriate style. For example, shukke monks, yamabushi, hatonokai conmen, negoromono‘soldiermonks’,women,professionalgamblers,andsoonallrequireyoutochangeyour hair. On top of that, you should employ a specificway of shaving your foreheadaccordingtotheprovince.Theseareallexamplesofapplyingthetechniqueofshihogamito prepare yourself – that is, according to opportunity. When Kusunoki MasashigedefeatedYuasaMagohachiNyudo,whowasdefendingAkasakacastle, the tactics takenbyOnchi SakonMasatoshi are recorded as proof of this.2 Also,when Prince Takakura

rebelled,HasebeNobutsurausedthetrickofhavingtheprincedisguisedasafemale,andaccompaniedbyachild-servantnamedTsurumaruwhohandledthebaggage.Also,amannamedRokujo-no-sukeTayuMunenobuaccompaniedthemwithaparasolovertheprince.TheysuccessfullymanagedtogettoMiideratemplewithoutanyonediscoveringthemontheway.

II

Whether you disguise yourself as someone with a trade or just make a basicimpersonation, you should be skilled in the art of whatever you are going to disguiseyourself as. When you infiltrate using yo-jutsu disguise techniques, if you try toimpersonate theappearanceor the speechbuthaveno skill in the trade,your stratagemwilleasilybe revealed.Therefore,youshould learn inadvancenotonlyhowto lookorspeaklikethepersonyouaregoingtoimpersonate,butalso,theartofthetradetheydo.Forexample,ifyouintendtodisguiseyourselfasamonk,youshouldbefamiliarwiththatparticular sect of Buddhism, frequently visit a temple of the sect and closely learn itsways.Whenthe timecomes thatyouneed tocarryoutasecretplan,youshould talk insecret toamonkof the temple tomakeanagreement that, in thecasewhere theenemytriestofindoutifyouridentificationistrueorfalsewhileyouarecarryingoutyourplan,thetemplewillcertifyyouridentificationwithoutquestion.Youshouldtakeanymeasuretomakeyourplanasflawlessaspossible,fromthebeginningtotheend,andbeforeyoutakeanyaction.Takingontheguiseofakomusopriestasanexample,youshouldpractisetoplaytheshakuhachifluteverywellandlearntotalkonZen.

LordMengchangofthestateofQiwascapturedbyKingZhaoxiangofQin.However,hemanagedtoescapehisbondsbybribingZhaoxiang’swifewithasnow-colouredfox-furcoatmadefromtenthousandfoxesandescapedintothenightwithoutbeingnoticed.AshereachedHanguPass,thelastcheckpointofQinbeforereturningbacktohisterritoryofQi,hebecamescaredthatthoseonhistrailmightcatchupifhisarmy[wereheld]thereuntildawn.Nowthen, therewasamanamong the three thousand inhisentouragewhowasgoodatimitatingacockcrowandwhosenamewasTianJia.3TianJiaclimbedupatreeandimitatedacockcrowthatwokeupallthecocksinthearea.BecauseofthistheguardofthepassthoughtitwasdawnandallowedMengchangandhismentogothroughthecheckpoint.

After Qin Shi Huang passed away and before the Second Emperor was in his fullprosperity, a man named Chen Sheng put a piece of paper with the words King ChenSheng4intoafish’sbelly5andreleasedit inthesea.AlsoamannamedWuGuang6wasgoodatimitatingthecallofafoxandcalledinafox-likevoicethattheGreatChuwouldariseandtheQinDynastywouldcollapseandChenShengwouldbetheking.Peoplefeltthiswaswondrousand thought itwasagoodomen that theQinDynastywasdecliningand,asaresult,XiangYuofChuandthefounderoftheHanDynastyraisedanarmyandQinwasruinedintheend.

Also inourcountry therehavebeenanumberofcaseswhere theartof imitatingdidbringadvantagestoshinobinojutsuandtheywillbementionedlater.

III

Youshouldalwaystrytolearnthecustomsandmannersofthepeopleandthetopographyofvariousprovinces.

You always need to learn and understand in full the following elements of variousplaces:thecustomsandmanners;thedialectsandlanguages;thetopography,suchasthelocationsofmountains,woods, rivers,wetlands, steep, ruggedor flat terrains;howlongthedistancesare;andhowwideornarrowtheroadsare–eventhenarrowestofroads.Ifyoupreparesuchinformationbeforehand,evenwhenyouareinaflurryorgetlostandfallbehindothers, thenwithall thisabove informationyoucanget toanygivendestinationwithout difficulty. Or when you infiltrate into the enemy province in the disguise of apersonofthatprovince,ifaskedaboutanythingconcerningthetopographyorthewaysofthepeople,youcananswerthiscorrectlyandindetail.

IV

Youneedtoacquireandkeepcopiesofthemarksandsealsofthelordsofvariouscastles.

Youshouldalwaystrytoobtainthesealsofcastlelordsorgeneralsforthecasewhereyouneed to forge letters to incriminate a target for a conspiracy. If the seal is differentfromthecorrectone,yourplanmayfail.Alsoyoushouldapproachsomeonewhoisgoodatcopyingotherspeople’shandwriting,whichwillenableyoutoforgethewritingsoftheenemylordoranyofhisgeneralsfreelyasissometimesnecessary.

V

You should always try to learn in advance the flags, standards, helmet crests, screens,coatsofarmsandsoonofmanyofthegeneralsofyourtime.Ifyou‘sneakin’withsuchinformationasabove,itisuseful,bothinthecasewhereyouinfiltrateunderastratagemandwhereyouareaskedaboutvariouspointsandneedtoanswerappropriately,andalsoin the casewhere you infiltratewith in-ninhiding7 skills or fun-nin ‘slipping in’ skills.This is important because if your cover is almost discoveredwhile concealing yourselfyoumayneedtogiveanevasiveanswer.

VI

Youshouldalwayshideyournameorskillsdeeply.

Anyonewhoisaninjashouldaskhislordtokeepthefactasecret,whichshouldalsobe the case even in a time of peace; as the fact that you are aninja should be deeplyhidden.Eventoveryclosefriends,youshouldnevertalkabouthowgoodorbadthisartisinanywayandwhenthelandhitsastateofturbulenceitisoftenthecasethattheenemywillbecomeyourallyandyourallywillbecometheenemy.Itmayhappenthatwhenyouinfiltratewiththeintentionoffulfillingaplan,theremaybesomeonewhoisfamiliarwithyouontheenemy’ssideandwhowillbeabletodetectthatyouareninja,whichmeansthatnotonlywillyourplanshavetobeabortedbutalsothatyouwillbeputtodeath–andrememberthatitcouldalsodoseriousdamagetoyourlord.Therefore,youshouldalwayskeepyournameandartistryasecretandguarditwithcare,andontheoutsideyoushouldlooklikeatonshihermit-warriororaheishinormalwarrior.Thatisexactlythewayyoushouldbeprepared,soyoucanuseyourninjutsuwhenaperiodofturbulencearrives.

TheSixSecretTeachingssays:

When an eagle is about to attack, it will fly low and draw in its wings.When a fierceanimalisabouttostrike,itwilllaybackitsearsandcrouchdownlow.Whenthesageisabouttomove,hewilldisplayastupidcountenance.

Lao-zisaysthat:

Greatwisdomisnowisdomandgreatplansareofnoplan.

SunTzusays:

Acleverfighterhasneitherreputationforwisdomnorcreditforcourage.

Allshinobinomonoshouldalwayskeepinmindwhatthesewordsactuallymean.

Threepointsonkatsuraotokonojutsu8ortheskillofthe‘ghostonthemoon’

I

ThistechniquecomesfromthelegendofKatsuraotoko,wholivesonthemoon.

In normal times, before the need arises, you should find someone as an undercoveragentwhowillbecomethebetrayer, anenemyyouplantand thusmakeaninjaofhimand have him within the enemy castle, camp or vassalage, exactly as the ghost in thelegend,Katsuraotoko,isstationedonthemoon.9

Inchoosingonetobeplantedasaninja,youshouldnotappointapersonwhomyoudonotknowverywellincasuallifeorwhoisnotverysmartortrustworthy.Whenselectingsomeonefromyourfamilyoracloserelation,useonewhohaswisdom,faithandcourage.Ontopofthat,takeahostagefromhimandmakehimwriteanoath,soastomakesureofhispledgebeforeyousendhim.

Remember, Zhang Yi of Qin successfully infiltrated the service of Wei and, whileservingasaministerinWeiforyears,heledWeitoruinintheend.

II

Youshouldmakeanisoanaushi10undercoveragentofagirlfromherchildhood.Ifthereisachildwhoisgoodlookingamongthoseclosetoyou,youshouldcreateanintricateplanandthen,whenthetimecomes,usehertocreatefalsecharges,ortomurderbypoisoning11orothersuchappropriatemeasures.However,thisartwillbediscoveredunlessyouhaveachitchu12ortonshi13agent.Chitchuissomeonewhoisgivenafiefbyalordbutkeepsitadeepsecretthatheisservingthatlordandhasthusmadehimapledge.Heissupposedtoliveinaplaceclosetothecapital(Kyoto),suchasOsaka,andtodonothingatfirst.Thenwhen the timecomes,he is tobeplanted into theenemyafterarrangementbetween thelordand the retainer.Thisundercoveragent shouldnot live ina remotearea,ashewillattractpeople’ssuspicion,soabusyareaisbetter,aspeopletendtohavelessdoubtaboutsuchpeople.Thesecondterm,tonshi,meansapersonwhohasretreatedintoaruralareaof thecountry [inanenemy’sprovince]andwhohas talentsand intelligence, is faithfulanddoesnot lie.Youshouldcallonhimandhirehimdiscreetlywithapromise togive

himahighsalary,sothatyoucanaskhimtoactforyouinthefuturewhenneedsarise,and if such a need comes then he can be planted within the enemy without delay.Alternatively,youcoulduseananaushiundercoveragent,whichisapersonwholivesinatownhouseorprivatehouseclosetotheenemycastleandalwaystriestobeonclosetermswith the vassalage of the enemy.When your army is going to approach or attack thatprovince,heshoulddisplayawanttoservetheenemyexpressinghisgreatfortunetobethereatsuchatimeofneedorsomethingofthatnature.Theywillshowhappinesstohearthat,butwhattheydonotrealizeorevenbegintoimagineisthatintruthheisextremely‘violentvenom’.LordNobunagahadaboyretaineroffifteenorsixteenyearsoldwhohadexcellent handwriting skills. The lord sent him to serve Imagawa Shinsuke, so that hecouldintimemasterthecopyingofShinsuke’shandwriting.LaterheforgedaletterfromShinsuke and made discord between Shinsuke and his lord, Yoshimoto. This causedseriousdisharmonywithinImagawa’svassalageandwasthedownfallofYoshimotointheend.

III

Youshouldplaceanadvisororaliaisonwithintheenemy

After planting such undercover people into the enemy, it is difficult for them to send asignal and to communicatewithyour lordwithout a liaisonor contact.Therefore, thereshouldbeonewhodisguiseshimselfasamerchantormonkandstaysclosetotheenemycastle.Theundercoveragentsshoulddiscussthingswiththisnewliaisononanyandalltopics required or the liaison can obtain information from a child-agent who has beenplantedinsidetheenemy.Also, thereshouldbeanotherpersonwhoactsasamessengerbetweentheliaisonandthelordwhocomesandgoes,tocommunicateandreportonthesituation.Remember,inthecasewhereyouhavetoplantachild,thenyoushouldbesuretohavesomeoneclosetotheenemycastletopretendtobehisfatherorbrother.

Threepointsonjokeinojutsu14orshadow-likeninjutsu

I

Jokeino jutsu is tobe like a shadow, followinga thing thathas form. If youcatchanyslightsignofhostilitiesorbetrayal,justlikeashadowcorrespondstoaform,youshouldgo to the prospective enemy’s castle-town and try to get employment within theirvassalage, before the enemy starts their stratagem. If you arrive there too late, youwillarousetheirsuspicionandyouraimwillnotbefulfilled.Forthismission,asamuraiwhoiswellknowntomanypeoplewillnotdo.Therefore,inthismatterachitchu‘wormagent’ortonshi‘hermitagent’wouldbeappropriate.

II

Theplacementofcontactsorliaisons

Youshouldhaveasmanycontactsaspossibleinyourgroupwhodisguisethemselvesasmonks,merchantsandsoonandtheyshouldstayclosetothecastlesothattheycanbringback the information required or guide your allies into the area at themost appropriatetime.

III

Iftheenemyhasdoubtsorissuspiciousofyou,youshouldperformkarionnakarikonojutsu,which is theartof amockwifeandchild.This skill is tocreatea falsewifeandchildandtakethemtotheenemywithyouandtoofferthemashostages.Incaseswherethe enemy will not allow you to enter into their service without taking hostages, youshouldusethisskill.Tobetransmittedorally.

[Twopointson]kunoichinojutsuortheartofthefemaleagent

I

Kunoichinojutsuistosend[afemale]forashinobimissionandthispersonisrepresentedbyoneideogram,whichconsistsofthreeletterscombined.15When it seemsdifficult fortajikara16 [maleninja] to infiltrate, use this art. In general,kunoichi have a twisted andinferiormind,shallowintelligenceandpoorspeech,soforexample[textblackedoutwiththenumber‘2’leftexposed]youshouldnotusethosewhoyoucannotrecognizeforwhattheyare.Ifyouhavesomeoneyouhaveobservedcorrectly,makethemtakeastrictoath,educatethemthoroughlyandspecificallyaboutthesignalsandpromisessothatyoucansend them deep into the enemy by taking the appropriatemeasures. Alternatively, youmakethemaservantwhoisaccompanyingsomeonewhohasaccesstotheenemy.Plansofthisnaturewillbesuccessfulandwithoutfail.

II

Usekakure-minonojutsuortheartoftheinvisiblemantletoinfiltrate

Youwillhavetocommunicatewithakunoichibeforeyouusethisart.Atacertainpoint,thekunoichishouldtellthemaster’swifeinacasualwayandwithoutimportancethatshewantstosendforawoodenchest,whichshehasleftwithsomebody.Noonewillsuspectthatshemighthaveastratagem,notatall–evenanextraordinarywarriororonewiththemostresourcefulmindintheworldwillnotconceiveofit,andit isevenlesslikelythatthewife inquestionwillhaveanydoubtssosurelyshewillgiveherpermissionfor theboxtoarrive.Thenthefemaleagentshouldtell theguardsofthegatebeforehandaboutthearrivalofthechest.Beforeitarrivesyoushouldhavesomeonehidewithinthechest,beforeitgetsintothecastlegate.Thischestshouldhaveafalsebottomandclothesshouldbeputintheupperpart.Also,itisfinetohaveitbottomheavyanditshouldbecarriedbytwomen.

SunTzusays:

Atfirst,exhibitthecoynessofamaiden,untiltheenemygivesyouanopening;afterwardsemulatetherapidityofarunninghare,anditwillbetoolatefortheenemytoopposeyou.

Theabove-mentionedkakureminonojutsu shouldbeusedwhen thereare lotsofpeoplewhoknowyouandnothingelseseemstobesuccessful.Thisskillisofthehighestsecrecyand thus there are oral traditions to gowith it. If this art is used properly during yourshinobi mission, there is no castle you cannot infiltrate, no matter how strictly it isguarded.

Twopointsonsatobitonojutsuortheartofthelocalagent

I

Placethoselocalpeoplefromtheenemy’sprovince[insidetheenemycastle].Whenyouintendtoinfiltratetheenemycastle,youshouldgototheenemyprovincebeforethealliedforces have advanced, and find someonewho is out of employment and ambitious andwishestoacquirefameorbravery,orsomeonewhobearsagrudgeagainstorresentsyourenemylord,also,commandersandsoon,butwhocannotexpresshisgrievancebecauseoftiming,orsomeoneintheareawhohasamemberoftheirfamilywithinyourownallies.Taking the appropriate opportunity, you should approach such a person by using anappropriatemeasureandyoushouldinvitehimtojoinyourside.Sometimes,youshouldcallonhisplacetobribehimwithgoldornishiki,thatisexpensivebrocade,andmakethispromise: ifheachieves success inhis tactics,hewillbe rewardedwitha setamountofstipend.Dothiswiththeguaranteeof thelord’sredseal.Onthatbasis,youshouldtakehostagesfromhimandmakehimwriteanoath,andthenplacehimin theenemycastlewithawell-consideredplan.Theenemylordwillhavenodoubtsabouthimasheisfromhisowndomain,soitwillbeaseasyforhimasgettingintohisownhouse.

II

Toinfiltratebybecominganattendanttothesatobitoorlocalagent

If the satobito or local agent in your plan is not good enough or is inexperienced, youshouldmakeyourselfaservanttohimandentertheenemycastlewithhim[asapartoftheirretinue].Youshouldhavemadearrangementswithyourlordforthesignalsneededandsetfireatthemostappropriatetime.

[Anexample]

WhenKusunokiMasashigewent to defeat the clan head ofYasuda no sho ofKishuuponanorderfromSagamiNyudo,heencampedatKatsuojitoobservethestatusoftheenemy.Afterthreedaysofdoingthis,hecalledforthenobuseri17banditshewasgivingstipendtoandaskediftheyknewofanyothernobuseriaroundthere.Oneofthenobuseribanditssaidheknewseveralofthemandwentoutandfetchedeight,towhomMasashigegavealotofgoldandsilver.Hetoldthemtotakehisownnobuseriintotheenemycamptobringbackinformationonthecurrentsituation.TheytookthejobsayingitwaseasyforthemandtooksixofKusunoki’snobuseriwiththemandinfiltratedtheenemycamp.Onceinthere,theymixedwiththelocals,stayedforonedayandgotbackthenextnight.Whenhearingwhat they saw,Masashige inquiredof eachof the fourteen separately, andeachonereportedthesamething.Thushejudgedtherewerenodoubtsandcommencedanightattack,whichof course endedupbeinga success.Theaboveexample is similar to thisskillofsatobitonojutsu.

Twopointsonminomushinojutsuortheartofaworminyourstomach

I

Youshouldjudgeanappropriatepersontouseasaminomushiorworm.Aminomushi issomeonewhoservestheenemybutismadeaninjaworkingforyourside.Thustheagent

isexactlylikeawormintheenemy’sstomach,whicheatsitsbellyfromtheinsideout.Itisofextremeimportancetohavegoodjudgementonwhotoemployfor this job.Ifyoujudgeitwrongly,itisobviousthatitwillcauseaseriousdisaster,moresothanitactuallyhelps.Therefore,therearethingsyoushouldbeawareofforthepurposeofrecruitment.Youshouldobservethefollowing:Findsomeonewhohasapredecessorfromapreviousgenerationwhowaspunishedfor

whathedidnotdoorpunishedbeyondhisoffence.Choosesomeonewhoisadescendentofsuchafamilyandhasanillfeelingtowardthelordthatstemsfromthebottomofhisheart.

Findsomeonefromafamilyofsuchagoodlineagethatheshouldhavebeenpromotedhigherthanhehasbeenoroneoftalentandabilitybutwhoisofalowerrankingthanheshouldbeandthuswhofeelsbitterabouthissituation.

Findsomeonewhohasastrongloyaltyandhasmadegreatachievementsbuthasbeengivenonlyasmallstipendandwhowouldrise todistinction ifhewashiredbyanotherlord.Furthermore,itshouldbesomeonewhofeelsthathislordisstupidasheistreatingevilretainerswhoonlyflatterhimbutshownogreatdeeds.

Findsomeonewhoissmartandtalentedbutdoesnotgetonwellwiththelordandtendstoincurhisdispleasureandisgivenonlyalowposition.

Find someonewhose skills or arts are superior in theworld but is given only a lowposition.Hemightwant to leave the position but not be allowed to do so. It could bepossiblethatthemanisbeingblockedfrommakingamove,thushemayhavetoendurethissituation.

Findsomeonewhoservesontheoppositesideofawartothatofhisfatherorsonsandwhoregretsthisfact.

Findsomeonewhoisverygreedyandwantsgoldorsilverorahighstipendorsomeonewhoiscunningandtrickyandhaslittleloyaltyandisdouble-minded.

Find someone who has done something unworthy of his father and so has a badreputationandwhofeelsfrustratedaboutthat.

Theseeightkindsasmentionedaboveareonlyoutlines thatyoushouldhaveinmindwhenchoosinganappropriateperson.Basedon them,youshouldbe tactfulbyfiguringoutagoodwaytoknowwhatthepersonthinksdeepinsidetheirmind,accordingtotheopportunity.

II

Theartofmakingaminomushiorwormagent

Ifyouhavedecidedonacandidatefor theabove-mentionedminomushi,youshouldnotinformhimofyourplan[atthisstage]–itwillbedisastrousifyoutellhimyourtacticswithouta thoughtorcare.Therefore,onceyoudecide inyourmindwhotochoose,youneedtothinkoutaplanwhichwillworksothatthecandidatecannotrefusetobecomeaminomushi under anycircumstances. Itwilldependon the situationathand–however,hereareoneortwoexamples.

Youshouldobtainlotsofgoldandsilverfromyourlordandappeartobearichronin,asamuraiforhire,thentakeupresidencewithinfiveorsixri18fromthecandidateyouhavechosen.Thenyou shouldapproach the target toget acquaintedwithhimandmakehimthinkthatyouarericherthanheis,sothatyoucanquicklybecomefriends.Whiletryingto make the relationship closer, you should investigate his likes, so that you can takeadvantageofhimandbribehimheavily.Whilemakingthisfriendlyrelationshipstrongerand stronger, you should cautiously induce him to talk about anything and investigatewhatheisthinkingathiscorebyjokingwithhimorsomethingofthatnature,sothatyoucanhaveaconfidentialtalkat theendofthishumour.If thisissuccessful,givinghimaredsealwhichguaranteesahighstipend,youshouldtakehisfather,mother,wife,childorsoonashostage,makehimwriteanoath,andarrangeforthesignsorsignalsbeforeyouusehim. Ingeneral,whetheryoungorold, fewpeople thinkmuchof loyaltyoutsideoftheir lust or greed, evenmore sowith the above eight types of people. It is in nowayimpossibletobribesuchpeopleifyouapproachthemwithboozeorsex.

Threepointsonhotarubinojutsuortheartoffireflies

I

If there isanenemytacticianwhohasoverwhelmingsway in theenemyvassalage,youshould forge and transport a secret letter that has been created to imply his treason orcreatealetterfromyourlordtotheretaineryouhavetargeted.Alsoifthereisanyonewhohasbetrayedyour sideanddefected to theenemy, takeadvantageof suchapersonandforgealetterthatdiscussesspecificsignsorsomethingwhichappearstoconnectthetargetretainerandthispersonwhowasonceyourally;dothissothathelookslikeheisactuallyanenemyagentwhohasbeenplantedandnotatruedefector.

HanXinoftheHanDynastyandAnLu-shan(703–757),aretainerofXuan-zongoftheTangDynastyofancientChina,weresimilartoYoshitsunehereinJapan[andallthreeofthesepeoplewereslanderedandkilledintheend].Therefore,ifthereisageneralwhoisexcellentintacticsorwisdomontheenemy’sside,anditisthecasewherepeoplethinkthatthatexcellentgeneralmayriseinrebellionandthatthefutureoftheirsidemaybeatrisk, thenyoushould lookfor thebestopportunityandforgeasecret letterandfakehistreason.Orforgeasecretletterfromthisdistinguishedgeneraltosomeoneonyourownside,suchassomeoneofhisfamily,orafriendorsomeonewhoeveryoneconsidersthathewouldjoinforceswith.Whenyoumakesuchaplan,sendamanandmakehimaninjawiththereplytothisfakelettersewnintohiscollar.Heshouldwanderaroundtheenemycastle in a suspiciousway, so that the enemywill question him, thinking that he is ormightbeaninjaandthustheywillcapturehim.Theywillinterrogatehimintensivelybuthe should not give in and answer at the beginning. After they get harsher in theirquestioning,heshouldpretend thathecannothelpbutconfesseverythingandbringouttheletterorthereplyinsuchawaythathegivesawaythefakerebellionandincriminatesthe intended target.Understand the further details of this art; such as how towrite thesecretletter,whatshouldbeinthetext,howtobehavewhencapturedbytheenemy,howtoconfesswhenquestionedandsoon.Theseelementsaredifficult toexplaininwritingandshouldbetransmittedorally.

Alternatively,youcanemployfukurogaeshinojutsu,theartofthereversiblebag;thisis

where two different people should serve the enemy, the first should serve the enemygeneraland thesecondshouldservehis tactician.Youhave theoneserving the retainercarryaforgedletterwhichisaddressedtotheundercoveragent’srealgeneral.Onhiswayoutoftheenemycamp–withthisforgedletter–[havetheagentwhoisservingtheenemygeneral]capturehim,sothattheenemylordwillbecomeawareofthehappeningsandgetinvolved.Alternatively, make someone wander around the enemy castle with a letter from a

commander of your own side that is addressed to the target retainer. This letter shoulddisplaythearrangementsspecificallyforsignalsandotherinformationonthestructureofhis ‘betrayal’ and it should be sewn into the operative’s collar. When captured andquestionedintensively,heshouldreactasexplainedabove.

Afurthermethodis:ifthereissomeonewhobetrayedyourownsideanddefectedtotheenemy, you should forge a secret letterwhich arranges for signals and plot details andmake someonewander the enemy camp suspiciouslywith this letter, so that hewill becapturedbytheenemy.Whenheisquestioned,heshouldnotansweratthebeginning,butlaterafterbeingquestionedseveral times,heshouldbringout theletterandtell themofthetargetinquestionandhowhisdefectionwasnottrueinintentionandthatheisgoingtodouble-crossthemlaterorsetfiresandthatitwasallarrangedbeforehand.

This above skill ofhotarubi no jutsu, the ‘art of fireflies’, should be performedonlyafteryouknoweverythingabouttheenemyandingreatdetailsothatyoucanconstructyourletterinaccordancewiththetarget’smindset.

WhentheSongDynastyandYuanDynastyfoughtaroundtheYangzeRiver,asmanyasthreemillionpeopleoftheYuanDynastywerekilled;theEmperorwassodepressedthathecouldnotfunction.Comingtohisaid,acommanderfromawesterntribecreatedaplanandwasvictoriousintheendandheusedanexampleofthisabovetechnique.

II

Wheneveryouinfiltratewiththetechniquesoffun-nin,‘slippingin’,orin-nin ,youshouldalwaysforgeasecretletterofconspiracythatisconnectedtoacloseretainerandcarryitwithinyourcollar.

Wheninfiltratingtheenemycastlebyfun-ninorin-ninwithouthavinghotarubinojutsuembedded, that is,havingan insideagentestablished, thenyoushouldalwaysprepareasecret letter addressed to an enemy retainer and carry it sewn into your collar. This isbecausenomatterhowcarefullyyouhavemadeyourplan,youmaybediscoveredandcaptured,andinthatcase,theenemywillquestionyouonthepurposeofyourinfiltration.Atthebeginningoftheinterrogation,youshouldnotshowanysignofgivingin,andafterbeingseverelyinquireduponmanytimes,youshouldsay:

Ifyousparemylife,Iwillgivesomethingofgraveconcerntoyou.If Idonot informyou of this, then youwill plunge into a crisiswhichwill break out from inside of youralliesandnooneknowswhenitwillhappen–maybeit isevenhappeningrightnow.Ifyougivemequarter,Iwilltellyouwhatitis.However,ifIamtobeexecuted,Iwillnotgiveawayanythingnomatterhowseverelyyoutortureme.

Thentheenemywillaskyoutogiveawaytheconspiracyandtheywillspareyourlife.

Youaskthemtogiveyouawrittenletterofpardon,whichsaystheywillgiveyouquarterforcertaintosecurethetruthfromthem.Sinceit isamatterofgraveconcern,theywillacceptyour requestmoreoften thannot.Thenyoushouldask theone incharge to takeyououtofthepubliceye19whereyoucanbringoutthesecretletterfromyourcollar.Youshouldtellthemthatthetargetpersonontheirsidewillcreatearebellionwithapromisefromyourownsideandsowhileyourarmy isattacking themonacertaindatehewillformarebellioninconcertwiththeninja’sside,andthatiswhyyouhavebeensentasamessenger. Remember to be careful that it does not sound like you are contradictingyourself.Thetrickincarryingoutthiskindofartistoknowverymuchofwhattheenemyis like andwrite a totally plausible letter using suchwording as theymight use. If theenemydoesnotbelieveyouandsaysthatitcannotbetruethatthetargetwouldbetrayhislord,theywillclaimthatyouarelying.Inthatcaseyoushouldanswer:

Ifyoudonotbelieveme,Iknowofasecretletter[whichhasbeenaddressedtomylordfromoneofyourretainers]anditisnowbeingheldby[insertname],soyoushouldsendsomeonetofetchit.

Youshouldhavepreparedaletteroftreacheryexactlyasifitwerearealletterwiththetarget’sseal,andsucharrangementsshouldbemadeforittobesentforwardiftheabovesituationarises,sothatthisplanwillworkwellinsuchaneventuality.Ifthingsaregoingasyouplan,hemaybeable toescapeexecutioninmostcases,andwillcausedomesticconflictamongtheenemy.Evenifthisplotdoesnotworkwell,theywillhavedoubtswitheachother,whichshouldleadthemtodefeatintheend.

III

Ifyouusesomeonewhoisnotrewardedhighlybyyourlordwiththeskillofhotarubinojutsu,youshouldadaptthisskillandfeedhimfalseinformation.

Ingeneral,themantobesentinusingtheskillofhotarubinojutsushouldbesomeonewhoisrewardedhighlybyhislord,sothathewoulddieforthemission,orapoormanwhohasmanychildrentoraise.Ifyouhavetousesomeonewhoisnotobligedtothelordor someoneungrateful,hewill changehismindandworkoutaplot thatwill ruinyourownside–itisessentialtokeepthisinmind.

SunTzusays:

Spiescannotbeusefullyemployedwithoutacertainintuitiveshrewdness.Theycannotbeproperlymanagedwithoutbenevolenceandstraightforwardness.Withoutsubtleingenuityofmind,onecannotmakecertainofthetruthoftheirespionagereports.

Henceitisthatwithnoneinthewholearmyaremoreintimaterelationstobemaintainedthan with spies. None should be more liberally rewarded. In no other business shouldgreatersecrecybepreserved.

Therefore, it isnot recommendedatall toemploysomeonewho ispoorly rewarded forthisart.However,sometimesitmaybethecasethatyoucannotusethebestmanforthejob.Insuchacaseitisacceptabletousea[poor-quality]andpoorlyrewardedperson;ifthis is so, choose someone who is restless, audacious, talkative, impatient and fickle.Whenyougivesomeoneofthistypethedetailsoftheplan,youshouldtellhimthedirectopposite of your true plan. For example, if you intend to attack toward the west, you

shouldtellhimyouareattackingtheeast,ifnorth,tellhimitissouth,andyoushouldgivehimalltheinformationbutinoppositeandinaveryplausibleway.

When sending him out, you should make sure to arrange that this ninja will becaptured20andwithoutfailandwhenheinfiltratesintotheenemy,asheisofpoorqualityhewillbecareless.Becauseof thishewillbecaught soonafterhe is inposition in theenemyterritory,andtheenemywillinterrogatehimtoestablishyourside’splans.Atthispointtheywilltrytomakehimconfesswhatheknows.Onsuchanoccasion,ifhegivesthemwhatheknowsabouthisallies,hislifewillbesparedandhemaybegivenahighreward, but if hedoesnot confess, hewill not be rewarded and evenworsehemaybeexecuted.Undersuchconditions,mostpeople,eventhosewhoowethelordgreatly,butdo not have enough righteousness, will become hankan or converted spies, and this iseven more so with those who are only poorly rewarded and lacking in patience andthoughtfulness.Suchpeoplewilldivulge to theenemywhatever theyknow,suchas thearmy’sarmaments,preparednessoranythingofthatnature.Astheenemywillbelievethisstory theywill prepare their strategybasedonyour false information.This is the art ofreversingthereversedspy,whichwillresultinyoursidewinningagloriousvictory.

Twopointsonfukurogaeshinojutsuortheartofreversingthebag

I

Fukurogaeshimeans to reverseyourmind in suchawayas turningabag insideout.Aninjashouldgointotheenemy’sland,createaconnectionandgetintotheenemycastleanddeclarethefollowing:

Iam from theprovinceof Igaand Ihavepractisedninjutsu frommyyouthand I amskilled, I can infiltrate any castle or campmore easily than a cormorant bird dives inwater.Ifyouhireme,Iwillgoandinfiltrateforyouanycastleorcampyoulike.

Alsothere isaspecialwaytodemonstratehowgoodyouare,whichshouldbeorallytransmitted.

Heshouldalsotrytoconvincethemwithsmoothtalking,sayingitishardtoshowthemthenitty-grittyoftheartshere,astheyaresecret.Ifitisatimeofwarandifyoupromoteyourselflikethis,yourrequestforservicewillbeacceptedwithoutfail.Laterwhen[theninja’s]originalsideadvances, itwillhavepreparedanunimportanthutorbuildingthathecansetfireto,asprearrangedwithhistruelord.Bytakingsuchmeasureslikethis,hemakestheenemytrustinhimallthemore.Therefore,hecantakeanychanceheneedstocomeovertohisalliesandconveytohisreallordasmuchinformationabouttheenemyaspossible.When the opportunity arises, [with help fromhim] you should set fires to theenemy’s castle, conduct a night attack by using tactics or surprise attack by way ofambushorhaveyouralliesfollowtheenemyforceswhenyouleadthenightattackbackinto the enemy castle and capture the castle directly by thismethod.This art is namedfukurogaeshinojutsuasitislikeabagturninginsideoutthenturningbacktoitsoriginalform.

Todothisartproperly,itisessentialforninjaalwaystotrytostayunknowntopeopleas much as possible. Nothing would be better than a tonshi or hermit samurai in this

situation.

II

In case it is difficult to carry out this art, you should make yourself an attendant tosomeonewhohasaccesstotheenemycastleorcamp.

Thosewhohaveaccesstothecastleorcampcanbemonks,doctors,blindmusicians,sarugaku musicians, craftsmen, merchants and so on. You should investigate in detailanyoneelsewhohasaccesstothecastleandbecomeanattendanttooneofthem.Ifyoucansuccessfullygetintheenemycastleorcamp,youcanlayvariousplotsormakefalsechargesor somethingof this ilk,whichwill causedomestic conflicts among the enemyvassalageor leavethemhavingdoubtswitheachother.Laterwhenthetimecomes,youshouldsetafireasyouhaveagreedwithyourlord.

In1361,inHakata,Tsukushiprovince,Echizen-no-kami,whowasaretainerofKikuchiHigo-no-kami,devisedastrategyofnightattacksagainstMatsura-toandwonacompletevictory,whichhasbeenprovenandwrittenindetail.Inancienttimes,peopleusedtomakefalsechargeswhendoingthisart,so,ifyoucaninfiltrateasanattendanttosomeonewhohasaccesstothecastleorcamp,thereisnoreasonthatyoushouldnotbeabletodothis.[Ifyouinfiltrateasanattendant,]theenemywillbelievewhatyousaywithoutquestion,evenfalsecharges.

Twopointsontendanojutsuortheartofspittinginyourownface

I

Tendanojutsu is like ifyoucoughorspitwithyourfaceupward,andlettingthespittledropdownonyourface.Thisartistousetheninjasentbytheenemytoyoursideandforthemtocometoharm.

Youshouldkeepstrictcontroloveryoursoldierstohaveakeeneyeforthosetryingtoinfiltrate your forces. To do this you should conduct various procedures, such as nightpatrols, towatchcloselyandtoguardagainstshinobi. Ifaninja issent fromtheenemyandyouralliescapturehim,youshouldsaytohim:

Ifyouhaveintenttobreakfaithwithyourlord,yourlifewillbesparedandyouwillbehiredforagreatreward.

Dothis topersuadehim. If theshinobinomono saysyes,youshouldgivehima redsealed document from the lord to guarantee this, take hiswife and children secretly ashostagesandmakehimwriteanoath,sothatanydoubtshouldbeclearedabouthisrealintentions.Thenyoushouldaskhimindetailaboutwhattheenemy’sstatusis.Ifyouhaveenoughinformationaboutwhatisgoingonwiththeenemy,itwillenableyoutoconstructanykindoftacticsyouneed.

Inthecasewhereyousendhimasashinobibacktotheenemy,theywilllettheirguarddownandconsiderhimasbeingtheirownninja,allowingyourplanstoworkverywell,whichintheendwilldefeattheenemywithease.

SunTzunamedthisarthankanorconvertedspyandsaiditisthebestskilltouse.He

says:

Havingconvertedspies,gettingholdoftheenemy’sagentsandusingthemforourownpurposes– thoseenemyspieswhohavecome tospyonusmustbesoughtout, temptedwithbribes, ledawayandcomfortablysheltered.Thus theywillbecomeconvertedspiesandavailableforourservice.Itisthroughtheinformationbroughtbytheconvertedspythat we are able to acquire and employ local and inward spies. It is owing to hisinformation,again,thatwecancausethedoomedspytocarryfalsetidingstotheenemy.Lastly,itisbyhisinformationthatthesurvivingspycanbeusedonappointedoccasions.The end and aim of spying in all its five varieties is knowledge of the enemy, and thisknowledgecanonlybederived, in the first instance, fromtheconvertedspy.Hence it isessentialthattheconvertedspybetreatedwiththeutmostliberality.

According to theChokkai, the ‘Colloquial Commentary’ on the Art of War: Everyoneshouldknowabout the five typesofspies;however, theartsof fourof thekinds– local,inward,doomedandsurvivingspies–areallused incombinationwithconvertedspies.Therefore,intheuseofconvertedspies[thereisneedforyoutohave]moreintelligenceandtheyshouldberewardedmostgenerouslycomparedwiththeotherfourtypes.Whenyousendaspyoruseaspy,donotmakeaspyworkforyouorsomeonewhoisworkingforothers,astherearealwaysonlyafewwhoareofintelligence,whiletherearealwaysplentyofthosewhohaveonlyapoortalent.Itisalwaysdifficulttohaveangeratinjusticewhileitiseasytotakeshelterinexcuse.Whileintheenemyland,aspyhaslotsofmoneyandbeautifulwomen in frontofhim, swordsandsawsathisbackandcauldrons tohisside.21Ifhedouble-crossesthroughfearofdeathorpoverty,hewillhideitfromthelordbuttheremustbesomeonewhowillinformthelordofthis.Incasehehasmoreeloquencethanothersanddoesnotsubmit, if ledbyelaboratequestions,hewillgiveawaylotsofsecretsconcerningyourside,soanywell-intentionedconductofhiswillcometonothing.Thus, spies themselves will give out information without intent. The difficulty in usingspiesexistshere,atthispoint.SunTzuknewthisdisadvantageverywell,sohesaiditisofimportancetomakeaconvertedspyaccordingtothepersoninquestion.

Thesewordsarecompletelyreasonable.Therefore, the lordshouldrewardgenerouslythoseshinobinomonowhohaveachievedthefourvaluesofloyalty,bravery,tacticsandexpertise.

II

Whentheenemyninjacomesintoyourcastleorquartersortothefootoforaroundthestonewallsortoastonefort,thenpretendnottohavenoticedhimandlethimhearyoutalkabouttheconstructedandfalsetacticsofyourarmy,sothathewillworkasaninjaforyouwithouthisevenknowingit.

Ifyounotice thata tekinin or enemy shinobi has infiltratedyour castleor camp,youshouldpretendnottohaverealizeditandintentionallylethimseeorhearthethingsaboutyourarmy.Hewillbelieveitistrueandproperinformationandbringitbacktohisalliesand inform them wrongly. The enemy general will take it as being true and makearrangements or lay plans for his army according to the report. In reality, this is aconstruct,sinceyouralliesknowthatheisanenemyshinobiandyouhavepretendednottoknow,by sayingwhat is theopposite to the truth; for example, saying east forwest,

southfornorthandsoon.Astheenemyplansareallbasedonthisfalseinformation,theirintentionswill backfire and fail. This art should be carried outwhen it is very hard tocapturetheenemyninjaevenifyouknowheisjustoutsidethecastleorcamp,ornearafenceorstonewall,orwhenyouknowsomeonehasinfiltratedyourquartersbutyoudonotknowwhoorwheretheninjais.Insuchacase,youshouldlethimhearyousaysuchfalse information loudly or let him see what you want him to believe. Thismethod isdifferentfromthepreviousmentionedartbuttheprincipleisthesame.

WhenageneralofthestateofQinwasgoingtoattacksomeonewhosenamewasEYu,asEYuandZhaoShewereinaveryclosefriendship,ZhaoShewenttosaveEYu,butafter travellingas faras twentyrihebuilta fort,withdeepmoatsandsecurewallsandstayedstillinthefortfortwenty-eightdays.Meanwhileakanja-spyfromthestateofQincameovertoseewhatZhaoShewasdoing,andZhaoSheknewthisbutpretendednottoknowandlethimhearthatitwasverydifficulttosaveEYu.Ontopofthis,heletthespyseehowmuchtheyweretryingtosecuretheguardasthoughtheyweredigginginforafulldefence.Thespywentbackand informed thegeneralofQinof this, so thegeneralwas verymuchpleased to know this and advanced his army saying thatZhaoShewasdefinitely not going to save E Yu, and so they could attack E Yu without any worry.However,atthesametimeaswhenthespyjourneyedbacktoQin,ZhaoSheretreatedhisarmyby thirty ri with their armour folded and flags down, and then climbedHokuzanmountainandwaitedforthehordesoftheQinarmy.AsthegeneralofQindidnotexpectanything,theywereattackedbyZhaoShe’sforcesandQinendedupindefeat.Thisisanexampleofwhereyoucanmakeanally-ninjaofanenemy tekinin– therehavebeensomanycasesofthis.

SunTzusays:

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, wemust seem unable;whenusingourforces,wemustseeminactive;whenwearenear,wemustmaketheenemybelievewearefaraway;whenfaraway,wemustmakehimbelievewearenear.

Twopointsonshikyunojutsuortheartofrelaxingyourbow

I

Shikyunojutsu,theartoflooseningabow–thismeanswhenthebowisstrungitiscrescent-shapedbutwhenlooseneditgoesbackagainstitself22

Normally,whena shinobi nomono is capturedby the enemy,hewill look likehe isgivinginandwillfollowtheenemyonthesurfacewhilehewillsticktohisprinciplesathiscore;thus,hewillnotbecomeaninvertedspy,likealoosenedbow.23Thisistheoriginofthename.

Atthepointwhenaninjaisfirstcaptured,iftheenemyofferstomakehimaconvertedninja, he should take advantageof this. If not, he should take an appropriate chance toapproachthemwithanofferlike:

Ihavedifficultiesinmylifeowingto-thereshouldbesomethinginsertedherebutthisisanoraltradition24–andthoughIhavebeenhiredbytheotherside,theyareagainsttheprinciplesofheavenandtheirhigh-rankingsamuraiarenotrespectableenoughtoserve

asmastersandthereforeIdonotfeelsecureaboutmyfuture.

Then, the enemy is sure to be pleased to hear this and willing to give you quarter.However, theywilldemandyou towriteanoathand toofferhostages secretly.To this,youshouldsay:

Ihavehadhostagestakenbymylordsoitisdifficulttoofferhostageshereandnow.InfutureIwillofferhostagestoyouassoonaspossible.[Also,itisnotagoodideatotakehostages]asiftheslightestrumourofmybetrayalisknowntomyside,ourplanwillnotworksuccessfully.Asfortheoath,Idefinitelywouldliketowriteit.

Asanoldsayinggoes:

Onewhoisgoingtoundertakealargeprojectshouldbeateasewithminor[andnegative]things.

Intheabovesituationgivingafalseoaththat isbornfromloyaltyforanendpurposeisconsideredtobeareasonablemeasure.Donothesitateatallinsuchmatters.

AsissaidinthechaptersofShochi–AGuidelineforCommanders,youshouldbuildahutfornewcomersatadistancefromthemainheadquarters.Theaboveshinobinomonoshouldalsosay to theenemylord thathewillset fire to thequartersofhisownside toshowheisnotadouble-sidedagent,andiftheenemytakesupthisoffer,heshouldgoandset fire to a prearranged hut or something of the same nature; also, he should take thedecapitatedheadofanewcomerandbringitback.Bysuchmeasures,therewillbenowaythattheenemywillnotrelaxitscautionagainstyou.

After this, the shinobi should take advantage of any chance to return to his allies, tomakesecretarrangementswithhis lordforthesignsandforthebest timetosetfires; itcouldalsobepossibletokilltheenemylordintheendbythismethod.

II

Things you shouldkeep inmind in a casewhere the enemyhas capturedyouandbroughtyouclosetoyourcastleandforcedyoutotalktoaidtheirtactics

Sometimestheenemycapturesyouandbringsyouclosetothefenceorwallofyourowncastleorcampinorder tomakeyougiveawayaplot.Youshouldsayexactlywhat theenemytellsyouto,butthereisaningeniousandsubtlewaytodothis.Forthesetactics,thereisanestablishedwaywhereyoushouldmakearrangementswithyourcommander-in-chiefbeforeyougointotheenemyposition[sothathewillnotbefoolediftheabovesituation arises]. Even if you follow the instructions of the enemy, it will not upset orconfuseyourallies,aswiththesesignsarrangedbeforehandbetweenyouandyourlordhewillunderstandyourtruemeaning.Inthiswayyoucanlowertheguardoftheenemy,andwhenthetimecomesyoucanreturntoyouroriginalsideaftersettingfiresintheenemycastleorcamp,oraftermakingfalsecharges,orevenaftertakingtheheadofanenemy.

YamabikonojutsuortheartofechoesAn echo is generated by clapping your hands but it echoes here and over there. Therelationbetweenthelordandtheretainershouldbelikethiswhenyouundertakeashinobi

mission25andthisishowitisdone.

Fromthebeginning,which lordyouserve isnotasecret; therefore,anyplea toservetheenemymaynotbefulfilled.Evenifyoumanagetoservetheenemywithahiddenplot,itmayturnoutthatyourplotwillnotonlyberevealedbutyouwillbekilledandalsoitwillbemoredamagingtoyouralliesthananythingelse.

Therefore,youshouldmakeasecretarrangementwithyourlord,wherebyyoucommita serious offence and the lord reprimands you severely, throws you into prison, orconfiscatesyourpropertiesandexilesyoufromhisdomain.

Thenthereshouldbeaconstructedfightbyforceofarmssothatyoushouldkillfiveorevensevenlowersoldiersbeforeyourunaway.Youshouldgototheenemyandtellthemthisfalsestorytoshowthatyouarenotlyingandthatyouhopetoservethem;ifyoudothistheywillallowyoutoservethemwithoutanydoubts.Afterbecomingaretainerontheir side,youshould try toconvince thembydevotedservice,bribe thecounsellorsorcommanderswithtreasures,getintothefavourofmenclosetothelord,accordingtotheirrespectivetaste,orhavediscreetmeetingswiththeenemygeneralsandinfiltrateyourownoriginalsidetosetfiresonunimportantbuildings.Bytakingeverychancetogobacktoyour allies, you should informyour true lordof the statusof the enemy, and,when thetimecomes,youshouldkill theenemylordbeforeyouleaveorsetfires inhiscastleorcampwhileyouralliesareattackingfromoutside,ordoanythingyoucanaccordingtotheopportunity.

TakezawaUkyo-no-sukekilledNittaYoshiokibysuchaconspiracy;also,atthebattlebetween thestateofWuand thestateofWei,a retainerofSunQuanofWudeceivedageneral ofWeiwith these tactics, these arewritten in theShogosho26 document and indetail.

Theabovechapterisaboutinfiltratinginadvancebyyo-ninandhasprinciplesthatarevery profound and are deep secrets of shinobi no jutsu. They should be considered theutmostsectionsofwisdom,andareofagreatsubtlety.Ifanintrepidgeneralandshinobinomono work together in accord, spare no expense, listen to heaven’swill, keep onlyloyaltyandrighteousnessinmind,andwhenthetimecomes,usenumeroussecretskills,thenevenifacastleisguardedbyanygreatcommanderandthoughttobeimpregnable,therewillbenowaythattheycannotinfiltrateorcaptureit.Therearemoreprinciplesthanarewritteninthismanuscriptwhichmovebywordalone,whichshouldbeconveyedfromonemind to another and they cannot be passed down in writing nomatter howmuchmoneyisgiven.

1Thisisadirecttranslationofanidiom,itmeansthatthelessershinobidonotunderstandreasonorconsequence.

2PresumablythisisareferencetothewarchronicletheTaheiki

3Thisnameismostlikelyanerror,asthispersondoesnotappearintheoriginalstory.

4?–208BC,theleaderofthefirstrebellion,knownastheDazeVillageUprising.

5Aprayeroractionforafuturebenefit.

6Thisisnotthecorrectnameofthemanwhoimitatedthecall,thecorrectnameisunknownanddoesnotappearintheoriginalChinesemanual.

7NormallyFujibayashiusestheideogramforyinfromyin-yang.However,hereheuses ,whichmeans‘hiding’.Hethenaddsfun-nin ,whichmeans‘slippingin’.

8AskillbasedontheJapaneselegendofaghostwhowassaidtobeverygoodlookingandwholivedonthemoontotendtrees.Accordingtothelegend,ifyougazedatthemoontoolong,unlessthemoonwasfull,theghostwouldinviteyouthereandyouwoulddie.Also,ifyoueattheblood-redleavesofhistreesthenyouwillbecomeinvisible.

9Inotherwords,inafaroffprovince.

10Anunknownterm;however,itismostlikelyagenerictermforanundercoveragent.Bycombiningtheideogramsanaandushi,itcreatesacompoundfortheideogramfor‘prison’orthefirstpartofthewordronin,linkingittoanundercoveroperative.

11Thesentencehereisincodeandatfirstappearstomakenosensetothereader,butacloserinspectionoftheidiomsused, and ,yieldstheabovetranslation.

12Literally,insectsthatliveundergroundforwinter.

13Ahermitsamurai.

14ThistermisalsofoundintheShoninkimanual.Thetwoideogramsareslightlydifferentbutshareanetymologyandareregardedasthesamething.TheBansenshukaiversionis andtheShoninkiversionis .

15Theideogramfor‘women’, ,canbebrokendowntothreeelements,whichcanbereadaskunoichi or‘female’.SeeInSearchoftheNinja,p.155.

16Amaleninja.Theideogramforman, ,canbebrokendowntothetworadicalsofta andchikara.Thispointisofinterest,asthetermkunoichihasbecomefamousintheWesternworld,yettajikarahasremainedunknown.

17Thiswordhasafewpossiblemeanings,including‘thosewhogiveambush’or‘peasantbandits’.Nobuseriwereusedbysomewarlordsasguerrillafighters.

18ThemeasurementofrichangedduringtheEdoperiod.HerewehaveusedtheSengokuperiodmeasurementtomakethedistancemorerepresentativeofthetimewhenFujibayashiwaswriting.

19Itisunknownifthismeans‘awayfromtheviewofthegeneralpeople’orifitmeans‘awayfromtheviewoftheextendedgroupofinquisitors’includingthepossibletarget.

20Aclearexampleofthe‘doomedagent’,which,dependingonhisactions,makeshimareversedspy.

21Symbolicofpunishment.

22ItispossiblethisisbasedontheworkingsofaChineserecurvebow.

23Certainbows,whenloosened,willinvertonthemselves.

24Fujibayashiissayingthatthereisasecretskillforthis.

25WhatdoesnotcomeacrossintheEnglishisthatthemangivensuchamissionisarelativelyhigh-rankingsamurai,whohastheoptionofmeetingwithotherhigh-rankingsamuraiintheenemy.

26ThisismostlikelytheWakanNinriShogoshodocument,whichisamissingsectionoftheBansenshukai,acopyofwhichisintheIgaUenoMuseum.

VOLUMENINE

Yo-ninIIOpenDisguiseII

Infiltratinginhaste

Thisvolumeisabouthowtoinfiltratewithyo-jutsuwhenyouareconfrontingtheenemy;therefore,itistitledchikairinojutsuorshort-terminfiltration.

Asitisnaturalthatexcellenttacticiansmakeplansevenwhennosign[ofwar]isonthehorizon, nothing is better than toiri no jutsu, that is to infiltrate far in advance. This isbecausewhileyouandyour enemyare confrontingeachother at a closedistance, eachsideishighlyalert–therefore,itisnoteasytoinfiltrate.However,inthecasewhereyouhavenotputanagentinplacewithtoirinojutsu,thenyoucannothelpbutusetheartsinthischapter.

Sevenpointsonryakuhon-jutsu1orinformation-gathering

I

Aswellasintelligenceontheenemycastleorcamp,youshouldtrytofindoutthenamesof roju senior counsellors, mono-gashira troop captains, bugyo commanders, closeretainersoresquires,tacticians,correspondenceofficers,messengers,gatekeepersandsoon, and also find out where they live, trying to talk to people as much as possible.Alongside this,youshould try tocollect informationsuchaswhatkindof families theyarefrom,wheretheyarefrom,whatkindofjobstheyhavebeenengagedin,etc.

SunTzusays:

Whethertheobjectbetocrushanarmy,toconqueracity,ortoassassinateanindividual,it isalwaysnecessary tobeginby findingout thenamesof theattendants, theaides-de-camp, and door keepers and sentries of the general in command. Our agents must becommissionedtoascertainthese.

Ifyouhavesuchinformationastheabove,youcanutilizeitasfollows:

•Toaidyouroperationandtacticsandaccordingtothesituation.

•Sothatyoucandisguiseyourselfasamessengerfromsomeonewithintheirfamily.

•Touseittoslandersomeoneintheenemysoastocauseabreakdownamongthem.

Withoutthiskindofinformationyourplanswillhavenogrounding.

II

Howtoenquireforsuchinformationasdescribedabove

Togetsuchinformation,youshouldapproachthosewhohavelefttheenemysideandarenow masterless samurai (ronin) or monks, merchants, blind musicians, sarugakumusiciansandsoon–allofwhomhaveaccesstotheenemyside–andquestionthemandrecord everything. If you need to do any further investigation, you should visit theirrelatives;noteiftheyarepeasantsortownfolk,orevensamuraiservinganotherclan.Youshould visit where they live and you should investigate thoroughly and talk to themclosely and obtain precise information. In the situation where you have not obtainedinformationbeforehand,youshouldaskmerchantsorpeasantsaroundtheenemycastleoryourownprisonersfully.

Inthecasethatyouarebesiegedinacastle,orthatbothsidesarefacingeachotherinanotherprovince,youshouldgotoamountainvillagearoundtheenemycampandtalktomowers and loggers who are working for the enemy and lead them to give you theinformationyouneed.Itisessentialtoobtainasmuchinformationaspossiblebyleadingthemskilfully.Itisgoodtocarryaportableinkpottowritedowneverything.

Ashinobipoemsays:

Japanesesumiinkandabrushareusefulforeverypurpose.Youshouldnotgoonashinobiactivitywithoutayatatewritingcase.

III

In the case where you pretend to come from another province, you should learn themannersorthedialectofthetargetprovinceinfull.

IfyousayyouarefromIgaorKoka,thentheenemywillinstantlygoontothealert;therefore,youshouldpretendtocomefromsomewhereelse,aplacethatyouknowwell.However, if you cannot use the dialect or manners of the place proficiently, then theenemywillbeevenmoresuspicious,soyoushouldmasterthelanguageandthemannersthoroughly.

IV

Youshouldcarrysealsofthelordsofotherprovinces.

Imentionedthisearlier,butthistechniqueisusedmainlywithintheskillofchikairinojutsuorshort-terminfiltration,thusitisincludedhereagain.

V

Youshouldtakeafakewife.Ifyoudonot,gettingonewhiletravellingwillbeacceptable.Tobeorallytransmitted.

VI

Allninjutsuhasthesameprinciple,butthisisespeciallysointheartofchikairinojutsu

or short term infiltration.You should take into considerationwhat the enemywants, itswaysoftalking,thinkingoracting–considerthiswhenyouconstructyourplan.


Whenneitherthebeginningnorendisvisible,nooneisabletogainfullunderstanding.Heavenandearth,likeallthings,alsochangeandtransform.Youshouldkeepchangingyourwaysaccordingtotheenemy.

If things are not going asmentioned above, disastrous consequenceswill be broughtforthintheend.

VII

AsmentionedinthechapterofpromisesforAGuidelineforCommanders,itisespeciallyimportantwhenyouuse the art ofchikairi no jutsu or short-term infiltration to arrangepasswordsandsignswithouterror.

Examplesofnightsignalsincludehikyakubifirebeacons,ireko-hiadjustablelampsandiccho-ikka‘onefireforonecho’.Forthedaytime,signalfires,flags,conchshells,etc.areused.Youshouldmakearrangementswith thegeneral for theuseof these signals– forexample,bymakingveryloudnoisessuchasdrumbeats,cries,gunshots,etc.Thismaybedone to informyou that theyaregoing toattack.This isespecially important for thetimesofsettingfires–whetheryouarepractisingyo-ninorin-nininfiltration,itishardtosetfiressuccessfullywithoutthisskill.

Fourpointsontheartofpasswords

I

Gettinginformationabouttheenemybyaskingtheirlower-rankingsoldiers

Supplementaryheading:threedifferentwaystogetintothebattlecamp,anightraidandtheenemycastle.

Everysamuraiisnormallyprudentwhilelowerpeopleorsoldiersaregenerallystupidandunwise,sonothingisbetterthantalkingtolowerpeopletohavethemgiveawaytheirsecrets.Particularly, theyoung, thedrunkor the rasharebest.Lowerpeople arenot socloselyconnectedwiththehigher-rankingmembersofthearmysotheyareoverlookedornot listened tomore often than not and are rarely questioned. That is why you shouldinvolveyourselfwiththelower-rankingpeopleandaskwhatyouwanttoknow.

Passwordsarenotstrictlyusedwhenyouarebesiegedinacastle;thisisbecausethereis no traffic going in or out.However,when you are constructing a battle camp or aregoing for a night attack, you should have a strict way of using passwords. Before theenemyconstructsacamp,youshouldgoaroundthebackoftheenemy’spositionorinanyforestsbehindthemorsoonandasklowersoldiersor labourersfor thepasswords.Thewaytodothisispassedoninoraltradition.

Also,whentheenemyiscomingwithanightraidingpartyandyouinfiltratethemusingtheskillofsuigetsunojutsuorwhenyouaregoingtoperformanightattackontheenemycamp,inthesetwocasesyouwillbeabletomovearoundsidebyside[withtheenemy]

andhaveachancetoaskandprobethepeoplementionedabove.

Whenyouaregoingtoinfiltratewithin-nin,youshoulddiscovertheenemypasswordsthenightbefore.Youshouldobtainthepasswordswhileyouinvestigatethepresentstatusoftheenemy,orfollowandblendinwiththelowerpeopleoftheenemyandyoushouldtalk about various things. There is a secret way to do this. Be aware that the way toexecutethisdiffers,dependentonifitisacamporifitisanightattack.

II

Ifitisnotpossibleforyoutodiscoverthepasswordsbysuchmethods,therearecertainwords you can say in response to an enemy challenge whichmay work; for example,‘forests’to‘mountains’,‘village’to‘woods’,‘water’to‘valley’,‘waves’to‘water’,‘salt’to‘sea’,‘fruit’to‘flower’,‘smoke’to‘fire’,‘green’to‘pinetree’,‘edge’to‘tatami’.Youshould always be aware there are numerous variations of words and you should bepreparedandhaveagoodknowledgeofthem.Whengivenawordbytheenemy,besuretoanswer in away that appears tobea little careless andcasual. If thewordyouhaverepliedwithseemstobewrong,itwouldbegoodforyoutogiveanotherpossibleanswer–forexample,sometimesananalogyisused,suchas‘Asama’(thenameofavolcano)to‘smoke’, ‘MountFuji’ to‘snow’,‘Yoshino’ to‘flower’(cherryblossoms), ‘Miyagino’ to‘hagi’ (Japanese bush clover), ‘Sarashina’ to ‘the moon’, ‘Takasago’ to ‘pine trees’,‘Namba’ to ‘plum flowers’, ‘Ide’ to ‘bush warbler’ or ‘frog’, ‘Mikusa’ to ‘quail’, etc.2Thus,whenyouansweroneaslistedhere,itwouldbebetterforyoutoanswerinawaywhere you look careless because there is always a possibility that itmaybe a differentpassword.Ifyougiveyouranswerwithoutbeingtimid,consideringtheabovementionedtwopoints, thenyouwillbeable toget through thesituation.However, theenemymayhaveanextrasign,suchasonepersonpickinghisearandtheotherpersonblowingtheirnoseinresponse,andinsuchcases,sometimesyoushouldnotrushintosayingapasswordinresponse.Todealwithsuchasituation,itisgoodforyoutotransformyourappearanceandpretendtobeanignorantlowersolider[whowouldforgetsuchthings].Inamilitarywayof life,which isbudo, thereexistsonlydanger.Therefore,youshouldhaveacalmmindwhenyoufaceanemergency.

III

Whenyou try to infiltratewith suigetsuno jutsu, sometimes the enemygeneral has hismenwhisperthepasswordatthecastlegatebeforetheyareletin;therefore,youshouldtrytohearfromthefrontortherear.3Ifyoucannothearthepassword,withdrawwithoutdelay.

Whentheenemywithdrawsafteranightattack,youmayfollowandgetintotheenemyarmy.Iftheenemycastleisatafairdistancefromyourarmy,itwillbethecasethateverysoldieristoldtowhisperthepasswordatthegate.Ifyouaregoingtofollowandgetintotheenemyoracastleandcampthatareincloseproximitytoeachother,beawaretheyarenotlikelytohavethisrule.

IV

Trytocopywhatevertheenemydoes

Intheartsofwar,therearetechniquesofpasswords,aijirushiidentifyingmarksandaikeiidentifyingsigns.Thesethreetechniquesarealltodetectthosefromtheenemywhohaveblendedintoyourarmy.Passwordsandaijirushiidentifyingmarkswerementionedearlier.

Aikeiidentifyingsignsincludetechniquesoftachisuguriisuguri–thatisstandingandsittingwhilegivingpasswords–thesewereinventedbyKusunokiMasashige.Youshouldknowthereareanumberofwaystoperformthesesigns[notjuststandingandsitting].Forexample,regardlessofwhatthepasswordsare,orwhatsignsandmarksaregiven,thekeyistodowhatevertheenemydoesandsaywhatevertheenemysays.Thisistheessentialpointinshinobinojutsuandistheretoavoiddanger.

WhenWada andKusunokiwere besieged atAkasaka castle inKawachi,MonobenoJiro,whowasaretaineroftheYukiclanonthebesiegingside,successfullygotintothecastle by blending in with the enemy. However, he did not know the aikei signs ofTachisuguriIsuguriandwasdetectedandkilled.ThereisadetaileddiscussionaboutthisintheTeikairon4–furtherdetailsaretobeorallytransmitted.

Passwordsshouldbechangedthreetimeseveryfivedaysoronceeverythreedays,orifnecessary,everyday.Iftheenemyisgoingtocommenceanightattack,theywillchangetheirpasswordsevenifitwasdecidedasearlyasthatmorning;therefore,thereisnouseinyourknowingoldpasswords.Theprimaryelements[aninja]shouldhavearewitinaverbalexchangeandaquickbrainandeloquentspeech.

Furthermore, unless you are skilled in the various techniques and have a calmmind,youwillfallintoserioustrouble.

Fourpointsonsecretsignsandmarks

I

Takeadokataginu5vestwithyou.Ninjashouldprepareseveraldokataginuanddyethemindifferentcoloursbeforehand.Tobeorallytransmitted.

II

Copyingaijirushimarksinstantlyuponseeingthem

When the enemy is defending a castle and your army is attacking it, and the distancebetweentheenemycastleandyourcampistwentyorthirtychoorevenfortytofiftycho,theenemywillsenditsguardsastogiki listeningscoutstothetobari6orkedashioutsideareasofthecastle.

When the enemyhas established a camp, itwill haveguardsoutside themainwatchfiresandhavesingleusefiresburninginthevicinity.Also,itmaysendkagiandmonogikiscouts[intothearea].Ninjashouldstealthilycreepneartotheguards,watchmen,night-patrolmen,watch-firemen,togikilisteningscoutsandsoon,thatisthosewhodefendthetobari orkedashi outside areas of the castle. This is done to discover the nature of theaijirushimarks,andwhenyouhavethisinformation,gobackandcreateoneanduseittoinfiltratetheenemy.Insuchacaseitishardtosucceedunlessyouareverycourageous,talentedinspeakingandingeniousatinventionandconstructingplans.

Ashinobishouldhavethreemajorprinciples,whicharetalk,boldnessandstrategy.

Ona rainynight, ifawatchfire isdead,youmaybeable tosneakup to thewatch-fireguardandkillhim,orifyoucomeacrosstheenemytogikilisteningscout,youmaykillorcapture him also. There have been many instances of such cases since ancient times.Althoughyoushoulddothisinsomesituations,itshouldmostdefinitelybeavoidedifitisdone when hot-blooded. Only do this if you need to, and if needed to succeed ininfiltrating,or ifyou thinkyoucannotget in therewithoutdisposingof them, insuchacaseyoumaykillthatperson.Thesetwopointsholdtrueforthecasewheretheenemyisnotleavingitscastle.

III

Youshould takean identificationmarkfromadeadenemysoldieror takeone fromtheenemywithstealth.

IV

Awisetechniqueto identifytheaijirushimark is toaskanenemybehindyou ifhehasone.At the siegeofOsakacastle, a retainerofTodo Izuminokamihadanarrowescapeusingthistechnique.

Theabovetwopointsholdtrueforwhentheenemyisadvancinganattackorfightingorwhenabattleendsandtheenemyiswithdrawing.Tobeorallytransmitted.

Threepointsonmukaeirenojutsuortheartofapproachingtheenemyforinfiltration

I

Whiletheenemyisadvancinguponyou,youshouldventuretwentytothirtyriouttoseethemandinfiltrateapositionwheretheytakeupquarters.Dothiswithbothyo-and in-jutsu, so that you may set fires or cause confusion by supplying the enemy withmisinformation.Ifyougooutasfarasthirtyri,theenemywillnotexpectyoutobethere,soyoucantakeanadvantageofthisgap.Oryoushouldgoandstaythereevenbeforetheenemy soldiers arrive, or in a nearby village, and while they are making a racket andsettlingdownafterarriving,youshouldleaveyourpositionandtakeabackroadandsetfireandburntheirfood,armouries,harnessandhorsetackleandsoon,withthepurposetoexhausttheenemy,oreventomakefalsechargesandtoarousedoubtandcausediscordamongthem.Therearemyriadsecretwaystosethousesonfire,orevenmarketsorshops,etc.andalsotopractisetheartofslander.

II

Makeyourselfupasagoshiorlocalsamuraiatfiveorsixrifromwheretheenemytakesupquarters, thenenquire ifyoucanaccompany themasa rearvassaland thus infiltratethisway.

III

Disguise yourself as amessenger froma relative or an acquaintance of someone in theenemy.Withsuchanopportunity,youshouldusethetechniqueoffalseseals.Tobeorallytransmitted.

Twopointsonbakemonojutsuortheartoftransformation

I

You should change your appearance to that of a yamabushi mountain pilgrim, officeholder, monk, shrine keeper, merchant, monkey trainer, puppeteer, shrine worshipper,hermit,pilgrim,beggaroranythingthatisinaccordwiththeopportunity.7

Indoingthis,ifyouonlychangeyourappearance,itwillbelikeneedleworkwithoutthethreadknotted [andwillunravel itself].Therefore, ifyouwant todisguiseyourself asayamabushi,youshouldcarryapassfromasendatsu,who isa ‘mentoryamabushi’or ifdisguisedasamonk,yourequireapassfromtheheadtempleorothersuchthings.Thiswill work effectively. Of course, you should be preparedwith the necessary tools, andknowthemannersortheartsofthepeopleyoucopy.

In ancient times whenYoshitsune and hismen fled to Oshu, the twelve of them alldisguised themselves as yamabushi and aman namedMusashibo at theAtaka no Sekicheckpoint pretended to read from a random scroll and pretended it was a kanjincho,which isaprospectus tosolicit funds fora temple.This rusewaspurelyderivedon thespotandthoughtheywereplanningtopretendtogowiththeorderofthetempleinNara,itwouldhavecausedserioustroubleiftheyhadnotcreatedthiskanjincholetter,buttheyshouldhavebeenmorepreparedfor thisandgivenmoreattention.Itwasoftenthecasethatthistechniquewouldbeusedtoinfiltrateinthosedays,butitisnotappropriatetoday.However,itisawaypasseddownfromancienttimessoIhavewrittenithere.Thismaystillbeapplicableinacasewheretheenemyandyouralliesaredistantfromeachotherbytensofri,orifyouarefollowingarunaway,orifyouaretryingtokillacriminal.

However, thecasesofTateokanoDojun,whoinfiltratedthecastleofSawayama,andKusunokiMasashige,who hadOnchi Sakon infiltrateAkasaka castle, [are examples oftheseaboveskillsand]stillappeartohavemeriteventoday.

However, itcanbedifficult touse this skillofbakemono jutsu, ashighlightedby thefollowing cases: when Ise no Saburo Yoshimori went to Tosa-bo’s camp disguisinghimselfasahorsedealer,andwhenShindonoKotarowenttoAratacastlepretendingtobedeafanddumb.Inthesesituationstherusewasdifficultandyoushouldonlyusetheseskillswhentheenemyisgoingtoattackyou.Also,whenEchizennokami–whowasaretainer of the Kikuchi clan – infiltrated the camp of Matsura-to, he did so with thistechnique,asitwasacasewherebothsideswerefacingeachotherandataclosedistance.However, thiswill notwork today.Fukurogaeshi no jutsu or the ‘skill of reversing thebag’seemstobemoreappropriatefortoday.

II

Whenyouwanttogetintoanenemycamp,youshouldgotherestealthilythenightbefore

torecordwhatthecrestsontheirlanternsarelike.Thenyoushouldgobackandcreateasimilarlanternyourself.Whenyougettothecampdiscreetly,quicklylightthelanternanddisguise yourself as a guard, night-patrol man or fireman or so on, according to thesituation,andinfiltratewithtactics.Aninjapoemsays:

Thoughtherearesomanyprinciplesashinobishouldlearn,thefirstthingofallistogetclosetotheenemy.

However,itisdifficulttofulfilthisunlessyouhaveanabsolutelyfearlessmind,likethatof iron.Ifyouareeasilyfrightenedbytheenemy,yourplanswillforeverbediscoveredandyouwillcauseadisaster.

Ifyouareupsetbythefeintstheenemymakesatyou,yoursecretintentionswillberevealed.

Threepointsonkatatagaenojutsuorinfiltratingtheenemywhileothersaremovingduringanightattack

I

Ifyouknow–byusingmonominojutsuscoutingtechniques–thattheenemyiscomingto perform a night attack, or even if you have not got the information but have justdiscoveredthattheenemyisgoingtoattackyourallieswhileyouarehidingduringyourregulardutyasatogikilisteningscout,thenyoushouldsendsomeonebacktoreportittothegeneralwhileothersshouldentertheenemycastlejustaftertheenemyraidingpartyhascomeout.Generally,whentheenemyisgoingonanightattack,youcanseethelightsin the castle are different from those of normal times or hear dogs barking or horsesneighing.Oryoucanknowthatanattackforceiscomingwhenthereisnosoundoftheregularwarning clappers or calls of the night patrol, orwhen you see a small scoutinggroupsentoutfromthecamp,orevenwhenflagsormarkersaremovingindisarray.Inthesecases,you shouldhide ina forestordeepbushclose to thecastlewaiting for theenemypartytocomeout.Whenitcomesout,youshouldinfiltratetakingtheadvantageoftheopportunity.Therearethreeadvantagesfordoingthis:

As the enemy is launching a night attack in an attempt to catch you off guard, it isconcentratingonoutwittingyouandisnotthinkingofbeingoutwitted.Therefore,ittendsnottoexpectninjatoinfiltratebytakingadvantageofthisgap.

At the timeof a night attack, everything is busy and confused and all are rushed, somuchthattheycannotfinelyinterrogatesomeoneindepthandonthespot.

Assomanypeoplegoinandoutofthegates,itiseasytogetinatthistime.

Evenifyoudonotknowinadvancewhere theenemywillsallyforthfrom,youmaysee theenemypartycomeoutwhileyouareon togiki listeningdutyatnight; therefore,youshouldtakeadvantageofthechanceandinfiltratejustafteritleavesonaraid.Tobe

orallytransmitted.

Assuigetsunojutsuhasbeenwellknowntopeopleinourcountrysinceancienttimes,iftheenemyarmyisproperlydisciplined,therearevarioustechniquestocounteractitsoitisadangeroustask.

Katatagaenojutsuistotallyunexpectedbytheenemy,andifyoudothisyoucanavoidtheenemypasswordsoraikeistandingorsittingsignalsandthereforeinfiltrateeasilyandatyourwill.

Also, as there isonly a lessernumberof the enemy left in the castle [becauseothershaveleft],thentheadvantagesareasfollows:

First,itiseasytosetfires;second,itisnoteasyfortheenemytoputoutthefire;andthird,ifyouralliesarecomingtoattackthecastleat thesametime,theenemywill loseadvantage as it will be undermanned. Therefore, there are so many advantages forkatatagaenojutsuasseenaboveandithasanadvantageoversuigetsunojutsuandisthebestsecretamongtheartsofchikairishort-terminfiltration.

II

Thereisanadvantageintheartofchangingyourappearancetothatofalowersoldierandinfiltrating as separate agents.8 The advantage of this technique of changing yourappearancetoalowersoldieristhatifyoudisguiseyourselfasafullyarmouredsamurai,youwillbesoconspicuousthat itwillnotbelongbeforeyouarequestioned.Also,youwillbemostlikelyspokentoatsomepoint,evenbyastranger,thus,thechancesofbeingsuspectedarequitehigh.Ifyoushowyourselfasbeinginafluster,theenemywillbeevenmoresuspicious.Therefore,tohaveanadvantageinfun-nin,thatistheartof‘slippingin’,youshouldusetheartofmasqueradingyourselfasalowersoldier.Thisisbecause,first,lowerpeopleareinconspicuous;second,theywillnotattractpeople’sattention;andthird,ifyoumakeablunder,people tend tooverlook it.Thus, everyone thinks littleof lowerpeople.However,whenthereisnourgentsituationandallisquietintheenemycastleorcamp,peopletendtowonderaboutlowerpeople.Becauseofthis,youneedtohavegoodjudgementonwhatsituationyouareinandchangeyourwaysaccordingly.

In ancient times, in Omi province, at the battle of Anegawa, a man named EndoKiemon,whowasaretainerofAsakuraYoshikage,infiltratedLordNobunaga’sarmyinconspicuousarmourandwithadecapitatedheadinhand.HedidthiswithanintentiontokillLordNobunagaatthecostofhisownlife.HewassearchingforwherethelordwasbutintheendamannamedTakenakaKyusakuguessedhisintention,seizedandbeheadedhim.ThisallhappenedbecauseEndodidnotknowtheartsoffun-nin,andthatheshouldhavedisguisedhimselfasalowersoldier.Inthiscase,heshouldhavegotintotheenemyasalowerrankingman.

Still, be aware that you should know well the banners and markings of the enemygenerals beforehandor always try tomix intowherepeople are gathering.Tobeorallytransmitted.

Alongsidethis,theartofgoingseparatelymeansthatifyougoinagroupyouaremorelikelytobequestionedandthereforecannotsucceed,whileifinfiltratingasanindividual,whilesomestillmaybequestioned,otherswilllikelysucceedininfiltrating.Thishasbeen

thecaseanumberoftimesinourcountry.

III

Whenyouralliesaregoingtoperformanightattack,ninjashouldgofirstandstealthilygetascloseasthetobariandkedashiouterareas,watchguardsorsingle-usewatchfiresandsoon.Thenyoushouldinfiltratethecampbytakingadvantageofthefluster.

Threepointsonsuigetsunojutsuortheartofthemoononthewater

I

Whentheenemywithdrawsintoitscastle,whetherinanightattackoradaytimebattle,you should infiltrate.Whether day or night,when the enemy comes to fightwith yourallies,bothsideswillmixinbattle;therefore,whiletheenemyiswithdrawing,itismostessentialthatninjashouldnotbotherfightingwithswordsorspearsatall,theyshouldinfactconcentrateonmovingaroundtohearorseetheenemypasswordoraijirushimarks.

II

Aftermakinganagreementwithyourlord,youshouldluretheenemyoutwithbaitandusekatatagaeorsuigetsunojutsutoinfiltrate.

Inthistechnique,youshouldluretheenemywithtemptingbait,likefishingintheseaor a river, so as to make an enemy who will not normally come out in fact leave itsdefences.

Whenattackingacastle,youshouldattack from threesidesand leaveonesideopen.Fromthatopendirection,youshouldmakeupafalsemessengerfromthealliedgeneral,someonewhoisexpectedtoreinforcetheenemyandwhoisexpectedtoleadanattackonthebesiegingforcesfromtherear.Youshouldforgealetterwithafalseseal,whichshouldsay that the generalwill send his army to attack from behind and send food and otherthingssuchas this,but it is important that the letter shouldgivea specificdateof theirarrival. Then, at night on that specific date, you should disguise yourselves as baggagetrain handlers and pack cattle groups or horse trains with false loads, then enter thepositionina largenumber.Tosupport this,makeanarrangementwithyour lordthatheshould start attacking just after you have entered. There are more things to be orallytransmitted.

WhenMasashigemadeYuasasurrenderAkasakacastle,thistechniquewasused.

Thesecondtechniqueisasfollows:whenyouralliessurroundthecastleatthestartofthebesiegement,youshouldbuildanannexcampatnightandafterdusk[whiletheenemyisunaware]andbuildthisquiteclosetothecastle.

Third,youralliesshoulddepart foranightbattlebutbesmall innumber [whichwillattracttheenemy].

Fourth,youralliesshouldgoforwardinasmallnumbertobuildacampataplacethathaslimiteddefencequalities.

Fifth,usefalseflags,falsescreensandfalserations,etc.[toattracttheenemyandmake

themmovesothatagapiscreated].

According to the time and place, you should perform these above techniques in anappropriatewayfor thestatusof theenemyforces,so thatyoucan lure themoutof thecastle to perform katatagae or suigetsuno jutsu and infiltrate them. Further secrets arepassedonorally.

When you sneak in using katatagae or suigetsu no jutsu as stated above, the three9pointsyoushouldkeepinmindare:

•Whenintheenemycastleorcamp,inordernottoloseyourway,beitnorth,east,southorwest,youshouldfixontosomeone,rememberhimandfollowalong.Thisisdonetohelpyouremaincalmandalsoifyouarequestionedbytheenemy.Thisisthereasonforitbeingmentionedhereinthissection.

•Besurenottoforgettheenemypasswordormissaijirushimarksandalwaystrytofollowthewaysoftheenemyinbothactionandspeech.Thetechniquesofpasswordsoraijirushimarks[previouslydescribed]aremeantforsuchcases.

•Itisessentialtomakeasignalfireoutofthewayofpeopleassoonaspossiblesoyouralliescanknowthatyouhaveinfiltratedsuccessfully.Ifitistoolate,itwillcauseaseriousproblem,sothesoonerthebetter.Detailsaretobeorallytransmitted.

Fivepointsontaniirinojutsuortheartof‘eatingdeepintotheenemy’

I

Tocapturesomeonebytyingandbindingthem

II

Tokillsomeone

III

Tosetfires

IV

Tocommunicatewithothershinobi

V

Inusingthisartoftaniirinojutsu,theenemyislikelytobedoubtfulofyou,thereforeyoushouldusethetechniqueofafalsewifeorafalsechild.Ifyouthinkitisnotenough,thereare techniques such as going to your allies to burn huts which have been built fornewcomersandsoon[toproveyourtrustworthinesstotheenemy],ortokillsomeoneandreturn[withtheirhead].Forthese,detailsaretobeorallytransmitted.Youshouldnottakethemlightly.

In ancient timesHosokawaAkiuji and his army of thirteen thousandwas in a battlecampatFujiideraofKawachiwiththeintentiontodefeatKusunokiMasatsura.Masatsura

collectedmorethanthreehundredpeoplefromTakayasuandHonzawa,dividedthemintogroupsoffivetotenpeopleandsentthemintotheenemytroopsinascatteredwaycalledtaniiri.Theygotinhereandtherebymakingupplausiblestories,sayingthattheywantedto change sides and talking about Masatsura’s disgrace at Chihaya castle. AfterwardsMasatsura sent a messenger to the opponent saying he would like to surrender. Thensuddenlyheraisedtheflagsinattack–atthispointthethreehundredpeopleontheinsideattacked.Thisartworkedwellbyitselfinancienttimesandyouwillnotfailtoinfiltrateifyou

performthisskillwithafalsewifeorchildandothersuchstratagems.

Twopointsonryohannojutsuortheconvertedprisoner

I

Therearevarioustechniquestomakeninjaoftheenemybyusingaprisonerasyourninjaortomakeamessengeroftheprisoner.

Ifyougetaprisonerinconfinement,youshouldwinhimtoyoursidebypromisingthatyouwillgivehimahighreward.Alsoyoushouldtakehiswife,childrenorsomeoneinhisfamilyashostageandmakehimwriteakishomonpledgesoyoucanusehimasyourninjaandgethimbackintotheenemycastleorcamp.

Thereisalsoanotherway.Iftheprisonerhashisparents,children,friendsorsomeoneclose tohimon theenemyside,youshouldmakeupsomeoneasamessenger fromtheprisonertomakeaninjaofthatperson.

Whentheenemycastleorcampisfalling,nomatteriftheenemygeneralisdeadorifhehasfled,ifhehasparentsorsonsinanothercastle,youshouldfalsifyamessengerfromthe general to tell them to surrender or think up another stratagem according to thesituation.ThisartwasusedbyIsenoSaburoYoshimoriinthemiddleofthefirstmonthof1184,whenhemadeTauchiSaemonNoriyoshisurrender,whowasasonofAbeMinbuShigeyoshi.

II

When you have a prisoner in confinement, you intentionally release him back to theenemywithoutmakinghimrealizeyourtrueintention,sothathewillbecomeaninjaforyou.

Whilekeepingaprisonerinconfinement,yourarmyshoulddoeverythingoppositeofwhatyourlordreallyplanstodo.Thenlethimhearthingswithoutlettinghimknowyourtrueintention.Thenyoushouldpretendtoletyourguarddownsothattheprisonercanrunawaybackandtelltheirlordthisfalseinformation.Atthesametime,youshouldsendametsukesurveillanceoperativetoseeiftheenemylordhasfallenforyourstratagemorifhehasnot.Ifhehastakenitin,youwillhaveagreatnumberofadvantagesoverhimasheisthinkingofyourplansinreverse.

InancientChina,whenLingPengwasattackingQinFeng,QinFengplacedapartofhisarmyinXianwhilehehimselfstayedinanimpregnablecastlecalledDengtodefendagainstLingPeng.AfterLingPengspentafewdaysstayinginpositionwithoutattacking,

hisarmybecameverynoisyandbusyonenightbecausehegavetheordertogetpreparedto attack Xian early the next morning. At the same time, he let a prisoner run away,pretending to let the guard down so that he would bring what he heard to Deng. TheprisonertoldQinFengthattheenemywasgoingtoattackXianthenextmorningandthattheyshouldbeprepared.QinFenggotmostofhisarmybacktoXianthatnight,butLingPenghadsentascouttoseewhatwasgoingon.Aftermakingsurethefalseinformationhadgotthrough,inthehourofTigerofthatnighthehadhisarmycrossovertheriverandattackDeng.Thoughthecastlewassostronglyfortified,theyhadtoosmallanumberofpeople in defence and the attack was not expected, and it ended up being captured.Alongside this, theywent to attackXianaftergaining the advantageandQinFengwasdefeated.

Twopointsonfukurogaeshizenjutsuorthecompleteartofreversingthebag

I

Inthisart,youshouldforgealettertotheenemylordorsomeoneconnectedtotheenemylord, senior counsellors, troop commanders, common samurai or anyone on the enemyside,wholivesinanotherplaceorinanotherprovince.Youshouldbringtheforgedlettertothesaidrelativeandgetareplyletterfromhim.Inthemeantime,youshouldseeorhearasmuchinformationaspossibleandyoushouldnotdelivertheoriginalandtruereplybutfalsifyaletterandtakeittotheenemy.

II

When the enemy defends a castlewhile you are surrounding it and hostages are takenfrom the people of that domain, in this situation have the relatives, wives, children,brothersorsoonofsomeonewhoisbeingheldashostage[writeletters]sothatyoucanfullyusetheskilloffukurogaeshinojutsu.

Theaboveareoutlinesonlyandinarealsituation,whenfacingtheenemyyoushouldkeepthesethingsinmind.Theessenceofthesementaltechniquesshouldbeexploredtoagreatdepth, and thusbeused appropriately.Be surenot to execute them lightly.At thesametime,ifyouthinkaboutthemtoomuch,youwilllosesightofthegaps,andyouwillnotsucceed.Youshouldbeawareofthisthoroughly.

1Fromryaku(‘constructingaplan’)andhon(‘root’,‘basis’or‘truth’).

2Alloftheaboveareplaysonwordsconcerningfamouspoetry.Thepointhereisthatthereisasetofbasepairpasswords,whicharetakenfromcontemporaryunderstanding,andthatpasswordsmayhaveatwisttothem.

3Fujibayashiisnotclearonthepositionhere.

4ThisismostlikelyasupplementarysectiontotheBansenshukaithathasbeenlost.However,itisbelievedbyIshidaYoshihitothatoneoftheOkimorifamilyversionsmaycontainatranscription.

5Aformofunderwear.

6Specificareasoutsideacastleorcampasexplainedinvolumeseven.

7Theexamplesinthissentencehavebeenwrittenwiththeideogramsbrokenupintoasimplisticcode,sothat,whenputtogether,thecorrectideogramscanberead.

8Theaimhereistohaveagroupofninjainfiltrateanightraidbutallasindividuals,becausedoingitasafullgroupis

suspicious.

9Theoriginalmanualstates‘fourpoints’.

VOLUMETEN

Yo-ninIIIOpenDisguiseIII

Inthreesections:1.Ongaugingandmeasurement

2.Ondistinguishing

3.Onobservingfromadistance

Ongaugingandmeasurement

TwopointsongaugingmountainsandvalleysSupplementary: eight points on what you should keep in mind when describing andreportingthefeaturesofmountains.

I

Whenyoudonotexactlyknowtheshapesof themountains,youshould try todescribethemaccordingtotheFiveSymbolsusedwithintheChineseConstellations.Thisisdonetoeasilyassessthedifficultyoreaseofamountain.

TheFiveSymbolsusedfordescribingmountainsare:

1.IfhighinthenorthandflatinthesouththenusethesymbolBlackTortoise ,representingWater.

2.IfhighinthesouthandflatinthenorththenusethesymbolVermillionBird ,representingFire.

3.IfhighinthewestandflatintheeastthenusethesymbolWhiteTiger ,representingMetal.

4.IfhighintheeastandflatinthewestthenusethesymbolBlueDragon ,representingWood.

5.Ifthemountainhasaraisedcentreandispredominantlyflatinallfourdirections–foralong-termcamp1–thenusethesymbolAscendingSerpent ,whichrepresentsEarth.

Alongsidethis,youshouldberesourcefulaccordingtotheplaceorthetimeandremembertherearemoreoraltraditionshere.

II

Youshouldexaminetheenemyprovincetoestablishifthemountainsarelargeorsmall,highor low,steeporgentle;alsoassess thefloraandwhether theriversandvalleysaredeeporshallow,orwideornarrow,longorshortandsoonandsoforth.

Aswellasobservingtheareaaroundtheenemycastle,youshouldlookforapossiblebattlefieldorapossiblecampsite foryourarmy,youshouldalsoexaminecloselyotherplacesthatappearatfirsttohavenousetoyou.Collectpreciseinformationsuchaswhatthey are like or theirmeasurements, etc. This is done on the assumption that youwillestablish abattle camponamountain; therefore, you should investigate the areawhereyour vanguard should be placed, on which crest your headquarters should be set,consideringeverypossiblewayforthebestfit.

Generallyspeaking,itisnotappropriateforasmallarmytotakeuppositiononalargemountain or a large-numbered one on a smallmountain. Therefore, the first thing youshoulddoisapproximatethesizeofthemountain.Moreistaughtbyoraltradition.

Also,ahighmountainisgoodforyoutotakeupapositiononwhilealowmountainisnotsogood.Therefore,youneedtoestimatehowhighthemountainis.Youalsoneedtoconsiderhowsteepthemountainis,asasteepmountainisgoodforyoutodefendifyouare a small number and when using foot soldiers but is of no advantage when usingmountedones.Agentlemountainisgoodwhenyouaremanipulatingalargenumberofmenorusingmountedsoldiers,whilenotsogoodwhenyouareasmallnumberorusingfootsoldiers.Therefore,youshouldgivecarefulconsiderationtohowsteepthemountainis.Therearemoreoraltraditionshere.

It is advantageous if there is a forestorbushbehindyour campbecauseyoucangetfirewoodorfeedyourhorseswithease,itisconvenientwhenyoulayanambush,anditenablesyoutopretendtohaveastrongermilitaryforcethanyouactuallydohave.2Detailsaretobeorallytransmitted.Ontheotherhand,itisnotgoodifthereisaforestoneitherorboth sides or in front of your camp –more traditions are found here – therefore, youshouldknowtheexactlocationsofforestsandbushes.Alongsidethis, thestrategytobetakenshouldvaryaccordingtothevalleysandriversiftheyaredeeporshallow,wideornarrow, longorshort,andtheirexactmakeup.Soyoushould try toknowallof thisaspreciselyaspossible.

Eightpointsyoushouldkeepinmindwhenexaminingamountain

I

Estimatingthemeasurementsofamountaininrelationtothesizeofyourarmy

Youshouldtrytohaveaspecificpictureofwhereeachofthevanguard,thesecondtroops,the side troops, the rear, or the headquarters will be located, according to the exacttopography of the mountain or valley area. It is difficult to investigate it thoroughlywithoutbeing trained inmilitary strategies.Furtherdetails arenot tobedescribedhere.Thewayoftakingapositionvariesaccordingtohowextensive,whatshape,orhowsteepthemountainis,butthecampshouldbeinaccordwiththefollowing:

For ten thousand people youwill need a squarewith a fence constructed around the

perimetertoameasurementofthreechoandfortykenoneachside.Thequartersshouldbebuiltatadistanceofseven,eightorninekenfromthefenceanditshouldbedividedasfollows: three cho for the quarters (huts) and forty ken for the pathways among thequarters. There should be six pathways and each way will be seven ken wide. Thisprinciple can be applied no matter how large the number of people is. To be orallytransmitted.The basic principle in understanding quarters is that youwill need two ken for each

mountedwarrior.However,youcanalsocalculate thenumberby theamountof fief foreachsamurai; in thiscaseitshouldbeworkedoutasonekenwideforonewarriorofasalaryofonehundredkoku.However, if it seems tobe too small to live in,you shouldcalculateitasfollows3:

•Twoandahalfkenfortwopeoplewithonehundredkoku.

•Twokenforthosewithtwohundredkoku.

•Twoandahalfkenforthosewiththreehundredkoku.

•Threekenforthosewithfourhundredkoku.

•Threeandahalfkenforthosewithfivehundredkoku.

•Fourkenforthosewithsixhundredkoku.

•Fourandahalfkenforthosewitheightorninehundredkoku.

•Fivekenforthosewithonethousandkoku.

For peoplewithmore than one thousand koku you need to reduce themeasurement bythreetenths.Forexample:

•Sixkenforthosewithonethousandfivehundredkoku.

•Sevenkenforthosewithtwothousandkoku.

Ifyouhaveafullymannedarmy,thereshouldbenomorethantwomountedwarriorsforeach[textmissing]squareoramaximumoftwelvefootsoldiersperkensquare.

II

Investigateifthereiswaterornot.Evenifyoufindmountainsthatseemgoodforabattlecamp,youshouldnotbuildacampon themountainwhere there isnowater,making itessentialtoknowifthereiswaterornot.Therefore,payattentiontotheareaforriversorpondsandalsoyoucanidentifyawaterveintosomeextentbyobservingtheformationoftheridgeline.Evenonahighmountain,youcanfindwaterbylookinginaravine.Also,somewritingsstatethatyoushouldtrytolookatlowerlandwhenseekingwater,lookingespeciallyforarrowheadplants,4iris,reedsoranyothermarshplantsorwillowtrees.Oryoushouldalsolookfor theholesmadebycricketsandantsanddigaroundtheareatofindwater.

Onetricktoseeifthereiswaterinanareaistoputabirdfeatherinastandingpositionbystickingit twoorthreesun intotheground; if there iswater,youwillseedewdropsformonthefeather.Analternativewayistoputacottonclothintoaholeandleaveitforonenight;ifthereiswateritwillbeheavier.Onemoremethod:digthegroundabouttwo

shakudeepandputyoureartotheground;ifyouhearasoundlikedrumming,therewillbewaterinthearea.

III

Estimatingthedistancetoariver

Youshouldknowhowfarorclosethenearestriverisaswellasitsdepthandwidth.Itisdesirableforyoutotaketheriversnearyourcampintoconsiderationwhenthinkingouttactics.Evenwhennotinacamp,youshouldalwaysbecarefulaboutthis.Evenasmallstreamcanbegood.Furtherdetailsaretobeorallytransmitted.

IV

Youshouldbecarefulaboutkamari-ba,5whichare fieldsof thekamari, forestsorotherareasofdenseplantgrowth,whichcanhidekamariambushes,whetherforyourarmyorfor the enemy.The fieldsof the kamari include: forests, thickets, valleys, the shades ofmountains,banks,ditches,rivers,densegrowthofAmursilvergrass,reedgrasses,fieldsof high grass, wheat, hemp and so on. You should be careful about such places andconsideriftheywillworkastheenemy’skamari-baoryourown.

V

Investigatingwhereafortistobeconstructed

Both in attacking a castle and defending a castle, sometimes you build a fortress andposition a number of people there.Therefore, you need to check the topography of thelandneartheenemyborderandyourownterritoriesandfindanadvantageoussiteforafortress.Tobeorallytransmitted.

VI

Youshouldlookforanappropriateplaceforthecommander-in-chieftogivehisordersbytorch signals in a night battle. The lord should give orders with a torch from a goodvantagepoint.Thepositionof the lord shouldbewherehecan lookover the site inalldirections;again,thereareoraltraditionsthataccompanythis.

VII

You should investigate from both angles, your own and the enemy’s. Considering theadvantages of terrain, forests and bushes, rivers and the sea, or other such things, youshouldalsobeawarethatsomecanbebeneficialfortheenemyinoneaspectandotherscanbebeneficialforyoursidefromanotheraspect.Itisessentialforyoutodeterminethisprecisely.Itisdifficulttowritedowneverydetailinadvanceasitalldependsonthetimeandtheplace;therefore,moreinformationshallbeexplainedinoralform.

VIII

You should look formountain topswhere you can establishhikyaku-bi fire beacons orhikyaku-bataflagstations.Whenshinobinomonosneakintheenemycastleorinfiltratetheenemydomain,youshouldusethetechniquesofhikyaku-biatnightandhikyaku-bata

inthedaytimeinordertocommunicatewhatyouhavefoundtoyourlord.Thisdoesnotworkunlessthesitesyouchooseareonahighmountaintop.Therefore,itisessentialforyou toseehow this relaycanbedonesuccessfullyat the relaypointsofhighmountaintopsorridges.Tobeorallytransmitted.

Thereareoraltraditionsforeachoftheabovepoints.Whileyoumaythinkthereisnodifferencebetweentheskillsaboveandsimplydrawingwhatyousee,suchasmountains,rivers, fields,streamsandsoon, ifyouhavenoknowledgeofmilitarystrategyand justdrawthemwithoutpropermethod,youwillnotfulfilyourlord’sintentions.ThisiswhyIhave tried tomention theoutlinesofmilitary tacticsalongside thesubject itselfandnotonlyinthismatter,butineverything.Ifyouwanttobeaninja,youshouldbewelltrainedintheartsofwar.

Fourpointsoninvestigatingseashoresorrivers

I

Whenobservingtheseacoast,youshoulddecideifitisagoodlandingplaceornot.Todothis you should estimate how deep or shallow it is, how sandy or rocky it is, if it hasenoughdepthtoitandifthewavesaregentleornot,ifitisabayoranopensea,andhowmuchdifferencecanbefoundinthetidelevels.Youshouldinvestigatethesematterswithabsolutecertainty.Moregiveninoraltradition.

II

Estimatingsectionsofariverwhicharedeeporshallow

Toknowwhereariverisdeeporshallow,beawarethatyoushouldconsiderifitiswideornarrow,if thestreamisdividedornot, if thewaterismovingorstillandif thereisaford to cross. Also, if it is a coastline, you should record the difference in tide levelsthoroughlyandwithcertainty.

ApoembyOtaDokan6reads:

Thedepthsandshallowsmakenoiseinamountainstreambutitistheshallowsthatmakewildwaves.

Alsothereisapoemthatinstructshowtogaugethedifferenceintidelevelsorifariverisdeeporshallowbyhearingaploverbird’scall.

Ifthecallsofploverbirdsareretreatingoradvancing,youcanknowthetidebytheircry.

Inthecasewherethetideishighoryoudonotknowhowdeeptheriveris,thereisawaytodiscernitbydrivingcattleorhorsesintotheseaorriver.ThismethodwasinventedbySirKisoYoshinaka7andisanoraltradition.

III

Youshouldknowifariverfloodstoagreatextentornot,ifitfloodsquicklyornot,and,once it floods, if the floodwater recedes fastornot, amongotherpoints.Toknow thesethings,youshouldidentifythenatureoftheriverupstream;thatis,ifitisnearorfar[fromitssource],ifitisnarroworwide,highorlow,andsoon.Inadditiontothis,youshouldobservewaterfallsandconsiderthewind.

IV

Whentheriverisoverflowing,youshouldknowwhereisfloodedwithwaterandwhereisnot. You should know this by noting the colours of the stones on the riverside or byobservingtheplantsortrees.Tobeorallytransmitted.

Fourpointsonhowtoestimatethedepthofmudinaricefield

I

Youshouldknowif themud ina rice field isdeeporshallowbyquicklyobserving thefieldfromadistance.Youcangatherquiteanaccurateestimatebyobservingthecontours,whether the fields are high or low,8 by observing the surrounding area, how steep thevalley is,etc.Youshouldnotewhether therearebanks,cultureponds,wellsor trenchesthatareinahigherpositionthanthefieldsthemselvesandyoushouldbeawareofwhetherthe fields are irrigated or not and howdeeply they are irrigated.Take note, you shouldrememberthatscarcelynofieldthathasspringwaterisashallowone.Moredetailstobegivenorally.

II

Toknowthedepthof[waterandmud]inaricefieldbyobservinggrassstubblesortheridgesbetweenthefieldsfromadistanceoffourorfiveken

Generally,therearetwowaystodothis:

Inashallowfield,thestubblesareshortandlookequalinheight,whileinadeepfieldsome are long and others are short, they are not of the same height and appear a littleslanted.However,youmaymistakestubbles thathave regrown,whichwouldgiveonceequalstubblesanunevenappearance.Toavoidthis,youshouldjudgethembytheirsizeandhaveanunderstandingofthedifferencebetweencutandregrownversions.

In autumn,winteror early spring, ridges arenot embankedproperly; therefore, thoseridgesbetweendeepfieldsarelow,narrowandcrooked,maybeevencollapsinginsomeplaces. If it is from late spring to late summer,when the ridgesareproperlyembanked,theywilllookalittledifferent;however,notalldetailscanbementionedhere.Theridgesbetweenshallowfieldsaregenerallyhigh,wideandfirmwithoutanycollapsingpresent.

III

Toknowifafieldisdeeporshallowbygettingclosetoitandobservingthecolourofsoil,thecolouroftheridgesandwhetherornotthewaterisfedfromaspring

Ifyouinspectafieldupclose,therearethreethingsyoushouldconsider:

1.Thecolourofthesoil:ifitisadeepdarkblackandlooseinconsistency,thenitisadeepfield;whileifitiswhitish,heavyandsticky,itisashallowone.

2.Thosefieldswithaspringaremostlikelytobeverydeep.

3.Theoutersideoftheridgeofadeepfieldismostlikelywetandthesoilisneverdry,whilethatofashallowfieldisdryandwhitish.Toseeifthereareanydeepspotsinshallowfields,orwhereitisshallowwithinadeepfield,youshouldconsiderifthereisaspringornotorifthericeplantsgrowwellornotinthoseplaces.However,iftherehasbeenalongspellofdryweather,theplantswillgrowwellandhavefruitfulearsindeepfieldswhileifit’sayearofcoldweather,theearsindeepfieldsaregenerallybadandshrink.

IV

Toidentifyifafieldisdeeporshallow,byobservingtheplantswhentheyareyoung

Therearetwopoints:first,inadeepfield,plantslookslightlycrookedandthebaseneartherootwillbeskewedbecauseofdeepmud,whereas inashallowfield, theplantsareupright and look firm. Second, some plants in a deep field can grow highwhile otherplantsdonotgrowverywell.However,italsodependsonwhattheweatherofthatyearislike,especiallythelevelofrainorsun.Tobeorallytransmitted.

Withtheabovepointsinmind,alwaystrytointegratetheinformationaroundyouandkeepyoureyesopenandvigilant.

Fivepointsontheartofknowingthedepthandwidthofamoat

I

Onobservingtheouterperimeterofanenemycastlesituatedonflat landandhowyoushouldestimatethedepthorwidthof themoataroundthecastlebyobservingtheearthworksoverthemoat

Atnighttime,evenifthemoathasonlyasmallamountofwater,ittendstolookasmuchas seven or eight tenths higher than it actually is. To avoid such amiscalculation, youshouldcarefullyobservetheembankmentontheoppositeside.

II

Youcanestimatebyrope,byobservinghowtheenemyconstructedtheirdefences,orbythecolourofthewater.

Whenusingathinrope,youshouldmakewhitewoodenmarkersatintervalsoffivesunoroneshakuandsecurethemtotherope.Placetheropeinthewateranddrawittighttoestablishwherethewetmarkappears.

Byseeingthewaytheenemyfortifiesitself,youcanknow,forexample,ifthemoatisshallow,where the enemy has taken special caution by constructing a fence, or spikeddefences,ordefenceswiththornybranchesorhasattachedbranchestothefence.9Aswellasthis,youshouldpayattentiontoanyothermeasurestheenemyhastakentoguarditself.

Youshouldbeaware that thewaterofadeepmoat looksdarkblue,whilewaterofa

shallowmoat will be pale blue or whitish and rippling. Shallowwater often has grassprotruding from it, which can be seen dotted around; however, remember that it issometimesthecasethattheenemywillplacegrasswhichhasbeentiedwitharope[andstones]asifitgrewtherenaturally.Toavoidbeingmisled,youshouldinspectthecolourofthegrass.

III

Youshouldestimatethemeasurementacrossthemoatfromthecorner.Whenyouestimatehowwideamoatis,youshoulddiscoverwherethemoatiscurvedorbentatarightangleandmeasureitthere.

IV

Youcanmeasureamoatbyusinganarrowandthreadwhenyouinfiltratestealthilyonamoonlessnight.Bydoingthisyouwillbeabletogettheexactmeasurementsofthewidthofamoator thedistancefromtheverybottomofamoat to theedgeof theroofontheoppositeside.

The above-mentioned arrow with a thread is ukisu10 and the arrowhead should bekiwadamochi,11[thatis,withastickysubstanceonitspoint,]whilethethreadshouldbealittlethinnerthanthree[unknownmeasurement];tobeorallytransmitted.

V

Knowingtheheightofastonewallorearthwork

Thesameprocesscanbeusedtoestimatetheheightofatree.Thereisalsoamethodtodothisbyusingaformoftriangularruler,whichcanbeusedtoassesstheheightofatree.Anotherway is to estimate this is by looking throughyour legs.This shouldbepasseddowndirectly.

UnderstandinghowstronglyacastleisfortifiedornotTherearevariouswaystoknowifacastleiswellfortifiedornot.Inperformingthisart,you should always try to know the ground plan12 and layout of the castle, and thetopographyoranythingofthesurroundingarea,evenuptoaroundfive,sixorevensevenri.Thiscanextendasfarastwentyorthirtyrifromthecastleifneeded.Whatyouneedtoconsiderwheninthefieldarethefollowingthreethings:

1.whatthelandislike

2.whetherthemountainsarehighornot

3.water,firewoodandfood

Withsuchinformation,youcanbecreative inmanyways.However, therearecountlesspossiblecasessothatitisdifficulttowritedowneverycasehere;morewillbepassedoninoraltradition.

Twopointsonhowtoestimatetopography,distanceandelevation

I

Uramittsunojustuistheartofestimatingthedistanceofland;thereistheartofusingamap, a carpenter’s iron square which measures five sun and then applying the art ofuramittsu.Thisartisdescribedinwritingsongunnery,soitsmethodisnotwrittenhere.

II

Usinganironsquaretounderstandthedifferenceinheightbetweentwopoints

Tousethisskillyouneedtoknowthedistancebetweenthetwoseparatepoints.Youcandothisbystretchingaropetomeasureitordoitbyusingtheartofestimationofdistanceaspreciselyaspossible.

Hangtwostringsoneshakuapartandidentifyatruelevelwithanironsquareandmarkthe strings at those two points.With the iron square, measure the difference in heightbetweenthetwoseparatepointsthatyouwishtomeasureinthedistance,whichwillgiveyouastartingpointtoworkouttheheightbyusingthefollowingratio.

Ifonepointinyourviewthroughthestringsisonesunhigherthantheotherpointatthedistanceofoneshaku,thenitwillholdtrueforsixsunatsixshakuoratsixshakufortenken,andsoon.13Furtherdetailsaretobeorallytransmitted.Also,thisartisshownintheillustrations.14

This technique to know the difference in height between two points is very useful,especiallywhenyouaregoingtousefloodingtacticsonlow-levelground,orwhenyouwanttoshootafirearrowintoahighcastleandneedtomakeacorrectestimation.

Threepointsonhowtoidentifyiftheenemyisstrongornot

I

Youshouldcollectasmuchinformationonthethingslistedbelowasyoucanandreportittoyourlord:

•Iftheenemylordisprincipledorunprincipled.

•Ifheiswiseorstupid.

•Ifheisbraveoracoward.

•Ifthecodesofthearmyarerighteousornot.

•Ifthevassalssuchastroopcommanders,captainsandsoldiersarewellpreparedinmilitarywaysorarts(budo).

•Themannersoftheentirevassalage.

•Thenumberandsizeofthearmy.

•Iftheirneighbouringlordswillsendthemreinforcementsornot.

•Iftheirfoodisampleornot.

•What,ifanything,thelordhasaspeciallikingfor.

Anythingelseyoucandiscoverabouttheenemyshouldbereportedtoyourlord.Inordertoknowtheenemylord’swayofthinking,youshouldtrytoestablishanunderstandingofthis:byobservingthewayofthemindofhismosttrustedretainer(s);byconsideringthelord’sfavouritethings;bylisteningtopeopletalkaboutthewaythelordgovernstheland;byreadingandobservingnoticeboards;byapproachingthosepeoplewhohaveaccesstothe lord, such as blind musicians or sarugaku musicians, and making them speak byputtingthematease;orbylisteningtosamurai,soldiersorotherpeopletalk.Inancienttimes,OnchiSakonaskedKusunokiMasashigeandMasashigerepliedasmentionedinadifferentvolumeofthiswriting.15

II

Youcanknowthequalityoftheenemybylookingathowitsquartersandformationsarebuilt.Battlecampsshouldbebuiltinaccordancewiththe‘methodofHoen’,whichmeanstheywillbedefendedonalleightsides,butthosethatarescatteredhereandthereoveravillage are not proper defences and this improper way is called hagun or the defeatedarmy.Furtherdetailsabouthowtobuildapositionaredifficult tobe transmittedunlesstheyaretransferredfullyfrompersontoperson.

Thewaytoseeifaformationisgoodornot ishardtounderstand,unlessgivenfrompersontoperson.However,themethodisasfollows:if[theenemyformsupin]sectionsaccordingtothe‘methodofHoen’andispreparedtoholdpositionduringthefirststageuptothethirdstageofbattle,thenknowthisshouldberegardedasagoodformation.Iftheformationisasinglemasswithoutanydivisionorassignmentoftasksorifthereisnoway tobreakupor reform the troop, thenknow that this is apoorwayofcontrol. It isdifficult to write every detail down here, as the way of making formations should betransmittedfrompersontoperson.

III

You should gauge if the enemy armywill win or lose by theminds or words of theirsamuraiorsoldiers.

LiuTao(theSixSecretTeachings)says:

If the army is excited and the officers and troops fear the laws, respect the general’scommands, rejoice with each other in destroying the enemy, are proud of each other’scourage and ferocity, and praise each other for their awesomeness and martialdemeanour–theseareindicationsofastrongenemy.

Also:

Ifthearmyisstartledanumberoftimes,theofficersandtroopsarenolongermaintaininggoodorder,andiftheyterrifyeachotherwithstoriesabouttheenemy’sstrength,speaktoeach other about the disadvantages, anxiously listen and talk to each other, talkincessantlyofillomen,spreadingdoubtsandconfusingeachother,fearneitherlawsnororders,anddonotregardtheirgeneralseriously–theseareindicationsofweakness.

Ondistinguishing

Twopointsonmakingaroughestimationofthenumberoftheenemyforce

I

Constructinganestimationofthenumberoftheenemyandanyadjustmentsneeded–byobservingwhattheenemyprovinceislikeorthemindsetoftheenemylord

Inthecasewheretheenemyprovincehashighmountainsorcoastlines,orcoversalargearea,ortherearelargecitiesortownsintheneighbouringprovinces,inthesecasestheretend tobea largenumberofunseenwarriors16 in themountainsoron the coastlinesorthere may even be ronin gathering in the larger cities of the neighbouring provinces;therefore,youshouldbeawarethattheenemyarmywillbelargerthanthedimensionsoffiefcantellyou.Also,youshouldconsiderthemindsetoftheenemylordwhenestimatingthenumberofhisarmybecause:

1.Agoodgeneralalwayshasmanymenwhowillservehimandtheynormallyhavealargernumberofpeoplecomparedtothenumberexpectedforhisfiefsize.

2.Incontrastanevilgeneralwillbethecompleteopposite.

3.Alsoit[thenumberofmenageneralhas]dependsonwhatkindofbattleheisgoingtofight.

Onemilitarywritingsaysthatforeachtenthousandkoku [someone is incontrolof] thefollowingistrue:

Ahigh-gradegeneralorprovincewillhavetwenty-sixortwenty-sevenmountedwarriors.

Amediumgeneralorprovincewillhavetwenty-twoortwenty-threemountedwarriors.

Alowergeneralorprovincewillhavefifteenorsixteenmountedwarriors.

For the high-grade general, thewhole army adds up to twenty-five or twenty-six lowerpeopleforeachmountedwarrior,includingashigarufootsoldiersandthoseunderdirectcontrol of the general. For a medium general, there will be twenty-one or twenty-twolowerpeople for eachmountedwarrior, and for a lowergeneral therewill be fifteenorsixteen lower people for each mounted warrior. You should calculate the entire armyaccordingtotheaboveratio.

Writingson theartofwarshowthefollowing listandestimationforanarmywithfiftymountedwarriors:

Fiftymountedwarriors,eachattendedbyfourpeople,addingupto250includingthewarriorsthemselves.

Fiftymusketandarcherfootsoldierswithtwotroopcommandersforthearchersandmusketeers,eachattendedbyfivepeoplemakingtwelveinnumber[andaddinguptosixty-twooverall].

Fiftyspearmenwillincludethirtypikemenandtwentyspearmen17[withshorterpolearms]undertheformationcommander(samurai-daisho),addinguptofiftyintotal.

Twospearcaptainsoryari-bugyo,twobannerorganizersorhata-bugyo,onetroopcaptainorkumigashira,andonemusha-bugyo,adduptosix,whoareeachattendedbysix,addinguptoforty-twointotal.

Fourmessageofficersattendedbyfour,addinguptotwenty.

Thirtysamuraionfootandfiftychugenorkomonoservants.

Fivepeoplecarryingtwomatoiandumajirushistandards,andfivesmallflags.

Theaboveaddsupto509.Theseareallthosewhogooutonthebattlefield.

Twopeopletorunthekitchensforthesamurai-daisho.

Twoorthreesquires.

Twosecretaries.

Onemonk.

Theaboveaddsupto[sevenor]eightpeople,eachattendedbytwo,addinguptotwenty-four.

Alsoincludedare:

Twentylabourersforworkinginthekitchensforthesamurai-daisho.

150labourerssuppliedbythesamurai(so-samurai).

Threefreshhorsesforthesamurai-daisho[withdrivers].

Fifteenworkhorsessuppliedbythesamurai[withdrivers].

Fiveworkhorsesforthesamurai-daisho[withdrivers].

Approximatelythirtypackhorseswiththirtydriversforthem.

Theaboveaddsuptoaround250peopleandifyoucombinealloftheabove,theyadduptomorethan750peopleintotal.

Theabovelistshowsthecompositionofanarmywithfiftymountedwarriorsincludinglowersoldiers.ThisisanestimationthatwastrueintheWarringStatesperiod,whentherewerefewersoldiers,but this isnot thecase today. In thisestimation, fifteen lower-classsoldiersarecountedforasinglemountedwarrior,butitisdifferentnowbecauseanywarnow will be the first war after a prolonged period of peace and the situation is nowdifferentfromthattimeofincessantwars.

II

Basedontheestimationabove,youshouldestimatehowmanyaredefendingacastle,howmanyhave come to the camp,orhowmanyaregoing to thebattlefield, etc.Generally,aboutonethirdofthenumberislefttokeepacastle.However,itisnotthecaseifthereisaspecialissueofworryinthecastle,butdetailsaretobeorallytransmitted.

Also,abouttwothirdsofthoseinthecampgoouttothebattlefield;however,itdependsonthetime,orthenumberofcastlesorfortresses,andthisisalsotobeorallytransmitted.

Byconsideringtheestimatednumbersasabove,youcanestimatethenumbertobeina

formationonthemarch.

FourpointsonestimatingthenumberinaformationI

Knowingthenumberofyourallies,youshouldproceedtoavantagepointandestimatewhichislarger,yourarmyorthatoftheenemy.

II

Roundoffnumberstothenearesttenorhundredtocalculateanestimationofthetotal.

III

Make an estimate by using the topography and the dimensions of an area with thesupplementaryinformationofhowdenselythearmyisformed.

Asmentioned earlier, it is not possible to havemore than twomountedwarriors foreverytwo-kensquareortwelvefootsoldiersperone-kensquare.

IV

Thereisapossibility thatyoumaymiscalculate theenemynumberdependingonwheretheenemyislocatedorhowitdividesitsforces.Youshouldcarefullyconsiderthisfact.

Ifanarmyislocatedonamountaintop,ordividesitsforceintomorethantwo,ittendstoappearlargerinnumberthanitactuallyis.Ifthearmyislocatedinavalley,orgatheredtogetherinonesingleplace,thenitlookstohaveasmallernumberthanitactuallyhas.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

Threepointsonestimatingthenumberoftheenemy’sarmywhileonthemarch

I

A method to estimate an army when it is in a normal state18 is to observe the flags,umajirushistandardsandsoon.Thesewillbeinthefrontandattherearandyoucanusethemasaguidetoyourestimate.Choosetwoflagsandcountthenumberbetweenthemtogetatotal.Therearefurthersecretsandthereisanillustrationtohelp[imagemissing].

II

Tomeasurethewidthofaroadandestimatethenumberofanarmy19

You should know the distance of the road [you are observing] and set up three controlpointsalongtheway:thefirstcontrolpointshouldbeclose,thesecondpointshouldbefaroff,andthethirdpointshouldbeevenfartherthanthat.

Youcangainanestimationofthenumber[oftheenemybyobservingthemreach]eachwaypoint.

III

Toestimatetheenemynumberbycountingthenumberofmountedwarriors

As mentioned earlier, this varies according to how good the lord is or how large theprovinceis,beitlarge,mediumorsmall,orifitisabattleafteratimeofpeaceoroneinwartime or even in themiddle of successivewars that have continued for years. To bepassedonbyoraltransmission.

TenpointsonobservingacastleorcampbyexternalobservationI

Investigatingifthereisadoublewallorfence

Adoublewall isawallor tiedwoodenfenceconstructed insideapermanentouterwall[for extra defencewhen the enemy breaches the fortress]. Also, to add to this defencesystem, some castles are providedwith a hidden enclosure near to the castle gate.20Oreven if the castledoesnotnormallyhave ahiddenenclosure, theremayhavebeenonebuiltatatimewhentherewasaneedtodefendthecastle.

II

Investigatingifthereisafalsesuspendedwall

Asuspendedwallisawallthatisoutsideofadoublewall.Thedefenderswillweakenthefoundationofthiswallsothatitwillcollapseeasilywhenrequired.Toconstructthiswall,piecesofwoodorstonesareusedasweightsontheinsideofthewall,andtowlinesarefastened to the innerwall or securedby spikes in theground. If enemy soldiers ascendsuchawallthetowlinesarecutanditwillfallonthem.

III

Investigatingifthereareany‘stonearrow’defences21

Theseareappropriate-sizedstoneshungfromsix-sunsquarewindowsthatareboredalongtheridgeofthefence.Thisisdonesothatwhentheenemyforcesareclimbingthewall,youcancuttheropeandlet thestonesdroponthem.Woodandstonearebothusedforthis.

IV

Establishingifthereisasarusuberislidingcart

Asarusuberiisacartloadedwithlargestonesorwoodthatissetonthetopofahillandfastenedwith towlines. If the enemy advances, cut the towlines or put stone andwoodconnectedwithtowlinesonthetopofasteephill,sothatyoucancuttheropewhentheenemyclimbstheslope.

V

Investigatingifthereisahorinukiditchorkomagaeshidefenceagainsthorses

Horinukiisatechniqueofdiggingaditchofsixorsevenshakuindepthsomewhereonaslopewith thewidthdependingon theareaof theplace itself.Drive [amass]of spikesintothebottom,andcovertheditchwiththinpiecesofbambooandsoil,leavesandsoon.

Itissometimesthecasethatsuchapitisdugintheshallowsofariver.

VI

Investigating to know if there is a fence, spikedbamboo fence, trip rope, riverbedrope,etc.

Fencesarebuiltwithwoodenstakessevenshakuandfivesunhighfromtheground,atanintervalof threeor four sun andwith crossbeamsat five sun from the top.Sometimeskaratachi22branches,whicharethorny,aretiedontothefence.Youoftenseethiskindoffence in a dry moat or in the shallows of a river to prevent an opposing army fromcrossingover.

Yaraiarespikydefencesmadeofbambooseven,eightornineshaku,orevenuptoonejo,high;thesearesecuredbylashings.

Sakamogi defences aremade of big tree brancheswith branches stretching out in alldirections;theyarearrangedwiththesharpedgespointingtowardtheenemy.

Ranguiarespikesputinthegroundinarandomfashion;thesearecommonlyknown.Thesokotsuna or riverbed rope is a rope that shouldbe stretched across the river at ananglewiththecurrent.Fixtheropebelowhalfofthedepthoftheriver.Thesemeasuresfordefenceareusuallyplacedwheretheenemydoesnothaveverystrongfortifications.Soyoushould identifywheresuch thingsarebuilt.Therearevarious thingsyoushouldkeepinmind,thoughtofindranguispikeswithropesyouneedtobeverycareful.Thisisalsotobeorallytransmitted.

VII

Investigatingifthereisahikibashi23retractablebridge

Ahikibashi isoftenbuiltbetween thehonmaru,which is themaincastleenclosure,andtheninomaru,whichisthesecondarycastleenclosure.Itisbuiltwithhingesonthefront.Adrawingisprovidedastohowtoconstructit[imagemissing].

VIII

Investigating the waterway for the castle and assessing whether the enemy has ashortageofwater

Aswellasthepositionofthewaterwayinthecastle,andthelevelofthewatersupply,youshouldbeawareofthepossibilityoftheenemydrawingwaterfromthemoatatpointsontheyaguraturrets.Youshouldalsofullyinvestigatethewatergates,andothersuchthings.

In ancient timesKusunokiMasashige used great skill to take control of thewater atAkasakacastleandtosavewateratChihayacastle.Youshouldbemindfulofthelessonsfromtheseepisodes.

If the enemy is short of water, it will attempt to take water from a valley or moatstealthily or drink dirtywater – or even try allowing you to see itsmenwashing theirhorseswithwater,withtheintentionofdeceit.AnexampleofthiswasatTottoricastleinInshu,where they pretended towash horseswithwhite rice [so it looked like they hadplentyofwater].

IX

Investigatingiftheenemyiswellfedorstarvedandexhausted

If theenemyisrunningoutoffoodwithinthecastleandisexhausted, thosesamuraiorsoldiersofthecastlewilltrytotakeanyvegetablesorplantsthattheycan;therefore,youshouldlookattheleavesorbranchesofplantsandtreesinthearea.Alsoiftheyseldomcook,youwillnotseesmokefromthecastleveryoften,ortheymaykillandeathorses;therefore,theneighingofhorseswillgraduallydecrease.People’svoiceswillbeweaker,thefacecolourwillbecomepaler,theymaystaggerorevenwalkwithacaneandaricebowlinhand.Iftheytaketopillageeventhoughitisprohibitedbythecodesofthearmy,it is because they are lacking in food. This is what you can know by observing fromoutside.

Analternativemethodistoopenthebellyofsomeonewhohascomeoutonanightraidandwhomyouhavekilled; this isdone to seewhat theyhaveeaten. Indoing this,youshouldbecareful toseewhat isdigested in thestomach,as theyshouldhavehadsomefoodbefore theycameout for thenightattack.Also, ifyougivewhite rice toprisonersandtheyvomit,youshouldbeawarethatthismeansthattheenemyisrunningoutoffood.

Youwillneverfailtoknowwhatishappeninginafortressifyougoclosetothecastlewall and try to seeorhear.Remember,SunTzu says ‘thosewho standwith a cane arestarved’.

In ancient times, when the Nitta clan defended Kanegasaki castle in Echizen, theyendedupeatingallthehorsessothattherewasnotasingleneighheard.

X

Judgingiftheenemyisstrongorweak

If thearmyinapositionisboomingwithnoise, thendiscipline isnotwelladministeredand the lord or troop captains are not so competent. If those samurai or soldiers aremovingaroundandnotinanorderlyfashion,youshouldbeawarethattheleadersdonothave leadership skills or dignity enough to control the army. If five, six or even sevenpeoplearegatheringtochat,youshouldknowthattheyhavedoubtsamongthemselves.

There are multiple variations of the above that you should observe. A strong armyshouldlooktheoppositeoftheabove;observetheenemywiththisinmind.

Threemistakesyouarelikelytomakewhenobservingatnight

I

Differentiatingpillarsfromhumanbeings

Whenyouaresneakingoutsidetheenemycastle,pillarsifseeninthemoonlightcanlooklike the enemy in silhouette. To avoid making this mistake, you should be aware thatpillarsarestillwhereaspeoplemove,andthatpillarsarearrayedinorderlylinesandhavethesameheightwhereaspeoplewillnotappeartobeinstraightrowsandtheywillhavedifferingheights.Thesepillarsarenormallyforflagsorpikestoberestedagainst.

II

Differentiatingbetweenthefireoftheenemyandthefireofthoseonyourownside

Whenafirebreaksoutontheenemy’sside,ifyouobserveitfrombehindyourownarmy,itoftenlookslikeyourvanguardisattacking.However,therewillstillbeagapbetweenthetwosides,thoughthedistancebetweenthemisnotsogreat.

Essentially,atnightafirelookscloserthanitactuallyis.

III

Differentiatingbetweenafiresignalandspringfield-burning

Generally,firesignalsarehighwhilebushfiresarelow.

Onobservingfromadistance

In this chapter you will find techniques for how to investigate enemy formations bywatchingthemfromadistance.

Threepointsonhowtojudgeiftheenemyisadvancingorretreatingfromacastleorcamp

I

Observingiftheenemyissallyingforthfromacastleorcampbytheflagsorchiofthepeople

If theenemy isexiting,whether foranightattackoradawnraid,youwill see flagsorumajirushi standardsmove. If observedclosely, an armywhengoingout forbattlewilltake a formation and it will line up in the following way: first the vanguard, then thesecondarydetachment,thethirddetachmentandtwoflankingdetachments,andfinallytherearguard,allofwhomwillarrangethemselvesinthisorderandthiswillbedonestepbystep.However,iftheenemyisarrangingtogetthefirstandseconddetachmentsreadyandputtheminassemblyjustbeforeanightraid,therewillbeparticularlyloudnoisesandanybesiegershouldunderstandthesituationiftheyhearsuchnoisesasthese.Therefore,itisoftenthecasethattheenemywillprepareeachdetachmentduringtheday,thisisdonetoavoiditstacticsbeingdiscovered.Insuchacase,theflagsorumajirushistandardsoftheenemymayberelocated,butalsorememberthattheymayfurltheflagsandmovethemunnoticed. In any case, you need to be very careful about any point about flags that isdifferentfromthenorm.

Somewritingsonmilitaryaffairssay:whendepartingforbattle,thevanguardwillgototherearwhiletherearguardwillgotothegate.Therefore,youcantelliftheenemywillcomeoutornotbywatchingthepositionsoftheflags.

Whencomingoutforamorningraid,iftheenemyisnotsocompetentitwillprepareameallateintheeveningafterithasalreadycookedonceforitsnormaleveningmealandbecauseof this fireorsmokecaneasilybe identified. If theenemyiscompetent, itwillcookanyfoodneededforthenextdayoreventhedayafterthenextatthesametimeasthenormalmealsarecooked,makingitdifficulttonoticeifitispreparingtomoveoutor

not. However, you should observe very carefully and see if there is more smoke thannormal.Alsotherearethingsyoushouldkeepinmindincaseyouareobservingabattlecampinsummer.Even such a general as Takeda Shingen had the army’s food for the day of a battle

preparedontheeveningbefore;attheBattlesofKawanakajima,hisenemyKenshin,whowas observing fromMount Saijo, [was so good that he] noticed the situation [by thesmokeofthepreparationfires].

II

Youwillknow that theenemy isgoing tomakeanight raidbyobserving the fires andlights,komonomiorsmallscoutinggroups, theabsenceofnightpatrols, theneighingofhorsesorbarkingofdogs,orby theirbeingquieter, andsoon.Whenenemyforcesaregoingtoperformanightraid,youmaynoticethefollowing:

•Theywillsendmessengersamongthemselvestomakeadvancearrangements,topreparetheirequipmentorforothervariousreasons.Thusyouwillseemorelanterns,torchesandotherlightsthannormal.

•Theywillsendkomonomiorsmallscoutinggroupsbeforehandtoinvestigatethegroundandfootings,thetopographyandwhattheformationsoftheenemyarelike.

•Normallytheywillperformstrictnightpatrolswhereyouwillheartheclappingofwoodenwarningclappersorthenightguards’safetycries.However,whentheyaregoingtomakeanightraid,youwillnothearthewoodenwarningclappersorthenightguards’safetycrieswhiletheyarepatrolling.

•Astheywillneedtogatherhorsesintoagroup,youwillhearmoreneighingthannormal;andalso,aspeoplearebusyandnoisy,dogswillbarkmore.

•Oryoumayfindtheopposite,thattheenemywillbequieterthannormal,maybeevenclamlikeandsilent.

Youshouldconsideralloftheabovethingsandjudgeiftheyarecommencinganightraidornot.

III

Understandingiftheenemyisinthecastleorcampbyobservingbirds,flagsorfires

If theenemyhasalreadywithdrawnfromthecastleorcampbutpretends tobe there, itmayleaveflagsorsashimonomarkersstanding,ortorches,lanternsorhinawamatcheslitforyoutosee.Ifthisisthecase,youwillnoticethattheflagsorfiresarestill.Oryouwillseebirdsperchatverylowpointsandclosetowherepeopleshouldnormallybe,suchason towersorquartersand furthermore theywillbe feeding ina relaxed fashionorevenflyinginarelaxedway.Toaddtothisyouwillseenosmoke.Iftheenemyisthere,youwillseeflagsandfiresmovingandbirdswillstayawayandpayattentiontothegroundwhileflyinghigh,orevenflushinginalldirectionsnervously.However,thisalsodependsonthekindsofbirdsinquestion.Petpigeons,sparrows,kitesorothertamebirdstendnottobeveryafraidofpeople.However,itispossibletoseethedifferencesinthelocationofthesebirds and theway they fly; also, if the enemy ispresent thenyouwill see smoke

rising.

Twopointsonhowtojudgeiftheenemyistakinguppositionorretreating

I

To judge if the enemy is taking up position or retreating, you observe its loading andscoutingactivities.

If it is unloading and handling goods needed to take up a position, or ifmanybushiwarriorsare ridingaroundandpartaking inmonomi scouting, thenyoushouldbeawarethatitisgoingtotakeupaposition.

Iftheenemyisnotunloadingorhandlingmaterialsforestablishingapositionbutisinfactstayingstill,youshouldknowthatitiswithdrawing.Youshouldknowthatifitdoesnotsendoutscoutsbutbuildsanembankmentorstandspillarsatequalintervals,thenitisconcernedbyyourforcesandhasdecidedtofightindefenceagainstyou.

II

Identifyingthewaytheenemysetsupapositionwhenitiswaitingforsupportfromitsallies

Evenif theenemyforcesdonotunloadortakeoutmaterialsforestablishingaposition,but in fact stay still and look like theyare retreating, and it appears that the rest of thearmy is not joining them, but they are actually paying careful attention on not losingformation, then in thiscase theyarewaiting for the rear forces toarrive.Toestablish ifthisisthecase,youshouldwatchoutforanysoldiersrepeatedlylookingtotherearandalsoyouwillnoticethat,astheywaitfortherearforcestoarrive,therewillbemultiplepeoplebeingsentawayasmessengersorarrivingasmessengersfromtherearforces.

Fivepointsonjudgingwhetherfushi-kamariambushes24arepresentI

Probableplaceswherefushi-kamariambushtroopswillhide

Possibleplaceswheretheremaybefushi-kamariare:forests,bushes,valleys,theshadeofmountains,behindembankments,intrenchesorrivers,inclumpsofreeds,indeepgrassyfields,wheatfields,andsoonandsoforth.

SunTzusays:

Ifintheneighbourhoodofyourcampthereshouldbeanyhillycountry,pondssurroundedbyaquaticgrass,hollowbasinsfilledwithreeds,orwoodswiththickundergrowth, theymustbecarefullyrootedoutandsearched;fortheseareplaceswheremeninambushorinsidiousspiesarelikelytobelurking.

II

To establish if there are fushi ambushes in kamari-ba, that is ‘fields of kamari’, asmentionedbefore,youshouldobserve:birdsoranimals,chi,fires,grasses,flags,smoke,dummies, fake birds and so on and so forth.Asmentioned above, you should judge if

there are kamari ambushes or not by observing if birds are present or not and by thepatternsoftheirflight.

SunTzusays:

Therisingofbirdsintheirflightisthesignofanambush.


Iftherearesoldiersinafield,wildgeesewillflyoutoftheformation.Asforanimals,youshouldjudgebyobservingthewayofrunningofsuchanimalsasfoxes,racoondogs,deer,rabbits, catsandsoon. If thereare troops inambushorwaiting toattack, youcanseeanimalsrunningoutofthemountainsorfield.

SunTzusays:

Startledbeastsindicatethatasuddenattackiscoming.

Alsoyoucanalwaysseechiaboveforestsorwoodsifthereareanytroopshidingwithin.Iftherearemorethanonehundredpeople,therewillbechiwithoutfail.Comparetheskyabove a forestwithin landwhere youknow for sure there are no fushi-kamari and thatsamespaceabovethoseforestswheretherewilllikelybekamari,andyouwillunderstandthedifferenceandbeabletotellifthereisanambushornot.Alsoyoucanobservesmokefromhinawamatches;eventhoughitisonlyasmallamount,itcanstillbeseenduetoanumberofpeoplegatheringinoneplace.

Inaddition,itissaidthatonacloudynightthecloudsaboveanambushlookwhite,25whileonaclearnighttherewillbemanystarsvisible;26alsoseetheshimmeringlightsofhinawa matches. However, if these lights are still, you should be aware they will behinawathatarebeingheldinbamboo27sticksandarewartricks.Once,agroupwithdrewfromtheirpositionwithsomehinawa loopedover thebranchesofwillowtrees tomakethe enemy think that therewere people there. It looked like peoplewere holding thesefuses;however,ifheldbyarealpersontheyshouldmovearounduptofiveshakuoronejo,butthesefakeonescouldonlymoveuptooneortwoshaku[astheyswayed],thusyoucouldtellthattheywerefalse.Remember,iftheyareheldbyrealpeople,thelightswillcomeinandoutofyourvision.

When observing grasses you should judge if there are people hiding in a deep grassfield,awheatfield,ahempfieldorsoon.Ifthereisanambushwaiting,thosegrasseswillnotlookneatbutwillhaveaskewedlook,likeafterastorm.Ifnooneistherethenthetopsof thegrasswill lookneat. Ifyouhaveacloser lookbyapproaching,youwill seetraceswhere fushi ambush groups havemade their way in. This will take the form ofpathwaysorgrassthathasbeenpushedover,orifitisafterrainorearlyinthemorning,youwillseenodewdropsonthegrassesastheywillhavebeenbrushedoff.

Asforflags,kamariactuallytakeflagsorumajirushistandardswiththemandlaythemdown.Therefore, ifyouseeflagsorumajirushi standardsstandingamong the treesofaforestorsuchascene,youshouldjudgethatthesearefakeflagsthathavebeenlefttheretomakeyouthinkthereisanambush.However,ifyouseepeoplewatchingsneakilyfromtheshadeorifyouseesmallback-pennants[asopposedtolargerflags],thenitwillmostlikelybearealambush.

Also, the enemy may make smoke by burning pine needles in a valley or over amountaintomisleadyouintothinkingthereisanambush.Bewarned,thisisdefinitelynotanactualambushasanambushpartywillneverpurposelymakesmoke.28

Theenemymaymakedummiesandfalsifyanambushwiththeintenttodrawyouout.Youshouldknowthesewillnotmove,andifyouseethesedummiesintheshadeofatreeor far awayonamountainyoushouldknow that there isnoambush.ThismethodwasinventedbyKusunokiMasashigealongtimeagowhenhedefendedChihayacastle.Thereis also a formofmaking fakebirds, but these alsodonotmove, andyou should judgetheremustbeanambushunderwherethosebirdsareplaced.

These things are actual events in ancient times and have been passed down as theywere; however, remember sometimes the insubstantial can actually be insubstantial andsubstantialcanbesubstantial.29Furtherdetailsaretobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

III

Judging if there is an ambush or not in the fields of the kamari by watching orlistening

Inperformingthistechnique,ifitisinaforest,youshouldstealthilygototheleewardsidesoyoucanhearanysoundtheenemymakesasitwilltravelonthewindoryoumayevensmelltheirhinawamatches.Ifyouneedtoinvestigateavalley,youshouldgodowntoafieldorriverside[andjustoutsideof]thevalleyandlookuptothevalleysidesfromthere.Ifitisavalleyclosetothesea,youcangetaboatandinvestigatethevalleybylookingupthevalleyfromthesea.Insomecasesyoushouldclimbuptoahighmountaintop.Youshouldjudgethebestmethodaccordingtotheopportunity.

IV

Knowingiftheenemyisretreatingwithdeceptivetacticswhiletheylayambushes

Itisnottruedefeatiftheenemyhasaconsistentplanandretreatsinaproperfashionandformation.

LiJingsays:

If theflagsareinorder, thedrumsrespondtoeachotherandthecommandsandordersseemunified,theneventhoughtheymayberetreatingandrunning,itisnotadefeatandmustthereforebeunorthodoxstrategy.

Insomecasesaformationmaygetintoastateofconfusionandsomemayruninapanicandretreatinanon-unifiedfashionorothersreturntothefightorrunscatteringinrandomgroupsoffive,ten,twentyorthirtypeople;thisistruewithdrawal.

LiJingsays:

Wheneverthesoldiersretreatwiththeirflagsconfusedanddisordered,thesoundsofthelargeandsmalldrumsnotrespondingtoeachotherandtheirordersshoutedinaclamour,thisistruedefeat,notanunorthodoxstrategy.

Ifthosetroopsretreatinglooktothesameplace,knowthatthatiswhereanambushislaid.

OneofYoshitsune’smilitarypoems:

Ifthoseashigarurunningawayalllooktooneside,beawaretheremustbeanambushinthatdirection.

V

Judgingtheenemyintentionbyobservinghowitfightsorretreats

It isstrictlyprohibited ingunpomilitary rules for regular troops toapproach theenemysideafterthehourofthehorse(oneo’clockintheafternoon),soyoushouldbeawarethatiftheenemymakesanapproachtoyoursidenearduskthenitmusthavetactics.

Whetherlargeorsmallinnumber,itisthenormtotakeupapositiononhighground,such as a hill, when near the enemy castle or camp. Therefore, if the enemy takes apositioninthemiddleofafieldandinasmallnumber,youshouldbeawareithastactics.In addition, if the enemy goes where it is not supposed to go, retreats when it is notsupposedtodo,oritdoeswhatitisnotsupposedtodo,youshouldbeawareithastacticsinplace.

Youshouldkeepalltheabovepointsinmindandhavegoodjudgementsothatyouwillknowtheenemy’splansandcarryoutyourownplanstooutwititstactics.

TodetermineiftheenemyisgoingtocrossoverariverornotIfenemysoldiersaregoingtocrossoverarivertheymaytakeofftheiraorisaddleskirtsand archers will untie their arrow quivers. Generally those who are [mounted] andcrossingoverariverarenotattendedbythoseonfoot,orifthereareanyonfoottherewillbeonlyafew.Alsothoseonfootoftenuseahemprope(koshinawa)aroundthewaist,onejo fouror fiveshaku in length,which theyputaround thewaistsof thepeoplecrossingwiththem.Ifpeopleonfoottakeoutthisropeandputitaroundtheirwaists,youshouldknowtheyaregoingtocrossoverariver.

Sevenpointsonhowtojudgetheenemybyobservingthedustor30flagsI

Ifthestandardbearersarepositionedatthefrontofthearmy,thentheenemyisgoingtotakeupaposition.If theyaremovingbackintothemiddleof theformation, thenknowthattheenemyisgoingtoadvance.

II

If the flags are moving in a small amount of confusion, the enemy has not settled itsformations.Iftheflagsareingreatdisorderyoushouldbeawarethatargumentsaretakingplace.

III

If kofu or small banners and flags are leaning forwards, you should be aware that theenemy is going to fight,while if they are leaning backwards, he is not going tomoveforwards.

IV

Ifthefrontforcesaremovingwhiletherearforcesarestationary,youshouldbeawaretheenemyismakingformations.

V

Ifyoucanseedustfromhorsesrisingatthefront,youshouldbeawarethattheenemyisadvancing,whileifyouseeitinthereartheenemyiswithdrawing.Ifyoucanseenodust,nobannersmoving and the flags still, you shouldbe aware the enemy is buildingup asecureposition.

VI

Iftheenemyhasmarchedforalongdistanceanditswarriorscreatelotsofdustandaredisordered, you should know that there are more mounted warriors and fewer footsoldiers,whileifyoucanseeonlyalittledust,whichriseslow,theremustbemorefootsoldiersandfewermountedwarriors.

VII

Youcanjudgeiftheenemyarmyismassiveornotbyobservingthelocationitoccupies,itsfencesandsoon.Alsoyoushouldbeawarethatifanenemyarmytakesapositioninaforestorbush-landthatmeansitissmallinnumberandwillbeeasilythwartedanditwillretreat.

Therearefurtherdetails for theabovearticles thatare tobeorally transmitted.Thosewhoarestudyingthiswayshouldalwaysdevotethemselvestothispath,andif thetimecomes,youshouldkeepyourminddeterminedandconstructaplan,payingattention torefinementanddetails.Doingitthuswillallowyoutoseeintotheheartoftheenemyandyouwillbeabletoperceivewithexcellencethatwhichissubstantial andthatwhichisinsubstantial .

1Thetextsimplyinserts‘long-termcamp’inthemiddleofthesentence.

2HereFujibayashiusesSunTzu’stheoryofthe‘substantialandinsubstantial’withareferencetotrickery.

3Theissuehereisforashinobitomeasurethelandheisscoutingtocheckiftheareaheisobservingwillbebigenoughtoencamptheentirearmyon.

4Sagittariatrifolia.

5Literally,kamari-field.Kamariareconsideredasambushtroops.

6Asamuraipoet,1432–1486.

7Atwelfth-centurywarrior.

8Presumablyaswaterdescends,lowerfieldsbecomedeeper.

9Branchesandthornbusheswhicharetiedtothefence–probablyinverted–topreventpeopleclimbingoverthefence.

10Thistextisinphoneticsonly.

11PossiblyastickymixtureoftheplantPhellodendronjaponicumwhichmaybeusedasasubstancetoallowalightweightarrowandstringtosticktoaroofsothatyoucanusethestringtomeasurethedistanceorheightofthecastlewall.

12Nawabari.

13ItshouldbenotedthatthesearegoingupinincrementsoftenandbecomeobviouswhenyouarefamiliarwithJapanesemeasurements.

14Imagemissingfromtext.

15Thisisexactlyhowthesentenceiswritteninthetext;itappearstobereferencinganearlierquote.

16Thisappearstoalludetowarriorswhodidnotmakeupstandardarmiesandwerethosewholivedinunemployedorhermitstates,andwhocouldbecalledupontofightandinvalidateashinobi’sestimationofenemyarmysize.

17Thetypeofspearmentionedhereismochiyari ,whichisashorterspearthanapike,measuringaroundtwoandahalfken,accordingtotherulesissuedbytheTakedaclan.

18A‘normalstate’meanswhenthearmyisnotinanalarmedstateorinanemergency.

19Theaimhereistohavethreepointsalongalargedistanceandknowhowmanymenwillfitbetweenthepoints.

20Thisissothatwhentheenemyistrappedbetweenthetwowalls,soldiersmayattackthemwhileinthisspacefromahiddencompound.

21Literally‘stonebow’,ishiishi-yumi,meaningshootingstones.

22Oftheorangefamily.

23Possiblywheeled.

24Fushiappeartobelargerambushes,whilekamariaresmallerambushes.

25Probablyduetosmokefrommusketfuses.

26Thissentenceisnotqualifiedanddoesnotspecifyifthisis‘magical’,aswiththechiofarmy,whichisdiscussedearlier;itsimplyisasitisinthetext.

27ItwascommonpracticeinJapantosplitbamboodownonesideandpropopenthelengthwithasmallertwig.Thehinawawouldthenbeplacedinthegapandthetwigremoved,trappingthehinawamatchinplace.

28ItshouldbementionedherethatFujibayashidoesstateearlythatsmokewillbepresentifthereareenoughlitfusesamongtheambushparty,butonlyaslightamount.

29Thisimpliesthatsometimesthingsareasyouseethemandthatyoudonotneedtolookfortricksineverything–allmaybeasitactuallyappears.

30Theoriginaltextsays‘of’,whichispresumedtobeatranscriptionerror.

VOLUMEELEVEN

In-ninIHiddenInfiltrationI

InfiltratingacastleI

Thosewhohideorthe‘greathermits’1alwaysstayinanurbanarea.Thoughin-nin2isnotasgoodasyo-nin, ifyouhaveonlyyo-jutsubutno in-jutsuyoucannotgainanybenefitfromit.Therefore,thisvolumedealswiththewaystotakeadvantageoftheenemy’sgap,toperformongyo-no-jutsuhidingskillsandhowtoinfiltratewiththehelpoftools.Also,how,wheninneed, tochangeyourwayinorder todealwithanysituationathand,andhowtoswitchbetweenyo-nin3andin-ninwithfluiditywithoutfixingonlyonyooronlyonin,justastheseasonschange.Thustherearevariations,suchassettingupwithin-ninat first and then using yo-nin later, or infiltrating with yo-nin at the beginning andperformingin-ninattheend,orevenusingin-nin inthemiddleofyo-nin,orgoingwithyo-nininthemiddleofin-ninandsoonandsoforth.Thechangesorshiftsmustbemadeextremelyfluidly,justlikeaballrollingonaplatteroragourdskatingonice.

Inoldtimes,DojuninfiltratedSawayamacastlebydisguisinghimselfasalumberjack.Onceinside,hechangedmethodsandhidunderthefloor;thatistosay,heperformedyo-ninfirstandthenswitchedtoin-nin.

When Suyama andKomiyama infiltratedKasagi castle, they chose a night of heavywind and rain, climbed up the rocks stealthilywith grappling hooks and penetrated thecastle.Theywerequestionedbyenemysoldierswhowerefollowinganightpatrol;atthis,SuyamaYoshitsugumadeanadhocreply,sayingthattheywerefromtheYamatodivisionandonanightpatrol for fear that theremightbe anight attackor that a shinobimightinfiltrateastherainandwindwereheavy.Thenhecontinuedandsaidthat theyhadnotfoundanybodywhohadinfiltratedthecastle,butthentoldeachgrouptheyencounteredtowatchout;theydidthiswhiletheyweremarchingcalmlytowardthemainbuilding.AfterfindingoutwhereinthebuildingtheEmperorwasstationedandwhatitsstatuswas,theysetafiretothebuildings.Thisisanexampleofusingin-ninatfirstandyo-ninattheend.

Furthermore,Kotaro,4whenheinfiltratedMineoroshicastleinSanaguofourdomainofIga,wasquestionedandchasedbyhisenemy.Whilerunningaway,hethrewarockintoawell,sothatthepursuersweremisledintothinkinghemighthavefallenin.Gainingtimebydoingthis,hemadegoodhisescape.

Also,whenMagodayu5infiltratedahouse,theenemyheardhimandthrustaspearintohis hiding place. Magodayu whispered to himself, as though he was accompanied by

anotheragent,andhesaid:‘Themasterofthehouseseemstohavewokenup,weshouldretreat.’Hethenmadeasecondvoiceinfalsereply,‘Allright.’Inthismanner,theenemythoughtthat‘they’werehidingbehindthewallandleavingtheirhidingplaceandsotheenemywentouttocapturethe‘pair’.AsaresultofthisMagodayuwentdeeperintothehouse.

Theabovetwoexamplesareofusingyo-nininthemiddleofin-nin.

YamadaHachiemononcearguedwithamanabouthisskills.Duringthisargumenttheman challenged him and asked if Yamada could steal his sword or not. In responseYamadaHachiemonofferedabetandstatedthathewouldtaketheman’sswordinbroaddaylightonthedayofthefestivalintheprincipalshrineofIga.

On thatday,YamadaHachiemonputona straw raincoatanda strawhat todrawhistarget’sattentionandwalkedaheadofhim.Hedidthissothatthetargetwouldbelievehisswordwas safe as long as he had him in sight.Hachiemon then ran into a house in avillage called Nagata, where he had prepared a disciple who was wearing the samedisguise as his own. When he entered, the disciple went out from the back door andmovedtoahilltopwhichwasfivechoawayfromtheshrine.Theswordowner,thinkingtheoneonthehilltopwasinfactYamadaHachiemon,waitedandwaitedatthebottomofthehillbutbecameboredasthemanwouldnotcomedown.Astimepassedheinstructedsomeonetokeepaneyeontheopponentwhilehehimselfvisitedtheshrine.MeanwhileYamadaHachiemondisguisedhimselfasanoldhagwithalargeclothhatandmixedintoacrowdunderthemaingong–inthisway,hewaitedforhisopponent.Asitwasafestivalday, therewere lotsofpeople scrabbling for thecordof thegongandbeating thegongwith enthusiasm. In this confusion he drew the target’s sword out of its scabbard fromacross the opposite side of the offertory box and took it from theman unnoticed. Notrealizinghisswordhadbeenstolen,themanpushedhiswayoutofthecrowdandboastedinthehorsearenainpublic,showinghowhisswordhadnotbeenstolen,butinfactitwasnotthere.

Thisistheartofusingin-nininthemiddleofyo-nin.

Therewerenumeroustacticscarriedoutbyancientpeopleusingin-ninfirstandyo-ninlater,yo-nin first and in-nin later, in-nin inside of yo-nin oryo-nin inside of in-nin, theoutlinesofwhicharementionedabove.Thepointhereistoinstiltheideathatyoushouldusein-ninandyo-ninalternativelyandfreelyaccordingtotheopportunity,withoutplacingadisproportionateemphasisoneitherone,withtheaimofwinninganoverallvictory.

Tenpointstoconsiderbeforethemission

I

You should investigate exactly what the enemy castle or camp is like by collectinginformationfrompeopleorobservingitindetail.Youmustdecideonthebestskillsandmeasures to fulfil your mission, and deliberate on where you should infiltrate from orretreatfromandsoon.Thosewhoareengagedonthispathshouldtravelaroundthecastletownsinvariousprovincesattimesoftranquillityand,whilealwaystryingtohavegoodjudgement in distinguishing truth and falsehood, you should observewith attention any

information, such as where to get in from or where to retreat from and, after doingsatisfactory investigation, create a drawing recording this information. Even when youhappen to pass by a strange village, you should always investigate as many paths aspossible,bywalkingthebypassesornarrowroutes,andbyobservingwheretheyaresteeporflat,howwideornarrowtheyare,thedistancefromonepointtoanotherpoint,wheretheybeginandend,etc.Youshouldtrytoknowasmuchaspossible,evensuchthingsasanimaltrails.Dothisbyaskingandobservingandthenwriteitdown.

II

Youshouldtakeanapbefore‘stealingin’,assleepisahumanbehaviourjustasdayandnight are a part of the sky. No matter how encouraged you feel, you cannot performanythingwithoutsleep.

III

Youmust consider the timeof the risingand settingof themoon. It isbest to infiltratebefore themoonrisesorafter itsets.This iscalled tsukinodaijior theprincipleof themoon. Ancient ninja named this skill ‘before Yakushi and after Jizo’ and it was keptsecret.Thisisbecausemoonlitnightsareusuallydisfavouredbythoseperformingtheartofin-nin.ThemethodofknowingthetimeofmoonrisingandsettingismentionedinthechapteronastronomyinthesectioncalledOpportunitiesBestowedbyHeaven.

IV

Wheninfiltratingatnight,youneedtoknowthetimebyobservingthestarPolarisorthestarclusterPleiades,orbyusingaweight6orasandglass.7Thesearealsomentionedinthechapteronastrology.

Someone8saysyoucanknowthetimebyobservingyourbreathingthroughyournose.9Ifyouarebreathingthroughtheleftnostril inthehouroftheRat,itwillalternateeveryhour.10Ihavetriedthisbuthavesofarfailedtomasterit.

V

Before‘stealingin’,youshouldhavefirmlyworkedoutanyarrangementswithyourlordto make sure that no mistakes will happen. This should concern everything, includinghikyaku-hifirebeacons,theireko-hiadjustablelampandsmokesignals,etc.

Details on the arrangements of signals are mentioned earlier in the subsection‘Concerningtheagreementbetweenyourlordandtheninja’inthevolume;AGuidelineforCommandersPartII.

VI

Whenyoudecidethetimeisright,youshouldgetclosetotheenemycastleorcampbyusing both in- and yo-jutsu, wait for the correct time and infiltrate. Remember to givecareful thought to theplacewhereyou should ‘steal in’ and retreat from. It isoften thecasethatyoubecomelostwhencomingback,soyoushouldputvariouskindsofmarksorusesignalssuchasicchoikka–‘onefireforonecho’–ortheireko-ju11‘adjustablelamp’.Icchoikkaismentionedinthevolumeonshinobinightattacks;however,therearesome

differencesinusingtheabovemethodwheninfiltrating,butthisistobeorallytransmitted.

VII

Ifyouarenotveryselectiveaboutthesquadtobepickedforthemission,theinfiltrationinquestionwillbeunprofessional,soaswellasanagreementaboutthewayofsignals,itis essential for everymember to bewell informed on allmatters.Be sure not to selectthosewho you think are cowards, careless or unskilled as thosewho go together on amission.Ontopofthat,youshouldmakeawrittenoathamongyourselvesthatnoonewillfailtoliveuptohiswordortheagreedwayofsignalsandallshouldstandorfallasonemind,beitdeadoralive.

Supplementarytotheabove, ifyoucannotcutout thosewhoarecowards,carelessorunskilledandhavetotakethemontothesquad,thenassignthemtotheroleofsignals.Ifyouhavetotakethemwithyoutotheplaceofthemission,makethemfollowbehindyouwhile‘stealingin’andgoaheadofyouonthewayout.

Twoshinobipoemssay:

Whenyoustealinwithanordinaryperson,thefirstthingyoushoulddoismarkandshowhimthewayoutandhowtoescape.

Whengoingonashinobiactivity,venturingoutinatwo-manteamisdifficult.However,onsoloshinobimissionstherearenosuchconcerns.

VIII

Wheninfiltratingacastle,allofyoursquadshouldinfiltratetherefromonepointtogetherandbecomescatteredafteryouhaveentered.

IX

When infiltrating amountain castle, fortressor tsukejinyawhich is a camp close to theenemycastleorfortress,yoursquadshouldenterinascatteredformation.

Supplementary to this,beawareof the fire signalsand the threekindsofmarks.Thefire signals and the three kinds ofmarks arementioned in the chapter ‘Concerning theagreementbetweenyourlordandtheninja’inAGuidelineforCommandersPartII.

X

Be fully aware of the possibility that you may be detected while discreetly collectinginformationonthehappeningswithintheenemyarmy.Withthatinformationyoushouldforgelettersfromsomeoneontheenemy’sstaffandaddressthemtoyourlord.Leaveoneortwoofthemattheplaceyoustayatandalsohidealetterfromyourlordinyourcollar.ThistechniqueismentionedindetailinthepreviouschapterYo-ninJo.

Aninjapoemsays:

Beforeyougooutonametsukesecretsurveillanceoronacovertshinobiactivity,youshouldleaveanoteforfuturebenefit.12

Furtherdetailsfortheabovepointsaretobeorallytransmitted.Youshouldnottakethemtoolightly.

Twentypointsontheartofinfiltratingwhiletheenemyisoffguard

I

Concerning the nightwhen the enemy lord departs from his castle to attack yourprovince

Although most people know that guarding your own castle is more important thanattackinganopponent’scastle,therearefouradvantages,aslistedbelow,wheninfiltratingacastleonsuchanight.

1.Whenamassivearmydepartsfromitscastle,everythingisbusyandnoisyandeveryoneisdistractedbytheirtasks.

2.Theytendtobepreoccupiedbythethoughtofbeatingtheenemysothattheyarenotattentiveenoughtomakeaninquiryintoeverydetail[ofdefence].

3.Atsuchatimeasdescribedabovetherewillbemanypeoplegoinginoroutofthecastle.

4.Itisthetimepeopleleastexpecttheenemyshinobitoinfiltrate.

II

Infiltrating between the first and third nights after the enemy has arrived at itsposition

1.Althoughpeopletendtobesharpandattentiveatthebeginning,theyaresobusywithmultipleandmiscellaneousdutiesandsometimestheybecomeconfusedthroughhardship.Itisasthoughhumanbeings,birdsandanimalsrelaxduringspring.13

2.Theenemyforcesarenotpreparedordeterminedatthistime.

3.Theyarebusybuildingquartersorsettinguptheircamps.

4.Theyhavelessfearsothushavelessvigilance.

Infiltratingbetweenthesenightsisbeneficialbecauseoftheabovefouradvantages.

III

On a night after the enemy has travelled over a long distance, especially if double theusualdistance,orhascrossedasteeparea,onasunnyandwarmorevenhotdayinspringorsummer.

IV

Onanightaftertheenemyhastravelledacrossiceorsnow,orevencrosseddeepwateror

also,whentheenemyhasbeenfreezing,hastoiledandisexhausted,onastormydayoronanextremelycolddayinwinter.

V

If theenemyarrivesand takesupapositionafter sunset,whenhe is stillbusybuildingquarters,preparingmeals,washinghorseswithhotwaterandhasnotsettleddowntoasetroutine.

VI

Onanightwhentheenemyistiredafterhehashadabattleordisputedalldaylong.Asmanisnotmadeofiron,itisalwaysthecasethatmenlettheirguarddownwhentheyaretired.

VII

Onanightwhentheenemyisgettingreadytoadvanceanattackonyourside.Underanycircumstances,when[troops]leaveafortresstheirmindsarenotintheirusualstate–andthis is evenmore truewhen theyaregoing tobattle.Theenemy troopsat this timearebusypreparingfood,outfits,orders,agreements, lastwillsandtestamentsandsoonandtheirmindsarewanderingfromonepoint toanother.Alsoit is thetimetheenemyleastexpectsshinobitoenter.

Todiscoverwhentheenemyistoadvance,youshouldlistentotheconchshells.Onemilitarymanuscript says that in thecasewhere theconch shell isblownat certain timeintervals,thenitsometimesmeansthattheenemyispreparingtoadvanceorforabattle.Examplesincludehavingamealatthefirstshellsignal,gettingreadywithyourwargearatthesecondsignal,andhavingthevanguarddepartonthethirdsignalandsoon.Inthisexample, theshell isblownninetimesateachcommand,soif thereare threesignalsasdescribed above, it adds up to twenty-seven blows of the conch shell. The time is notdefiniteandallisdependentontheenemy’swayofsignalling.

VIII

Finding a gap on the night after the enemywins a clear victory in a night attackagainstyourownsideoreveninadaytimebattle

If the enemyarmy secures a victory andyou are beatenbadly, itwill be conceited andoverconfident–thisisacertainty.Thereisnoonewhodoesnotknowthesaying,‘Stayonyourguardevenafteryouhavewon.’However,thoughpeopleoftenrepeatthissayingandrememberit,iftheyhavecontrolofasituationthentheygetcarriedawayandflippant.Donotmissthisopportunity.

IX

Infiltratewhenyouralliesarevictoriousandtheenemyhasbeensoundlydefeatedandisretreatingintoitscastleandisstillincompleteconfusionandfright.

X

Itisdifficulttostealiniftheplaceisquiet,whileitiseasyifitisnoisy.Thisishowtojudgetherighttime.

Itisalwaystherighttimeforyoutoinfiltratewhenanyunforeseenaccidenttakesplace,such as a fire breaking out, horses being released, or enemy soldiers fighting amongthemselves,becausepeopleareinastateofsurpriseorincommotionorconfused.Donothesitatetoomuchandtakethechancewhileyoucan.

Aninjapoemsays:

Youcanfindawaytocreepinwhenanumberoftheenemyaredistracted.Whentheyarequiet,youmayfindnoplacetohide.

Theenemygeneralmaybeasageandhaveplannedtocatchyouthroughconfusion.Youshouldjudgethiscarefully.However,ifitisanenemytrap,itwillbefineaslongastheshinobinomonoareskilledenough.

XI

With signals having been prearranged with your lord, you should approach the enemyfromtheoppositeside:whenattackingfromthefront,youinfiltratefrombehind;whileiffromtheback,yougofromthefront;andyoushouldalwaysrememberthisprincipleevenif thereisnosignal.Ninjashouldrefrainfrombeingimpulsiveinanyway.Ifyouseeafightwithspearorsword,evenifitisnexttoyou,youshouldleaveandfocusonjudgingthe situation with your trained eye. The only thing you should keep in mind in yourmission ishowto takeadvantageofagapwithin theenemy,howto infiltrate thecastleandcaptureit,orhowtodestroyacamp.Otherwise,howwoulditbepossibleforyoutoinfiltrateastrictlyguardedcamporanimpregnablecastle14?

Aninjapoemsays:

Evenifashinobidoesnothaveimpressivephysicalabilities,rememberthemostvitalthingistohaveacuteobservation.

XII

Ifalargenumberofsoldiersaredefendingasmallcastle,infiltratefromwherepeoplearegathering;while ifasmallnumberaredefendinga largecastle, infiltrate it fromasteepanddifficultarea.Thereasonsforgoingwhereanumberofpeoplearegatheringtogetherinasmallcastledefendedbyalargenumberofpeopleareasfollows:

•Asitisnoisy,itishardtohearanysounds.

•Itiseasiertoblendinwiththeenemy.

•Wheretherearemanypeople,theytendnottoputeveryoneunderscrutiny.

Youshouldgotoasteepanddifficultarea15ofalargecastlethatisdefendedbyasmallnumberofpeoplebecausetheypayattentiononlytowhereitisnotnaturallyfortifiedandtendtoneglectwherethefortificationseemstothemsecureenough.

XIII

Onanightofheavywindandrain

Onanightofheavy[rainand]wind,itisverylikelythatanightattackwilloccurorthatshinobi willstealin.Itisawell-knownfactthatnobodylikesbeingdrenchedbytherainorsweptbyheavywinds.Evenifthelordgivesstrictorders,itisoftenthecasethattheguardsmenarenotfullyalertduringanightpatrol.Thisisanenduringsecretprincipleforin-ninanditholdstrueevenifthereisonlydrizzleorslightbreeze.

Therefore,it isessentialforeveryninja toforeseethewindandrain.Howtoforecastthe wind or rain is mentioned in the chapter on astrology in the volume calledOpportunitiesBestowedbyHeaven.

Inheavyrainfallwhentherainisatitsmostyoushouldcarryoutashinobimissionoranightattack.

Inthedeadofnightwhenthewindandrainareraging,thestreetsaresodarkthatyoucanexecuteashinobimissionorcandeliveranightattack

smoothlyandwithease.

XIV

Whentheenemycallsforreconciliation,youneedtoconsiderwhetheritisatrickorthetruthandconversewithyourlordtodeterminethis[beforeyougotoinfiltrate].Wheneveryou are going to attack the opponent, you will be negligent; it is essential for you toconsiderthis.

SunTzusays:

Peaceproposalsunaccompaniedbyasworncovenantindicateaplot.

XV

Whenyourarmyisattackingacastle, if thecastle is toohardtocaptureoryouwant todeceive the enemywith a ruse, then you sometimes raise the siege and depart.On thatnighttheenemywillbetiredandtheywillrelaxtheirattentionbecauseoffatigue–thisisacertainty.

XVI

Concerningacastleorcampwithoutacommanderorgeneralincharge,oronethathasasinglecommanderbutisdefendedbyaconglomerateofclans

If a position is defended by a conglomerate of forces, even if it has a universalcommander,theforcestendtotakelibertiesandtheyfindithardtopulltogether;whereasif the vassalage for a single lord is used to defend in one place, then it is difficult toinfiltrate.Therefore,evenifthecastleorcampisledbyonecommander,itisreasonabletoinvestigatewhichareasaredefendedbyacollectionoftroopsfromdifferentclansand

infiltratefromthere.

XVII

Prolongedbattleandweariness

Generally,peoplearekeenandattentiveatthebeginningofacampaignbutifitbecomesprolonged,thentheywillbecometiredandnegligencewillensue.Also,ifyouobservetheenemy throughout a prolonged period of battle, you will certainly find a gap you canutilize.

XVIII

Whentheenemylordisnotcompetentinmilitaryadministrationandgreatlyreliesonthenumberofhisarmy,underestimateshisenemyandisnotveryvigilant

Thosewhodonotpaymuchattentiontomilitarystrategyandarenotcarefulandpreparedusuallydonotknowhowwiseotherpeopleareastheyaretooarroganttofathomothersbut rely instead on the size of their army, and are too arrogant to exercise sufficientcautionintheirdefence.

XIX

Befullyawareoftheprinciplethatmanisalazycreature

People get conceited and take the enemy lightly when they have victory, yet they aredisgustedandbecomelethargicwhentheylose.

Whenhavinganeasytime,peopleareindulged,ateaseandnegligent,whileduringadifficult time, theybecomeexhaustedand fall into laziness. In summermostpeoplearelazybecausetheyareexhaustedwiththeheat,whileinwinter,becausetheyhatethecold,frost, snow or the gale, you will find very few who are always keen and who stayattentive.Unlessyouarefullyawareofthisfact,noshinobimissionwillbefulfilled.

Inafightwithtachilong-swords,thosewhocandiscernthedirectionoftheopponent’sswordandunderstandhisgaps willwin,whilethosewhocannotseethiswilllose.Eveninaswordfightyoushouldbeawareofwhatissubstantial andwhatisinsubstantial .Thisisevenmoreimportantwhenalargernumberareinvolvedandthetimespanisoverseveraldays.Ifyoucanidentifywhenandwheretheyrelaxandmakeyourplanbasedonthis,thenthereisnochancethatyouwillfailtoinfiltrate.

Aninjapoemsays:

Forashinobiitisdesirablenottohaveanyanxietyorhesitation.Doubtsbeforehandcomefromyourowncowardice.

XX

Thearrivalofenemyreinforcements,beitdayornight

Whenreinforcementsarrive, theenemyfeels it isalmostguaranteedsuccessandalwaysbecomes negligent. However, the forces that have just arrived have not been fully

informedofthemilitaryordersofthearmy,sotheyarequiteunfamiliarwiththesituationandtheyarenotstrongintheirdefenceyet.Therefore,youshouldconsiderthebestplantotakeadvantageofthisopportunity.

Theabovepointsareconcernedwithwhenandwheretheenemywillbenegligentandweak, therefore a ninja should not have any anxiety or hesitation but plunge into theenemy’sgapatthesepoints.Ashinobinomonowhoknowsthetheorybehindthisbutwhohasanxietyandhesitatesatthecrucialtime,willnotbeabletoinfiltrateatargetevenifhespendsathousandyearsonthetask.Thismeansthatifyouareveryclosetotheenemybutlackdetermination,youwillhavetoomuchanxietyandmissthecorrectopportunityandendupbeingdetectedbytheenemyor,evenworse,imprisoned.

WuQisays:

Ifthesoldiersarecommittedtofightingtothedeath,theywilllive,whereasiftheyseektostayalive,theywilldie.

Wheninadifficultsituation,thinknothingofyourbodyandyourlifebutstaysereneandstill asyouwouldatnormal times.Youshouldalso firmlykeep inmind theprinciples:‘death and life have their determined appointment’ and ‘nothing is born, nothing isdestroyed’.16Ifyoudothis,evendangerwillturnouttobegoodluck.

I really think that even the smartest and best-reputedmanwill let his guard down atsomepoint–thisisevenmoresowithordinarypeople.Ifpeoplethinkofthefront,theywillforgettherear;iftheyfocusontheirright,theyarenotthinkingabouttheirleft–thisisthewayoflife.Itisespeciallysowhentheyareinastateofanxietyordifficultyandwhenallaroundthemisbustling;becauseofthesefactorstheywillbenervousandmakemoremistakes.Asarule,ninjaavoidwheretheenemyissubstantialandtakeadvantageofwhereitisinsubstantial.

Aninjapoemsays:

Forashinobiitisessentialtoknowthepropertime.Italwaysshouldbewhentheenemyistiredorhaslettheirguarddown.

Eightpointsontheartofinfiltratingbytakingadvantageoftheenemy’snegligence

I

Shinobinojutsushouldbeperformedaccordingtothetimeandtheplace.However,firstof all note that the things you should keep inmind are different for daytime and nighttime.

Inthedaytime,gotowheretherearemanypeopleandwhereitisnoisy;whileatnight,gotowhereitisquiet.Youshouldfirstwhisperasatestandseeiftheguardsareasleepornot.Iftheyareasleep,novoiceorsoundwillbeheard.However,iftheyaresnoring,thenknowthatthereisamethodtounderstandthevariouskindsofsnoring.Detailsaretobeorallytransmitted.Youshouldstayquiet,listeningforonehourorsotoknowiftheyarekeepingquietasaruseoriftheyreallyareasleep.Iftheyfeignsleep,afteralittlewhile

youwillalwayshearthemsaysomethingindoubt.Iftheguardsareattentiveandtheypaykeenattention toyourwhisperandbecomevigilant,youwillhear themwhisperamongthemselves, get ready with bows, spears, swords and so on, or you will hear othermovementslikesittingdownorstandingupinpreparation,andasaresulttheywillmakeverysmall sounds. Insuchacaseyoushould leaveassoonaspossible. If theybecomestartled, flusteredormakenoise in reaction to thesmall soundyoumadeasa test, thentheyareameregroupofunskilledpeoplenotinorder.Therefore,ifyouleavethemforawhileandcomebacklaterwhentheyhavesettleddownyoucantrytofindagapwithinthemandyouwillneverfailtoinfiltratefromthatdirection.

Themindset of people varies according towhether they are at the beginning, in themiddleorat theendof [awatch].At thebeginning, theyarekeenandenergetic; in themiddle; theybecomeslackandlazy;andat theendtheygetboredandwant to leaveorevenfallasleepattimes.Therefore,experiencedninjaavoidthetimewhentheguardsarekeenandenergeticbutwaitforthetimewhentheygetboredandsleepy.Takingadvantageofthetime,theyimmediatelygetintherewithoutdelayandthereisnochanceoffailure.

SunTzusays:

Nowasoldier’sspiritiskeenestinthemorning;bynoondayithasbeguntoflag;andintheevening,hismindisbentonlyonreturningtocamp.

Youmay think theaboveprincipleholds trueonlywithmilitary tacticsandnot thoseusedbyninja,whichmaymakeyouneglectit.However,whereonearthcantheessenceofshinobino jutsube foundoutsideof this?Furtherdetailsare tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

II

Whileobservingaguardhouseyoumayencounterthefollowing:

Those who appear to be togiki listening scouts who investigate stealthily and carryspears,halberds,tachi long-swordsandsoon,hidingthemselvesbehindfencesorwalls.Theremaybewhisperofwarningintheguardhouse[iftheysuspectyou].Also,youmayfind thatwhenacommotion takesplace twoor threeoutofaguardof tencomeout toinvestigate.

Theseabovearesignsofastrictlyguardedstationandshinobishouldleaveassoonaspossible.When retreating, be sure to have a plan and avoid catching their attention, asthoughyouarethesoundoffrostformingonacoldwinternight.

III

Whileobservingaguardhouse,ifyouheartheguardsspeakloudly,engaginginfriendlychat, having a drinking party, singing etc., it is often because only young andinexperiencedguardsareworkingonthatshiftwithoutoldandexperiencedones.Thisisexactlywhereyoushouldgetin.Donothesitate.

IV

Though sometimes guards look like they are in idleness and not conducting vigilantprecautions, bewarned that itmay in fact be a deception and theymay intend to draw

shinobi into a trap. Be sure to have good judgement as to whether they are actuallyinattentiveorwhethertheyhaveastratagemtolureshinobinomonoinandcapturethem.Ifit isastratagem,therewillbescrupulousguardssomewherearound,oftenwith togikilisteningscout(s)besidethem.Youshouldhaveverywatchfuleyestoseeifthesituationistrueorfalseanddonotenterwithoutcarefulthought.

V

After getting in the enemy castle or camp, ninja should act after the night patrol haspassedasithasbeendonesinceancienttimes.Asforthedistancethattheyshouldkeepbetweenthemandthepatrol,thisshouldbeworkedoutbyobservingthewaytheguardsare acting and with reference to the points on places that you should not enter (asmentionedearlier).

VI

Hintsonhowtoinfiltrateapositionandbypassasecureguardhouse:

•Drawthemoutandhavethemfollowyou.

•Makethemfightamongthemselves.

•Usegrenadesandshots.17

Thereismoretobeorallytransmittedtoaccompanytheabovepoints.

Supplementarytothis,thereisanoldmethodofapplyingsleepingpowder,butIhavenottestedthis.

VII

There isnodifferencebetween theprinciplesofninjutsu and theprinciples forkenjutsuswordsmanship.Whentheenemyisnotgoingtoclosein,itisdifficultforyoutostrikeathimwithaswordbecauseyoushouldstrikeonthemoment that theenemyclosesinonyou.Oryou shoulddodge thepathof the enemy’s sword and strikewhen the sword isbroughtdownor take advantageof themoment that the enemy raiseshis sword.Theseexamplesarebasedontheprincipleofstrikingwhentheenemyclosesinonyou.Thosewhoarestupidtrytostrikewhentheopponent isnotgoingtoclosein–therefore, theycannotkilltheopponent.Whatisworseisthatthismayendupnotonlyasafailurebutalsomayresultintheirbeingcut.Thesameholdstrueinninjutsu:whentheenemydoesnotmove,18youshouldnotmoveeither.Youshouldinfiltrateattheexactmomentthattheenemymoves in and do not try when they do not move – this is a way of principledpeople. Unskilled people tend to try to get in when the enemy is not on the move;therefore, their infiltration ends in failure and also they are often destroyed in the end.Thus, when the enemy is not moving, shinobi have no way to infiltrate. Even animpregnable castle or strictly guarded campcanbe infiltratedwithout exception, if youtakeadvantageoftheenemy’smovement.Thisalldependsonwhethertheenemymovesornot. If the timecomeswhen theenemy ison themove,youwillbeable to infiltratesmoothlyandwithout anydifficulty,unlessyouarepossessedbyanunreasonableurge.Thisisthemethodbywhichonlyaccomplishedpeopleoperate.

VIII

Thethreediseasesofshinobinojutsuare:

1.Tofear.

2.Totaketheenemylightly.

3.Tothinktoomuch.

Byremovingthesethree,youwillbeabletoinfiltrateasquicklyaslightning.

First,ifyouhaveafearoftheenemy,youwillquake,feelnervous,becomeconfusedastowhichisthecorrectprocedure,forgetthetricksyouhavemasteredandcanperformatnormal times, tremble in both hands and feet, lose colour, slur your words and giveyourselfawayandbedetected.

Second,ifyoumakelittleoftheenemyandthinktheyarestupid,youwillprepareonlyashallowstratagemandbeflippantandthusyouwillsome-timesfail.

Third,ifyouthinktoomuchandtranscendreasonitmakesyoudoubtwhatyoushouldnotdoubt.Also,ifyouhavetoomuchanxiety,youcannotdetermineyourmindandwillbecomeconfusedandendupfailing.

Therefore, you should overcome these three diseases, have a deliberate strategy, andwhenthetimecomes,infiltrateasquicklyaslightningandwithoutanydelay.


Ofdisastersthatcanbefallanarmy,nonesurpassesdoubt.

Aninjapoemsays:

Makeyourselfresolutewiththeideathatyouwillwinwheneveryougoonashinobimission,andyoucansucceedevenifitisnotsoachievable.

YinJingsays:

Ifafalconentersintoaheavyforest,thereisnotraceofhimandifafishmovesintodeepwater,thereisnowaytopursuehim.EvenLilou19couldnotseeashapeifhebendshishead over it and even the music-master Kuang20 could not hear the shape if heconcentratesonit.Howsubtleitistoflyanddisturbonlytheslightestdust,abraveanddeath-defyingonewillsee[codifiedtext21].

1Thecontexthereissomeonewhohidesfromandeludessociety,tohidehimselffromtheworld–literally‘greathermit’,inja,apersonwhohides,butinthiscontexttheword‘hermit’givesthewrongconnotationsforaWesternaudience,asthisagentoperatesininhabitedareas.

2Theoriginalscripthasatranscriptionerroratthispointandsaysyo-nintwice.

3Fujibayashidropstheninattheendofeachyoandinhere.However,theyhavebeeninsertedinthisvolumeforthesakeofconsistency.

4ShindonoKotaro,oneoftheelevengreatninja,mentionedinvolumeone.

5NomuranoOdakiMagodayu,anotheroftheelevengreatninja.

6Thisisechoedinotherscrolls.

7TheoldestrecordedJapanesesandglassappearstobedated1616.

8Literally,‘some-person’–interestingly,thisisalsobackedupbyNatori-ryu.

9Unknowntotheninjaatthattime,thisphenomenonwasfirstdescribedindetailin1895bytheGermanphysicianRichardKayser,whocalledittheNasalCycle.Theairintakeineachnostrilshiftsinpercentageofvolumeasbloodperiodicallyswellsonalternatesidesofthenasalcavity.Theaveragecycletimecanvary.

10Approximately120minutesinWesterntime.However,thiswoulddependontheseasonatthetime.

11Thisusesthesamefirstideogramasthe‘adjustablelamp’,butalsouses‘gun’or‘shot’asasecond.However,thetoolitselfisnotexplainedandmaybeatranscriptionerrorduetoitscontext.Therefore,hereithasbeentranslatedas‘lamp’.

12Fujibayashihereslightlychangesthepoem.Forafullexplanationseetheauthor’sworkSecretTraditionsoftheShinobi.

13Thisstatementisambiguousandunexplainedbutispossiblyareferencetohowpeoplerelaxandlettheirmindsdriftafterthehardshipsofwinter,i.e.relaxinspring.

14Themessageisthatyoushouldnotgetintoanyformofhand-to-handfighting,butcontinueonyourmissionofinfiltration.

15Nansho.

16QuotedfromtheHeartSutra.

17Literally‘throwing-fireandshooting-firetools’,mostlikelyformsofChinesefirecracker.

18Fujibayashiplaysonthewordiru or‘toenter’–hesays‘whentheenemyenters’.However,thecontextis‘move’or‘movement’.Fujibayashiisplayingonthisideogramasaprincipleofaswordsmanmovinginandtheenemyopeninggapsastheymove.Theideaisthatinhand-to-handcombattherearegapswhenanenemymoves,andsimilarlyinninjutsugapsappearandallowaninjatocarryouthisartofespionage.Hereheistryingtoinstructthestudentbyusingananalogytoadifferentart,whichisthemartialartsinthiscase.

19AcharacterinancientChinesefolklorewhohassuperioreyesight.

20AcharacterinancientChinesefolklorewhohasacutehearing.

21Herethetextbreaksintoacode,similartothecodeusedforkunoichiorfemaleagents.However,themeaningisunknown.

VOLUMETWELVE

In-ninIIHiddenInfiltrationII

InfiltratingacastleII

Twelvepointsonappropriateplacesforinfiltration

I

1.Byasteepareaifitisamountaincastleoracastleonahill.1

2.Bytheseaorariverifitisawatersidecastle.

3.Byamarshyareaifitisacastlebesideamarsh.

4.Theabovethreeareasarewheretheenemyneglectstoguardcorrectly.Thesameholdstruewithatemporaryfort.

II

Theroofofacastlegatehouse

Acastle gatehouse is usuallymost strictly guarded, but the roof is themost convenientplaceforyoutoattachahookedladder.

III

Whereshinobi-gaeshispikeddefencesarebesideacastlegatehouse

Aswellasshinobi-gaeshi spikeddefences,youshouldbeaware thatanyplacewhereaspecialprecautionhasbeentakenisnotanaturallyfortifiedarea,soitcanbeaconvenientplacetoenter.

IV

If a sectionof theoutermoat leadsdirectly into themain enclosureor to the secondenclosureatanypoint,useabridgethatconnectsthesecondenclosureandmainenclosureoruse thekomayose,which is an area just outside of themain enclosurewhere peopledismount and leave their horses, as these are convenient places for you to infiltrate. Ifthere are no bridges orkomayose areas but themoat still leads in, then consider it stillaccessible.

V

Aswellascastlesbesidetheseaoralake,anycastlethathasamoatshouldalsohaveaprotruding section at the base of the stone foundation wall. Go there first and takeappropriatemeasuresinaccordancewiththesituation.2

VI

Throughthegutterofawaterway

In ancient times someone namedShimotsuge noKozaru infiltratedTakura castle of Isethroughthispointandsetthecastleablaze,toitsruin.

VII

When you climb up a stone wall, external corners or flat surfaces are not desirable.Recessedcorners suchasyokoya3 indentedcorners,byobuore4or triangular indents inawall,humanwastechutesorrubbishdumpsareconvenientforyoutoinfiltrate;however,itdependsontheplace.

VIII

Get in through a shooting port. Ports formuskets are not desirable; however, ones forshootingarrowsare.

IX

Sometimes, it is possible to infiltrate by extending and opening up: through yokoyaoutlets,whicharesidearrowports,orchiriotoshioutletholesthroughwhichcastlewasteisthrownout;orbyremovingsomestonesfromthestonefoundationsbeneathfencesofwoodandearth.

X

Duringcastleconstruction,5aspecialenclosureissometimesbuilttoholdhostagesmadeupofpeoplefromtheprovince;thisisusedwhentheenemydefendsacastle.Thelocationof theenclosurevaries,but inmostcases it isplacedat thebackof themainenclosure,ofteninasteeparea.Ifyouknowofthis,youcanmakeuseofit.Youshouldmakeapointofgoingtoanearbyvillageinthatprovincetoaskaboutsuchenclosures,sothatyoucanobtaincorrectinformation.

XI

Inanentirecastlearea,theouterenclosuresorthethirdenclosuresareusuallysurroundedbyearthworksandbamboothickets,oritmayalsobethecasethatthemoatisdry,makingiteasytoinfiltrate.However,thereislittlebenefitingettinginatthatpoint.Ifatfirstyoumovetothethirdenclosure,thenthesecondoneandthentothemainenclosure,youwillhavetoomanydifficultobstaclestocrossover;therefore,itwillexhaustyouand,ifyouarenotwellenoughequipped,itwilltaketoomuchtimeandtrouble,whichmakesitverylikely thatyouwillbedetected.Therefore,youshouldfigureout thebestplanusingallkindsofingenuitywiththeintenttoinfiltratethesecondormainenclosuredirectly.6

XII

Toinfiltratetemporaryforts,approachfromthebackastheyareusuallystronglyguardedfromthefront.

Theabovepointsareconvenientplacesforshinobi to infiltrateacastleorcamp.Asmentionedin‘Eightpointsontheartofinfiltratingbytakingadvantageoftheenemy’snegligence’, the main idea is that you should infiltrate by exploiting carelessness.However,ifyouthinkoftheenemy’snegligencealonebutdonotunderstandthesetwelvepointsonconvenientplaces,youwillnotalwayssucceedininfiltrating.Youshouldstealin at the appropriate time andplace andwhen the enemy is careless in one oftheseplacesmentionedabove;thisaidsthewayofbothin-andyo-jutsu.

Fifteenpointsontheartofusingtools

I

Ifamountainistoosteeptoclimb,useatsuribashigohangingladder.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

II

Fortheroofofagatehouse,useatiedladder,cloudladder,flyingladderandsoon.Putitonto the wall and climb up. Be sure that it makes no noise. To be passed on by oraltransmission.

III

Toclimbstraightuptoashinobi-gaeshispikeddefence,akomayosedismountingareaorabridge,or from thebottomof amoat to theupperwall straightup, it is best touse thespiderladder.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

IV

Tocrossoverfromtheoutsideofamoattothetopofafenceontheotherside,usethehikoorflying[tool7].Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

Supplementary to this, remember to liftup [with rope] the toolsyouwillneed touseafterclimbingup,includingtheyakigusuriorgunpowderforarson.

V

Toclimbupasmallfenceinsideacastle,theroofofabuilding,oratree,usetheshinobi-zue orshinobi-cane.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

Ifyoucrossoverwithanyoftheabovementionedtools,therewillbenoplacethatyoucannotpass,nomatterhowhighor steep it is, particularly ifyouuse these threemajortools:thespiderladder,thehiko[tool]andtheninja-cane.Iinvented[andmodified]these,whichtookyearsofeffort.Thesethreearehandyandenableyoutoclimbahighwallorcrossalargemoatwithease.

Ofallthenumerousclimbingtools,nothingisascomparativelysmall-sizedorvaluableastheabove.However,thoughtherearenobettertoolsofninjutsuthanthese,youcannotutilize themto the fullwithoutpractice.Thosewho learnninjutsu shouldnotneglect to

trainthemselveswithtools.

VI

Forcrossingaseaorariver,usethewaterspidertoolorawarboat.Ifyoudonothaveeither of these, or if you need to get a large number across, you should prepare theappropriate craft, such as awillow basket raft, jar raft, reed raft, bamboo raft, floatingbridge,etc.Youshouldchooseanappropriatecraftinaccordancewiththeopportunity.Iftheriverisrapidandsweepsawaysucharaftasaboveandthusmakesitdifficulttouse,putathinropearoundthewaistofagoodswimmerandhavehimswimacrosstheriver.When he gets to the other side, he should tie the rope onto a tree or to bamboo at thecorrectheight,thenonyoursidestretchtheropeanddothesamethingsotherestofthepeoplecancrossoverwhilekeepingholdoftherope.Furtheroraltraditionsarewithin.

VII

Ifyouneedtogotounderwater,butitisdifficult,thenusethe‘U’orcormoranttool8forthis. In thedaytimeyou shouldhide at thebottomof thewater so that youwill not befoundbytheenemy.Therearemorethingstobepassedonhere.

VIII

Foramarshyarea,useflat,boardedshoes.

Ifyouusetheaboveselectionoftoolstocrossoverasea,ariveroramarsh,youwillbeabletocrossoverthemwithoutfail.Ofthose,the‘U’-tool,thatisthecormoranttool,wasinventedwithmyingenuity.Itisveryusefulwhensubmergedunderwater.

IX

Accordingtoancientmethods,wheninfiltratingacastleyoushoulduseafloatingbridgetocrossoveramoat.Getagoodswimmertotaketheendofafloatingbridgeacrossthemoattothesideofthestonefoundationwallandtieropestobambooortrees;otherwise,fixkunaidiggingtoolsfirmlyintothegroundandusethem.Next,stretchthebridgeandsecureit toyourownsideaswell, thencrossoverit.Accordingtoonetheory, taketwolongpiecesofbambooandhitchtemporaryspacersoutofrope,sothat thewidthof theladderisoneshaku, fourorfivesunwideandthenputitacrossthemoat.Nextputtwobamboolatticedmatsonthetwobamboosupportingbeamsandalternatewiththemasyoucross. Alternatively you can lash wooden rungs as you cross over. There are furtherdetails.

X

According to ancient methods, when climbing up a stone wall, use a tied ladder, andwherethetiedladderdoesnotreach,theninsertkunaidiggingtoolsintoacreviceandusetworolledladders,hookingoneontoeachkunaialternately,sothatyoucanclimbupthewallstepbystep.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

XI

According toancientmethods,whenyouget to thebottomofa fence that is set atopa

stonewall, setakunai firmly into thebaseandstepuponto the tool, thenstab thewallwithasagurikaneorprobingiron.Whenyoudecidewheretoboreaholeinthewall,hanganagabukuroorlongbagatthatpointanddigthewalloutwiththekunai.Dropthesoilthroughthebagandkeepdigginguntilyoumakeaholelargeenoughforyoutosneakin.

Also,thereisawayofcrossingoverthewallwithanuchikagihookedrope–dothiswithoutdigging thehole.The longbag isusedbecause it absorbs the soundof the soildroppingintothewater.

XII

According to ancientmethods,whenyouareon a stone fort orwall, donotuse ahighladderbutusethesametool(s)overandover,repeatedly.Youshouldretrievethetool(s)eachtimetheyareused.

There is away called the flowing bridge and this is used for defending a castle; itsbenefitsarequestionable.Furtherdetailsaretobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

The above four points are those methods of infiltration that were used when ourprovince[ofIga]wasself-governedandeveryfortresswasnotsoheavilyfortified.Asthecastlesorfortresseswerenotsoimpregnableatthattime,shinobinojutsuandninjatoolsfromthosedaysarenotgoodenoughanymore.Ontopof that,quitea largenumberoftoolsexistedbuttheyaretooheavyandofferlittleadvantage.Thustheyareoutdatedforinfiltration into amodern castle, like the castles of our time.9However, theremaybe achance that you will want to use those old methods, so I have recorded them above.Reviews on whether they are good or not were mentioned in Shinobi Questions andAnswers.

XIII

There is a tool called the folding ladder from another clan. It seems to have beenwelldesignedbutitistooheavy,thusitisnotsogood.Ontopofthat,ifthereisnostonewalloutsideamoat,itisdifficulttohookthisladderontoapoint.Also,itbendsinthemiddlesoitisnoteasytoclimbup.Thereisanothertoolcalledthetsugihashigo10jointedladder;thisalso isnot souseful forshinobi .Generallynomatterhowwelldevised it is, aheavytoolshouldnotbeused.

XIV

Breaking mogari fences, sakamogi thorny branches and shinobi- gaeshi spikeddefencesetc.

There isnosetmethodfor this,butyoushould twistandbreakthemoffor tear themoff,withathickropeineachcase,butthisdependsonthesituation.Remember,ifyouuseaninjatool,besuretouseitwhenthewindiswhistlingsoastohideanysound,sowhenyoubreakoffadefencewith[missingtext11],youshouldkeepthisinmind.

XV

Whenyoubreakorcutthroughawall,fence,mogarifence,sakamogithornybranchesetc.andget in, use a thread so that you can follow it on yourwayout.Be sure to use this

thread.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

Aninjapoemsays:

Alwaystrytomakeamentalnoteofthewayyouhavecome,sothatyouwillknowhowtogetback;ifnotyoumaymakeablunderofit.

Howtousetheabovetoolsistobeorallytransmitted.

Although it is essential for shinobi nomono to knowwhere andwhen the enemy isnegligent and the convenientplaceswithin a castleor campwhereyoucan infiltrate, ifyouarenotskilledwiththeuseoftools,itwillbelikeaZenmonkwhoknowsverywelltheprinciplesofswordsmanshipbutispooratactualsword-fighting.Everyninja shouldalwaysendeavourtotrainhimselfintheuseoftools.

Ancient people said that, among all 23,000 words of theAnalects, you can becomeenlightenedbyjustasingleword.Likewise,whenyoulearnyoushouldnotjustcommentordiscussbut concentrateon everyword and thedetails.Whetheryou can infiltrate animpregnablecastleornotdependsonhowhardyoutrainbeforetheneedarises.

Twopointsonchakuzennojutsuortheartofinfiltratingbeforeyouralliesarrive

I

Theperiodofsixdaysbeforethelordarrives

Once your own army has advanced toward the enemy castle, it will be difficult toinfiltrate.Therefore,youshouldinfiltrateonetosixdaysbeforeyourlordarrives.Thisisthetechniqueofinfiltratingbeforetheenemyseesanysignsofattack.Inconductingthis,it is of vital importance to have arrangements or promises regarding thehikyaku-bi firebeacons,smokesignals,ireko-hiadjustablelamps,flags,conchshellsandsoon.

II

Whenyoucarryoutthischakuzennojutsu,youshouldmakeuseofyo-kei,whichisthetacticsofopendisguise.Examples includeeikei12 shadowing,minomushi13 ‘thewormintheenemy’sstomach’andkunoichifemalespies,etc.

Furtherdetailsaresecretfortheabove.Youshouldnotapproachthisartlightly.

Twopointsonosoi-irinojutsuorinfiltratingbyusingthecoverofyourallies’raid

I

Assaulting the enemy, day or night, for at least five to even eight days before youintendtoinfiltrate

Generally,whenpeoplearementallyfatiguedtheywillbeinattentiveandlet theirguard

down.However,youshouldgoafteryouhavemadeall the requiredarrangementswithyourlord,whichisastandardpreparation.

II

Whilehavingfirearrowsshotsuccessively,approachfromthedirectionwhere thereareno arrows, or after several nights of your side shooting them every night, use the nextnightforinfiltration.Moredetailsaretobeorallytransmitted.

Kakure-minonojutsuortheskilloftheinvisiblemantleKakure-minono jutsu is inwithinyo, and is the deepest secret of in-nin. Therefore, itsmethodologyisnotsimpleandfurtherdetailsaresecret.

Whenyoustealinwiththesecretskillsfromthekakure-minonojutsuinvisiblemantleskill,you shouldemployyo-kei opendisguise tactics, suchaskatsura-otokoundercoveragents,kunoichifemaleagentsetc.,orusebakemonojutsu,[whichistheartofcopyingtheenemy]andsoon.Ifyouinfiltratebyconductingthisartcompletely,therearenocastlesorcampsthatyoucannotinfiltrate,nomatterhowimpregnabletheymayseem.

Fourpointsonkakure-gasanojutsuortheartoftheinvisiblehat

I

When you infiltrate the enemy castle or camp for the first time, you should take covertemporarily:inwoodsorabush,inaplacewherepeoplearegatheringandmakingnoise,under a bridge, upon a roof or in a tree etc.While hiding in such a place, observe thestatus of the enemy and overhear his passwords.Also, there is a techniquewhere afterlearningsomeone’snameyoucallouttohimasifyouwereacquaintances.

II

Youshouldgoonfurtherwithresourcefulnessaccordingtotheopportunity.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

III

Useresourcefulwayswhenyouaresuspectedbytheenemy.Stillmorepointstobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

IV

If an enemy suddenly chases you, you should throw hyakurai-ju14 fire crackers, or usetorimono-somakuri15 and so on, to surprise him so that you can run away while he isstartled.

There are further details to be passed down on the above skills. Explanations ofhyakurai-jufirecrackersandtorimonosomakuriareinthevolumeonfiretools.

Sixpointsontheartofarson

I

Asmentionedin‘Concerningtheagreementbetweenyourlordandtheninja’involumefive,AGuidelineforCommandersPartII,evenifyougetintotheenemycastleorcamp,arson cannot be properly donewithout prior agreement on how to convey signalswithyourlord.Ifaninjasetsafirewithoutsuchasignal,thefirewillbeextinguishedbytheenemy,andwhat isworse, theninjawillbecaught ineightorninecasesoutof ten.Somakesurethisdoesnothappen.Ontopofthismethod,itisessentialforyoutoweighupthetimingforsettingthefirebyconsideringhowfastorslowyourlordiswhenarrivingandattacking.

For when ninja return from the castle, it is of vital importance to have an advanceagreementonasignsothatyourallieswillnotkillthemontheirreturnfromtheenemyposition.Inmostcasesninjaescapewithcomposureafterthecastlehasfallen.

Twoninjapoemssay:

Afteryouhaveslippedintotheenemy’sareasuccessfully,youshouldgivemoreattentiontonotfightingamongyourselvesthantheenemy.

Fightingamongyourselvescanalwayshappen;dependingonwhatinstructionsyouaregiven,youshouldalwaysdecideonanidentifying

markforyourwarriorsbeforehand.

II

Ifyouneedtoreturnwithoutsettingfire,asopportunitydictates,youshouldbringbackabsoluteevidencewithyouwhenyoureturn.Ifnot,writeyournameonapillarorwallorinthecastleorcamp.

Herearesomeninjapoems:

Ifyoutakeevidenceofyourentryintheenemy’scastle,itshouldbeanobjectthatwouldcausenodoubt.

Gettingtheenemy’shataorumajirushiandbringingitbackwithyouissaidtobebadforyourallies.

Youshouldwriteyournamewithintheenemy’scastleorcamp.Thisissothatpeoplewillknowthatyouhaveachievedsuccessinyourmission.

III

Whenyouaregoingtosetafire,splitthemeninyoursquadintovariousdirectionsand

setfiresatdifferentpoints.

Supplementary to this, you should change the points you set fire to according towhetherornotthereiswindandtakingaccountofthedirectionofthewind.Thoughyouhaveanarrangementwithyour lord,youshouldmake judgementonexactlywhereyoushouldsetthefirebyobservingtheenemystatusfromtheinside.

IV

Itmaynotbenecessarytomentionthis,buttheplacesyoushouldsetfireare:gunpowderstorehouses or thoseof saltpetre, firewoodorwood stores, food storehouses ormilitarysupplydepots,orthebridgesfromthesecondenclosuretothemaincastleenclosure.

V

Thereareappropriatemeasuresortimingsforwhenyousetfiretoacastleorcamp,ortothegunpowderorsaltpetrestorehouse,ortobridges.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

AccordingtotheTaiheikiwarchronicle,ontheeighthdayofthefifthmonthin1333,whenAkamatsuEnshin,AshikagaTakaujiandChigusaTo-no-ChujoTadaokiattackedtherokuharatandai,whowereofficialagentsof theKamakuragovernment inKyoto, thosesoldiersfromHoukiofIzumoconnectedtwoorthreehundred16cartsbytheirshaftsandpiledbrokenhousesandrubbleontheconnectedcarts,whichapproachedtheheightofthebase of the watchtower. This episode ended in breaking through the wooden gate byburningitdown.

Thisisanexampleoftheabovepoints.

VI

Howtoburndowntownhousesorfarmhouses

Ifavillageissetonfireatonlyoneortwopointsoratonlyafewtownhouses,thefireswillnotburnfiercelyorspread.Furthermore,withonlyasmallnumberofpointsalight,thepeoplewillbeabletoextinguishthefires.Themodusoperandiinshinobinojutsuistoburndownavillageortowninone‘burst’bysettingfiresinmanydirectionsandfromallthecardinalpointsatthesametime.

1Theoriginalsays‘flatlandcastle’.However,asthiswouldnotfitthetextitispresumedthereisamissingideogramforthecommonlyknown,‘lessermountaincastle’,whichwouldfitwithFujibayashi’swriting.

2Fujibayashidoesnotactuallystatewhattodohere.

3Yokoya:literally‘sidearrows’.Thisiswheredefendersshootarrowsatintrudersonthewallfromthesides.

4Byobu:anouterwallintheshapeofa‘foldingscreen’.

5Nawabari.

6Thepointhereisthattherearecertaingapsincastledefencesthatconnectthroughtothemainenclosure;itisbesttousethesetobypassheavysecurity.

7Possiblytheflyingladder.However,Fujibayashistatesthatheinventedthisparticulartool,andhedidnotinventtheflyingladder;also,hedoesnotnamethistoolaladder.Therefore,itcouldbeanunknowntool.

8Possiblyasnorkel.

9TheendoftheSengokuperiodandstartoftheEdoperiodsawamassiveleapinJapanesecastletechnology.

10ThisappearsintheGunpoJiyoshu.

11Probablyrope.

12Eikei,literally‘shadowshape’.Thisisassumedtobethesameasjokei,‘shadow-likeninjutsu’,asmentionedinvolumeeight,orjokei,‘hidingfromthelight’,whichismostlikelycomparabletotheskillofjoeiintheShoninki.

13Possiblyshinchu.

14Chinesefirecrackers.

15Unknownskillortoolbutmostlikelyusedtohindersomeone.

16Notliteral.

VOLUMETHIRTEEN

In-ninIIIHiddenInfiltrationIII

Infiltratingahouse

Thoughitiseasiertostealintoahouse[thanacastle],ifyoudonotknowexactlywhattheinternallayoutislike,youwilloftenfailinyourinfiltration.Evenafteryouenter,ifitisnotsoeasyforyou tofindwhere theenemyissleepingandyouspendprecious timetryingtofiguretheissueout, theenemywilldetectyouandyourinfiltrationwillendinvain.Therefore, if you intend to infiltrate, you should conduct a thorough investigationbeforehand,concentratingonthefollowingpoints:

•whatallofthegatesandentrancesoftheenemyhousearelike

•whethertheroadiswideornarrow,straightorcurved

•themake-upofthehouse

•thehousedesign

•thebedrooms

•whetheritisdifficulttoopenorclosethedoorsandthegates

•whatthejoshilocks,kakeganehooksandeyes,kurorolatches,shirizashilockingbarsetc.arelike

•whetherthefloorboardssqueakornot

•mostimportantly,whethertheenemyiswiseornot

•whatartsorskillstheenemyisaccomplishedinwhentheirsituationisundisturbed

•thenamesofthemenandwomeninthehouse

Youshouldgoandlookaroundthetargethouse,and/orgoandinvestigatetheinsideofitby disguising yourself and deluding the enemy. After bringing back the requiredinformation,youshouldtalkamongallofyoursquadtofigureoutthebestplanandagreeonthepasswordsandaijirushiidentifyingmarks,todecidewheretoregroupafterbeingdispersed,and,lastly,tomakesureyouhaveflawlessarrangementsonanypointssuchassignals,sothatyouareperfectlypreparedonallpointsbeforetheinfiltrationinquestion.

Inthissituation,usingamadorinojutsu,ortheartoftherainbird,wouldbedesirable.Also,ifyouhaveaminomushiworm–whichisanundercoveragentintheenemyhouse–

youshouldbribehimenoughandmakesureheisnotgoingtoturntraitor.Ifyouarenotsureofhisloyaltyatanypoint,youshouldtakesomeone,likehiswife,childorrelative,as a hostage andmake himwrite an oath.Asmentioned in the chapterYo-ninJo, it isessentialforyoutohavecorrectjudgementonwhomtorecruitasaminomushiundercoveragent.

LiJingsays:

Watercanletashipfloatbutitcanturnitover.

Donotdisrespecthiswords.

Asurveyonhowtodistinguishpeople’ssleeppatternsaccordingtotheseason

Inspring,theweatheriswarmandcalmandpeoplefeelrelaxedandeasyandtheirbodiesare loose and weary. Especially from themiddle to the end of spring, the temperatureincreases,sopeopletendtosleepmoreandmore.

Insummer,thedayislongwhilethenightisshort.Particularlyfromlateinthefifthtothesixthmonthofthelunarcalendar,itisextremelyhotduringthedaytimeandpeopleareverytiredandslack.Towardtheendofsummer, theheatandhumiditydonotdecrease,evenatnight,andpeoplecannotsleepintheearlyhoursofthemorning,whichmakestheshortsummernightsevenshorter[forpurposesofinfiltration].Especiallyduringthedoyoperiod[attheendofsummer],theheatandhumidityrunninguptothechangeinseasonmakesitevenmoredifficult[toinfiltrate].

Generally when the body is dry, people sleep less; while when it is wet, they sleepmore.This iswhy theoldsleep lesswhile theyoungsleepmore.Therefore, toward theendofsummer,everybodytendstosleepasitcoolsdownandparticularlyafterthehourofBoar (nine toeleveno’clockatnight) they feeleasyand relaxed,whichmakes themsleep deeply. On a night when it is drizzling, the humidity increases making thetemperaturedecreaseandthereforepeoplesleepmoredeeply.

Autumnisruledbythechiofmetalandthechiofdryness.Therefore, theleavesandgrass turn yellow and fall, and the wind sweeps all away. As mentioned above, whenpeoplearedrytheysleepless.Also,asitiscoldatthistimethebody,musclesandbonesaretrimandingoodhealth; therefore,peoplearenot likelytofeel tired.Ontopofthat,when theday is short and thenight is long, people sleep less.However, in the seventhmonth,1thesummerheatstilllingers,makingitlittledifferentfromtheendofsummer.

Winterhasthechiofwateranditissocoldthatthebodyisstiffenedandpeopledonotbecometiredeasily.Asthenightisverylong,peopletendtohavetroublegettingtosleepandwakeveryquickly.

The common principles for the four seasons are as mentioned above; still, as alldependsontheindividualperson,youshouldconsiderfurtherdetails.

Two2pointsonhowtodetectifpeopleareasleeporawakeaccordingtotheirage,dispositionandbehaviour

I

How todetect if people are asleep or awakeby observingwhether they are old oryoung,orthinorfat

Youshouldbeawarethattheoldhavelessmoistureorwarmthintheirbodysotheyaredryandcoldandsleep less. Itdependson theperson,butmostoldpeopledonotgo tosleepuntilaftermidnightand tend towakefromaroundthehourofTiger(three tofiveo’clockinthemorning).This is thewayof thoseagedfortyandabove.Youngerpeoplehave so much energy that they ‘sleep tight’ in the dead of night or even late into themorning.This iswhereolderandyoungerpeopledifferfromeachother.Generally, thinpeoplesleeplesswhilefatpeoplesleepmore;thisisbecausethethinhavelessmoisturethanthosewhoarefat.

II

Howtodetectifpeopleareasleeporawakebytheirdispositionorbehaviour

Generally,thosewhoarealert,quick-temperedandspiritedsleeplesswhilethosewhoaregloomyandsluggishsleepmore.Thosewhohaveafirmbodyandkneeldownorsquatontheirhaunchesmostofthetimeandwhoneverlosetheircomposurewillsleepless.Ontheotherhand, thosewhoareof illcharacterorofbadbehaviour,wholikelyingdownandarelicentiousabouteverything,tendtosleepdeeply.

Those who sleep less and wake quickly have the following characteristics: they arealwayswellpreparedandaware;theydonotloosentheirobisashevenwhenlyingdown;they are scantily clad and resistant to the cold; they refrain from drinking or eatingheavily;theyabstainfrombeinglewdandtheyarediscreetabouteverything.Thosewhoarealwaysself-indulgent,wholiketobewarmatnight,areaddictedtoheavydrinkingorbeauty,wallowinlewdness,orspendtheirtimeinidleamusement,willsleepmore.

Youcanalsodetectifsomeonesleepsdeeplyorlightlybyobservingwhetherhismindisinastateofjoyorsorrow.Thosewhohavenothingtoworryaboutandhaveaneasylifesleep more, while those who have much on their minds, who feel low-spirited anddepressed,normallysleepless.Thosewhoaremotivatedtolearnanddevotethemselvestoseekingthetruthalsosleepless.

Theaboveishowtogaugepeople’ssleep.

Twopointsondealingwithdogs3

Whenyousneak intoahousewithadog it isdifficult, as thedogwillbarkatyouandmaketheenemysuspicious.Therefore,youshouldgotheretwoorthreenightsbeforeyouwanttoinfiltrateandmaketoastedriceballswithonebuofstrychninepowdermixedineach and put them here and there – it is best to place themwhere the dog is likely toventure.Ifadogeatsone,itwillsoondie.

Fourpointsonthewayofwalking

I

Useaflat,boardedshoefordeepmarshesornukiashi4tiptoewalkingforshallowmarshes.

Adrawing5offlat,boardedshoescanbefoundintheWaterToolsvolumeoftheNinkisection.

Nukiashistepsshouldbeflexiblelikeawillowbranch;thereareoraltraditionshere.

II

Whenyouinfiltratetheenemyhouseormansion,youshoulduseukiashiorfloatingsteps,asarunningfoxorapassingdog.Ukiashistepsshouldbeexecutednimblylikeamonkeyswingingthroughtrees,orliketherunningofafoxorthepassingofadogandshouldbeasfastaslightning.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

III

Whenyouwalkonafloor,wearitazorisandals,whichhavecotton,paddedsoles,orusethe art of shinso6 -no-uho steps7 in either the properway or the ‘makeshift’ version.AdrawingoftheitazorisilentsandalcanbefoundattheendoftheOpeningToolsvolumein theNinki section.Shin-no-uho steps should follow theprinciple of a leaf floatingonwater, andwhen doing these steps you shouldwalk along the edge of thewall. To bepassedonbyoraltransmission.

IV

Zasagashiorprobingtheroom

This technique isusedwhenyouget into the enemyhouseandyoudonotknow if theenemy is waiting for you or if you have not formed a mental image of the place ofinfiltration.

Walk along the edge of the room, either on the right or the left, depending on thesituation. This should be donewith your sword [taken out of your belt and the blade]drawnoneortwosunfromitsscabbard.Probeforwardwiththescabbardtoseeifithitssomeone; if it does then youmust thrust forward and remove the scabbard as you pullbackfromthethrust, thencut thepersonimmediately.This iscalledzasagashinojutsu.Thisartisincludedinthesevenartsofthecordbutitisanimportanttechniquewhenyouwalkaroundanenemyhouse;therefore,Ihaveputithere.

Sixpointsonjokeijutsuortheartofprojectingnoshadow

I

Stayingoutofthemoonlightorfirelight

Themoonlightshinesfromtheoutsidetotheinside,whileindoorilluminationshinesfromtheinsidetotheoutside.Whenyousneakinonamoonlitnight,besuretostayoutofthemoonlit areas.When themoon is in the eastern sky, avoidwalking on the east side. Ifsomeoneinsideahouseiswatchingtheoutsideandtryingtodetectabnormalities,hewillnotbeabletoseeintotheareasbeyondwherethefirelightshines.Thisisthesamewithmoonlight.

II

Avoidthe‘legsofmoonlightorillumination’.Thebasicideaisthesameastheoneabove,anditiscalledhikariashiorlegsoflight.8

III

Donotwalkonthewindwardsidebutapproachontheleewardside.Ifyoupassorstayonthewindwardside,theenemymayhearanysoundsyoumakeorsmellyourhinawafusesorothersuchthings.Alsoitishardforyoutohearanysoundthattheenemymakesortotellwhethertheyareasleepornotifyouareonthewindwardside.Therefore,positioningyourself on thewindward side should be avoided. If you cannot avoid this but have towalkorstayonthewindwardside,besurenottomakeanysoundatall.Ifyouareontheleeward side, you can hear the sounds that the enemymakes and they cannot hear anysoundsthatyoumake.Therefore,beingontheleewardsidehaslotsofbenefits.

IV

Whenthereisnowind,youshouldavoidbushesorforestsbesideahouse.Ifthereiswindandnoisesarebeingmade,thentheaboveisacceptable.

V

Donotgointodryhayorgrassorash9closetotheenemy.However,ifitisafterrainfallorwhendewisforminglateatnight,thenitwilldampenanynoiseifyoudoventurethere.

VI

Avoid disturbing the surface ofwater.Whenyou cross over stagnantwater, even if theenemycannotseeyou,rippleswillformandtheenemywillbesuspicious.Forthisreasonyoushouldcrosswithoutcausingripples.

Eightpointsontheappropriatenightforinfiltration

I

Onthenightafterawedding

Onaweddingnightpeopleindulgeinlargedrinkingpartiesanddancinganddosountillate;therefore,theywillcertainlysleepdeeplythefollowingnight.Ifonthenightoftheweddingthingscalmdownandfinishwithpeoplegoingtosleeparoundtwoo’clockinthemorning,thenitwouldbeevenmoredesirableforyoutoinfiltratethatnightaseveryonewill have joy in theirminds andwill tend to forget vigilance.To be passed on by oraltransmission.

II

Onthenightaftersomeone’sillness

[Itisdesirabletoinfiltrate]onanightafterthemaster,hiswifeoroneofhischildrenhasbeen ill and people have kept a vigil,with the result that the stricken person recovers,making the family relievedand joyous,oronanightwhen thepatient suffering froma

serious disease shows a little sign of recovery. Furthermore, infiltrate on a night whensomeonesufferingfrom‘fevershakes’hasanintermittentperiodofrecovery.Inallthesesituations,thoseinthefamilyshouldsleepheavilyonsuchnightsasthese.

III

Onanightofamusement

Onanightwhen the targethasapartyofdancing, avillagepartyor anyother formofsocialgathering,peoplemaystayupaslateasthehourofTiger(aroundfouro’clockinthemorning).Whentheygotosleepafterthathour,theyshouldsleepveryheavily.Thisisdefinitelyanappropriatetimeforyoutoinfiltrate.However,youshouldavoidtheseasonforfreshtea(whichisinMayorJune).

IV

Onthenextnightafterafireoranotherunusualeventintheneighbourhood

Ifafireorfightoranyseriouseventhashappenedintheneighbourhoodonthepreviousnight, theneighbours in thatareawillhavelostsleepandwillbeexhausted,so, inmostcases, theywill sleepwell the next night.You should take advantage of that night andinfiltrate.However,considerthepossibilitythatitisaruseandpartoftheirtactics–thatis,assesswhetherthesituationisrealorfake.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

V

Onanightofalabourwhentheenemyisengagedinconstructionorlabourduties

Youshouldstealinonanightwhentheenemyisexhausted–suchasafterastressfuldayorafterphysicallyworkinghardorwalkingbackafteralongjourney;atsuchatime,thetargetswillsleepdeeply.Particularlyinspringorsummer,asitiswarmorhot,theywillbeexhaustedevenmoresoanditwillimproveyourchancesofinfiltration.

VI

Twoorthreenightsafteratragicevent

Ifaparent,wifeorchilddies,thefamilywillhaveanintolerablyhardtimeandpassafewnightsintears,butbecausetheyaretiredfromhavingtakencareofthedeceasedinillness,theywillsleepwelltwoorthreenightsafterthedayofthedeath.Withinthefirstsevendays,menorwomenfromthefamilywillspendtimetheretalkingandlamentingduringthe early hours of the night, but they are only human and should sleep verywell aftermidnight, normally without fail; this is evenmore the case with the servants or lowerpeople.

Also,on theeveningof the tragicevent,mostpeoplemakea fussover itandarenotvigilant, which gives you a chance to infiltrate by disguise . It is difficult to writedowneverydetailonhowtodeterminethetruthofamatter–thatis,whetherthe‘event’isaruseornot.Importantpointstobepassedbymouthonly.

VII

Onanightofwindandrain

It ishard tohear soundsonanightofwindand rain.Therefore, suchnightshavebeenusedbyshinobiinfiltratorssinceancienttimes.Ontopofthat,onarainynightitiscoolinsummerandwarminwinter10andpeoplesleepcomfortablyandsoitistherighttimeforinfiltration.Thisiscalledamadorinojutsuortheartoftherainbird,asamadorirainbirdscomeoutwhenitisrainyandwindy.Whenyouaregoingtostealin,besurenottowearahatorothersuchthings.

VIII

Onanightofacommotion

Whenaturmoilorcommotionhashappenedintheenemyhouseorintheneighbourhood,youshouldtakethechanceandinfiltrate.Detailshavebeengivenearlierintheinfiltrationintoacastleandsoarenotmentionedhere.

Inold times, therewasa suppa11 inYufunevillageofourprovincewhosenamewasKuboUemon.Oneearlyeveninghewenttoamansionthathewasgoingtoinfiltrateandfound a huge pile of firewood in the yard. He hid in the mountain of firewood whileobservingwhatwasgoingon inside thehouse.Suddenly, itbegan rainingandmenandwomen began taking some of the firewood indoors, carrying it up onto the ceiling byputtingaladderuptotheuppersectionsofthehouse.KuboUemontookadvantageofthechance and following a little distance behind them, with firewood on his shoulder hemixedinbetweenthem.Aftergettingintothehouse,hefollowedthemenandwomenuptotheloftwithfire-woodandlaydowninhidingandremainedthere.Lateronthatnightwhenpeoplebecamequiet,hedecidedtomakehismoveandgotup,butmadesomenoiseashebrushedagainstthefirewood;furthermore,thebambooceilingcreaked.Therewasone person in the house who was still awake, who heard the sounds and becamesuspicious. The person thenwoke themaster and told him of the noise and themasterbrought out a spear and stabbed it up through the ceiling. The spear hit the centre ofKubo’sforeheadbuthegrasped[andwiped]thespearneckwiththesleeveofhiskimono.Themastersaidthathefeltithitsomethingbutifitwasahumanthenitshouldhaveleftbloodonthespear.SotheycheckedthespearwithalightbutasKubohadwipeditwithhissleeve,itdidnothaveanybloodonit.Whenthemasterandhisservantswentbacktosleep, thesuppa camedown from the ceiling and stabbedall fiveof them todeath: themaster,hisoffspringandhisretainers.Afterhisheadwoundhealed,hewasforevercalledAna Kubo Uemon.12 Generally, it is essential for shinobi no mono to be resourcefulaccordingtothesituation,evenifyouencountersomethingthatyoudidnotexpect.

Asforarainynight,itissaidthatinancienttimes,aninjafromourprovincewenttothe house of someonewhowas very cautious.He took an umbrellawith him as itwasrainyonthatparticularnightandhadanotherpersonstanddirectly in therainwith it inhand,while the firstninjawent to the back door and concealed himself in stealth. Theguardheardraindropsfallontheumbrellaandtriedtodrivethestrangerintherainaway.Takingadvantageofthecommotion,theninjagotintothehouseeasilyandsuccessfullystabbed themaster to death. In shinobi no jutsu it is fundamental tomake changes andproduce movement.Whether it is windy or rainy, or moonlit or pitch black, the mostamazingpoint in theartsof theshinobi is theskillofprovokingachange in theenemy

status.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

Fourpointsontheappropriateplaceforinfiltration

I

Fromthereardoor

Therearesixadvantagestostealinginthroughareardoor:

1.Whetherinahouseoramansion,thefrontentrancesareheavilyguardedwhilethebackdoorsarenotdefendedtothesameextent.

2.Asnotsomanypeopleusethebackdoor,itisconvenientforyoutohidethere.

3.Whilethefrontentranceisusuallysecuredbyguardsmen,abackdoortendstohavelesssecurityastheyarelesscarefulthantheyarewiththefrontentrance.

4.Itislikelythattherewillbesomewhereyoucanhideyourselfforanextendedperiodatthebackdoor.

5.Itispossiblethatpeoplemayleavethebackdoorunlockedevenwhentheygotosleep,whilethefrontwillalwaysbesecured.

6.Togetdeepinsideahouse,youneedtoopenmanydoorsifyouinfiltratefromthefront.However,ifyougetinfromthebackdoor,youcancomestraightintotheinnerrooms,astheyaremuchcloser.Generally,itislesslikelythatyouwillbedetectedorquestioned.Ontopofthat,itisclosertowheretheenemyissleeping.

Withtheaboveadvantages,itisanestablishedwayforin-nintoinfiltratefromareardoor.

II

Enteringfromthereartothefront

Therearethreeadvantagesinyourgettingintoamansionfromtherearandgoingstraighttotheenemy’ssleepingquarters:

1.Asmentionedinthesegmentabove,oneadvantageisthatyoudonothavetoopenmanydoorstogetclosetotheroomwheretheenemyissleeping.

2.Inthecasewheretheenemyisnotwhereyouexpectthemtobe,youshouldascertainthepositionoftheirroomandinfiltratefromtherearofthatroom.Hereyoudonothavetobothertounlockakakeganelatchtoenter,asitisusuallyunlocked.

3.Ifyouenteraroomfromtherearandifthereissomeoneintheroomwhoisnotasleep,thentheywillnotsuspectyouasanintruder.Itisbecausethosewhocomefromthereararenotconsideredtobenusubitothievesornightattackers.

Fortheabovethreeadvantagesitisbesttocomefromtherear.Moreoraltraditionsaretobetold.

III

Enteringfromthezashikidrawingroom13ratherthanthefrontentrance

Thoughitisnotdesirabletostealinfromtheforwarddirection,ifthereisnowaytogetinfromtherear, it isbetter togoin throughthezashikidrawingroom.This isbecausethezashikiroomusuallyhasonlyasingledoor–inmostcasesitisafusumaorshojislidingdoor,whichiseasytoopen.Evenifthedoorhasakakeganelatchorashirizashilockingbar, it is still not difficult to open. The zashiki drawing room itself is inside the housecomplex,andthusitdoesnothaveenoughsecurityonthedoorwaystotherearanddeeperareas.Alsoit israreforanyonetobepresentinthezashikidrawingroom.Therefore,inthecase that adoor toprivate areas is too securely locked foryou toopen,you shouldwithdrawfor themomentandsteal in fromthezashikidrawing room; this isa traditionfromancienttimes.However,itdependsonthetimeandplace.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

IV

Enteringfrombelowamadomushirohashiriorthestrawmatwindowcover

Thisisagoodplacetogetintoahouse.Shitajimado14orsenshimadolatticedwindowsareeasytocutthroughortakeoff.Inufusegi–smallportablefencesforstoppingdogs,whichare situated below the mushiro straw covers – are usually similar to bamboo blinds;therefore,youcan take themawayand infiltrate through there.Orsomeplaces, suchasbelowthehashirimizudanawashingtroughs,areeasytogetinfrom.

Itisacommonwayofin-nintomakeuseoftheabovemethods,ratherthanenteringbyopeningdoors.

Fourpointsonyo-chu-injutsuortheartsofin-nininsideofyo-nin

I

Putkunoichiinplaceinadvance,orinfiltratewhenthereisnosign[ofathreat]or,iftheenemyisvigilant,encouragethemtobecomeinattentive.

Eventhesmartestpersononthepathofin-ninsometimesdoesnotknowinwhichroomthe enemy is sleeping, especially if he is an extremely high-ranking person and has anextensivemansion.It isalso thecase that theenemymaybeso tightlysecuredthatyoucannotinfiltrate.Insuchacaseyoushouldemploythetacticsofyo-jutsuatthebeginningandthensneakinlater.Thisartistheartofenteringbyusingtheskillsofin-nininsideofayo-ninscheme,thusitiscalledyo-chu-injutsuortheartofinwithinyo.

Thetechniqueofsendingkunoichifemaleagentsbeforehandisusefulwhentheenemyishigh-rankingandhisquartersareunknownorifhehasanumberofsecurityguardsanditseemsdifficulttokillhimonlywithin-nin.Youshouldhaveakunoichiplacedwithin,asit isamovethat theenemywillnotexpectanditwillenableyoutoenter theenemyareaunderherguidance.Ifyouconductthisarttoitsfulleffect,thereisnomansionthatyoucannotenternomatterhowhigh-rankingorheavilyguardedtheenemy.

Ordinarypeopleeasilygivethemselvesuptolustorgreed.Ofallpeople,high-rankingmentendtowallowinsexualdesire,sothisartofthekunoichifemaleagentisoneofthemosteffectivetacticsofalltheyo-jutsuarts.AsmentionedinthevolumeYo-ninJo,therearethingsyoushouldconsiderdeeplywhenconductingthisart.Tobepassedonbyoral

transmission.

Another point is to infiltrate the enemy before he notices any signs that you arepreparingtopenetrate.Generally,thelongerittakestoinfiltrate,thelongerpeoplehavetothink, which will cause the enemy to fathom your plans in time. Once they becomeattentive, it is difficult for you to achieve any further goals. Therefore, it is of utmostimportanceforyoutobequickenoughtoinfiltratewithtacticsbeforetheenemyhastimetothink.

Alsoyoushouldinfiltrateanalertenemybycausingthemtodroptheirguard;thisisforthosewhoguard themselvesveryheavily,keepingsafeguardsdayandnight,witheverygateordoorlockedsecurely,changingsleepingquartersuptotwoorthreetimesanight.Ifthisisthecase,youshouldhavethemletsuchmeasuresslideintoneglect,allowingyoutotakeadvantage.

Inolderdays,someonefromanotherprovincekilledhiscolleagueandrantoEdo.Hesought shelterwithahatamotowarrior, and thewarrior carefully hid him.Thevictim’ssoncametoEdotolookforhisfather’skillerandsearchedforafewyears.However,theenemywassecurelyprotectedandtherewasnowaytokillhim.Afteralltheyears,[thevictim’sson]eventuallyworkedoutaplan,inwhichhewrotealettersaying,‘ThoughIhavesoughtaftertheenemyforafewyears,Ihavehadnoluckandhavenocluewhereheis.Asallofmyefforthascometonothing,Iambitterlydisappointedandthereforewillkillmyselfbydisembowelment’;15hethensentthislettertogetherwithhisshortsword,tohismother,wifeandchildren.Thenhehidhimself,whilehismother,wifeandchildrengrieved deeply, a fact that became known. This resulted in amessage from the enemyfamily being sent to the killer in Edo, who did not doubt the validity of the letter orsuspectthatitmightbeastratagemandfullyallowedhisguardtoslip,goingouthereandabout.Thisthenendedwiththesonkillinghimwithoutdifficulty.

Thisisanexampleofmakingtheenemybecomelessattentiveandtakingadvantageofthe gap.Learning from such an example, you can think of countlessways tomake theenemyletitsguarddown.Thedeepestprincipleofninjutsuistoavoidwheretheenemyisattentiveandstrikewhereheisnegligent.

II

Infiltratingbytwomengoingandonemancomingback

Onewaytoachievethisistogoinapairtotheenemyhouseatnight.Onemembercallsonthematthedoorwhiletheotherhidesclosetothedooritself.Whensomeoneanswers,thevisitorsaysthatheisamessengerandstandsatadistanceoftwoorthreekenfromthedoor.Thepersonfromthehousewillcomeoutofthedoortolistentohimbetter,whiletheone hiding by the doorwill get in at that point.He should take shelter around a stablewithin thehousecomplexorbehindequipment for themoment.This ishow toget inahousewithoutagate.Ifithasasecuregateway,youshouldinfiltrateafterallintheenemyhousehavefallenasleep.Inthissituation,oneagenthidesbesidethegatewhiletheotherknocksatthegatedoor.Whensomeoneopensthesmallerdoorofthegatehouseandaskswhoitis,theninjashouldreplyandinstructhimtolistenverycarefullysoastodrawhimout.Themomentthathecomesoutofthedoor,theagentwhoishidingnearthegatewaygetsinthroughthegateandalsointhroughthedoorofthehouse.Thenwhentheservant

whoanswered comesback into the inner sectionsof thehouse to tell hismaster of themessage, the agent follows him inside and after the servant leaves with his master’sanswer,thentheagentmaykilltheenemy[master].Anotherwaytoenteraresidencewithagatehouseistocrossoverthewallandhideinsidethegroundswhiletheothermembercallsontheoccupantsandwaitsforsomeonetoanswerthegate.Thehiddenmanshouldslipintothehousebehindtheservantanddothesameasabove.Itisessentialforyoutobe resourceful according to the opportunity or the place and not stick to the samemeasures.This technique is a plan tobe completed late at night. It doesnotworkverysuccessfullyatanearlytimeduringtheeveningwhenthe[residentsofthehouse]arenotyet asleep. If you use this techniquewhen they are asleep, it will work verywell andnormallywithoutfail.Therehavebeensuccessfulinstancesoftheuseofthisartinancienttimes.

III

Kakure-minoandkakure-gasaortheartsoftheinvisiblemantleandtheinvisiblehat

These are arts that include inwithinyo. For example, a pregnantwomanvisits a targetplaceandwhensheleavesitlookslikeshehasleftthetargetarea;however,infactshehasnot.Becareful, this isnot the sameas thekakure-minoorkakuregasano jutsu that arementionedinthechaptersoninfiltratingacastle.Thisisexpandedoninoraltradition.

IV

Kyo-ninnojutsuorthestartlingtechnique

Place someone beside the back doorwhere he should enter in secret,while his partneragents stage a fake fight in front of the front entrance of the house. They do this by:shouting, pretending to be crazy, pretending to attack someone by yelling, telling theenemythatthehouseofsomeonefromtheirfamilyisburningorsomeonefromthefamilyhassuddenlydiedortheycansetafiresomewhereintheneighbourhood.Ifyoustartletheenemyinsuchaway,thepeopleofthehousewillcomeoutofthefrontentrancewithoutfail,whichmeans theonehidingby thebackdoor can takeadvantageof this situation.Thusthisiscalledkyo-ninorstartlingninjutsu.

Furtherdetailsandotherwaysofdoingthisartshouldbekeptasanoraltradition.

This art is appropriate when done at night and when the people are not yet asleep.However,dependingontheopportunity,itcansometimesbeusedintheearlyeveningoreven in thedaytime.Thisart ismentionedearlier, in thevolumeon infiltratingacastle,andithasalmostthesameusage,butthereisalittledifferencebecauseofthedifferenceinstructurebetweenacastleandahouse,soIhavementionedithereaswell.

Fivepointsontheartoflisteningtosnoring

I

It is best to use akikizutsu listening cylinder inmost cases.There is no specialway toproducethistool,itissimplymadeinthenormalway.Itisnecessaryforyoutoknowiftheenemyisasleepornotbylisteningtotheirsnoring.Thisisdonewhenyoucometothe

wallofthehouseortotheroomnexttowheretheenemyissleeping–dothisbeforeyouenter.Sometimes,thesnoringinaroomisveryquietorthesoundoftherainorwindissoloud thatyoucannothearverywell. In suchcases,you shoulduse akikizutsu listeningcylinderbyputtingitthroughawindoworfrombehindanypointthatallowsyoutohearwell.Moresecretsarefoundinoraltradition.

II

Knowingiftheenemyisstillawake

Ifsomeoneisawake,thepersonwillmoveifyouwait.

Insummer,therewillbethesoundofmosquitoesorthemosquitonetthatgivesawaymovement; while in winter, it may be the sound of a fusuma sliding door, bedclothes,breathingandsoon.Whenyouneedtoknowifsomeonewhodoesnotsnoreisasleepornot, youmaymistake the soundmicemake as the enemynotbeing asleep and as theirmovement.Youcan tell if it ismiceorhumanifyoucontinue listeningforawhile,buttherearemoreskillstothispassedoninoralform.

Inoldertimessomesuppafromourprovincewenttoahousewhosemasterwasveryalert.Thissuppainfiltratedthehouseinthesixthorseventhmonthoftheyear,andwhenhegotintothefrontyard,thechirpingofinsectsaroundtheareastopped.Thusthemasternoticedthisandsneakedoutofhismosquitonetwithaswordinhand.Thesuppaknewthathehadcomeoutbythesoundofthemosquitoes[movingoff]thenetandwithdrewsecretly.Therefore,asyoucanseefromtheabove,youshouldbeveryattentivetosound.

III

Knowingifpeoplearepretendingtosnoretodeceiveyou

Itissometimesthecasethatsomeonerealizingthatyouarecomingpretendstosleepbysnoring,while in fact he is actually awake.Fake snoring sounds false andhigh-pitchedandisirregularinlengthandloudness.Also,youcanhearindividualbreathsbetweenthefakesnores.

Ifyou listencarefully forawhile,youwillhear thepersonswallowsalivaor sighordraw a long breath.On top of that, hewill try tomove himselfwith as little sound aspossible,hisbody,bonesorjointswillsqueak.Youshouldbeawareofthesepoints.

IV

Knowingiftheenemyisfullyasleep

Ifsomeoneisdeeplyasleep,youcanhearhissnoreregularlyandquietlybuttherewillbenoothersound[suchasthoseoutlinedabove].However,beawarethatthereareadditionalelementsthatshouldbeconsideredandthattheaboveisnotalwaysfailsafe.

Youshouldbeawarethattherecanbeadifferenceinthewayofsnoringbetweenthosewholiveaneasylifeandthosewhoaresufferinghardships.Thosewhohaveaneasylifemayhavearegularsnorewithoutirregularityinlengthorloudnesswhilethosewhosufferhardships may have an irregular and suffocating snore. Considering these points, youshouldjudgeiftheyaretrulyasleepornot.Somepeoplesaythatthosewhohavealung

diseaseorleprosyhaveanirregularsnoreeveniftheyhaveaneasylife.Thatseemstobequitelikely.

V

Knowingifpeopleareinadeepsleepornotinthecasewheretheydonotsnore

Somepeopleusuallydonotsnoreandeventhosewhonormallysnoremaynotbesnoringbecause theysimplycannotget tosleep.Therefore, it isdifficult to judgewhenit is thecase that you can hear no snoring at all. There areways to know if the enemy is trulyasleepornot.[codifiedtext16]distributethis[substance]intheairsoitwillfallontothetarget’sfaceandifthepersonisawakeandhashiseyesopen,hewillgetsuspiciousandthusyoucanknowifheisasleepornot.

Second,applyashbyputtingitinormixingitwiththeaboveitem.

Third,blowrice,17foxtailmilletorcommonmilletwithablowpipe.18

Bydoinganyof theabove,youcan tell for surewhether theperson isasleepornot.Therearemoremethodsotherthantheseifyouareveryresourceful.Alsothereismoreinformationinthepointsbelowonhowtoobservetheenemy.

Fourpointsontheartofobservingtheenemy

I

Beforeyouusefiretoseewheretheenemyissleeping,lockthedoors

If you get close to the wall of the room where the enemy is sleeping with stealth toestablishtheenemyisinfactasleep,youmayneedtoobservewithalightexactlyhowtheenemy is positioned or howmany people there are in the room,what the room or thehouseislikeetc.Iftheenemyisnotasleep,theywillnoticeanyfireyoudisplayandyourplanwillfailastheywillcomeoutoftheroomanddoyouharm.Therefore,traditionsoftheancientshinobi sayyou should lock thedoorsbeforeyouhavea lookat the enemywithfire.

Thetoolshownbelow[seefigure8]shouldbemadeoftemperediron,oftwoorthreebuinthickness.Ifitisasingledoor[whichcanbestoredinarecessandontracks],thenputthetoolatthebottom[onthesideofthepost].Ifthedoorshavetwoormorescreens,putitattheplaceswheredoorsoverlapeachother.Itshouldbeputinbyinsertingoneendintotheverticalgapbetweenthedoorsandthenallowingittohookatthedooredgewhiletheotherendshouldbehookedonthehotatepartofthetoyosedoorstopper.19

•Thehooksonbothsidesshouldbefive,sixorsevenbuinlength.

•Theveryendstraightisonesunandfiveorsixbuinlengthandisequalatbothends.

•Thecentrelengthistwosunandfivebu.

Figure8.Doorclasp

Withthistoolapplied,peoplecannotopenthedoorsimmediately.Therefore,youshouldusethisdoorclaspwhenyouintendtosetfiresorwhenyoudonothaveenoughmenandcannotplacesomeoneateveryentrance.Also, ifyourushinandattackfromonesingleentrance, the enemy cannot run away. Screwing the door(s) will not work as it makessoundandyoucannotfixthematamultiplenumberofdoors.Therefore,thisdoorclaspisrecommended.

II

Fourtechniquestoobservetheenemysleepinginaroomwhileyouareoutsideofit:

1.blowguns

2.tagaemi(observingthemwhilelightingtheroomfromanotherdirection)

3.thefireontheendofarod

4.thegantochochinorthegyrolantern

Youshouldpreparea shortblowpipeanddartswithgunpowderapplied20 and lightone,thenblowitfrombehindcoversothatyoucanhaveagoodlookatwheretheenemyissleeping.

In the technique of tagaemi, look into a room from the opposite side [from the fire]becauseyoucannotobservetheinternalsverywellifyoulookfromthesamesideasyouhaveputthelightinfrom.Iftheenemyisawake,theywillstabatyouwithatachiswordoraspear.Thereforeyoushouldlookinsidearoomfromtheoppositesidefromthesideyou put the torch in, to avoid this reaction. This way you can see those inside whilestayingsafe.

Thirdly,fireonarodmeanstyingalightontotheendofathinrodtohaveabetterview.

Fourthly, thegantochochin or thegyro lanterndoesnot serveunless there is enoughroomtofititinthrough,asyouhavetopointthelightintoaroomthroughanyavailablegaptoseetheinsides.Asyoucanseeinthedrawingofthisinthevolumeonfiretools,itistoobigandnotappropriateforthisuse.

III

Fourartsforusingfiretoseeintotheroomwheretheenemyissleepingafteryougetintothehouse:

1.Lookwiththetorinokofireegg.

2.Lookwiththeireko-hiadjustablelamp.

3.Lookwiththeshinobitaimatsuthatistheshinobitorch.

4.Lookwiththefumetsutaimatsuthatisthelong-lastingortheimmortaltorch.

Whenyougetintotheenemyhouseandsneakintotheroomnexttowheretheenemyissleeping,youshouldnotcarryany longorheavy,ormany tools.Besure to takehandylightweightfiretoolsastheseabove.

The torinoko fire egg should be held in your palm. When light is not needed, youshouldcloseyourhandoveritandwhenyouneedtolookattheenemy,youshouldopenyourpalmandblowonitsothatitwillflareupagain,andthenturnittowardthemtohaveabetterview.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

Inusingtheireko-hioradjustablelamp,whenyouwantto‘extinguish’ityoushouldliftthecordup,whilewhenyouwant it to ‘burn’,youshould lower thecord.21 In thecasewhereyouwant to lookat theenemywhilenotallowingthemtoseeyou,hold itat thebottomandturntheendtowardthem.

Whenusingtheshinobitaimatsuorshinobi torch,ifyouholditwiththeburningsideputonthescabbardofyourswordoranyothersimilarobject,itwillnotflareup.Whenyouwant it to flare up, swing it upwards and itwill burn verywell. This torch is alsocalledyawarataimatsu.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

Inusingthefumetsutaimatsuorthelong-lastingtorch,ifyouholditwiththeopeningofanincenseboxawayfromyouandswingitseveraltimes,dothissothatyoucanseewhatisinfrontofyouasitswingsandpasses.Ihavenottriedthis.

Withtheabovetools,youcanseetheenemysituationwithoutfail,eveniftheyareinthedarkness.You should take anyof the abovewithyouwhenyou infiltrate an enemyhouse,andobservewhatthehouseoraroomtheyaresleepinginislike;thisistodismissanyuncertaintybeforeyousneakin.ThedrawingsofthesetoolsareinthechapteronfiretoolsintheNinkivolume.

IV

There is a tradition passed down that if you are not familiar with where the enemy issleeping and have no light to look with, you should obtain such information by theimitationofanimals.

Ifyou loudly imitate thenoisesofdogs, foxes,catsandsoon, theenemywillawakeandverbally express irritation, thusyouwill knowwhere they are sleeping.An ancienttradition says Kozaru – known as the small monkey of Shimotsuge – imitated dogsfighting so that the enemy would become angry at the sound [of the fake skirmish],allowingKozarutoknowwheretheenemywas[sleeping]sothathecouldkillthem.

I personally think if you take suchmeasures as placing kunoichi or such in positionbeforehand, then it is improbable that youwill not knowwhere the enemy is sleeping.What ismore,unlessyou imitate theanimalswithexpertiseyouwillnotsucceed.Eventhoughitisanancienttradition,ifyouarenotsogoodatimitating,itwillendupwithyoubeingkilledbytheenemy.Evenifyouaregood,itisbestduringin-ninfortheenemytobeasleep,meaningthattheaboveskillisnotsuchagreatmethod,asthereisnopointinwakingthemupbeforeyouinfiltrate.Ifyourintentionistolurethemouttokillthem,youcan do that easily by using kyo-nin no jutsu or the art of startling them. Therefore,imitatinganimals isnotappropriateasameasuresimplytofindoutwhere theenemyissleeping.

Fivepointsonongyojutsuortheartofhiding

I

Whereyoushouldhidewhenyougetintoahouseorwithingroundswhereyouhavenotbeenbefore

It goeswithout saying thatwhenyouget in a house for the first time, you should taketemporary shelter. This can be under themushiro woven straw mat of the toilet, in abamboothicket,inshrubbery,amongpilesofwoodorfirewoodorbehindanythingthatisappropriate. Then, afterwaiting for the opportune time, you should get into the house.However,therearesomethingsyoushouldconsiderbeforehidinginatoilet.

Whenyougetintoahouse,youshouldtaketemporaryshelterinthestable,22intheloftspace,behindorinabigpot,23underthefloor,behindanytoolsorsoonandobservetheinsideofthehouseandwaitforthepeopletogotosleep.Whenyouaretosneakintoacomplex or a house, it is advisable to infiltrate at dusk when people cannot see eachother’sfacesveryclearlyandarebusyanddistractedwithpreparations.Dothistoseehowyoushouldgettotheabovementionedplacesandtoseewheretotakeshelter.Thenjustbefore they light the fires, you should get in and take shelter in any of the abovementionedplaces.

II

Kannon24-gakureor‘deityofmercy’hiding

Kannon-gakure is forwhenyoucomeacross theenemyguardsmen.If thishappensyoushouldstandbyawall,fence,tree,apileofwoodorfirewoodoranythingsuchastheseandwithoutbeing in a stateofpanic.You should coveryour facewithyour sleevebutleavea littleofyoureyesexposedandmakesurenot tobreathewithnoiseorallowtheenemytofeelyourbreath.Youshouldstandthere,deadstillwhilechantingthespellofongyo[insideyourmind],whichisthespellofhiding.Itisalsogoodtostandwithyourbacktowardtheenemy.Ifyoudothistheenemywillnotbeabletodetectyou.Therehavebeen a number of cases since ancient times where this way of hiding has workedsuccessfully. Those who do not know how advantageous this is and have the enemycomingupon them, rush tohide and run away.As a consequence, theywillmake theirfootstepsorbreathingheard,hitsomethingbymistake,steponsomerubbishorsuchandendupbeingdetected.Theimportantspellofongyoistobechantedwithamudrahandsignofhoubakoorthetreasureboxmudra.

III

Uzura-gakureorquailhiding

Uzura-gakurehidingistogetclosetoanythinganddrawinthearmsandlegs,pullinthehead,crouchwith thefacedownandwithaserenemind,as thoughyouare listeningtofrostfallonacoldnight,chantingthespellofongyohidinginyourmouth.25Besurenottoturnyourfacetowardtheenemy.Therearefiveadvantagesincrouchingwithyourfacedownandfivedisadvantagesincrouchingwithyourfaceup.

Figure9.Thespellofhiding‘ONANICHIMARISHIEISOWAKA’Detailsaretobeorallytransmitted

If you turn your face toward the enemy, it lookswhite.26 If you cover your face bycrouchingwithyourfacedown,itdoesnotlookwhite,soitishardfortheenemytodetectyou.

Asmenareyo,turningyourfaceupisconflictingwhileturningyourfacedownisalsoyo and therefore complementary to your hiding. When you have your face up yourbreathingwillbeharderandtheenemywilldetectyou,whilewhenyourfaceisdownitwillbeshallowerandfaster,sotheywillnotdetectit.

Third,ifsomeone’s‘breathing’andyourbreathingcorrespond,27thenthisotherpersonwill not fail to realize you are there. Therefore, turning your face upward isdisadvantageouswhileturningyourfacedownisadvantageous.

Fourth,whenyou turnyour faceup thebodywillnaturally tend to extend insteadofcontracting,whilewhenyourfaceisdownitwillalwayscontract,thusmakingithardertobedetectedandmoreadvantageous.

Fifth, as you cannot see the enemywhen you cover your face, your spiritwill be astoughas ironor stone.However,whenyouhideonyourback, you can see the enemy.Tradition says ‘eyes are cowards’. If you see the enemy, you will become inevitablyfaintheartedandanxioustorunawaybeforetheenemydetectsyou.Asyouwillthenbeina stateofpanicand startmoving, itwillbeeasier tobediscovered. Incaseyoucannotcrouchwithyour facedown,coveryour facewith thesleeve. If theenemy is searchingwithsuspicionandusingalight,youshouldleave.However,eveninthiscase,ifyouareinagoodhidingplaceyoushouldremainthere,steadfast.Itisevenmoresoiftheenemyissimplyonaroutinenightpatrolandtheyarenotcarryingalight;hereyoushouldkeeponhidingwith thisartandwithstrongnerves.Therehavebeen lotsofexampleswherepeople have hidden well using this skill, many since ancient times. [People of otherprovinces] say that theninja of Iga become like a stone and the above points are theirways.28Ifthesepointsareconductedproperly,thebodyandheartshouldbelikeastone,whichmakestheenemyoverlookyou,astheywouldoverlookastone.

Inoldertimes,asuppaofourprovincesneakedintoacastleandwasstandingat restwhenpeopleonnightpatrolcameby.He immediately rushed into thedrymoatbesidesandcrouchedusingtheartofquailhiding.Theyvaguelysawtheoutlineofthesuppaonthebottomofthemoatandmadeastabathimwithaspearandthetipofthespearpiercedhisbelly.29However,thesuppadidnotmoveintheslightestandthepeopleonnightpatrolleft saying itmustnotbeahumanbeingas itdidnotmove.Later, thesuppa cameoutquietlyandsetfiretothecastleandburneditdown.

WhenPrinceDaitostayedinHan’nya-jitempleinNaraandinsecret,awarriormonkofIchijo-intemple,AzechinoHogenKosen,foundouthewashidingwithinandadvancedonthetempleleadingmorethanfivehundredpeoplebeforedawn,inaraid.Therewasnooneattendingontheprinceanditwasnotpossibletorunawayormakeadefenceagainsttheraiders.Also,asthesoldiersweresqueezingintothetempletherewasnowaytogetmixedinwiththemandhide.Therefore,theprincedecidedtokillhimselfandstrippedtothe waist; however, to kill himself would be the simplest way out, thus he looked foranother option. The prince decided to take a chance by hiding and looked around the

Buddhist sanctumwherehe found three chests full of sutras.Twoof themhad the lidsclosedwhiletheotherwasleftopenwithmorethanhalfofthesutrasleftoutbesidethechest.Hesqueezedhimselfintotheopenchestandcoveredhimselfwithsutras,chantingthehidingspellofongyoinhismind.Hethoughtintentlythatifhewasdetectedheshouldkillhimselfand thusdrewhisswordandput itontohisstomach,andwaited,expectingsoldierstosay‘hereheis!’Thesoldiersrushedintothesanctumandsearchedeverywherefrombeneaththealtartotheceilingbutcouldnotfindhim.Finally,theysaidthechestslookedsuspicious.Theyopenedthetwowiththelidsclosedandtookoutallthesutrasinthem,righttothebottom,butfoundtheprincewasnotthere.Theprincewonderedhowamazingitwasthathislifewassavedandfeltlikehewasinadreamwhilehewasinthechest.However,hethoughtthattheymightcomebackanddoamorethoroughsearchandso hemoved into one of the other chests that they had ransacked.As he expected, thesoldierscamebackintothesanctum,noticedtheopenchest,andexamineditbytakingallthe sutras out. At last they laughed and joked that Prince Daito was not there butXuanzang30theChinesenomadwas.Thentheyallleftthetemplelaughing.

IV

Thethreemethodsofescapewhentheenemyhasawoken

First,imitation;second,falseconversation;third,stayingwhilepretendingtoleave.

Iftheenemycatchesanysoundthatyouhavemadeandarestrainingtheirearstohearyou, you should imitate a dog or cat by flapping your sleeves or by biting wood, orcopyingthesoundofadogorcatinafightsothattheywillthinkitisonlyadogorcat.Tobepassedonbyoraltransmission.

Second,fabricateaconversationso that theenemythinks thatyouaregoing tomoveoutsidewhenyouareinfactstayinginsidethehouse,orsothattheythinkyouareontheinsideofthewallwhenyouareontheoutside,orevensothattheythinkthereisanothermanhiddenoutofsight,whilethereisnot.Itisimportanttonotethatyoushouldmakeupasituationsothattheenemywillactinawaythatiscontrarytowhattheyshoulddo,astheywilltaketheconversationasfact,eventhoughitisactuallyfalse.Thisistheartofyowithinin.

In old times, Shindo noKotarowent to Sanagu castle and performed this above art.AlsointheCorrectMindchapter,thisartismentionedinanoldincidentwhichshowsthatifyouarecommittedtodeath,inactualityitwillallowyoutosurvive.

Anotherexampleisthus.Ashinobinomonofromourprovincestoleintoahousetokillthemaster.Hewaited for his chance but themasterwas very careful and kept a nightguardwhilehehimself retired tohisbed.Afterwaiting foranextendedperiodof time,that is until the hour of Ox, the ninja realized that the guard had fallen asleep due totirednessandeverythingwasdeadquietandthefirewasoutandallwasdark;therefore,itwastimetomakeamove.Hetriedtoopenthedoorbutthekagishirizashilockwasfirmlysecuredandwouldnotopen.Thenhedugaholeinthegroundbeneaththethresholdwithaspadeandsqueezedthroughsothathisfacewasontheothersideinordertoobservethestatusof thehouse internals.Hefoundthat theguardhadjustopenedhiseyes; thiswasbecauseastheninjacamethroughhemadeafaintsoundwithhisbreath,bonesorjointsor thefloororsomethingsuchas this.Theguardbecameattentiveand tried to listenas

quietlyaslisteningtofrostriseonacoldnight.Afterashortwhile,footstepsapproachedtheninja,forcingtheninja toescapefromthehole.Theguardstayedbesidetheholesothathecouldstabatanyoneiftheycamethroughthehole.Tocounterthis,theshinobinomonowhisperedthisfollowingandfalseconversation:

‘Theguardseemstohaveawoken,sowecannotgetinfromhere.Let’sleaveandgetinfrom around the storeroom toward the back.’ Then the response was given in anothervoice: ‘OK, let’s withdraw. [Insert name31] has already opened the door near thestorehouse.’

Hearingthis,theguardthoughtthattheninjaagentsweremultipleinnumberandthatitwouldnotbeeasytodriveallofthemawayandthatheshouldcallforsupporttoattacktheshinobinomonowhentheybroke through.Therefore,heretreatedquietlyandwokethemaster.Afterhehadwokenhim,theguardmovedtothebackdoorandwaitedthere.Havingrealizedthis,theninjastoleintothehousequicklythroughtheoriginalholeandwenttothemaster’ssleepingroom,wherehesawthemastergettingreadybythelightofthenightlantern.Theninjasaidtohim,‘Pleasegetoutofhereassoonaspossible,’andthemasterthoughtitwashisguardanddidnotsuspecthimintheslightest,atwhichpointtheninjastabbedhimtodeathandextinguishedthefireandranaway.Theguardsheardthe sounds and shouted, ‘Intruder! Come here!’ All the people in the house and theneighbours as well came running to aid the master. As the ninja had expected this tohappenhewaspreparedwithhyakurai-juortheonehundredfirecrackers,andleftthemlit on the edge of a bamboo thicket. Hearing the loud noises of the hyakurai-ju firecrackers, the chasers thought there must be a number of people shooting muskets andspent a while making their mind up about what to do. While they did this the ninjaescapedtoadistanceofmorethanoneri.Thepeoplebesiegedthebamboothicketallthatnightandexamineditthoroughlywhendawnbrokeandfoundtherewasnoonethereandonlythehyakurai-jucrackersremained.Theyallleftinangerastheyhadbeenoutwitted.

Inoldertimes,someonehadagrudgeagainstalow-rankingretainer.Heintendedtokillhimandwenttotheenemyhouse,wherehetriedtoopenthedoorcarefully.Themasterheardthesound,wokeupandgotoutoftheroominsecretandmovedtotheinsideofthedoorthattheninjawasopening.Theninjaenteringnoticedthisandsaidtohimself,‘Themasterhaswokensowecannotsucceed.Let’sretreat,’andalsorepliedtohimself,‘OK,’asif therewereinfact twomen.Hepretendedtowithdrawbyretreatingaboutoneken,andquietlycameback to thedoorandstayedby thewall.Themasterof thehouse,notrealizingitwasatrap,openedthedoorandcameouttocatch‘them’;atthatmomenttheshinobi–whowaswaitingforhimtocomeoutandwhowasbythedoor–killedhimwithasinglestrike,andattainedhisobjective.Thisisthewaytotakeadvantageoftheenemy’sintention towait for you and to kill you by surprise.Though there have been somanycasesotherthanthese,Icannotmentioneveryonesohaveputtheabovetwoasexamples.

The thirdart ispretending torunawaywhilestayingbehind. Ifyouare in theenemyhouse and the enemy awakens, you should pretend to run out of the house bymakingnoisesattheexitbutinactualityyoustayinsidethehouse;thisisinthecasewhereyouarealone.Whentheyexittochaseyou,youshouldgodeeperandtakeanychancetokilltheenemy.

Ifyouaretwoinnumber,oneshouldrunawayandmaketheenemyfollowwhilethe

othermember goes deeper inside the house. This is for the casewhen the retainers orguardsoftheenemywakeupandcomeout.

Iftheenemy[target]himselfwakesupandcomesout,youshouldwaitforhimandkillhimatthedoor.Youshouldagreeamongyoursquadbeforehandoneveryarrangementforeverycase, suchaswhat todo ifyouwakeup theenemy–whoshould runaway,whoshould stay, etc. – and all in detail.This techniquehas beenused successfully inmanycasessinceancienttimes.

V

Ifyouarechasedbytheenemyanditishardtobeatthem,thereareeightusefulmethodsofwithdrawal:

1.Tanuki-nokiortheracoondogretreat

2.RetreatbyHyakurai-juortheonehundredfirecrackers

3.Retreatbycaltrops

4.Throwingwoodorstoneintowater

5.Disguisingyourselfasanenemypursuerbyshoutingashewould

6.Havingthegatedoorclosedbyannouncingthatsomethingunusualhashappened

7.Havingthegatedooropenedbyannouncingthatthelordneedstoleaveurgently

8.Tanuki-gakureorracoondoghiding,andkitsune-gakure,whichisfoxhiding

Whetheralargenumberorasmallone,iftheenemyischasingyouandthereisnochanceofvictoryifyoufightback,youshouldjustrunawaywiththefollowingtactics:

1Tanuki-nokiortheracoondogretreat

Ifyouarebeingchasedandareabouttobecutdownfrombehind,youshouldsuddenlystoponbendedkneessotheopponentwillcrashintoyouandcollapse.Thenyoushouldkillhimimmediately.Ifasingleenemysoldierischasingyou,fallonyourkneessothathewillnotcollidewithyoubutwillinfactpassbyyouwithmomentum.Atthispointyoushouldhithiswaistwithyourtachi.Evenifhetriestocutyouashepassesby,therewillbe little chance of his sword hitting you successfully as you are kneeling down – thisworksonbothsides.Ifthereisthreetofivekenbetweenyouandthechaser,youshouldhideyourselfsomewhere,suchasbesideagatehouse,oranyplaceyoucanhidealongthestreet,sotheenemywillthinkyouhavegonefurtherandkeepchasingafteryou.Aftertheenemygoesfourorfivekenawayfromyourposition,youshouldheadback,andifyoucomeacross themlater,youshouldinventaplausiblestorysuchas,‘theenemy ran thatway and one or two are following him. If the enemy fights back our allies will havedifficulty.Hurryup!’whileyouyourselftakeanotherwayout.Itissaidthatanoldracoondogwill do the same thingwhen chasedbydogs; therefore, it is called the racoondogretreat.

2Retreatbyhyakurai-juortheonehundredfirecrackers

Inthecasewhereyouarefourteenorfifteenkenoreventwentykenawayfromtheenemyor if you are closer and are hiding by using uzura-gakure quail hiding and the enemy

cannot find you and they are running around in the area, then, here you should lighthyakurai-jufirecrackersinabushorthicketorinanabandonedhutorhouse.Bydoingthis theenemywill thinkthatanightattacksquadis thereandrushto intercept itwhileyou evade and retreat. How to construct hyakuraiju fire crackers is mentioned in thechapteronfiretoolsintheNinkisection.32

Varioustraditionstousethistoolhavebeentransmitted.

3Retreatbycaltrops

Youshould takebamboocaltropswithyouand scatter themon the routeyouexpect toretreatbyorplacetheminfrontofeachdoorbeforeyouinfiltrate.Thisisdonebecausenormally you are too busy to scatter themwhen you retreat; however, it is sometimespossible to scatter themwhenwithdrawing. In older times they sometimes had caltropstrailingonstringswhenretreating.

Toavoidsteppingon thecaltropsyouyourselfhavescattered,youshouldpasswhereyouplacedthemwithoutliftingyourfeetandwiththesoleofyourfootkeptonthefloor.

4Throwingwoodorstoneintowater33

Whentheenemychasesyouonadarknight,youshouldthrowwoodorstoneintowatersothattheenemyhearsthesoundasitapproaches,thinkingthatthestonewasyouwhoenteredthewater,whileinfactyouhaveretreated.ThisistheskillthatShindonoKotaroperformedwhenhewenttoMineoroshicastleofSanagu.

Inold times, aninja sneaked in a house andwasdetectedby a servant.While beingchased,heliftedandthrewastonethesizeofateakettleoverafence.Whilehestayedontheinsideofthefence,performingtheskillofuzura-gakurequailhiding,thepursuersonhearingthesoundof thestonethoughthehadjumpedoutandoverthefence; therefore,they opened the gate and gave chase. Atwhich point he thenwent back to the house,penetrating deeply and killing the house master, who had come out upon hearing theruckus.

Anotherninja sneaked into a house,where themasterwoke up and gave chase.Theninjaranintoathicketinfrontofthehouseandthemasterthoughtthathehadcorneredtheninjaandstoodoff forashortwhile,waiting.Then theninja threwa lumpofearthfromwithinthethicketandoutinanotherdirection,makingthemasterthinkthathewassneakingoutfromhishidingplace.Thismadethemastergivechase,takingthesideroutearoundthethicket,whileinfacttheninjaleftthethicketfromtheothersideandinfiltratedthehousewithstealth.

5Disguisingyourselfasanenemypursuerbyshoutingashewould

Whentheenemynoticesyouandmakesfussbyshoutingloudly, ifyoutry torunawaywithoutsayinganythingthiswillattractpeople’sattentionevenmore.Ontheotherhandifyoudonotintendtohidebutshowyourselfinplainsight,disguisingyourselfasanenemyinpursuitwhilerunningandshouting,‘Nightattack!Afterhim!’peoplewillnotsuspectyouatall.Indoingthisartthereisamethodtomisdirectthem.Ifyouintendtoretreatinthe west, you should tell every person you meet, ‘I heard the thief going to the east.Follow him in the east.’ This is called tagae-no-jutsu or the art ofmisdirection. To bepreparedforsuchacase,youshouldwearahaorijacketofapersimmoncolour34onthe

outsideandpalegreyontheinside.Whenyousneakin,wearitwiththepersimmonsideout,then,whendisguisingyourselfasapursuer,reverseitandhavethegreysideout.Theninjaofoldwould–insomecases–usethisartwithsuccess.

6Havingthegatedoorclosedbyannouncingthatsomethingunusualhashappened

Inoldertimes,someoneinfiltratedacastleandkilledhistarget.Whenpeoplearoundthereheardthesoundtheycameoutshoutingandreadytocopewithhim.Heimmediatelygotoutof thebuildingandfoundthegatewasopenas itwasearly in theevening.He thenthought he should prevent his followers from chasing him, which would allow him towithdrawwithease.Thereforehesaid[tothegateguards]ateachgate,‘Afightistakingplaceinthecastlenow:closethegate–nooneshouldbeletoutofhere.Thisisanorderfrom the lord.Get prepared and never let your guard down.’As hewas shouting thesewords and runningaround, theguards thought itwas true andclosed thegates at once.Meanwhile he retreated without difficulty.35 This technique should be used during thedaytimeorearlyeveningwhenthegatedoorsareopenandyouthinktheenemywillchaseyou.

7Havingthegatedooropenedbyannouncingthatthelordneedstoleaveurgently

In the casewhereyou infiltrate thehouseof a high-rankingpersonor a castle andyouretreat to find thegatedoorsareclosed,youshouldsay to thegatemaster inahaughtyfashion, ‘The lord isgoingout to(insertplace)andathaste.Open thegatedoors,’or ‘Ihavetogoto(insertplace)bytheorderofthelord,’or‘Afirehastakenplace,Iwastoldto findout its origin by the lord,’ etc.There are things to be orally transmitted for thistechnique.Also,therearevariouswaysaccordingtothesituation.Youshouldhaveawellthoughtoutplanforyour retreatbeforeyousneak in,or thinkouthowtoretreatbeforeyoukillsomeone.Thereismoretobeorallytransmitted.

8Tanuki-gakureorracoondoghidingandkitsune-gakure,whichisfoxhiding

If you are chased by a large number and think it is difficult tomanage an escape, youshouldclimbupa treeandhide; this iscalled tanuki-gakureor racoondoghiding.Thisworksverywell andyouwill notbe found inmost cases.A leafybig tree is desirable.Anotherwayisiftheenemyiscollectingmoreandmorepeopleonthehuntandescapeseemshard,youshoulddiveintowater,withyourselfinwaterbutyourfaceout,coveringyourfacewithduckweed,watergrasses,lotusleaves,foliage,etc.Thisiscalledkitsune-gakureorfoxhiding.Itisnamedsobecause,ifahuntershootsafoxanditisinjuredbutnotkilled,thefoxwillrunbutwillnotbeabletoescapeinfullbecauseofpain;therefore,itwilldiveintothedeepplaceofastream.Ifanyhunterapproachesit,itwillhideitselfinacavityorsuchwithonlyitsnoseandmouthoutof thewaterandcoveredwithweeds.Thisiscalledkitsune-gakure.

In older times, in Nagoya of Bishu, someone held a grudge against a high-rankingsamurai and sneaked into his mansion at twilight. As it was summer, he thought theenemymight be taking a bath ormay come out to urinate and thus he hid around thebathroomsothathecouldkillthesamuraiifhegotthechance.Asheexpected,theenemycameforabathandhekilledhimwithoutdifficulty.However,whenhewasescapingthemansion,all in thatareaaswellas those in themansiongatheredraisingaclamourandchasinghim.Thekillerthoughthemightnotbeabletoescapeanddivedintoamoatwith

willowtreesonthebankandhidhimselfinwaterwithhisheadcoveredwiththeleavesofwillowbranches.Thosepursuinglittorchesandtriedtodetecthimalongtheriverbankbutcouldnot find the intruderandgaveup in theend.Atdawnhegotoutof themoatandescaped without difficulty. There were many such cases in ancient times; therefore, itbecamethecasethatagoodgeneralwouldhavehismenremoveallgrassesorleavesfromthemoats,orwillowtrees,sothattherewouldbenowheretohide.

Hereisanotherexampleoftanuki-gakure:inoldertimes,twonusubitothievessneakedinto a house and someone in the housewoke up and cried out,waking up otherswhogathered fromalldirections.One thief ranoutbeyond the fencebut theothercouldnotmake it and found a large yuzu36 tree and climbed up and hid among the leaves. Thechasers searched everywhere but they could not find him up the tree and gave up thesearch, returning to the house to sleep at last.Meanwhile, the onewho escaped on thegroundwaswaitingfortheotherbuthispartnerdidnotjoinhimsohewentbacktothemansion.Hetriedbutcouldnothearanythingfromoutsidethefencesohewentintotheground and searched around for his collaborator and heard a sound up a tree. Hewhisperedtotheman,‘Comedownquickly,’butheansweredthathecouldnotbecausethetreewastoothornyandwastrappinghim.Thethiefbelowtoldhimthathewasadirecowardandthatheshouldcomedownimmediately,buttheothercouldnot.So,themanbelowhadtheideaandshoutedout,‘Thief,athiefisupthetree!Comeon!’Thosefromthehouseheardthevoiceandcameout.Thenthethiefinthetreejumpeddownforgettingthespinesandhurtandbothcouldescape.Thiswasverysmartof the thiefbeneath thetree.

Threepointsonhowtoarrangeyourmenwheninfiltratingahouse

I

Watchmen

You should place your men as watchmen on every route from the quarters, rooms orneighbouringhousestothetargethouse.Watchmendonothavetobeexperiencedorwelltrained but should be preferably coolheaded. Generally, for any job, those who arecowards,carelessandlackingpatiencearenotgood.Butremember,aswatchmentheyarecapable of causing especially serious harm [to your plans].As ancientmethods tell us,there are threedevastatingdisadvantages to having thosewho are cowardly, careless orlackinginpatienceaswatchmen:

1.Watchmenwhoarenotcoolheadedandlackpatiencecannotwaitfortheirallieswhohaveinfiltratedapositiontocomeback.Theygetnervousandwalkaroundorgetupset,makingthemfailtohearorseethesignsandsignalsgiventothem;therefore,thiswillresultinruin.

2.Whenthecowardlywatchmen’scomradeswithdrawfromaroom,thecowardswillnotgivetherequiredpasswordbutmistaketheircomradesastheenemyandtrytokillthemorrunawayatthefirstsignoftrouble.

3.Cowardlywatchmenmightmistakethoseenemycomingfromoutsideastheirallies,orthosealliescomingfromoutsideastheenemy.Theyarealwayscarelessand

cannotbereliedupon.Ifevenasinglemaninyoursquadislikethat,thenallinyoursquadwillbeconfusedandmakemistakes.

Asyoucanseeintheabovethreepoints,ifyouthinkanybodywillsufficeandyouthenusethosewhoarenotcoolheaded,norcarefulandlackinginperseveranceaswatchmen,then it will not bring you any benefit but instead cause you a devastating defeat.Therefore, tradition from ancient shinobi principles says you should be careful. It isessentialforyoutochooseappropriatepeopleforeachjobwithcarefulconsiderationoftheirdispositionandthenhaveastrictagreementforthesignalorarrangements,sothatnomistakewilleveroccur.

Takingintoaccountthenaturaldispositionofeachperson,generallytheyoungarehot-blooded and strong but careless or not so goodwhile the old are calm and goodwhilesometimestheythinktoomuchandmissthechance.However,thosewhoaretoughandsmartbynatureandarebetweenthirty-fourorthirty-fiveandfiftyyearsoldaregoodbothasperformersandwatchmen.

II

Mainperformers

Supplementarytotheabove:Placepeopleateverydoororifyoudonothaveenoughmen,thenlockthedoors.

The role of the main performers is of the most importance. Therefore, it would bedisastrous if theywerenotproficientwithcourage, tacticsandperformance.Oneof thetwoperformersisthepersonwhoshouldunlockthejoshi,kagi,tobosoandtheshirizashilocksoremployvariousothermeasurestosneakin.Theother[thesupportingperformer]listenstotheenemysnoringoranyothersoundsandinformshispartner–theperformerwhoisdoingtheunlocking–ofanythingheneedstoknowandhealsoinformsafurthermemberofthesquadwhoactsasaliaisonfortheinformation,andtheliaisoninturntellstheperformeranyrequiredinformationthatheneeds[fromtheoutside].

Theliaisonmanisoneofthewatchmen,hegoesdeepintothehousewheresamuraiareorevenclosetotheplacewheretheperformersareworking,andpassesontheordersorinformationfromthesupportingperformer toasignalmanoutsideoralternativelywhatthesignalmansaystothesupportingperformer.Detailsshouldbeorallytransmitted.

Inaddition,youshouldputyourmenateverydoor.Thisisdonetokilleverypersoninthehouse.Thefollowingarethreetechniquestobeusedbythosestationedatadoor.

Thefirstistostretcharopeacrossthedoorwayataheightofeightorninesun.Whentheenemysoldiersrushoutoftheroom,theywilltripandfalldownovertheropeandyoushouldkillthematthatpoint.

[Thesecondis]toscattercaltropsateverydoorwaysotheenemywillstepuponthem.

[The third is] to stay at the doorway and stab with your wakizashi short sword.Generally,stabbingwithaswordwillbefinewhenyouareinthehouseorinanexternalcorridor.Moreshouldbeorallytransmitted.

How to lockdoors ismentionedearlier andnothere.Shuttingdoorswithadrillwill

alsosuffice.

III

Signalsenders

Supplementarytotheabove:Marks,bellsorfiresthataretobeusedassignals.

Thesignalsendershouldbeonaslightlyelevatedplacewithabellorfire,sohecanbeseenfromanydirection.Heshouldcommunicate informationfromthoseinsideto thoseoutside,orinformationfromthoseoutsidetothoseinside.

Also,youshouldhaveamarktoidentifyyouralliesfromtheenemyforafteryouhavedispersed–forexample,allofthesquadmightwearatenuguiheadbandofwhite.Asforpasswords,theyarementionedinthechaptersonyo-ninandnothere.

Thesignalsendershouldcarryawind-bell37andashisoku-bipapertorch.38Themethodformaking theshisoku-bi ismentioned in thechapteron fire tools.Light theshisoku-bitorchandputthenumberofthesetorchesyouneed–accordingtothepriorarrangementsyouhavemade–ontoalongbamboostick.Thisstickhasaone-shakusplitattheendandthewatchmenwillbeabletoseethenumberofpapertorchesfittedtotheendofthestickandwillactaccordingtothearrangementsmadeforthatspecificsignal.

Signallingatnightwillnotworkwithoutsomethingthatmakessoundorfire.Ifitisanightbattle, lanterns,drumsorconchshellswillbeused,but theyareso large that theywill attractpeople’sattentionbecause the sound theymake is toonoisy, so theyarenotgoodasameasure for signallingwhen infiltratingahouse.That iswhy theabove toolsshouldbeused.Thesoundofawind-bellisnotloudandtheenemywillnotnoticeitring,but itcanbeheardfromadistanceand isappropriateasasignal in infiltratingahouse.Theshisoku-bipapertorchisalittlebluishandhardtoidentifyifpeopleseeit.Nothingisbetterthanthewind-bellandshisoku-biassignalmeasureswheninfiltratingahouse.Onewriting says: signals should be considered and they should be varied according to thearrangementsandeachopportunity.It isessential tohaveastrictandfirmagreementsothatnomistakeswillbemadeastothesignals.

The above threemajor points are of extreme importance and all should be arrangedappropriatelyaccordingtothesituation.Therearemoresecretsbeyondwriting.

Twopointsoncaution

I

Donotlightthelampsthatarealreadyinasleepingroom.Keepfirewithyouandlighttheabove-mentionedshisoku-bi tool. If you light any light, you should use akatou potterylantern [which covers and directs light], the ireko-hi adjustable lantern or the gantochochingyrolanternetc.

Ifyouusealightthatisalreadyinasleepingroomwhenyouarrive,itwillallowtheenemytoseeyouclearly.Therefore,youshouldnotusetheenemy’slightoranylightsofthehouse.Ifyouneedlight,thereisawaytolightalantern.Placepliers39ontheopentopofalanternandrestaplateontopofthem.Thenplacethelanternbesideawallwiththe

illuminatedsidefacingthewallsothelightwillnotbeseen.Asfortheireko-hiadjustablelanternor thegantochochin gyro lantern, theywill bementioned in the chapteron firetools.Theabovetoolsgiveyoulightbutdonotallowotherstoseeyou.

II

To avoid sleeping by not avoiding hardships or by splashing your face with coldwaterorbyusingkakushinsanawakeningmedicine

Ifyouwanttotrainyourselftostayawakeasmuchaspossible,itisessentialnottoavoidhardshipsforyourself.Youshouldsleepwithyourkimonoonandobibelttightened,wearaslittleclothesaspossibleeveninthecold,donoteattoomuch,keepyourselffromlyingdownbutsitupcorrectly,donotavoidmosquitoesinsummeranddonotuseafanorsoon. If you do not avoid hardships like these, you will sleep less. It is of primaryimportance to avoid lewdness. If not, youwill be exhausted and cannot help but sleepdeeply.Washingyourfacewithcoldwaterormoisteningyourearswithyourspitwillalsodo.TherecipeforthekakushinsanwakeningmedicineismentionedinthechapteronfiretoolsintheNinkisection.Furtherdetailsonhowtoavoidsleepingareorallytransmitted.

Thesevenwaystousethesageo40swordcordMakeanobibeltwiththesageocordifyourownobiiscutbytheenemyoryouareinanemergency situationor [disturbed]while sleepingandyoudonotknowwhereyourobibeltis.Tomakeone,splitasageoswordcord[andtietheendstogether].

Thetabimakuraorthe‘travelpillow’–tietheendsofthesageocordsofbothyourlongandshortswords[whiletheyarestillconnectedtotheweapons]andliedownonthem,sothatyouwillnotberobbedofyourswordoryourwakizashishortswordwhileyousleep.Also, in an emergency, it is convenient if you take the sageo cord with both swordsattachedandputitaroundyourneckwhileyouareonthemoveandtyingyourobibelt.41

The skill of zasagashi orusingyour cordand sword toprobe the room ismentionedearlierinthechapterIn-ninJo.

ClimbingupawallbyusingyourswordasafootrestisalsomentionedearlierintheIn-ninsection.

Makingascreeninafield–thisismentionedinthechapterontorimonoorcapturingpeople.

Makingabindingropefromasageocord–howtobindpeoplewiththesageocordisanoraltradition.

The yariyose or the ‘spear catcher’ – tie the end of the sageo cord onto your shortsword.42Drawtheswordoutfullyandholditinyourrighthandandthescabbardinyourleft hand,with the ropehangingbetween.When a spear is stabbed at you, catch it andwrap the sageo cord around the spear and take the enemy’sweapon.Details should beorallytransmitted.

[Sevenpointsontrapstoinjuretheenemy]

I

Theharahata-baraior‘shanksweepers’

Harahata-barai shanksweepersshouldbepreparedon the insideor theoutsideofyourownmansion and on every route you expect the enemy shinobiwill come from. If theenemy shinobi sneak in fromwhere the harahata-barai trap is placed, it will hit theirshanks badly and they will think it must be a human strike and therefore they willwithdraw.

1.Setoutatripwireasseenonthenextpage[figure10].

2.Thebentwhipismadeoflongbamboo.

3.Ontheleftaretwowoodenspikes.Standthesetwospikesinthegroundasinthedrawingandtiethebambootightlybetweenthem.

4.Makeagridofwoodasinthebottomofthedrawingbylashingittogether.Putthinbamboo43attheendofthethickbambooandputitbetweenthehorizontalbarssothatitcanspringoffeasily.

5.Theverticalbarshavefasteners.

II

Thetsurioshiorthedead-weighttrap

Thetsurioshiisaweighthungfromakamoi44beaminahouse.Thisisusedtokeepastrictguardortoprotectanyroutewheretheenemyshinobiareexpectedtocomefrom.Iftheenemyshinobiopenthedoorwhereatsurioshiweightisset,theweightwillfalldownandtheshinobiwillbeinjuredorstartled.Tosetit,tiearopeontoaheavyweightsuchasamortar,astonemill,stoneboard,heavywoodorsoonandhangitupsothattheweightisoutsidethedoorandtheropeisstretchedthroughtotheinsideoftheroom.Putanailontheverticaledgeofthedoorandputafastenerorhookattheendoftheweightedropeandhookitontothenail.Iftheenemyshinobiopenthedoor–evenbyjustaslightamount–thehookwillslipoffandtheweightwillfalldown.Seefigure11,left.

Figure10.Harahata-baraishanksweepers

Figure11.Thetsurioshidead-weighttrap

III

Caltrops

Youshouldscattercaltropsoutsidethehouseandwheretheenemyshinobiareexpectedtocomefrom.

IV

Startlingtheenemywhileyouyourselfareasleep

Putanailonto thevertical frameofadoorandputa thin ropeonto it,pass itaroundaverticaldoorpostandstretch it toyourbedside.Attachthisendtoaboxorabucketof

around two to fourshaku in size, and thenput a smaller bucket on topof that; fill thisupper onewithbeansor pebbles or anything thatmakes a noisewhen spilt over. If theenemyshinobiopenthedoor,thesmallerbucketwillbepulleddownandpebblesorbeanswillspillover,makingaloudnoise.Theenemywillbestartledandyouwillbewokenup.Therearevarioustechniquesthatfulfillthesamefunction,seetheexampleinthedrawingoverleaf(figure12).45

V

Thelargebambootrap

Standtwospikesintothegroundontheinsideofan[external]doorandtieahorizontalbarontothetwospikesintheground[makingagate].Putthebaseofasectionofbamboobetweenthegateandtheotherendbetweentheverticalpillarandthetozashiframeworkbybendingit.Alsoattacharopeatthemiddleofthebambooandaroundtheverticalpillartobendthebamboofurther.Iftheenemyshinobiopenthedoor,thebambootrapwillhittheirfaceandtheywillthinktheyhavebeenstruckbysomeoneandwillbestartled.

Figure12.

Figure13.Thelargebambootrap

VI

Stretchingaropeorstandingupthetatamimats

Incaseyoucannothavesecurelocksonthedoors,suchaswhentravelling,stretchoutathin rope or stand the tatamimats against the shoji sliding doors. There ismore to beorally transmitted here. There are many other creative ways to get the same effectaccordingtothesituation.Alsolockingdoorswithadrillwillbefine.

VII

Tsurioshitrapsthataretobepreparedonallroutes

•Usetwotreesasposts,asseenhereontheleftandrightofthedrawing.

•Hangaweightofwoodinthecentre.

•Howtolashtheropetotheanchorpointisorallytransmitted.

•Theotoshibambooatthebottomisthetriggertothetrap.

Figure14.Thetsurioshitrap

1Intheoldcalendar,thismeansthebeginningofautumn.

2Theoriginalmanualstatesthree.

3Theoriginaltableofcontentsstates‘twopoints’;however,onlyonepointisgiven.

4Thefootis‘pulledout’ofthewaterverticallyandwithcare.

5Theoriginaldrawingismissing.

6Inthiscontext,shinmeans‘aproperway’andsois‘makeshift’.

7Thedocumentsimplysaysshinso-no-uho,whichtranslatesas‘properormakeshiftrabbitsteps’.ThereisaformofuhostepfoundinthemagicartofOnmyodo,whichisaritualwalk,movingthefeetsidebyside.Theideogramwrittenforthiswordis (uho),whichmeans‘rabbitsteps’;however,presumablythisisanattempttophonetically‘spellout’theideogram (uho),whichistheabove-mentionedwayofmagicalstepsalsoknownashenbaiandcommonlyusedinOnmyodomagic.ForafulldiscussionseeInSearchoftheNinja.

8Presumablytheseareraysoflight.

9Probablyplacedtheresothatintruders’footfallsmaybeheardastheypassthroughandtreadoncharredsectionsofwood.

10Thiscouldbeareferencetocloudcover:ifawinterdayisfinethenthenightwillbecolderduetolackofcloudcover;ifthereisrainthecloudcoverretainsthesun’sheatandthusmakesthenightwarmer.However,thisisjustatheory.

11Consideredtobeanalternativewordforatypeofninja.

12Thenickname‘stab-hole’becameaprefixtohisname.

13Normallycoveredintatamimatting,thismayhaveanopenandprivategardennexttoit;therefore,theshinobishouldenterthisway.

14Atypeoflatticedwindowfoundintea-ceremonyhouses.

15Harawokiru.

16Bythecontextofthetextthisappearstobealightpowderormistscatteredintheairbyanunknownmeanswiththe

effectofmakingatargetmoveandreactifheisawake.Thetextiscodified;however,itsfullmeaningisunknown.

17Inthetextthisisinaformofcodelikethatofthemakeupofthewordkunoichi.

18Eitheratthepersonorintotheroomtotestifthepersonreacts.

19Athinstripofwoodattachedtotheinsideedgeofoneslidingdoorandwhenthistoolisinplacetheslidingdoorscannotbeopened.

20Presumablymixedwithglueorresin.

21Thisisnottoactuallyextinguishbutmoretohidethelight.

22Thisisasmallanimalenclosureintheentrancetolargerhouses.

23Thetextsayskama,whichisaformoflargercookingpot.Theideaistogetlowandalmostunderthepot,asfarastheshinobican,ortogetinsideit.

24Buddhistdeityofmercy.

25Insideyourheadorinsilence,i.e.‘capturedinyourmouth’.

26Thisissuperbevidencefortheabsenceoftheclassicninjamask,whichmayhavebeentheguiseoflaterEdoperiodthieveswishingtodisguisetheiridentity.

27Hismeaningisnotclearatthispoint–howeverthiscouldbesoundorthemoistureintheair?

28Grammatically,FujibayashiisnotimplyingthatheisnotanIganomono,allowinghimstilltobefromIgahimself.

29Forthistohappen,thesuppamusthavebeenpiercedthroughhisbackandintohisstomach.

30Famedfordiscoveringthe‘wisdomsutra’.Asthesoldiersfoundonlysutras,theyarelinkingthemtotheChinesesage.

31Thetextsays‘dare,dare’,whichisusedtomean‘inserttherequiredname’.

32Itisinfactomittedfromthevolumeinquestion.

33Thetexthasanideogramthatisunidentifiablebeforetheterm‘water’.

34Adarkbrown.

35Presumablyontheothersideofthegate.

36CitrusJunos.

37Furin–asmallbellheldonastring,similartowind-chimes.

38Paperlayeredwithglueandgunpowderandrolledaroundbamboo;whenthebambooisremovedthetoolisreadytolight.

39Whileambiguous,thisappearstobeamethodofcreatingatemporaryanddirectionallightfromastandardhouseholdlight,sothattheninjamaycontrolthelightemissions.

40Thecordusedonswordscabbardstoattachthemtothewaist.

41Theideahereisthatifyouhavetomoveforanyreasonandwithhasteyoucanwakeupandslingyourweaponsaroundyourneckasyourunandgetdressed.

42Oneendisalreadyattachedtothescabbard;therefore,younowhavethescabbardandtheswordwiththecordhanginginthemiddle.

43Inthepicturethisappearstoberope.

44AnarrowsectioncontinuingaroundaJapaneseroom,containingthetopslotsintowhichslidingdoorsfit,actingasalintel.

45Notethedrawinghereappearstobeincorrectasitdoesnotcontinuefromtheverticalposttothedoor,possiblythefaultofthetranscribers.

VOLUMEFOURTEEN

In-ninIVHiddenInfiltrationIV

Gatesanddoors

Threepointsonthepreparationforopeningdoors

I

To open a door, you can discover – by using a toikagi probing tool – where the joshipadlocks,kakegane hooked latches, shirizashi1 locking sticks and soon are located andalsotheirconstructiontypology.It isalsopossibletodiscoverthepositionsofpadlocks,hookedlatches,bolts,2lockingsticks,woodenpegs3andsoon,byutilizingyourpracticalexperience and feeling where a door is locked. However, it is absolutely essential tocollectthisinformationbyobservingthelocksdirectlyorbyinferringinformationaboutthem throughwhat you hear.You should glean information about the target house youwishtoinfiltratebytalkingtopeopleorbyobservationandthentaketheappropriatetoolsfortheopeningofthedoors.

II

Markwithyournails thepositionsofwoodenpegs, latchesandsoon,whilepassingbythem.

III

Toopendoors,itisessentialtoworkwiththewindandsound.Ifthereisnosoundorwindtouseortotakeadvantageof,urinateonthethresholdandopenthedoorwithcare.Thereis anotherway calledwata-ake or floss opening but this is to be orally transmitted.4 Inparticular,itisessentialthatopeningtoolsmakenonoiseoraslittlenoiseaspossible.

Sixpointsondiscoveringthepositionofshirizashilockingsticksbytouch

I

Therearefivetypesoflockingsticks.Ifyoutrytoopenadoorandyoufeelsomethingisblocking thepathway,youshouldbeaware that there isa lockingstick inposition.Youcanidentifywhichofthefivetypesitisbyfollowingtheserules.

II

Lockingstickinthegrooveofadoorway

If you try to open the door and it is stuck at the bottombut opens at the top then it isblockedatthelowergroove.

III

Cross-shaped5lockingstick

Ifyoutrytoopenthedooranditisstuckbothatthebottomandthetopandhasnomarginofmovement,thenthelockingstickisthecrossversion.

IV

Sanshirizashilockingstick(abarpositionedinthecentreofthedoor)

Thistypeoflockingstickisfoundwiththeoitate-dotypedoor.Whenyoutrytoopenthedoor, it will be stuck in the middle and make noises around that area. Also, bamboolockingsticksaresometimesusedandifthatisthecase,thenthedoorwillnotmakeanynoisewhenyoutrytoopenit.

V

Debashirizashioraprotrudinglockingstickforanoitate-dostyledoor6

Thisisfixedinthemiddleandifyoutrytoopenittoohard,itwillfeellikeitisbendingandfurthermore,ifyoutrytoopenthedoor,itwillsqueak.

VI

Shirizashilockingstickfoundonoitate-dostyledoor

Thisonewillalsobestuckinthemiddleandifpushed,willsqueakalittle.

Foreachoftheabove,thereisasmallamounttobeorallytransmitted.Unlessyoutrytoopen them foryourself, youwill notbe able toknowexactlywhat each is like, soyoushouldtrywheneveryoucan.

Fourpointsonhowtounlocklockingsticks

I

For locking sticks in the groove of a threshold or cross-shaped locking sticks, use atoihazushi7probe8tofindthepositionofthestickandknockitoutofplace.Ifthelockingstick cannot be knocked offwith the toihazushi probe, you should put a pair of closedpliersthroughthegap[betweenthetwoslidingdoors]andopenthetipsoftheplierswhentheyreachtheotherside[totakethepressureoffthestick],andthentakethestickawaybythrustingitoutofplace.Inthecasewhereshojiinnerslidingdoorsareinthewayandyoucannotpushthestickoutbecausetheyareblockingthepath,thenusethetoihazushiprobeortheplierstoopentheinnerslidingdoor[bitbybit].Then,afteryouhaveopenedthem,knockthestickoffthetrackinthewaydescribedabove.Ifthebottomofthedoorisboarded,usearounddrillthenopenitupandthenusethepliers[toknockoffthelockingbar].

II

Forasanshirizashiorcentrallockingstickonanoitate-dodoor,pullthetwodoorsapartwithstrengthandknockoffthelockingstickbyliftingitwiththetoihazushiprobe,thenyoucanopenthedoorsfreely.

III

Dothesameasabovefortheprotrudinglockingstick.Alsoyoucanunlockthelatterbyliftingitupwithayarigiridrilloreventheyubikagifingerkey.

IV

Forthemusoshirizashilockingstick,9usethetoihazushiprobeorayarigiri10drill.Also,itcanbetakenoffbyopeningandjogglingthedoor.

For each of the above points there ismore to be orally transmitted.However, if youlearnonlybymouthbutdonottrywithyourownhands,thenthelockswillnotcomeoffneatly.

Fivepointsonhowtofindthepositionofkakeganehookedlatchesbytouch

I

Ifadoorisstuckfasttotheverticalframeworkaroundthedoorthenyoushouldbeawarethat theremustbeawakakegane ring latch11ora tsurikakegane12 vertical lintel latch. Ifyoutrytoopenadoorthatissecuredbyawakakeganeringlatch,thennormallyitisstuckfirmly and if you push or poke the latch, you can feel it ‘joggling’ [on the other side].However,evenifyoupushithard,itwillnotcomeoff.

II

Tsurikakeganeorverticallintellatches

If you try to open the door and it rattles then you need to understand deeper issueswhich are passed on by oral transmission. But if the door has a tsurikakegane verticallintel latch, then thedoorwill alwayshave a second supporting [pieceofwood]on theinsideofthedoor’sverticalframe.13

III

Joshi-kakeganeorthelockinglatch

Ifitisthisversionoflatch,thedoorwillnothaveasecondverticalsupportasdescribedaboveandifyoutrytotakethelatchofforunhookit,itwillnotcomeout14andwillholdfast.

IV

Thesenkakegane15hookedlatchonaniaidoorsingle-trackdoor16

Ifyoutrytoopenthedooranditfeelslikeitisconnectedandispullingontheotherdoors

withamarginofmovement,thenitisthislock.

V

Tsurikakeganeorlintellatches

Inthiscase,thedoorwillstickatthetopandhaveaverticallatch,andinmostcasesitwillbearinglatch.

For each of the above points, there is more information to be orally transmitted.However,unlessyoutrythesethingswithyourownhands,youwillnotbeabletomasterthe skills required. There are a number of types of latches and the drawings are notincludedhere.

Eightpointsonhowtounhooklatches

I

Forringlatches,ifthereisagapbetweentheverticalframe[andthedoor],usethespikededge of a toihazushi probing tool to unhook the latch by lifting up the string17 that isconnectedtothewoodenpegwhichislockingitinplace.Ifitdoesnothaveastring,usethereversesideofthetoihazushiprobeanddislodgeitbyhittingthepegfromthebottom.Ifitdoesnotcomeoutbyhittingitorifthepegistooshortanddoesnothaveanyofitslengthprotruding,makinghittingitofnouse,thenpushandpullatitandcutitoffwiththeblade18sectionofthetoolandthentakeitoutbyliftingit,ifyoucan.Withinalloftheabovethreeskills,youshouldtakeoutthepegandthrustforwardtounlockringedlatches.

II

If there isnogapbetween thevertical frameof thedoorand thewall,whichhasa ringlatchattached–oreven if there isagapandyouput the toihazushiprobe into it– it issometimeshardtogettothelatchwiththedoorclosed.Ifitisaniaidooroitate-dotypeofdoor,thenyoushouldusethenobekagiextendablekey19from[theholeyoumake]atthetop,bottom,leftortherightofthedoor.Also,rememberthatthemethodologyforusingthenobekagiextendablekeyisthesameaswiththetoihazushiprobe,buttherearesomeadditionaloralsecretstobeunderstood.

Figure15.

Ifitisanippon-do,thatisasingledooronitsown,usethehamagaricollapsiblesawwithanailattheendasinthedrawingabove[figure15]andremovethewoodenpegwiththe three spikeson the endof this tool.Do this bygoing through anygapbetween the

wall,pillarordoor.Thenremovethenails[holdingthelatchinplace]byforce.

III

Howtounhooklintellatches

Togainentrance,useagapifyoucanfindone,butifthereisnogapbecauseitiscoveredbyanextraboardontheframework,thenyoushouldusethenobekagiextendablekeyonsingle-trackeddoorsoronanoitate-dostyledoor.Putanailononeendofthenobekagiextendablekeyandthenputanothernailintothefirst[makingahookthatyoucangrabwith].Withthisnailhook,strikethebottomofthekakeganelatchfromunderneathsothatitwillcomeout.Ifitisasingledoor,thenusethecollapsiblesawinanygapnexttothewalltoflipthehookedlatchupandout.Alsousingatekagihookwillbefine.Ifthereisasupporting beam on the vertical line [of the door], then it is acceptable sometimes toremoveitbychisel,accordingtothesituationofcourse.

IV

Concerninghooksandeyelatchesonaslidingdoororonvertical liftingshutters: trytoforcethedoorforwardbyjogglingitandthehookmaycomeout.

V

Lintellatch

Usingacollapsiblesaw,toihazushiprobingtoolorahook,reachinthroughanyopeninginthewallabovethedoororbygoingthroughthekamoi,whichistheopenlatticeworkaboveadoor.

VI

Kusari-kakeganeorlatchchainonsingle-trackdoors

Whetherthereisasupportingframeornot,useanobekagiextendablekey.Themethodofitsuseismentionedearlier.

VII

Joshi-kakeganeorlockedlatch

Ifthereisanearthenwallaroundthelock,usethetekagihook.Ifthereisawoodenboard,thenusetheotsubo-giri,whichis thelargerrounddrillandthenusethe tekagihook[toreachin].Orthereisanotherway,whichistoburnthroughtheboardfirst.

VIII

Concerninghooksandeyesonpaperorsilkshojislidingdoors

Unhookthelatchbybreakingorcuttingthroughthe[paperorsilk]ofashojislidingdoororbydividing[thehookandeye]byforce.Oryoucanenterwithoutunhookingthelatchbydividing[thedoors]byforce.20

Theabovearethesecretsonhowtounhooklatchesandopendoors.Furtherdetailsareoraltradition.Donottakethisinformationlightly.Again,ifyouaretaughtbymouthalone

butdonottrytodiscoverwithyourownhands,youwillnotbeabletoachievemasteryinthisart.

Twopointsonhowtodetectdoorbolts21

I

Whenyoutrytoopenadoorsoftlyanditisstuckatthebottom,youshouldbeawaretheremustbeaboltinplace.Ifthereisabolt,itwillrattleatthebottomwhenyoutrytoopenit.Especiallyifthereisaholeforabolttofitinto,youshouldknowthis.

II

Usuallyboltsareexactlyhalfwayacrossanydoor.Oneintenareattheleadingedgeofaslidingdoororoccasionallyyoumayfindoneattheoppositeend.Therefore,checkwhereitrattlesandisstuck,asthatiswheretheboltissituated.Therearethreetypesofholesforthesebolts to fit in.Thefirstone is in thegrooveof the threshold, thesecond ison thehighertrackjustabovethegrooveofthethreshold,andthethirdisaholewhichreachesbelowthethreshold.

Threepointsonhowtounlockbolts

I

Toliftupabolt,forceachiselbetweenthethresholdandthedoorandtrytoliftuptheboltshaftrepeatedly.Ifyouperformthisaction,uptotentimesatmost,mostboltswillcomeoutnomatterhowdeeptheholeis–evenifitisthethirdtypeofholedescribedabove.Remember to do this exactlywhere the bolt is and to know its position, be it halfwayacross,on the leftoron the right. Ifyou try to lift theboltupat adifferentpoint fromwheretheboltactuallyis, thenitwillnotcomeout.Generallyalockat thenon-leadingedgeof a slidingdoor is hard to takeout.Abolt on adoorwhere thebolt fits into theuppergrooveofthedoorframeandaboltthathasastopperonthedoorwhenitisinthelockedpositionishardtobypass.Itissometimesthecasethatawoodenlengthisplacedin the upper groove of the door frame; this is done so that the door cannot be liftedupwards.Thistypeishardtoopenbytheabovemethod–thatis,byliftingtheboltwithachisellittlebylittle.

II

Ifaboltistoohardtoopenwiththeabovetechniques,orifitwouldmaketoomuchnoiseto do so, use the collapsible saw. You should put the spiked edge of the tool into thekeyhole ,ifany,andcutthroughtheboltwhichisattachedtoavertical-liftingwindowshutter.Ifthereisnokeyhole,attachanailorneedletotheendandputitthroughthewallon either side of the bolt and push it in deep enough to hook the bolt. Then use theattachednailtoliftuptheboltsothatyoucanreleaseit.

III

Mostboltsarepositionedexactlyinthecentreofthedoorandatanequaldistancefrom

bothedges.Ifyoutestthisinvariouswaysanddiscoverthattheboltissomewherearoundthemiddleof thedoor, thenyoushouldtakethemeasurementof theentirewidthof thedoorbyusingsomethinglong,suchasapieceofstraworstring,andfolditintwo–thisway,youcanmeasureexactlywherethecentreis.Thenextstepafterfindingthiscentrespotistomeasureoneshakuupfromthebottomandthendrill–atanypointalongthatline–throughthedoorwithaspeardrillandlifttheboltwithforce,utilizingtheleverageof the drill; this is done so that the boltwill come out and the doorwill open. It goeswithoutsayingthatyoucanuseakotsubogirismallrounddrillonthebasepartofthedoorsothattheboltwillcomeoff.

Furtherdetailsaresecret.Youshouldlearnalloftheabovebytryingitforyourselfandexerciseyouringenuity.

Twopointsonhowtoknowifthereisasenwoodenpeginthelatch

I

You should be aware that most push-up shutters or hinged doors have a wooden peginsertedintothelatch.Adoorwithapegcannotbeopenedifyoutrytoliftthelatchupandanditwillnotfeellooseifyoutrytomoveitforward.Ifyoutrytomoveitforwardbitbybit,itwillnotmakeanysoundatall,orifitdoesmakesomenoiseitwillmakeasoftsoundthatonlywoodmakes.

II

Somepush-upshutters,hingeddoorsorevenverticallintellatchesorlockedringlatcheshavethispeg.Ifyoupushashutterthathasaverticallintellatchforwardsyouwillnoticethatyouwillfeelaslightmarginofmovementandifyoupushahingeddoorthenitwillslightlybend.Thosewithringlatcheswillrattlewhenyougentlypushthedoorinwards.Althoughgenerallymostof theabovedonotmakemuchsound, thosewithring latchesmakeacomparativelyloudnoise,whilethosewithverticallintellatchesarecomparativelylowinvolume.

Foreachoftheabovethereareoraltraditions.Againyouwillnotmasterorknowthesubtletieswithoutpractisingitforyourself.

Twopointsonhowtoreleaseasen22woodenpeg

I

Toremoveawoodenpegfromaverticalpush-upshutterorfromahingeddoor,ifthereisagapalongtheverticalframeworktakeoutthepegwithashortswordorknife,orwiththespeardrillandsoon.Ifthereisnogap,youshouldgentlyrattlethedoorlittlebylittleanditwillsometimescomeoff.

II

Iftheabovedoesnotwork,makethreeorfourholesinalineonadoorwithaspeardrillthenpull thepegoutbyforcewiththedrill.Thereismoreoral transmissionhere.Also,youcanusealargerounddrilltodothesamething.

Furtherdetailsaretobeorallytransmittedfortheabove.

Six23pointsonhowtoidentifyjoshipadlocks24[andtheirworkings]

I

Therearefivetypesofpadlock

1.Theebijoshiorshrimppadlock

2.Themimitsukijoshiortowerpadlock

3.Thehinerijoshiortwist-keypadlock

4.Thesejoshiorrear-slidingkeypadlock

5.Thehikidashijoshiorguided25-keypadlock

Therearealsofivewaystounlockthem.Althoughtherearevariouswaystoopenthemthroughthekeyhole,thetricksforopeningthehaneinternalprongsaredividedintofiveversions, according towhether there areone, two, four, sixor eightprongs.26There aresome small variations between them, but you should focus on learning these five basicwaysandusingthemwithoutmistakesandnotgetboggeddownorbecomeconfusedwithextrainformation.

II

Theshrimppadlockisnormallybuiltintotheexternalparts[ofthelockingstructure]andin thisdrawingbelow [figure16]youcan see that it hasno tower sectionon theupperpart.Theprongwillhavea squarenodalbuiltonto theend [so that it can lock into theinternals27].

Thisstyleofpadlockiscalledtheshrimppadlockandisusedinmostcasesforlargerpadlocks,(figuresoverleaf).

Figure16.Ifitisafour-prongedpadlockthenthemainchamberofthelockisverythinandthekeyholewillbelikeoneoftheimagesright[figures:17–19].

Figure17.Thekeysthatareneededforthelefttwokeyholescanbeseeninthetwofollowingimages[figures18.and19.]

Figure18.[Thisisforthebottomkeyhole.]

Figure19.[Thisisforthetopkeyhole.]

Figures16–19

Theinternalprongs28[ofthislock]arenormallyinsetsoffour,29butsometimestheycancomeinsetsofsixoreight.Ifitisafour-prongedpadlockthenthemainchamberofthelockisverythinandthekeyholewillbelikeoneoftheimagesleft30[figures17–19].31

Inthecaseofasix-prongedversion,thechamberisalittlethickerthanitwasinthecaseofthefour-prongedversionandhasthefollowingkeyhole[figure20].

Forsuchapadlock, there isan internalprongcalledaharibaneorneedleprong.Thekeyholeisalittledifferentbutthebasictrickofopeningisthesame.

Figure20.

Figure21.

If themainbodyof thepadlockisdiamondshaped, thekeyholewillbe like this[figure21].

It is rarely thecase that thisabovekeyhole isfora typeofpadlockthat issmall [and

mostwillbelarge].

Also,shrimppadlocksforlargegatescanbebuiltintothelargewoodengatebar.32Thiswillbeafour-prongedversionandtheprongswillbesquareinshape.Theshrimppadlockonthisdefensivebeam[anditskey]looklikefigure22.

III

Towerpadlocks33havetwo‘tower’fittingsbuiltontothetopofthemainbodyofthelock.Thistypeofpadlockcanalsobefour,sixoreight-pronged.Inthecaseofafour-prongedversion,34 it should be opened like this [and also here are examples of the keyholes;[figures23–24].

Inthecaseofasix-prongedversion,thekeyholewilllooklikethefollowingimage[figure25].

Inthecaseofaneight-prongedversionitisthus[figure26].

If the lock is thin, flat and square [or rectangular], then it is the same as the abovementionedfortheebijoshiorshrimppadlock.

Figure22.

Figure23.

Figure24.

Figure25.

Figure26.

IV

Twist-keypadlockshaveakeyholeontheflatsideofthemainlock.Nomatterhowmanyvariations of this padlock there are, it always has only two prongs in the internalmechanism. The twist-key padlocks for letterboxes and ink-stone boxes are the sameinternallyandshouldbeopenedinatwistingfashion[figure27].35

V

Thesejoshiortherear-slidingkeypadlockhasalongkeyholeontherear36ofthemainbody[andthekeyslidesovertheprongstoopenthelock].Itcanbefouroreightpronged,butthewaytoopenitisthealwaysthesame[figure28].37

VI

Theguided-keypadlockalwayshasaone-prongedkey.Thekeyhole issmallandroundandalwaysfoundontheoppositeendtoalltheotherlocks[figure29].38

The above information on internal lockmechanisms is based on observing the externalcasingandthekeyholeofthepadlock.Althoughthereareothervariationsfortheinternalprongsandworkings,therearenotmanyvariablesoutsideoftheabovefiveprinciples,nomatterhowmanypadlocksthereare.Alwaysobservethekeyholecarefully;thisissoyouwill know the internal workings. Even if a padlock looks like it has a completelyunfamiliarformyouwillstillknowtheworkingsoftheinsideofthelock.

Eightpointsonhowtoopenvariouspadlocks

I

Toopentheshrimppadlockuse[theskillof]ichibyoshi‘singlerhythm’oritcanalsobedonewithatoothpick.Thereareoralsecretsforhowthelockinternalsaremadeandtheirtypology.

Figure27.

Figure28.

Figure29.

Although a shrimp padlock on a gate can usually be opened with the abovetechniques,39ifyoucannotunlockityoucanopenitwithatoothpickorsliverofwoodorbamboo.

II

Tsukibirakijoshiorthethrust-and-openpadlocks–includingtheshrimplock–areopenedwiththeskillofwatagaminuki40orthe‘pullingout’41motion.Accordingtohowlargethepadlock is or how strong the prongs are, you should vary the strengthwithwhich youprobethelock.

III

Thrust-and-open forms of padlock, inmost cases, should be openedwith a kikominuki,whichisalongwoodenshim.Knowledgeonthemethodologyisrequired.

IV

[Youcanalso]openathrust-and-openlockbymakingakeyonthespot–thatisprepare‘pig’ironortin[textmissing]toformatemporarykey.42

V

Twist padlocks should be opened by prising off a kikuza chrysanthemum-shaped metalnailcover43 [and then removing the nail from thewood]. Then use the nail to pick the

lock.44

VI

Forarear-slidingorshrimppadlock,nipofftheneckofthekagiire45withapairofpliersandthentakeitoffbyforcewithachiselandopenthelockwithbamboo.

VII

Generally, locks with internals of six prongs46 have variations or multiple types ofkeyholes.Suchkeyholesshouldbeopenedbyforcewithachisel,47pliersandsoon;thenuse the art ofwatagaminuki,which is ‘drawing out’, or usewooden shims to open theprongs[andthelock].

VIII

If the lockmechanismsarewide and the internalprongsof thepadlockwill not retractfromtheirlockingpositionswithinthecasingandarestuck,thenputachiselintothegapofthehandholdofthepadlockandpushitforwards.Doingthiswithapairofplierswillsuffice.

Furtherdetailsaresecret.Youshouldnottakealloftheabovetoolightly.Youshouldpractise theseskillsbyyourselfafterbeingtaughtbymouthsoyouwillbeable todoitwithasmoothmind.

Twosecretpointsonhowtoopenvariouspadlocks

I

Useanirontoothpicktoopenarear-sliding,twistorthrust-and-openpadlockwhenspeedisneeded.Therearemoreoraltraditionstobepassedonhere.

Supplementary to the above: the pick should be very thin for a twist padlock that isfoundsecuringakakesuzuribunko,whichisaboxforstoringwritingmaterials.

II

Generally,thekeyusedtoopenathrust-and-openortwistpadlockhasasinglechannelifthe internal mechanism is two-pronged and has a double channel48 if the internalmechanismisfour-pronged.

Therearemoredetails tobeorally transmittedforeachof theabovepointsand thesetogetherarethedeepestessenceforopeningpadlocks.Withthosetoolsmentionedabove,there isnopadlockthatyoucannotopen.However, thisalldependsonhowskilledyouare,thereforeyoushouldalwaysgethands-onpractice.

1Asmallstickofwoodthelengthofthewidthofthedoor.AsthedoorsslideinJapantheyplacethestickbetweenthedoorpostandthesideofthedoor,actingasablockagewhichstopsthedoorsfromopening;thesearestillusedtoday.

2Knownaskuroroortoboso,theyaresimilartothemoderndoorboltandareboltedintothethresholdordoorframe.

3Smallwoodenorbamboopegsthatarewedgedbetweentheringandthehookofalatchsothatthelatchwillbecomelockedtight.

4ThisskillappearsintheShinobiHidenmanualandistheartoftwistingflossfromplantlifeontodoororgatehingestoextracttheoiltouseasalubricant.

5Thisappearstobetwosectionsofwoodthatformacross‘X’andareplacedbetweentheslidingdoorandthedoorframe.Also,theymaybetallandfitinthespaceofthedoorortheymaybesquatandthe‘X’mayfitacrossthebandofthedoorway;thelatterismostlikelycorrect.

6Anunknowntypeofdoor.

7Sometimesknownastoigaki;however,analysisoftheideogramwithinthewholeofthetextleadstotheabovereading.

8Seetheimageinvolumetwenty.

9MusomadoisaformofwindowandcouldbewhatFujibayashiisreferencinghere.

10Refertotheimageinvolumetwenty.

11Insteadofaswinginghookedlatchthatgoesintoaring,aswiththestandardmodel,thisappearstobeabarwitharingendthatfitsontoafixedhook.

12Alatchthatgoesfromlinteltodoororalatchthatgoesfromawindowledgetothewindowframebutnotoneitheroftheverticalsidesoftheopening.Inessence,itisaverticalhookinglockthatattachesatthetoporbottomofadoor.

13Japanesedoorshaveasolidedgeallround,hereitmeanstherewillbeasecondstrongbeamdirectlynexttotheedgeofthedoor.

14Mostlikelythisisawoodenpeginthelatchtosecureit.

15Astandardhookedlatch.

16Aformofexternaldoorwherealltheslidingdoorsareonthesametrack.

17Thesenpegisasmallpegthatisjammedintotheringofthelatchtofixitinplace;thestringisattachedsothatthepegisnotlostduringthedaytimewhenthewindowisopen,andsimplyhangsbythewindowduringtheday.Therefore,whenthepegisinthestringdroopsdowninaloopandifaninjapushesthisupwards,thepegwillspringoutandthelatchcanthenbeopened.

18Thistoolappearsasanimageinthetoolschapter,ithasasmallbladeattachednearthehandle.

19Thisisathinironrodusedtohooklatches.

20Fujibayashiappearstorepeathimself;however,thefirstpointcouldmeandividethelatchfromitseyeandthesecondcouldmeandividethedoors.

21Akuroroisasimpleboltthatisfixedtoadoorandboltsintoaholeintheframeworkorfloor,aswithmodernbolts.Thisstopsthedoorfromslidingopenor,ifitisonhinges,fromswingingopen.Thenameofthekurorokagetoolcomesfromthisandtranslatesas‘latchkey’.

22Theideogramusedis ,whichnormallymeans‘drill’or‘spike’.However,atthispointthetextstates‘sen’inphoneticsnexttotheideogram,meaning‘peg’.

23Theoriginalsayssixteen.

24Seeintroduction.

25Toguide,tug,draworpull.

26Fujibayashihereissayingthatpadlocksareclassifiedaccordingtothenumberofinternalprongstheyhave.Theseprongsneedtobemanipulatedtoopenthepadlock.

27Thispointishighlyambiguous,andthissentenceshouldbetakenasareconstruction.

28Thetextnamestheseas‘feathers’or‘wings’.Inrealitythesearethinmetalprongsthatareconnectedtothecentralshaftandformthemainlockingmechanism.Asthetwosectionsofthelockareclosedtogether,theseprongstrytospringoutwards.Astheyapproachthedeepestpartoftheinternalchamberofthelocktheyspringintosmallcutoutsandthusbecome‘hooked’.Thisishowthelockworksatabasiclevel.Thekeysimplyfollowsthesamepathwayastheprongsandforcestheminwards,whichunlocksthepadlock.

29Thesesetsarethenumberofprongsthatthelockhasinitsinternalmechanism.Ifitisfourpronged,thenfourindividualprongsspringoutwardsandfallintofourseparatecutouts.Thesamegoesfortheothervariations.

30ThepointFujibayashiismakinghereisthataninjacouldtelltheinternalmake-upofalockbylookingatthe

keyhole.Thetwoimagesinquestionherearesideviewsofapadlock,assomepadlocksofthetimehadtheirkeyholesontheside.

31Thiskeydoesnotappeartohavethecorrectprofileforthelock.However,differentversionsoftheBansenshukaishowthiskeyholeasthinandflat,ashapethatmatchesthekey.Therefore,itmustbeconcludedthatthisisatranscriptionerrorinthedrawing.

32Thisisthelargewoodenbarthatslidesacrossmedievalgatestobarthemshut.The‘shrimp-like’armofthelockclosesoversecuredfittingsandthebarislockedinplace.Thisformoflockcanstillbeseenonsomecastlegates.

33Literally‘earpadlock’;however,inEnglishitismoreappropriatetonamethese‘tower’afterthetower-likefixtures.AscanbeseeninFujibayashi’sillustration,therearetowersatthetopofthelocksothatthelockingbarcanslidethroughandintoplace.

34Thisfirstimage(figure23)isarelativelypoorillustrationoftheinnerworkings;however,itservestodisplaytheprongs,whicharementionedfrequentlyinthischapter.Thearrowshapeontherightrepresentstheseprongs,andwheninsertedtheprongstrytoforcethemselvesoutwards,whichresultsinthemcatchingandcreatingthelock.

35ThelocklookssimilartoaWesternlock:however,itusesexactlythesameinternalprong-and-catchsystemastherest.Theonlydifferencehereisthatthekeyisangledandrequiresatwistmotiontoopenthelockinsteadofthestandardside-entrymethod.

36Possiblyunderneath.

37Thepointhereisthatthelock,eventhoughthekeyholeisonthebackofthemainbody,stillopensoutinthesamemotion,asillustratedinthedrawing(figure28).

38Japanesekeysenterfromthesamesidethattheprongsenter,sothekeycanmovetheprongstogether;inthecaseoftheguided-keypadlock,thekeyentersfromtheoppositeside.

39Todothistheshinobimustbeontheinnersideofthegate,meaninghehasalreadygotintotheenemyhouseorcastleanddoesnotneedtoopenthelockforhimself.Therefore,hemustbedoingthisforotherstofollow.

40Watagamiistheshoulderpartsofarmourconnectedtothebreastplatewithstraps,oritcanalsomeanthehaironthebackofyourhead.

41Thisappearstobeaskillwhere,oncepressureisappliedtotheinternalprongs,aninjawouldneedtoapplyamotiontothelockingbar(theslidingbar)inordertocoaxtheinternalmechanismoutoftheexternalchamber.

42Theconcepthereisthatonceyouhaveidentifiedtheinternalworkingsfromobservingthekeyhole,youcanprepareamakeshiftkeytofitthepattern.

43Thisisaformofwashershapedintoaflowerthatisfixedtothedoorandactsasanail-headcover.

44ItappearsthatFujibayashiissayingthislockandthesecoversareoftenfoundtogether,thusyoucaneasilyfindatemporarylockpick.

45Literally,‘keyenter’;however,keyholeisoftenwrittenaskagianainthismanual.

46Thisusesadifferenttermandmaynotbeprong.

47Thisistowidentheholeinordertoaccesstheinternalsystem.

48Each‘U’-shapedchannelpushestogethertwoprongs.

VOLUMEFIFTEEN

In-ninVHiddenInfiltrationV

Shinobinightattacks

Thenightraidisamilitarytactictodefeatalargenumberwithaninferiorforce.Thisisespecially trueofashinobinight raid,1whichcandramaticallydefeata largearmywiththesmallestofnumbers.IntheperiodofIga[thatiswhenitwasself-governing]theyusedtospecialize in this formofwarfare.Thearrangements for this formofwarfaresuchasorganizationandtheallottingofdutyassignmentsaresimilartothoseforadaytimebattle.Therefore,thosewhowanttolearnthewayofnightattacksshouldfirstlearn,infull,howtoorganize,divideorallotjobstotheirmen.

TwopointsonmonomiscoutingI

Beforeyoudepart for anight attack, you should send shinobi to closely investigate theenemysituationandthenconstructyourplansbasedonthisinformation.Sometimestheyshouldstaytherewithinacastleorcampandcommunicatethesituationbacktoyoursidewithvarioussignals,whichshouldbearrangedbeforehand.Thedetailsforsignalfiresaretobeorallytransmitted.

II

It is essential to send shinobi to investigate the topography of the area, how denselypopulated2theenemyarmyisorthestatusofitscamp,andtosharethisinformationandgiveinstructionsaccordingly.Oraltraditionsfollow.

Aninjapoemsays:

Forsuccessonanightattack,sendshinobiinadvancetoknowthedetailsoftheenemy’spositionbeforeyougiveyourorders.

Fourpointsontheoutfittobewornonnightraids

I

Donotwearawhitekosodejacket,3thereasonwhyistobeorallytransmitted.Onsecret

attackswearablackfutae,whichisadouble-layeredblacktop.

II

Donotcarryasashimonowarrior’sbannerandwearnoarmourbutonlyasetofkikomi,whichisasleevedchain-mailshirt.

III

Kasajirushihelmetmarks

Putastripofwhitesilkofthelengthofoneshakuandtwosunonthebackofyourhelmet.However,itshouldbechangedeachtime.

IV

Ifyouhavetotravelalongdistanceandneedtogobyhorseback,performwariguchi4andtiethebit.Supplementarytothis:avoidcream-tinted,dapple-grey,plain5greyorcremellohorses.Detailsareorallytransmitted.

SevenpointsontheinstructionstobegivenduringanightattackI

Passwords

Takeupsuchpasswordsso thateven lowerpeoplecaneasilyremember themand teachthem.Forexample,moon,sun,star,water,wave,door,shojislidingdoor,etc.

Supplementarytothis:sometimes,asetofsignssuchaspinchingthenoseorholdingtheearshouldbeusedwiththesepasswords.

II

Passwords should be changed at the beginning of a raid andwhen change is required.Remembertocheckthatyourmencansaythemcorrectly.

III

Youshouldtellyourmenthatiftheykillanenemytheyshouldnotcutoffandclaimtheheadbutjustleavethebodyasitwaswhentheykilledhim.Supplementarytothis:carryasmall wood tag with your name and leave it where you have been. This is the sameconceptaswhenyouputidentifyingmarksonarrows.

IV

You should tell yourmen that when your teamwithdraws they should bring back any[enemy]weaponsthathavefallenonthefield.

V

Youshouldtellyourmenthat,eveniftheyareinswordcombatwiththeenemy,theymuststrictly withdraw at the first opportunity upon hearing the signal and that they shouldretreat.Moreoraltraditions.

Amartialpoemsays:

Nightattacksshouldnotbeperformedsluggishly.Theyshouldbedoneasquicklyasamurasamepassingrainshower.

VI

Forashinobinightattack,youshouldnotcarryapike,butanyweaponyoucanusewithskill.Ifyoudocarryapike,youshouldfightbysweepinghorizontallyandhittheenemy,thenwithdrawitandstabinastraightline.

Amartialpoemsays:

Fornightattacks,pikesshouldnotbeused.Usetachiandlongswordsandbowsandarrows.

VII

Onashinobinightattack,donotmakethewarcryof‘Ei!Ei!’6Therearemoretraditionshere.

FromNoma’smartialpoems:

Whencapturingacastlebyshinobi-stealthandconductinganightattack,itisamistaketoraiseashoutofvictorytooearly.

Fourpointsonthetacticstobeusedbeforeanightattack

I

Buildafortificationonaborder,havefaithfulsoldiersunderagoodformationcommander(samurai-daisho) and when the enemy commences an attack, conduct a counter nightattackuponthem.

II

The following is not an established way – after pretending to withdraw you shouldconductanightattack.Also,koyakamariorambushesfromahutaremeantforthesamepurposeasabove.Also,thereisanotherway,whichistheartofsettingfiretoabuildingandretreating.

OneofKato’smartialpoemssays:

Ifyouadvanceontheenemy,youshouldrepeatwithdrawingandbeatinginvariouswaysduringthedaytimeandfinishoffwhendarknessfalls.

III

Duringthedaybeforeyouintendtoconductanightattack,youshouldkeepthosetroopsforthenightassaultintherearoreveninthereservetroopssothattheywillnothavehadtoworkhardallthroughtheday.

IV

Deceptivenightattacks

While securing the guard for your own castle or camp and laying fushikamari ambushtroopsatseveralappropriatepoints,youshouldconductnightattackswithasmallnumberandwithdrawlightly,expectingthattheenemywillfollowyouandinfiltrateyourtroops.If they do take the bait, you should then lure them to a nansho or difficult section ofterrainortoasessho,whichisadangerousplace,anddefeatthembyenvelopingthemonall sides.This isnot a regularmethod, so ifyouhaveonly smatteringknowledge,yourmenwill be in confusionwhenwithdrawing.Sometimesyouwill conductnight attacksagainst theenemyvanguardasmanyas three timesanight; if so,youshoulduse freshtroopseachtime.

Fourpointsontheappropriatetimeforanightattack

I

Concerningthenightthatyouinfiltrateyourshinobiwithintheenemyside

This is called the kaeshiuchi or turn-back attack. The shinobi should use the ireko-hiadjustablelanternorthehikyakubeaconfires.Inthecaseofacastleraid,youshouldhavetheteamcarrylotsoftools,suchascloudladders,spiderladders,floatingbridges,etc.

Thisway[yournormalforces]canapproachthetargetbyunexpectedlycoveringdoubletheusualdistancebypushingthemsothattheycanattackwhentheenemyleastexpectsorisleastprepared.

Theartofhikyaku-bisignalbaconsistoputoneortwolanternsortorchesonthetopsof high mountains on the route to the enemy castle. The infiltrator who gets into theenemy castle will then send a message with the ireko-hi signal tool to the nearestmountain-topbeacon, then [the operator of] that beacon relays the signal by raisinghistorchtothenextbeacononthenextmountaintop.Inthiswayamessagecanbeconveyedten ri or even twenty ri in a very short time – thus it is called hikyaku-bi or expressmessengerfire.Moreoraltraditions.

II

Youshouldattackonanightofheavywindandrain.Oraltradition.Also,attackonaveryquietnight,whentheenemyleastexpectsit.

III

Attackonthefirsttothethirddayafteryourfirstsightingofeachother.

IV

Youshouldattackamassiveenemyarmywhenitiswornoutandtired,suchaswhenithastravelledacrossadangerousplaceorhasbeeninabattlecampforaprolongedperiod.

Eighteenpointsonthewaysofshinobinightattacks

I

Whetherthetargetisacastleoramilitarycamp,putshinobiinsidebeforeyoucommenceanight attack. Ifyoucannotgetshinobi inbeforehand, sendandposition shinobi in anarea of difficult and naturally fortified terrain and then attack in a large number fromeasierterrain[thiswillgivetheshinobithegapheneeds].

II

Attackheavily,retreatsmoothly.

III

Youshouldusereservetroops.

IV

Use iccho-ikka,whichare ‘onecho,onefire’ relaysignals.Reserve troops, lanternsandtorches.7

V

Thewayofmusketshooting.

VI

Howandwhentomakeyourwarcriesandraisetheminaccord.

VII

Theartofshinobihorses.8

VIII

The formation of one troop to the front and the second troop to the rear of the enemy.Supplementarytotheabove:usethemawashi-zonaeortheformationofsurroundingtheenemy.

IX

Tousealargenumberoffiredrums.9

X

Theuseof‘firehair’10inaccordancewiththesituation.

XI

Arrangeforameetingplacewhereyourmencangatherafterdefeatingtheenemy.

XII

Whenwithdrawing,usetheokunomorihousekeeper.11

XIII

There are various ways12 to detect the enemy agents who infiltrate your force after awithdrawal.

XIV

Usethemethodofsuccessiveattacks.Supplementarytothis:leaveonemanfromthefirstraidintheenemycamptosetfires[withintheenemyduringyournextraid].

XV

Anightattackistobefollowedbyanearlymorningattack.

XVI

You should understand the formations ofmen and troops. Supplementary to this: knowhowtohavethemshootmusketsorhowtoplanaraid.

XVII

Remembertohaveasmanymenaspossibletothrowhandgrenadesandfireweapons.

XVIII

Whenasmallnumberisdefendingalargecastle,mountastealthraidfromthedirectionofanaturallyfortifiedarea.Taketiedladders,tsuribashigohookedladders,spiderladders,etc.

Furtherdetailsforeachoftheaboveshouldbeorallytransmitted.

Thesepoints above areoutlinesof how to conduct shinobi night attacks.There are afew differences between attacking a castle and a camp that you should keep in mind.Therefore,therearedeepsecretstobeorallytransmitted.

Nightattacks, ifdonewithpropermeasures–even if theyareknownto theenemy–will result inbenefits foryourside.Youshouldalwaysmake tightarrangementsamongyourselves for the methods, the assemblage and the ending, with extra caution at themomentbeforeyouattack.Youshouldnotletanyothersamuraiknowthearrangementsfornightattacksnomatterhowcloseheis,unlessyouarefullysureofhisdeterminationandsingle-mindedness;thiswaytheattackwillbetotallyunexpected.

Twelvepointsonthegandoburglarraid

I

Sendmeakashiscoutsbeforehandtoobservetheenemyground,houses,roadsoranythingelseneededandhavetightarrangementsamongyouforextrasecurity.

II

Thinkdeeplyofthedirection[ofadvance],takingnoteofthefollowingfourpoints:stars,mountains,windandfire.Alsohaveanestimationofthetimesoftherisingandsettingofthemoon.

Supplementarytothis:shakuhachi13flutesandsuchshouldbeusedattimes;moreoraltraditions.

III

Atthetimeoftheattack,sendmeakashiscouts,dog-scouts14etc.,toseehowmanypeoplethere are in the enemy and if they are asleep or not.Meakashi scouts should carry anireko-hi adjustable lantern or gando chochin lantern or similar to look inside enemyplaces.Iftheydonothaveoneandhavetolookinsidewithanormaltorch,thentheywillbeilluminatedduetothetorchlightthatitemanates.Detailsanddrawingsfortheireko-hiadjustablelanternandgandochochinlanternaregiveninalaterchapter.

IV

Foreachdoorattherearofthetargetbuilding,placeahiddenattacker,orfixadrillandsealthedoors,orstretcharopeacrossthedoorwayorscattercaltropsoutside.

Supplementarytotheabove:hiddenattackers,whenwaitingfortheenemytocomeout,shouldnotstaytooclosetothedoorbutbeatadistanceoffourorfiveshakufromthem.Iftheygettooclosetothedoor,theymightmisstheirchancetostrikethetarget.

V

Of‘bigdogs’,‘smalldogs’15andhowtoopenthedoors

VI

Koshifireperformers

Lightyourtorinoko [straw]‘fireeggs’withadonohi fire lighter,atadistanceofoneortwo cho from the target area.When you are in front of the door, place twelve torchesunderyourarmsinabundleandwiththeendstogether,lightthemwiththetorinoko‘fireeggs’andblowuponthemsothattheywillignite.

VII

Hizoefireassistants

[Thefireassistant]shouldstandontherightsideofthefireperformerandthrowsixofthetorchesfromundertheperformer’srightarmwhiletheperformerhimselfthrowsthesixunderhisleftarm.16

Although theabove is thewaypasseddownfromancient times, inourschoolof thismodern day, torches with powder should be used and two or three forward membersshouldrushintothebuildingwiththesetorchestiedontotheirspears.

VIII

Dozeiorthemaincombatants

Lightweightspears,bows,swordsandsoonareappropriatetobecarried.Donotcarryalongspearbecauseiftheremustbeclosefightinginabuildingtheywillnotbesuitable.

IX

Hariwatchmen

Theywatchfortheenemycomingfromoutsideandinformthoseinsideofanychangeinsituation,or theydefendagainst the enemy from theoutside.Therefore, they shouldbeplaced at the mouth of every route. In shinobi attacks you should also have them.Although you should choose courageous and cool-minded people for every job, it isparticularlyimportantthatyourwatchmenbecalmandpatientpeople.Ifyouchoosethewrong person as a watchman, it will have devastating effects. If you chose the wrongperson,thefollowingwillhappen:

•Ifyouhavesneakedintoaplaceandyetdonotcomeoutverysoon,hewillnotwaitforyouandwillwanderfromhispost.

•Ifyouneedtofleefromtheinside[ofacompound]inhaste,hemaypanicandfightagainstyoumistakenly.

•Ifyouarepushedbackandhavetowithdraw,hewillrunawayasfastashecanwithoutpayingheedtoeitherenemyorallies.

•Ifpeoplecomefromtheoutside,hewillnotinformthoseinsideordefendagainstthem[butinsteadwillflee].

•Ifyouhavesuchamanasawatchman,itwillbeextremelydamagingtoyourraid.Therefore,watchmenshouldbeselectedverycarefullyindeed.

Question:Nowitisunderstoodthatwatchmenshouldbeselectedwithspecialcare,canweusethosewhoarerestlessandimpatientforotherjobsinstead?

Answer:Itgoeswithoutsayingthatproperselectionisthesameformeakashiscouts,oinu‘bigdogs’andkoinu‘smalldogs’,fireperformers,fireassistantsandothersuchjobs,butonlywatchmenarementionedspecially,becauseaswatchmenstayoutside,peopleofthisworldthinkthatitisaneasyjobanddonotselectpeoplecarefullybutuseevencowards,withoutduecareandattention,whichoftenendsinacatastrophe.Therefore,Ihavegivenemphasisonwatchmenhere.

X

Dependinghowlargetheenemynumberis,youshoulduseambushes.

XI

Make arrangements beforehand for a meeting point in the event that you becomescattered.Supplementary to the above: use signals such as ireko-ju signals, arrows, firearrows,etc.

XII

Scattercaltropsandputhyakurai-jufire-crackerdiversionsinplace.

Therearemoreoraltraditionsforeachoftheabove.

TwentypointsoncapturingpeopleAlthoughcapturingpeopleisnotaprimaryjobofshinobi,everyashigarushinobiisengagedinthistaskthesedays.Thosewhohavestudiedinourschoolshouldnotservefor this task. If you are employed only for this job, know that it is totally outside thetraditionsofour school.17However, itmaybe appropriate for you to capture people onoccasionwhenneeded,eventhoughyouarenotfullyretainedforthistaskalone.Forthisreason alone I write about this subject here. However, as it is not the main path, youshouldnotconsiderorpursuethedetailstoomuch.Peopleoffuturegenerationsshouldbemadefullyawareofthispoint.

I

Sixthingsyoushouldknowbeforehand

Youshouldconsiderthesesixpoints:socialstanding,thenumberofpeopletocapture,therelationshipsbetweenthegroup,theplacetheyaresituated,thegravityofthecrimeandtheweaponsthattheycarry.

1.Differentskillsshouldbeusedforsamuraifromthoseskillsusedonlowerpeople.Samurai,whentimepassesby,usuallyincreaseinstrengthandresolve,thereforeitisbesttomakeyourmovetodefeatthemassoonaspossible.Thereasoningbehindthisisthesameasattackingacastlequicklywhiletheenemyisnotfullyprepared.Incontrast,theenergyoflowerpeoplewilldwindleanddwindleastimepassesby,asnormallytheyonlyhaveblinddaringatthestart.Therefore,takeyourtimeconstructingyourplantocapturethem.

2.Thenumberofpeople[tocapture]willdetermineyourpreparation.Ifonlyoneortwopeopleareholedupsomewhere,youshouldstormintheretokillorcapturethem;however,itdoesdependonwhoispresentwithin.Iftheyaremorethantwoinnumber,youshouldhaveaplantobringapersonwhohascausedmediumorlesseroffenceontoyourside[andhavethembetraytheircomrades].Iftheplandoesnotwork,havethesamemindsetasattackingacastle.

3.Ifthoseholedupareanumberofpeople,theskillstobeusedshouldbevariedaccordingtowhethertheyarefromthesamefamilyornot.Iftheyare,youshouldmakeaplanassumingtheyareinaccord.Iftheyhavenobloodrelationsbetweenthem,youshouldmakeaplantodividethemorgetthemtobetrayeachother.Thisisalmostthesameskillasforthosewhohavecommittedmediumorlesseroffences.

4.Theskillstobeusedshouldbechangedaccordingtoexactlywheretheyare,suchasiftheyareonthegroundfloororthefirstfloor,18whatfortificationstheyhavebuilt,etc.Iftheyareonthefirstfloor,thenyoushouldselectthetacticof‘oneteamfromthefront,theotherteamfromtherear’,andshouldusealaddertoascendtothefirstfloor.However,ifalargenumberiscontainedwithin,youshouldfollowthesameprinciplesaswhenattackingacastle.Also,puttingapanontheheadmaybeusefulattimes.19

5.Yourtacticsshouldvaryaccordingtothegravityoftheoffences[ofthosetobecaptured].Evenifthereareanumberofthem,youshouldconsidercloselywhatkindofcrimeeachoneisblamedfor.Persuadethosewhohavecommittedlesseroffencesthatsomecircumstancesmaybetakenintoconsideration.Forthosewhohavecommittedmajoroffences,youshouldnottellthemtheirlifemaybesavedoranythinglikethatbutthattheyshoulddieproperlyassamuraishould.Ifthereisamixtureofmajorandminoroffenders,thesametacticsshouldbeadoptedasforagroupofpeoplenotfromthesamefamilywhohavenobloodties.

6.Accordingtowhatweaponstheyhave,youshouldbepreparedwithdifferentthings.Iftheyarearmedwithprojectileweapons,youshouldprotectyourselfwithashieldorbundledbamboo,orevenakoromoclothshield.Alsomakingashieldoftatamifloormatswilldo.

Theabovesixpointsshouldbeconsideredwhenyoudecidewhatskillstouse.

Aswell as this, you should have different plans and skills according to the situationpresentedtoyou.

II

Putsomeonewhohascommittedmurderintotheenemygroup20

III

Buildemotionalrapportwithinthemandcapturethem.

The above two are measures to be taken when you knowwhat the members of theenemygroupareaccusedof,buttheydonotknowthatyouknowthis.However,therearemoresecretstobeknowninthecasewhentheyarenotacquaintances.

IV

If the criminal runs into a temple or a samurai house and the chief priest or the housemasterwillnotturnhimovertoyou,youshouldtellthemthatthetargetisinsane.Also,theaboveholdstrueevenforthecasewhereyouarechasingacriminalwhohasbrokenfreeandisontherun.

V

When you are chasing a criminal whom you have failed to catch, do not follow himdirectly on the same route but take another one. If you carry a sword, take a left routewhileifaspear,takearoutetohisright.21

ApassagebyYamamotoKansukesays:

Therearetwothingstobeconsideredwhenchasingsomeone:

Whenattackingafleeingenemy,thereistheprincipleofukiashior‘floatingsteps’andbesuretosweepandattackhimatalowlevel.22Sometimes,youmaymissthestrikeifyouaretooclose.Ifhefightsback,youshouldactdefensivelyandforcehimtolosehisvigour.

Youshouldbeawareofwhentoadvanceandwhentoretreat.Thisisanoraltradition.

VI

Ifacriminaltargetisbeingfollowedbyanothergrouporpersonandifthattargetrushesout in front of you, the pursuermay ask you to let themkill the target [and to not getinvolved].Byusingon-yunojutsu,23averyskilledmanwillnotkillhimnorwillhefailtocatchthetargetandwillalsothenletthepursuerkillhiminstead.However,ifthetargetattacksyouwithforceandyouhavetokillhim,youshouldseekoutthepursuingagent[toconfirmyourstory].

VII

Inthecasethattherearethosewhohavecommittedamajorcrimecorneredinabuilding,ifyoutrytouseastratagembytellingthemthereisawaytosavetheirlife,theywillnotbepersuadedandwill realize it isonlya stratagem,whichwillmake the situationevenworse.Therefore, you should go unarmed (there is a deeper secretwithin this) and tellthemthefollowing:

Asyouhavecommittedsuchagravecrime,onethatmeansthereisnowayofescape,Iamhereuponourlord’sorder.IfyoufollowwhatIsayandgiveyourkatanaswordandwakizashishortswordtome,Iwilltakeyoutoatempleandletyoucommitseppukuritualsuicidethere.IfyoudonotfollowwhatIsayandthenkillusinthisconflict,thenyouwillhavecommittedagraveoffenceasweareinnocentandevenifyouarekilledafterthat,itwillremainatotallyinjudiciousincident.Itwillnotonlybetoyourdishonourinthislifebut will also do you harm in the afterlife and even though it may benefit your aim atpresent, eventually thewalls around youwill be torn down, bamboo andwoodwill bethrown at you and you will be captured with tsukubo, sasumata and kotoji criminalcatching rakes etc. If this happens youwill bebeaten todeathorboundwith ropeandbeheaded,whichisthedeathoflowerpeopleandvillains.Ifyouactlikethis,itisobviousthatyouwillhavetobedisgracedinthislifeandwillflounderinthesixlowerworlds.24Therefore,itistimeforyoutomakeupyourmind:whethertorejectoursuggestion,sticktoyourprideanddieadeathoflowerpeopleandvillains,therebysufferingastigmathatwilllastforever;orwhethertoacceptoursuggestionanddiethedeathofasamuraiandobtainhonourinthisworld.Again,ratherthandyingasalowerpersonoravillain,youhadbetterdieinthewaythatshouldbe.Ifyoudonotfollowourwordsandinjureorkillus,youwillstilldieafoolishdeath.Thus,thereisnoreasonforyoutoinjureorkillus,thosewhoyouhavenogrudgeagainst.

Youshouldpersuadethemwithlogicasmuchaspossible,thinkingabouthowtheyfeel,thentakethemtoatempleandletthemkillthemselvesbyritualdisembowelment.Ifyouswearthatyouaretellingthetruthandurgethemtorespectjustice,itmightbeprobablethateightorninetimesoutoftentheywillgiveyoutheirweapons.Todothis,thereareimportantthingsyoushouldkeepinmindthataretobetransmitted.

Theabove techniqueshouldbeusedforpeoplewhoareholedup,whoare inacloserelationshipwith each other, such as parents and children, brothers etc., nomatter howmanypeopletheyare,andalso,thisskillisforthosepeoplewhodonothaveaverystrongagenda.Inthesecases,youshouldusereasontogettheenemytosurrender.

VIII

Ifanumberofpeoplewhoarenotincloserelationshipareholedup,youshouldconsiderhowgravethecrimeforeachoneisandgounarmedandcalloneofalesseroffence.Youshouldfixanagreementandconfirmthatthebothofyoushouldworktogethertokillbothfromtheinsideandtheoutsideof thesituation, thenyoushouldcapturehimat theend.Detailsareoraltraditions.

IX

Inthecasethataperson(orpeople)ofalesseroffenceareholedup,orifthegravityoftheir offence is not known or is unclear to anyone but your master, you should speakearnestlytothemandstatethattheyhadreasonfortheiractionsandtellthemtocomeoutbyconvincingthem.However,thisisalldeceptionandyoushouldseizethemintheend.

X

Tocapturethosewhoareholedup,youshouldtieatorchontotheringofyourkagiyariorhooked spear andmove forwards, observingwith care. The torch to be used should bemadeofcherry-treebarkthathasbeensoakedinoil,completelydriedandboundwithacircumferenceof foursun anda lengthof twoshaku.Also, if youdonotknowexactlywhere the enemy is, you should sometimes throw in kuma-bi bear fire. The recipe forkuma-biisinthechapteronfiretools.25

It is written that to capture thosewho are holed up late at night, you should scattertama-bi ball fireswithin the enemy; this seems tome very appropriate. The recipe fortama-biballfiresisinthevolumeonfiretools.Also,gandochochinlanternsareusedatthesetimes.

XI

Iffireisnotavailable,usetheartofzasagashiorprobingwiththeswordandswordcord–thisisoraltradition.

Itisalsowrittenthatinnightcombat,youshouldtakejodannokamae,26withbothofyourswordsandhavethetwoscabbardsonbothsidesofyourwaistheldvertically,thisistoprotectyoufrombeingcuthorizontalitybytheenemy.

XII

Enteringthroughadoor

Thereisatechniquetobeusedwhenthosewhoareholedupmightwaitforyouateithersideofthedoor,orwhenyoudonotknowiftheyarethereornot.Moreoraltraditionsaretobefoundhere.

Somewritings say that there are three principles for entering through a door: If theenemyhasnoroomonhisleft,thenheshouldhavehisswordabovehishead,whileiftheblockageisonhisrightside,thenheshouldtakeachudanorthemiddleguardwiththeintent to thrust at you. If he is straight ahead andmaybe has a barrier in front of him,rememberthatestimatingthedistanceisessential.

Theaboveishowtopredicttheenemy’smovementsinadvance.

XIII

Ifyoucannotcapturetheenemywithastratagem,thenyoushouldusethefollowingskillof mounting a surprise attack from the front and secretly attacking from the rear orattackingfromtheleftandenteringfromtheright.Tryingtoenterfromtherearwillworkwellinmostcases.Generally,avoidgettinginfromwherealotofpeoplearegathering.

XIV27

Shirahadori or ensnaring the opponent’s sword.28 Use the art ofmurasame or ‘suddenshower’.

XV

Useganseki-kuzushiorthe‘crackingrocks’.29

XVI

Usethetora-zumeorthe‘tigerclaw’.30

XVII

Usethetorimono-damaor‘captureball/bullet’.

XVIII

Theartofzetsunyu-sanor‘noxiousgas’.Infusetheroomwiththispowderbyshootingitfromamusket.

Therecipe:

•Blisterbeetles[Meloidaecantharidin]–fivemomme

•Arsenic–threemomme

Alternatively:

•Buryamamushivenomouspitviperinthegroundandcoverwithhorsedroppings.Whenmushroomsgrowthere,takethemandmakepowderofthemushrooms;thisissaidtohavethesameeffect.

Thehaibukurokiritan31ornoxiousashinapaper‘bomb’,canbeusedandmoresecretsare to be orally transmitted. It is written that you should keep this powder in a paperhandkerchiefanddisperseitovertheenemy.Isayifyousprinklethispowder,itcanturnout badly as it may also spread toward yourself; therefore, using a musket is the bestmethod.

XIX

Usetheartofhayanawaorquick-ropecriminalbinding.

Thereareoraltraditionsforeachoftheabovepoints.

Forclosecombatorswordfighting,thereisnowaytodescribehowtodosuchthingsatlengthhere.Therefore,justbesuretoalwaystrainyourselfwithkenjutsuswordsmanship,

iai32 sword-drawing and so on. Tactics always depend on the time and place, thusguidelinesarementionedhereforyourreference.

XX

Thetorimonosomakuritool–adeepsecretfororaltransmissiononly.Withthistool,evenasinglepersonwillnotfailtocaptureanycriminalsholedup,nomatteriftheyarealargenumberornot.Thisartofcapturingistrulyadeepsecret.Astheartisofgreatvalue,donotpassitdowntoanymorethanoneperson.

1Itisimportanttonotethatthereisadifferencebetweenastandardnightraidandoneexecutedbyshinobiorinashinobifashion.Ashinobiraidappearstobeamoreclandestineattackwithspecifictacticsthatarenotfullyexplainedinthetext.ItisimportantforthereadertounderstandwhichversionFujibayashiisreferringtoatagivenpoint,asheswitchesbetweenthetwo.

2Thisconcernsnotthenumberbuthowdenselypackedthearmyisintoagivenarea.

3Ajacketwiththinnersleevesasopposedtoabroad-sleevedkimono.

4Thisistheactionoftyingthemouthsothatnosoundsaremadebythehorse.

5Ashige.

6Thisispronounced‘A-E’butwithalong‘E’asthoughtheyweresingleletterssaidtogether.

7Thesethreeitemsaregivenwithoutexplanation.

8Thisisareferencetothepreparationneededtomakereadyahorseforscouting.Thisinvolvesdampeningthesoundofthehorse’sfootstepsandneighingandalsounderstandinghowtobitthehorsecorrectlyandwhentouncoverthehorse’seyes.

9Anunknownskillortool;however,itimpliesafiretoolthatisdrumshapedorothervariationsontheconnotationsofthedrumasaform.

10Anunknownskillortool.

11Unknownskill,withanalternativenameofyamori,whichcanalsomeanaformofamphibian.

12Examplesaremarkers,passwordandmovementcombinations,asecretcommandtoduckdownonagivenword,theuseofcertaincolouredundergarmentsetc.

13Possiblyforsignalling.

14Thetextliterallysays‘dogs’.However,thisisatermheldoverfromChinesewarfareandreferstoaclandestineinfiltrator.

15Asdiscussedinthefootnoteabove,thisisaninfiltrationagent.However,heretheprefixes‘big’and‘small’aregiven,theprecisemeaningsofwhichinthiscontextareunknown.

16Presumablythisisdoneconsecutively,withtheassistantthrowinghissixtorchesfirst,thenthefireperformerthrowinghisownsiximmediatelyafter.

17Interestingly,Fujibayashidoesnotnamehisschool;hesimplysaystoryuor‘ourschool’.

18IntheBritishtraditionofgroundfloor,firstfloor,secondfloor,etc.

19IthastoberememberedthatthiswastheEdoperiodandtheywereprobablywithoutarmour;therefore,someformofheadprotectionwasneeded.

20Whileambiguous,itispossiblethattheideahereisthatyouplantsomeonewithinthegroupwiththepromiseoflettinghimfreefromhissentence.

21Ifyouapproachfromtheleftwithasword,thenyourrighthandwillbeinlinewiththeopponent’sbody,makingiteasiertocuthim.Ifyouapproachfromtherightwithaspear,thenthespearheadwillnaturallyaimattheenemy’sbackasyoucomeuponhim.

22Gedan.Thistermisambiguous:itcouldmean‘takehislegsfrombeneathhim’;however,thisisnotacertainty.

23Anunknownskill,literally‘hideandplay’ also,in-yunojutsu.

24Rikudo,thesixlowerworlds,oneofwhicheachhumanbeingmustgotoafterdeathaccordingtohisorherdeedsin

thisworld.

25Therecipeismissing.

26Aguardwheretheswordisheldabovethehead.

27Thefollowingappeartobeskillsortoolsforattackanddefenceinthissituation.

28Thisismostlikelyatoolorskillbutnotthepopularbare-handedsword-catchingtechnique.Itishighlyunlikelythatanarmedmanwouldgiveuphisweaponstochooseanunarmeddefenceagainstasword.

29Possiblyaskillandmostlikelytheartofdividingthegroup.Alternatively,itcouldbeaformofhardattackoratoolforhardattacking.

30Probablyaformofclawedcatchingweapon,possiblyhaftedonashaft.Itishighlyunlikelythatitisthecommonunarmedcombatstrike,wherethehandtakestheformofatiger’sclaw,asitisimprobablethatanarmedmanwouldfavourunarmedcombat.Further,itmaybeclosetotheteko-kagi,orover-handclaw,whichisatoolstrappedtothebackofthehand.Theideawouldbetogriptheenemyinsomeway.

31ItappearstobetheashofaspindletreeorEuonymussieboldianus.

32NotethatthisdoesnotincludetheDocharacterusedinIaido,thewayofsword-drawing.

VOLUMESIXTEEN

TenjiIOpportunitiesBestowedbyHeavenI

Tonko–auspiciousways

Including:

•Ageneralsurveyonhowtochooseadateoradirection

•TheFivePreceptsandthetimesoftheday

•KnowingaluckydayordirectionbythegeneratinganddestructivecyclesoftheFiveElements1

You should not use with total faith the way of choosing a date, time or direction norshouldyouignoreitinitsentirety.Thereasonyoushouldnotrelyonthearttoomuchisbecausethedateortimeisuniversaltoall,thusifadateisluckyforyourforcesitisalsoluckytotheenemyaswell.TheHikekyo2Sutrasays‘therearenoluckyorunluckydaysin Buddhism’ and also, theNehankyo orNirvana Sutra says that ‘in the teachings ofNyorai,3 there isalsonowayofchoosinga luckyday.’Furthermore, inaddition to this,you should not rely on how to choose a lucky direction because Mencius says thefollowing:

Hereisacity,withaninnerwallofthreeriincircumference,andanouterwallofsevenri. The enemy surround and attack the city, but they are not able to take it. Now, tosurroundandattackit,theremusthavebeenbestowedtothembyheaventheopportunityoftime,andinsuchcasetheirinabilitytotakethecastlewasbecausetheopportunitiesoftimegivenbyheavenwerenotequaltotheadvantagesofthesituationaffordedtothembytheearth.

IfonethinksofhowtoplayGo,youwillnoticethatthosewhoaregoodwineveniftheygoinanunluckydirection,while thosewhoarepoorplayers loseevenwhengoinginaluckyone.However,thatsaid,youcannotsaythatthisartistotallyuselessbecausetheartofwar is thewayofdeception. If you ignore and takenoheedof the teachingsof thischapter,thatisofluckorbadluckconcerningadate,timeordirection,thentherewillbenoway tomake thosewho are cowards advancewith courage, norwill you be able tomanipulatethosewhoarestupidandsceptical.4

Confuciussays:

The people should bemade to follow a path of action, but they should not bemade tounderstandit.

Concerning theabove,onsuchanoccasion it isofvital importanceforyou to focusondealingwithearthlymattersinacorrectway.

WeiLiaoZisays:

Punishmentwas employed to attack the rebelliousand virtuewas employed to stabilizepeace.This isnotwhat isreferredtoas‘HeavenlyPositions’,auspicioustimes,yinandyangandtheappearanceofcomets.[Itmustberememberedthat] theYellowEmperor’svictorieswereamatteroftheeffortofman,andthatisalltheywere.

Inthemattersofman,youshouldhandlethemasbestasispossibleaftergivingthoroughthoughttothenatureoftheissuesathandandexerciseyourpoweraccordingtothetimeandplaceandwhatisneeded.Ifyouexcelinhandling‘themattersofmen’thenitcanbesaid that you are correct in your principles and correct principle is theway of heaven.Xing-li-da-quan says that heaven is a principle and also that human is a principle.Therefore, followingprincipleanddevotingyourself toheaven is regardedasunity,andyouwillbeinaplacewheretheselfisnottheselfbutisinfactaprinciple.Also,principleisnotjustaprinciplebutisinfactawayofheaven.Thus,ifyouobeyprinciple,youwillbeprotectedbythespiritsanddeities,5evenifyoudonotchoosea luckyday,directionandsoon,andyouwill live longand inpeace.TaiGongsaid thatwhathappens in thelowerworldandthelawsofheavenchangeaccordingly;soifyoudocorrectactionsitwillbealuckyday,whileifyoudoincorrectactionsitwillbeanunluckyday.Also,ifyoudothecorrectthingitcanbesaidthatitwillbealuckydirection,whileifawrongthingitwillbeanunluckydirection.Thesewordstellall.Thusdonotrelyonfortune-tellingbutworktotestthesethingsyourself.

InancientChina,TaiZongoftheTangDynastysaid:

Divinationtodeterminealuckydate,timeordirectionisnothingyoushouldemploy.Whyshouldwenotdoawaywiththis?

LiJingsaidthisinreply:

This should not be thrown away because the art of war is a path of deception, so bydivining foradate, timeordirectionyouwillbeable touse thecowardand thestupid.Thesekindsofpeoplearenotconfidentwhenidentifyingaluckydateordirection,soyoushouldtellthemthatifyouattackimmediately,youwillbeabletodefeatamassiveenemyorstrongenemywithoutdifficulty.Therefore,itisameasureforencouragingthemtofightandyoushouldnotdiscardit.

TaiZongalsosaid:

Mylordalwayssaysabrightgeneraldoesnotemployastrologyordivinationforthedateortimebutthatanignorantgeneralisinvolvedandattacheshimselftothisart.Therefore,Ithinkitshouldbethrownaway.

LiJingreplied:

Inancienttimes,Zhou-wangoftheYinDynastywenttobattleonadayofKinoe-neandwasdefeatedandkilledbyWu-wang.Therefore,thismeansthatthevictorWu-wangoftheZhouDynastyalsowenttobattleonadayofKinoe-neandwonagreatvictoryandtookholdofthecountry.BothwenttobattleonthedayofKinoe-ne.AlsoWu-diLiuYuofthe

SongDynastyraisedhisarmyonthe inauspiciousdayofOumounichi6anddefeated theSouthernYanDynasty.HisgeneralssaidthatOumouisanunluckydaysotheyshouldnotgotowarbutWu-disaidthatOumouwasinfactaluckydaybecausetheenemywillberuined,thereasonforthisisthatwearegoingtofightthem.

HethenadvancedhisarmyandwonagreatvictoryandtheSouthernYanwasruinedintheend.So,ifwethinkofsuchanevent,it isobviousthatthedivinationforthedateortimeshouldnotbethrownaway.

[Hethencontinued:]

AlsowhenTianDan7wasdefendingacastleinMowithasmallnumberandthemassivearmyfromYansurroundedthecastle, thepeopleofMo[defending in thecastle] lookeddispiritedandflustered,sayingtheywereverylikelytoendupsurrenderingtothearmyofYanorevenrunningaway.ThereforeTianDanmadeaplan[witharetainer]andsealedapromisewithapersonwhowastoldtofalsifythedivination.Aspromised,hedivinedthatthe army of Yan would sustain an imminent and crushing defeat. Hearing this, thedefending army regained their spirits and advanced, and, taking advantage of thismomentum,TianDanperformedthefire-cattlecolumnsskill8anddroveawaythearmyofYanandwonanoverwhelmingvictory.Thisshowshowwarfareisapathofdeceptionandyoushouldnotthrowawaythosethingsbutusethem.

ThenTaiZongsaidinreturn:

TianDandefeatedthearmyofYanwithtacticsusingthespirits,whereasTaiGongruinedZhou-wang of Yin with fortune-telling by burning turtle shells. What is the differencebetweenthesetwo?

LiJingreplied:

The tactics of enlightened generals are identical. They use them in one way or in theoppositewaydependingonthetime.However,eitherwayismeantforthesamepurpose[of victory]. In ancient times, when Tai Gong went to war, assisting Wu-wang inadvancingtoaplacecalledMu-ye,aroaringthunderstormcameonsuddenlyandstruckthem,destroyingtheflags,thebellsanddrumsofthearmy,thustheywereallfrightened.AtwhichpointSanYiSheng9saidtheyshouldwithdrawthearmyandperformdivinationtoestablishaluckytimetogotowarbecausethephenomenonlookedlikeanillomenforthecomingbattleandwouldarousesuspicionorfearamongtheirarmy.Sotopreventitfrombeingabadomenforthecomingbattleandtoendtheconfusionwithinthearmy,heinsistedtheyshoulddivinewithturtleshellsandseewhatthespiritswouldsayaboutthematter.

Inreply,TaiGongsaid,‘Howcoulduselessdiviningsticksortheshellsofdeadturtlestellyouifasituationisluckyornotinrelationtoanarmy?Wu-wang[theleaderofthearmy]isaretainerofZhou-wang,whoishisking.Therefore,herethecaseisofaretainergoingtokillhisking,soifwewin,itwillbeagainst[heaven’s]principle.Iftheupcomingdivinationforthisbattletellsusthatitisunlucky,itwillmeanwewillhavetoretreat,ifthat’swhatthedivinationshows,butthenhowcouldwethengotobattleagainafterwehaveretreated?’Becauseofthistheyretreatedwithoutdiviningatall.

Thisaboveepisodeseemsreasonable.SanYiShengperformeddivinationandusedit to

endtheconfusionamongthearmybytellingthemthatthedatewasauspicious,whileinthe other case Tai Gong spoke with the intention to return at a point when he couldachieveanabsolutevictory.Thus,thedeepreasonunderlyingtheiractionsisidenticalandbothofthemaimedtoovercomethehesitationsofthesoldiers.Therefore,divinationforadate,timeordirectionisreasonableandhereI[Fujibayashi]amgoingtodescribebelow,intheremainderofthischaptertheoutlinesofthe[major]methodsofdivinationused[inJapantoday].

Auspicioustimesthatareconsideredastimesoftonko10

OnadayofKinoeorMizunoto11

ThefifthhourfromthepositionofthehouroftheRatisthehouroftonko.

OnadayofKinotoorMizunoe

ThefifthhourfromthepositionofthehouroftheMonkeyisthehouroftonko.

OnadayofKanotoorHinoe

ThefifthhourfromthepositionofthehouroftheDogisthehouroftonko.

OnadayofTsuchinoeorTsuchinoto

ThefifthhourfromthepositionofthehouroftheTigeristhehouroftonko.

OnadayofHinotoorKanoe

ThefifthhourfromthepositionofthehouroftheDragonisthehouroftonko.Theaboveareconsideredtheluckiesttimes.

[Analternativewayofestablishing]luckytimes:

OnadayofKinoeorKinoto

Counttothetenthhourclockwisefromtheanimal-zodiacallottedforthatdaytofindtheluckytime.

OnadayofHinoeorHinoto

Counttotheeighthhourclockwisefromtheanimal-zodiacallottedforthatdaytofindtheluckytime.

OnadayofTsuchinoeorTsuchinoto

Counttothesixthhourclockwisefromtheanimal-zodiacallottedforthatdaytofindtheluckytime.

OnadayofKanoeorKanoto

Counttothefourthhourclockwisefromtheanimal-zodiacallottedforthatdaytofindtheluckytime.

OnadayofMizunoeorMizunoto

Counttotheeighthhourclockwisefromtheanimal-zodiacallottedforthatdaytofindtheluckytime.

Youcandiscover theaboveauspicioushoursofadaybycounting thestatednumberofslots[clockwise]fromtheChinesezodiacsignthatisusedforthatday.12Forexample,ifitisadayofKinoethatisalsothedayoftheRatthentheauspicioushourforthatdaywillbethehouroftheCockerel(6pmto8pm),andifadayofKinotoandthedayoftheOx,thenthehourtousewillbethehouroftheDog(8pmto10pm).

TheFivePreceptsandthetimesoftheday–thisideogramrepresentswoodinthiscontext

–thisideogramrepresentsfireinthiscontext

–thisideogramrepresentsearthinthiscontext

–thisideogramrepresentsmetalinthiscontext

–thisideogramrepresentswaterinthiscontext

[Understandingthehoursandhowtoknowwhattodoatthosetimes:]

Thehoursthatcorrelatetotheideogram aregoodforcelebratingrituals,forgods,fordecidinguponissues,formakingarmourorweapons,forstandingpostsorforraisingtheframeworkonahouseandsuchissues.

Thehours thatcorrelate to the ideogram aregood forpraying togodsor theBuddhaandservingone’slordoranyotherkindofservice.However,theyareextremelyunluckytimesforthepunishmentofcrimes,forkillingsomeoneandothersuchissues.

Thehoursthatcorrelatetotheideogram aretimesthatyoushouldnotpraytothegodsortoBuddhaorstartalawsuitandyoushouldgenerallyavoiddoinganything.However,killingisacceptableatthishour.

Thehoursthatcorrelatetotheideogram aregenerallyunluckyforeverythingthatyoudo.

Thehoursthatcorrelatetotheideogram aregenerallyluckyforeverythingthatyoudo.

[Thefollowingisalistofhowtheideogramsmentionedabovecorrelatetothehoursforcertaindays.Withthislistandtheguidelinesabove,youwillunderstandwhichhoursarebeneficialforcertainactivities.]

TheauspicioushoursforthedaysofKinoeandKinoto

Onthesedaysthetimeof isinthehoursoftheTigerandHare.

Onthesedaysthetimeof isinthehoursoftheSnakeandHorse.

Onthesedaysthetimeof isinthehoursoftheOx,Ram,DragonandDog.13

Onthesedaysthetimeof isinthehoursoftheMonkeyandtheCockerel.

Onthesedaysthetimeof isinthehoursoftheBoarandRat.

TheauspicioushoursforthedaysofHinoeandHinoto



Onthesedaysthetimeof isinthehoursoftheOx,Ram,DragonandDog.


Onthesedaysthetimeof isinthehoursoftheBoarandtheRat.

TheauspicioushoursforthedaysofTsuchinoeandTsuchinoto






TheauspicioushoursforthedaysofKanoeandKanoto






TheauspicioushoursforthedaysofMizunoeandMizunoto






TheFiveTreasureDaysBythetencelestialstems

ThedaysofKinoeandKinotoaredayswhoseelementisWood.

ThedaysofHinoeandHinotoaredayswhoseelementisFire.

ThedaysofTsuchinoeandTsuchinotoaredayswhoseelementisEarth.

ThedaysofKanoeandKanotoaredayswhoseelementisMetal.

ThedaysofMizunoeandMizunotoaredayswhoseelementisWater.

BythetwelvesignsoftheChinesezodiac

ThedaysoftheTigerandtheHarearedaysofWood.

ThedaysoftheSnakeandtheHorsearedaysofFire.

ThedaysoftheOx,Ram,DragonandDogaredaysofEarth.

ThedaysoftheMonkeyandtheCockerelaredaysofMetal.

ThedaysoftheBoarandtheRataredaysofWater.

The above information is based on the Creation and Destruction Cycles and the TenHeavenlyStemsandtheTwelveEarthlyBranches.

Distinguishingaluckydirectionusingtheartoftendojin14

Inthefirstlunarmonth,southistheluckydirection.

Inthesecondlunarmonth,southandwest15aretheluckydirections.

Inthethirdlunarmonth,northistheluckydirection.

Inthefourthlunarmonth,westistheluckydirection.

Inthefifthlunarmonth,westistheluckydirection.

Inthesixthlunarmonth,eastistheluckydirection.

Intheseventhlunarmonth,northistheluckydirection.

Intheeighthlunarmonth,eastandnortharetheluckydirections.

Intheninthlunarmonth,southistheluckydirection.

Inthetenthlunarmonth,eastistheluckydirection.

Intheeleventhlunarmonth,eastandsoutharetheluckydirections.

Inthetwelfthlunarmonth,westistheluckydirection.

Theaboveareluckydirectionsthatcanbeusedinconnectiontoanything.

For performingmilitary affairs, the directions of Saikyo andOuban 16 are alsoconsideredlucky.

TheluckydirectionsoftheSankyoGyokujo 17ortheThreeGoddessesofTaoism

Inthefirstlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKinoto ,Kanoto andInui arelucky.

Inthesecondlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKinoe ,Hinoe andKanoe arelucky.

Inthethirdlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKinoto ,Hinoe andHinoto arelucky.

Inthefourthlunarmonth,thedirectionsofHinoto ,Mizunoe andKen arelucky.

Inthefifthlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKinoe Hinoe andKanoe arelucky.

Inthesixthlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKinoe ,Kinoto andHinoto arelucky.

Intheseventhlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKon ,Son andGon arelucky.

Intheeighthlunarmonth,thedirectionsofMizunoe ,Ken andSon arelucky.

Intheninthlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKanoto ,Mizunoe andMizunoto arelucky.

Inthetenthlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKon ,Gon andSon arelucky.

Intheeleventhlunarmonth,thedirectionsofMizunoe ,Kon andGon arelucky.

Inthetwelfthlunarmonth,thedirectionsofKanoe ,Kanoto andMizunoto arelucky.

Theabovethreeluckygoddessesandtheirdirectionscanberepresentedasthesun,moonandthestarsbutalsoasheaven,earthandman,andareluckyforeverything.

Withtheseaboveseven18ways,youcanknowa[lucky]directionandyoucanalsorefertotheabovewritings.

Accordingtoonetheory,thedirectionofGyokujo[asdescribedabove]foranyspecificday is the ninth direction counting [clockwise] from the animal given for that day. Forexample,ifitisadayofRat,countingnineplacesonasexagenarycalendarwilltakeyoutothedirectionofMonkeyandistheluckydirectionofGyokujoforthatday.

[Unnamedarticle]

Whenyou choose an auspicious day for a battle, you shoulddecide the date and thetimeforthebattlewithdueconsiderationtowhichdirectionisluckyforyouandwhetheryouwillwinorloseifyoumakeanadvance.Generally,whengoingtowarorsettingoutonaseavoyageorotherkindofjourney,youshouldconsiderverycarefullythedirection,the date and the time. This is especially true for a departure on a ship, as there are anumberofunluckydays.

Figure30.[Unnamedarticle]

Understandingtherelationshipbetweenelements19

WooddestroysEarth.

ThosewhoareofanEarthcharactershouldcompletelyavoidthosepeopleofaWoodnature.

ThoseofWoodshouldnotavoidthoseofEarth.However,theoppositewayisbeneficialandworksfortherestoftheseexamples.

WaterdestroysFire.

ThoseofFireshouldcompletelyavoidthoseofWater.

ThoseofWatershouldnotavoidthoseofFire.

FiredestroysMetal.20

ThoseofFireshouldnotavoidthoseofMetal.

ThoseofMetalshouldavoidthoseofFire.

EarthdestroysWater.

ThoseofEarthshouldnotavoidthoseofWater.

ThoseofWatershouldavoidthoseofEarth.

MetaldestroysWood.

ThoseofWoodshouldcarefullyavoidthoseofMetal.

ThoseofMetalshouldnotavoidthoseofWood.

ThetheoryofcreatingandbeingcreatedWoodcreatesFire.EvenifapersonwhoisofWoodlikessomeoneofFiretheyshould

notuse21Fire.ItisgoodforFiretouseWood.

FirecreatesEarthandmaylikeEarth;however,theyshouldnotuseEarth.However,itisgoodforEarthtouseFire.

EarthcreatesMetalandmaylikeit,butshouldnotuseit.However,itisgoodforMetaltouseEarth.

MetalcreatesWaterandmaylikeit,butshouldnotuseit.However,itisgoodforWatertouseMetal.

WatercreatesWoodandmaylikeit,butshouldnotuseit.However,itisgoodforWoodtouseWater.

The twowaysasaboveshouldbeconsideredcarefully. If theenemy’selementcreates22theelementofyour side [as shownabove] it is lucky,while it isunlucky ifyour side’selement creates the enemy’s element. If your side destroys the enemy it is very lucky,whileif theenemydestroysyoursideit isveryunlucky.If theenemyandyoursideareequal,theneithercouldbedestructiveandthereisnoadvantageinthissituation.

TheflourishingphasesoftheseasonsInspring:

Woodflourishes,Firehelps,Earthdies,MetaliscapturedandWaterhibernates.23

Inthedoyoperiod24Earthflourishes,Metalhelps,Waterdies,WoodiscapturedandFirehibernates.

Insummer:

Fireflourishes,Earthhelps,Metaldies,WateriscapturedandWoodhibernates.

Inautumn:

Metalflourishes,Waterhelps,Wooddies,FireiscapturedandEarthhibernates.

Inwinter:

Waterflourishes,Woodhelps,Firedies,EarthiscapturedandMetalhibernates.

You should not confront the enemy when you face them [if they are positioned in] adirectionthatisflourishing.25Ifthenatureofyourlordisflourishing,itisluckywhileifthenatureoftheenemylordisflourishing,itisequallyunlucky.Ingeneral,whendiviningtheluckofanarmy[youshouldbeawarethat]theluckorbadluckofthelorddecidestheluckorbadluckofthearmy.

KnowingthedirectionsofKo andKyo

[toaidinpositioningyourarmy]FortendaysfromadayofKinoeandRat:

Ko isinthedirectionoftheDogandtheBoar.

Kyo isinthedirectionoftheDragonandtheSnake.

FortendaysfromadayofKinoeandDog:

Ko isinthedirectionoftheMonkeyandtheCockerel.

Kyo isinthedirectionoftheTigerandtheHare.

FortendaysfromadayofKinoeandMonkey:

Ko isinthedirectionoftheHorseandtheRam.

Kyo isinthedirectionoftheRatandtheOx.

FortendaysfromadayofKinoeandTiger:

Ko isinthedirectionoftheRatandtheOx.

Kyo isinthedirectionoftheHorseandtheRam.

Inanyoftheaboveexamples,youshouldtakeupapositionwiththedirectionofKobehindyouandtheenemyin thedirectionofKyo .Dothisandyouwillwinwithoutdoubt.

Calculatinganauspiciousdayfordeparturedependingonthenatureofthelord

IfthelordisofWood:

Inspringorwinter,departonadayofKinoeorKinoto.

Insummer,itisunlucky,however,todepartonadayofMizunoeorMizunoto.

Inautumn,itisunlucky,however,todepartonadayofKinoeorKinoto.

IfthelordisofFire:

Insummer,departonadayofHinoeorHinoto.

Inspring,autumnorwinter,departonadayofKinoeorKinoto.

IfthelordisofEarth:

Anydoyoeighteen-dayperiodbeforethestartofanewseasonisluckyfordeparture.

Inspring,itisunlucky,however,todepartonadayofHinoeorHinoto.

Insummer,TsuchinoeorTsuchinotoareluckydaysforthis.

Inautumn,departonadayofHinoeorHinoto.

Inwinter,itisunlucky,however,todepartonadayofTsuchinoeorTsuchinoto.

IfthelordisofMetal:

Inautumnorwinter,departonadayofKanoeorKanoto.

Insummer,departonadayofMizunoeorMizunoto.

Inspring,departonadayofTsuchinoeorTsuchinoto.

IfthelordisofWater:

Inautumn,winterorspring,departonadayofMizunoeorMizunoto.

Insummer,thesituationisunlucky–therefore,youshoulduseMizunoeorMizunoto.

Inadoyoeighteen-dayperiodbeforeanewseasonthiscombination[ofaWaterlordanddoyo,whichisanEarthelement]isextremelybadluck.Therefore,inthiscaseyoushoulduseMizunoeorMizunoto[becausetheyareofWater].

Asseenintheabove,thosedaysormonthsthatareofthesameelementasthelordandthoseelementsthatgeneratethelord’sownelement[intheCreationCycle]areconsideredto be lucky. Those months that destroy the element of the lord are to be consideredunlucky,butifyouareinurgentneedtherearethingsyoushouldbeawareof.Belowareafewexamplesoftheseissues.

ThethreemonthsofsummerareoftheelementofFire,andifthelordisofWood,then,theelementof themonth[summer]haspriorityover theelementof thelord[Wood],so[asFiredestroysWood]itisunlucky.Therefore,adoptingadayofMizunoeorMizunoto,which are of the element of Water, will weaken the element [Fire] for the period inquestionandwillcreateaWoodelement,whichinthisexampleistheelementofthelord[andisapositivething].

As autumn is ofMetal, and if the lord is of theWood element, thenMetal destroysWood,soitisunluckyinthissituation.ByadoptingadayofKinoeorKinoto,whicharedays of Wood, this will reduce the effects of the Destruction Cycle and increase theelementofthelord,whichagaininthiscaseisWood.Inthisway,youcanincrease[thepower]oftheelementyouneedandreducethe[power]oftheDestructionCycle.Youcanusethisprincipleinanyoftheaboveinformation.

Alsoconsiderthisintermsofthewayyouseetheenemyinrelationtoyourside.IfitiswinterandonadayofMizunoeorMizunoto,whicharedaysassociatedwiththeWaterelement,andtheenemylordisoftheWaterelementandisinthenorth,whileyourlordisoftheFireelementandyourarmyisinthesouth,thenyouareintheDestructionCycle,which,whenseeninrelationtotheenemy,makesthissituationanexampleofextremebadluck.Insuchacase,makesomeoneoftheEarthelementatemporarycommander-in-chiefand also choose the time of the Dragon or of the Ram out of the four times of Ram,Monkey,26Dragon andSnake as these four are of theEarth element.Alternatively, youtakeadayofHinoeorHinotoastheyareoftheFireelementorevenuseakishukuluckyday,andthusmakearapidmove[againsttheenemy];thisway[youwillhavegainedallthepositiveaspects]andyouwilldestroyyourenemy.Youshouldjudgeallsituationsinthisway.

Theconceptofshinshoandshinpu,thatistheartofknowingifanadvancingarmy27willwinorlose

•Thewhitecirclesareshinsho,whichmeansitisadvantageous,andtheblackcirclesareshinpu,whichmeansitisdisadvantageous.Ifitisspringorsummerthenusethischartinananticlockwisewayandifitisautumnorwinteruseitinaclockwiseway.

•[Thedaysofthemontharerepresentedontheillustrationbythesmalldotsontheoutsideofthemaincircle]andthefirstdayofthemonthisatthepointwhereeachmonthiswritten28[ontheinsideofthecircle].Forthefinaldayofathirty-daymonth,thedotforthetwenty-eighth29dayshouldbeapplied.Thetwelvezodiacsignsaretobeusedtoknowthedirection.30

•Ifboththedateandtimeareinshinsho[whichiswinning],thenyoushouldattackassoonaspossible,nomatterwhichdirectionitisfrom.Ifbothareinshinpu[whichisdefeat],thenyoushouldwaitfortheenemytocometoyou.

Figure31.Shinshoandshinpu

Ifthedateisshinshobutthetimeisshinpuboth[armies]will31attackeachother,whileifthetimeisshinshoandthedateisshinpu,botharmieswillretreat.Ifyoustarttheattackyou should choose the direction of shinsho [winning], but details are to be orallytransmitted.

Figure32.Wen-wang’swayofdiviningdates

DiviningadatebyWen-wangoftheZhouDynastyTo count on this above image [figure 32], go clockwise if the date you are in is of to(negative)andanticlockwiseifthedateisofe(positive).Youshouldstartcountingwherethenameofeachmonthisontheillustration.

ThisisthesecretwayofdiviningauspiciousdatesbywhichWen-wangwonhisvictory.

Figure33.Yoshitsune’swayofdiviningdates

Yoshitsune’shandysystemforthedivinationofdates32

Wherethismarkappearsthenitwillbeshinshoallday.

Wherethismarkappearsthenitwillbeshinpuallday.

Wherethismarkappearsthenitwillbeshinshoatmidday[andafter33].

Wherethismarkappearsthenitwillbeshinpuatmidday[andafter].

Wherethismarkappearsthenitwillbeshinshountilmidday.

Wherethismarkappearsthenitwillbeshinpuuntilmidday.

Wherethismarkappearsthenbotharmiesshouldattack.

Wherethismarkappearsthenbotharmiesshouldretreat.

Inapplyingthis,ifthefinaldayofathirty-daymonthise,thenyoushouldapplythedotusedfortheseconddayofthepreviousmonth.34Ifitisatoday,thenapplythedotforthefifthdayfromthepreviousmonth.Thereisnothinggreaterthanthisdeepandsecretwayfordiviningluckyandunluckydaysinwarfare.

Divinationforadaytodefeattheenemy(asystemusedbythefounderoftheHanDynasty[inChina])

Days9,12,20,21and22ofthefirstlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days7,10,18and19ofthesecondlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days5,8,16,17and18ofthethirdlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days3,6,14,15and16ofthefourthlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days1,3,4,12,13and14ofthefifthlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days2,10,11,13and26ofthesixthlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days8,9,23and26oftheseventhlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days4,5,6,20and23oftheeighthlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days2,3,4,18,21,29and30oftheninthlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days1,2,16,19,27and28ofthetenthlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days13,16,24,25and26oftheeleventhlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Days11,14,20and23ofthetwelfthlunarmontharedaystodefeattheenemy.

Theabovedaysaregreatandluckydays,somuchsothateventhethreekindsofunluckyday,whicharetenmoshicho,jushiandhyakushi,areturnedfromunluckywhentheyfallon these above dates. They are lucky for everything, including departing for war andmakingdecisionsinmeetingsconcerningbudo.35

TheluckydirectionsofKyuten andKyuchi 36

Inspring,thedirectionoftheTigerisKyutenandthedirectionoftheMonkeyisKyuchi.

Insummer,thedirectionoftheHorseisKyutenandthedirectionoftheRatisKyuchi.

Inautumn,thedirectionoftheMonkeyisKyutenandthedirectionoftheTigerisKyuchi.

Inwinter,thedirectionoftheRatisKyutenandthedirectionoftheHorseisKyuchi.

GreatandluckytimestoinitiatebattleOnadayofKinoeorTsuchinoto,atthehouroftheTigerorHare

OnadayofKinotoorKanoe,atthehouroftheDogorBoar

OnadayofHinoeorKanoto,atthehouroftheMonkeyortheCockerel

OnadayofHinotoorMizunoe,atthehouroftheHorseorRam

OnadayofTsuchinoeorMizunoto,atthehouroftheDragonorSnake

Greatandluckytimesfordeparture

OnadayoftheRat,Ox,DragonorDog,atthehouroftheCockerel

OnadayoftheTiger,HareorMonkey,atthehouroftheHorse

OnadayoftheHare,HorseorCockerel,atthehouroftheRam

OnadayoftheSnakeorBoar,atthehouroftheTiger

OnadayoftheRam,atthehouroftheHare

DaystocelebratethewargodsInthefirstlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofKinoeandoftheTiger.

Inthesecondlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofKinoeandoftheDogorHorse.

Inthethirdlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofKinoeandoftheDog.

Inthefourthlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofHinotoandoftheHare.

[Textforthefifthlunarmonthismissingfromtheoriginal.]

Inthesixthlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofHinotoandoftheSnake.

Intheseventhlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofKanoeandoftheTiger.

Intheeighthlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofKanoeandoftheRat.

Intheninthlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofKanoeandoftheDragon.

Inthetenthlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofMizunotoandoftheBoar.

Intheeleventhlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofHinotoandoftheRam.

Inthetwelfthlunarmonth,itisonthedaysofMizunotoandoftheSnake.

[Versiontwo37]

Inthefirstlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheTiger.

Inthesecondlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheHare.

Inthethirdlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheSnake.

Inthefourthlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheRam.

Inthefifthlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheCockerel.

Inthesixthlunarmonth,itisonthedaytheBoar.

Intheseventhlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheHare.

Intheeighthlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheSnake.

Intheninthlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheRam.

Inthetenthlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheCockerel.

Intheeleventhlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheBoar.

Inthetwelfthlunarmonth,itisonthedayoftheHare.

Usethesedays[intheabovelists]inaccordancewiththeelements.

LuckydaysfornightraidsBetweenthefirstlunarmonthanduptoandincludingthesixthlunarmonth,thelucky

daysareofKanoe,Tsuchinoto,theDragonandtheSnake.

IntheseventhlunarmonththeluckydaysaretheHorseandtheHare.

IntheeighthlunarmonththeluckydaysareKinoto,theOxandtheCockerel.

IntheninthlunarmonththeluckydaysareKanoe,theRatandtheHorse.

InthetenthlunarmonththeluckydaysareMizunotoandtheBoar.

IntheeleventhlunarmonththeluckydaysareKinoe,theMonkeyandtheDog,andKanoeandtheTiger.

InthetwelfthlunarmonththeluckydaysareMizunoe,Mizunoto,theTiger,theCockerel,andKinoe.

Discerningthedirectionandyugyo38ofMarishiten,theBuddhistgoddessofwar

OnthedaysoftheRat,Horse,HareandCockerel,itisintheninthdirection.39

OnthedaysoftheOx,Ram,DragonandDog,itisinthefifthdirection.

OnthedaysoftheTiger,Monkey,SnakeandBoar,itisinthefirstdirection.

Whenyouobtainforcesorweapons,40youshouldcelebratethegodsofwarandfacetheabovedirections,fortheyaregreatandluckydirections.Usetheanimalsignofthatdayand apply the number ofmoves to the direction thatwill be indicated by the calendar.However, you should not confront the enemy or shoot an arrow at the enemy at thesedirections.

ThedirectioninwhichyoushoulddisposeofdecapitatedenemyheadsOnadayoftheRat,thenitisinthedirectionoftheHorse.

OnadayoftheOx,thenitisinthedirectionoftheSnake.

OnadayoftheTiger,thenitisinthedirectionoftheMonkey.

OnadayoftheHare,thenitisinthedirectionoftheDragon.

OnadayoftheDragon,thenitisinthedirectionoftheSnake.

OnadayoftheSnake,thenitisinthedirectionoftheHorseorRam.

OnadayoftheMonkey,thenitisinthedirectionoftheSnake.

OnadayoftheCockerel,thenitisinthedirectionoftheRam.

OnadayoftheDog,thenitisinthedirectionoftheMonkey.

OnadayoftheBoar,thenitisinthedirectionoftheTiger.

Youshouldthrowtheheadsawayintheabovedirections.However,besuretoavoidthedirectionofHagun.41

[Thedaysofshakkoandshakuzetsu]Concerningthedaysofshakko42

Inthefirstlunarmonth,theyaredays4,12,20and28.

Inthesecondlunarmonth,theyaredays3,11,19and20.

Inthethirdlunarmonth,theyaredays2,10,18and26.

Inthefourthlunarmonth,theyaredays1,9,17and25.

Inthefifthlunarmonth,theyaredays8,16and24.

Inthesixthlunarmonth,theyaredays7,15and24.

Intheseventhlunarmonth,theyaredays6,14,22and30.

Intheeighthlunarmonth,theyaredays5,13,21and29.

Intheninthlunarmonth,theyaredays4,12,20and28.

Inthetenthlunarmonth,theyaredays3,11,19and27.

Intheeleventhlunarmonth,theyaredays2,10,18and26.

Inthetwelfthlunarmonth,theyaredays1,9,17and25.

Concerningthedaysofshakuzetsu43

Inthefirstlunarmonth,theyaredays3,11,19and27.

Inthesecondlunarmonth,theyaredays2,10,18and26.

Inthethirdlunarmonth,theyaredays1,9,17and25.

Inthefourthlunarmonth,theyaredays6,14,22and30.

Inthefifthlunarmonth,theyaredays5,13,21and29.

Inthesixthlunarmonth,theyaredays4,12,20and28.

Intheseventhlunarmonth,theyaredays3,11,19and27.

Intheeighthlunarmonth,theyaredays2,10,19and26.

Intheninthlunarmonth,theyaredays1,9,17and25.

Inthetenthlunarmonth,theyaredays6,14,22and30.

Intheeleventhlunarmonth,theyaredays5,13,21and29.

Inthetwelfthlunarmonth,theyaredays4,12,20and28.

Thedaysofshakkoorshakuzetsuasaboveareunluckyforactivitiesinvolvingdeception,suchasshinobi[missions],whiletheyarenotunluckyforlawsuitsordisputes.However,thisdoesmeanthatonthesedaysanyenemydeceptionwillberevealed,astheyaredayswhenanydeceitiscorrected[byheaven];therefore,theyarenotgoodforafalselawsuit.

Fujojunichi44orthedaysofnosuccess

Inthefirstandseventhlunarmonths,theyaredays3,11,19and27.

Inthesecondandeighthlunarmonths,theyaredays2,10,18and26.

Inthethirdandninthlunarmonths,theyaredays1,9,17and25.

Inthefourthandtenthlunarmonths,theyaredays4,12,20and28.

Inthefifthandeleventhlunarmonths,theyaredays5,13,21and29.

Inthesixthandtwelfthlunarmonths,theyaredays6,14,22and30.

Bewarned,theabovedaysareunluckyforeverything.

ThedirectionsofSashigami45

Anexampleof this system is if it is adayof theRat,Sashigami is thedirectionof theDragon.

OnadayoftheRat,itisthefifthdirectionfromthatoftheRat.

OnadayoftheOx,itistheninthdirectionfromthatoftheOx.

OnadayoftheTiger,itisthetenthdirectionfromthatoftheTiger.

OnadayoftheHareorDragon,itisthefifthdirectionfromthatoftheHareorDragon.

OnadayoftheSnake,itisthesixthdirectionfromthatoftheSnake.

OnadayoftheHorse,itistheeighthdirectionfromthatoftheHorse.

OnadayoftheRam,itisthesixthdirectionfromthatoftheRam.

OnadayoftheMonkey,itistheeighthdirectionfromthatoftheMonkey.

OnadayoftheCockerel,itisthetenthdirectionfromthatoftheCockerel.

OnadayoftheDog,itisthefifthdirectionfromthatoftheDog.

OnadayoftheBoar,itistheseventhdirectionfromthatoftheBoar.

Theaboveareunluckydirectionsforeverythingandanysuitsordisputeswillbecursedwithbadluck.

HowtounderstandthedirectionsofTomobiki46

Thewayof calculation for this is the sameas for thedirectionofSashigami, as shownabove[andshouldbeconsideredidentical].

SomepoemsstatethefollowingontheissueofthedirectionofTomobiki:

OnadayoftheRatorOx,itisthefourthdirection.

OnadayoftheTigerorHare,itisthesixthdirection.

OnadayoftheDragon,itistheeighthdirection.

OnadayoftheSnake,itistheeighthdirection.

OnadayoftheHorse,itisthefourthdirection.

OnadayoftheRam,itisthefourthdirection.

OnadayoftheMonkeyorCockerel,itisthesixthdirection.

OnadayoftheDog,itistheeighthdirection.

OnadayoftheBoar,itistheeighthdirection.

Thesedirectionsshouldbestrictlyavoided.

Theabovedirectionsarewhereyoushoulddosomethingluckyforyouandunluckyfortheenemy, suchas thegainingof thepossessionof treasuresand theburyingofenemyheads.However,besurenottosendanyallieswhoareinjured,[orwhohavebeen]killedor[whoare] ill to thesedirections.Alsowatamashi47 shouldbestrictlyavoided in thesedirections.

ThedirectionsofHagunInthefirstlunarmonth,itisinthefifthdirection.

Inthesecondlunarmonth,itisinthesixthdirection.

Inthethirdlunarmonth,itisintheseventhdirection.

Inthefourthlunarmonth,itisintheeighthdirection.

Inthefifthlunarmonth,itisintheninthdirection.

Inthesixthlunarmonth,itisinthetenthdirection.

Intheseventhlunarmonth,itisintheeleventhdirection.

Intheeighthlunarmonth,itisinthetwelfthdirection.

Intheninthlunarmonth,itisinthefirstdirection.

Inthetenthlunarmonth,itisintheseconddirection.

Intheeleventhlunarmonth,itisinthethirddirection.

Inthetwelfthlunarmonth,itisinthefourthdirection.

For example, if it is the first lunarmonth and it is the hour ofRat, you should not gotowardthefifthdirectionfromthatoftheRat,whichinthiscaseisthedirectionofDragon[and the direction of Hagun]. For the rest of the above rules, follow this example andapplythemethod.48

The‘firstdirection’usedintheninthmonthmeansthatifitisthehourofRat,thenthedirectionthatyoushouldarriveatshouldbethatoftheRat.Youshouldnotfightorfaceinthisdirection.AmoredetailedwayofknowingthedirectionofHagunwillbedescribedlaterinthenextchapterinthiswriting.

1InChinesethought,theFiveElementsinteractinbothapositiveandnegativewayandtheyhavespecificconnectionswithcertaintimesanddates.

2Presumably,theKarunapundarikaSutra.

3TheteachingsofBuddha–inSanskrit,Tathagata.

4Itisimportanttokeepthissectioninmindwhenreadingtherestofthevolume.Alltheinformationwithinthis

sectionanditsuseinthecontextofninjutsuisdesignedtodeceiveothersorforeseewhatanenemywilldoandisnotconsidereddirectlyorwhollyaninjasubject.

5TheChinesewordherealsomeans‘wrathful’or‘fierce’andwhileitdirectlytranslatesas‘demon’inJapanese,intheoriginalChineseithasthebroadermeaningof‘spirits’.

6Oneofthetwelveunluckydaysonwhichpeopleshouldnotgotobattle,accordingtothewaysofChineseinandyo‘magic’.

7AChinesegeneralfamousforhisuseoffire-oxen.

8Cattlewithburningbrandsattachedtothem.

9SanYiShengandTaiGongwerebothfamousretainersofWu-wang.

10Tonkoareartsofmagictoaid‘hiding’and‘deceivingpeople’seyes’.

11ThefollowinglistofnamesfordaysarenamesthatareinaccordwiththeoriginalChinesecalendarandrotatecontinuallyandadduptosixty.Inthetimeperiodinquestion,thepublicwouldunderstandfullywhichdaywasrepresentedandthiswouldbecommonknowledge,justastheGregoriancalendarisunderstoodbyustoday.Therefore,daysofKanoe,Hinoe,Tsuchinoe,etc.werewellunderstoodbytheaverageperson,makingthisvolumelessconfusingtothemthanitistoamodernreader.

12TheChinesesystemsofTenHeavenlyStemsandTwelveZodiacSignsor‘EarthlyBranches’runsidebyside,meaningthatasingledayhastwolabels.Eachdayhasadesignated‘HeavenlyStem’andananimalrepresentation.Thetwosystemsruninasixty-daycycle.

13Itsays‘Snake’intheoriginaltext;thisispresumablyatranscriptionerrorandshouldread‘Dog’.

14Thisisamethodtodetermineauspiciousdirections,basedontheChinesesystemofinandyo(alsoknownasOnmyodo).

15Inthissectiontherearepairsofdates;whatisnotknowniswhetherthemeaninginthiscaseis‘southorwest’or‘southandwest’(inotherwords,‘southwest’).Therearemultiplewaystosay‘southwest’,suchashavingtheideogramsfor‘south’ and‘west’ nexttoeachotheroritcanbeexpressedasthedirectionofRam-Monkey,orthedirectionofKon .Therefore,itisnotclearwhatFujibayashimeanshere.

16SaikyoandOubanaretwooftheeightgodswhogoverntheluckofdirectionsintheChinesesystemofinandyo.

17ThreegoddessesinTaoismwhogoverndirections,alsoadoptedininandyo.

18Thetextstates‘eight’.

19AcommonideainChinesethoughtistheFiveElementsandthewaytheyinteract.Onedirectionofinteractioniscreativewhiletheoppositeisdestructive.

20ForanunknownreasonFujibayashichangestheformatherefrompositivefirstandnegativesecondtonegativefirstandpositivesecond.

21Thetextdoesnotspecify‘aperson’;however,thecontextisabouthumaninteraction.Therefore,theword‘use’inthislistisbasedontheunderstandingthatthereferenceistointeractionbetweenhumans.

22TheCreationCyclemeansthateachoftheelementshelpscreateanotherinaspecificformat.ThisistheCycleofCreation.Therefore,ifthebaseelementforanenemyistheelementthatcreatestheelementallottedyourownlord,thenitisapositiveposition.

23Thetextsays‘becomesold’butthissectionistakenfromChineseliteratureandtheconnotationis‘rests’.

24Doyoistheeighteen-dayperiodbeforethefirstdayofeachnewseasonaccordingtothelunarcalendar.Hereitseemstorefertothedoyoperiodbeforethefirstdayofsummer.

25TheFiveElementsalsocorrespondtocardinaldirections.

26MonkeyisofMetal.ThispresumablyisatranscriptionerrorforDog.

27Thischart(figure31)isusedtofindaluckyorunluckydaytoadvanceanarmy.Eachcirclerepresentsadayanddependingonwhattheseasonisyoucountclockwiseoranti-clockwise,onecircleforeachdayofalunarmonth.

28ThetwelveJapaneseideogramsontheinsideofthecirclerepresentthemonthsoftheyear.Thefirstmonthonthisimageisatthe‘eighto’clock’positionandmovesinaclockwisemanner.

29Thisappearstobeincorrect,asthereareactuallythirtydaysrepresented,sofindingthethirtiethisnoproblemtothereader.Itispossiblethatlatertranscriptionsputthesetwoextradotsinplace.

30Zodiacsignshaveasetdirectionandcanbeseenonthechart.

31Theword‘will’doesnotappearintheoriginaltext,buthasbeenaddedforclarity.

32Literally,‘TheManualattheRightHandofYoshitsune’.

33Thetextusesthewordhiru ,meaning‘daytime’or‘midday’.

34Theimageusedisalayoutofthedaysofatraditionalmonth.Thefirstverticalline(fromtheright)isthefirstdayofthemonth,thesecondisthesecondetc.Theimageonlyhasfifteendaysandthereforeiseitherhalfofthemonthoryouhavetomovebackwardsasyougettotheendofeachmonth.ThisisbasedontheCelestialStems.

35Inthiscontextbudomeans‘militaryarts’andisnottobeconfusedwiththeconceptofbudoas‘martialarts’.Thissectionisconcernedwithpreparationsforwar.

36Kyutenliterallymeans‘nine’and‘heaven’andKyuchiis‘nine’and‘earth’.Theirmeaningisnotknown,butpresumablyitcanbesaidtheyare‘lucky’directions.

37Fujibayashigivesnoexplanationforthesedays.Therefore,itispresumedtobeasecondversionofthelistofdaysforcelebratingwargods.

38Inthiscontext,itshowsthepositionofthegoddessofwaris‘atrest’,thedirectionsheresidesinforthatperiod.

39Again,thisisbasedonthesexagenariancycleofChineselunardatingandthedirectionmeansonespaceinaclockwisedirectionfromthestartpointoriginatedinthetext.

40Thissectioncouldmeanjust‘weapons’.

41ThewordHagun comesfromtheChinesenameofoneofthestarsofUrsaMajor.Thestaristheseventhstaroftheconstellationandistheendstarofthe‘handle’ofthe‘dipper’shape.Hagun ,literallymeans‘destroyingarmy’.InOnmyodomagicthedirectionthatthisstarpointswasconsideredveryunluckyandifyoufightfacingthisdirectionyouwillbedefeatedandfail;therefore,throwingtheheadsinthisdirectionwouldbeconsideredverymalign.

42OneoftheJapanesecalendar’ssixtypesofinauspiciousday.Theyareunluckyforallactivities,withonlytheperiodaroundnoonbeingauspicious.

43InOnmyodotheseareunluckydaysgovernedbytheTaoistraksashademons,whohavefieryredtongues.

44AlsofoundintheShoninkimanual.

45ThenameofagodalsoknownasArichishinintheOnmyodotradition.

46OneoftheJapanesecalendar’ssixtypesofday,asclassifiedintermsofauspiciousness.

47AritualwhereBuddhiststatuesaremoved,oralsopossiblywhennoblesmove.

48Fujibayashiisgivingthecorrectdirectionheresothatnomistakesaremadewiththerest.

VOLUMESEVENTEEN

TenjiIIOpportunitiesBestowedbyHeavenII

Astronomyandastrology

Thisvolume1containsthefollowing:

•Fifteen2pointsonforecastingforwindandrain

•Versespertainingtowindandrain

•Threepointsoncalculatingmoonriseandmoonset

•Fourpointsandillustrationsonunderstandingtheebbandflowofthetides

•Twopointsonhowtoknowthedirectiononamoonlessnight

•Twopointsonunderstandingthetime

FifteenpointsonforecastingthewindandrainToknowaboutwindandrainisessentialinninjutsubecauseitisbestthatin-ninstealthyinfiltrationsareperformedonanightofwindandrain.Also,settingfiresrequiresacloseexamination of thewind and rain, so you should never [commit arson]without carefulconsiderationofthesefactors.

I

Whenthestarsaretwinklinglikeblinkingeyesitwillbeverywindywithinthreedays.

II

IfatnightblackcloudshangoverthemouthoftheBigDipper,orifblackcloudsspreadovertheCelestialRiver3andlooklikefishoranyaquaticanimals,4oraboaroradragon,thenitwillbewindyandrainyduringthehourofRam5ofthenextday.However,ifthereareonlynormalcloudscrossingovertheCelestialRiver,flowingoneafteranother,thenthewindwillnotlastlong.

III

Ifthesunhasahalo,itwillberainy,whileifthemoonhasahalo,thenitwillbewindy.Also, inthedirectionthemooniswaning, itwillmost likelybewindyandrainyinthatarea.

IV

Ifthesunsetisasredasdeepcrimsonitwillnotberainy,butitwillbewindy.

V

If it iswindyearly in thedayandit iscalmer in theevening,youshouldexpecta largewindthenextday.

Ifchiispiercingthesunlikeablacksnake,itwillberainy.

Ifblackcloudspiercesunriseorsunset,thentherewillbetempestwithinthethreedays.

Ifthesunishighandshiningstronglyandthereisblackchithatisshapedlikeasnakeordragon,itwillbewindyandrainy.

Whenthesunrises,ifithasacover[ofclouds]archingoverit,likethecoverusedtoarchoveracart,thenitwillwithoutfailberainy.

If there is a pale and weak sun and it is dark in the day and it continues until theevening,thentherewillbeaflood.

Ontheeleventhdayofthefirstlunarmonth;theeighthdayofthemiddlemonth;andtheninthdayofthelastmonth[ofeachofthefourthree-monthseasons],themoonshouldhaveahalo,butifitdoesnot,thenitwillbewindyandrainywithinthreedays.

Ifaneclipseoccursintheeast,itwillbeterriblywindywithinthatmonth.

VI

Springwindsarequicktochangeanditcanbeasouthwindblowingonedayandanorthwindthenext.Ifitiswindyearlyintheday,itwillbecalmintheeveningwithoutfail.

Ifthesouthwindblowsandifithasatailofnorthwindandaheadofsouthwind6 itwill increase in ferocity as it is blowing, and then if a north wind rises it will beadvantageous.7

VII

Ifacloudisshapedlikeaguncarriagethenitisasignofalargewind.

VIII

If thecloudsarespreadout ina lowposition[in thesky]andarewideandbroad inalldirections,likesmokeormist,thenthisiscalledfuka–‘ofturningintothewind’–anditisasignofawindrising.

Ifthecloudsareshapedlikefishscales,itwillbewindybutwillnotberainy.

IX

Ifyoucanseethecolourofindigoblueattheedgeofwater,itwillbewindyandrainy.

X

Inautumn,iftherearenocloudsnoranywind,itwillnotberainy.

XI

Ifstormpetrelsflyinlargeflocks,itisasignofwindandrain.8

XII

Ifdolphinsareplayinginthewater,thenitisasignofalargewind.

XIII

Ifawatersnakecoils9wherereedsarehighandgreen, it isasignofariseofthewaterlevel.Ifthesnaketurnsitsheaddownwardstherisewillbeimmediate,whileifitturnsitsheadupwards,itwillbeslow.

XIV

Ifthereisnorainonthelastdayofanygivenlunarmonth,thenyouwillhaveheavyrainwithoutfailatthebeginningofthenextmonth.

XV

Whenthemoonisinoneofthefollowingfourlunarmansions,10thenwindwillrise.

1.TheBasket

2.TheWall

3.TheWings

4.TheChariot

TakenotethatonlythefirstthreearementionedintheBingjingmanual.

Themoon travels through the skyeachdayandnightmovingby thirteen11degrees,12andit travelsaroundthewholeskyinamatterof twenty-eightdaysandonthe thirtiethand thefirstofeachmonth it isdifficult tosee thedegreesshift.13Whenexamining theperiodsofchuki ,whicharethetwelveeven-numberedsectionsofallottedtimeinthesystemofthetwenty-foursolarterms,14 thesunandthemoonmeettogetherinthesamemansionandmakeshusui .15Thefourquadrantsoftheskyhavesevenlunarmansionsineachone;however,rememberthattheyarenotdividedintoequalsections.

Thedegrees [where the sunand themoonmeet in the same lunarmansion are listedbelowandwere]recordedbyLiQuan.

[Thesemeetingshappenattheeven-numberedsolarterms:]

Thetimeofrainwater:theEncampmentmansion(8°)

Thevernalequinox:theStridemansion(14°)

Thegrainrain:theManemansion(2°)

Thetimeoffullgrain:theThreeStarsmansion(4°)

Thesummersolstice:theWellmansion(25°)

Themajorheat:theSevenStarsmansion(4°)

Thelimitoftheheat:theWingsmansion(9°)

Theautumnalequinox:theHornmansion(4°)

Thedescentofthefrost:theBasemansion(14°)

Theminorsnow:theBasketmansion(2°)

Thewintersolstice:theSouthernDippermansion(21°)

Themajorcold:theEmptinessmansion(5°)

Hereisalistofthetwenty-eightlunarmansionsandtheangleofdegreestheytakeupinthesky.

[Eachnumberrepresentsthearcanglethateachmansionoccupiesinthenightsky.]

Theeastgroupofsevenlunarmansionsaddsupto75°intotal:

1.TheHornhasanarcof12°

2.TheNeckhasanarcof9°

3.TheBasehasanarcof15°

4.TheChamberhasanarcof5°

5.TheHearthasanarcof5°

6.TheTailhasanarcof18°

7.TheBaskethasanarcof11°

Thenorthgroupofsevenlunarmansionsaddsupto98°intotal:

1.TheSouthernDipperhasanarcof26°

2.TheOxhasanarcof8°

3.TheMaidhasanarcof12°

4.TheEmptinesshasanarcof10°

5.TheRooftophasanarcof17°

6.TheEncampmenthasanarcof16°

7.TheWallhasanarcof9°

Thewestgroupofsevenlunarmansionsaddsupto80°intotal:

1.TheStridehasanarcof16°

2.TheBondhasanarcof12°

3.TheStomachhasanarcof14°

4.TheManehasanarcof11°

5.TheNethasanarcof16°

6.TheTurtleBeakhasanarcof2°

7.TheThreeStarshasanarcof9°

Thesouthgroupofsevenlunarmansionsaddsupto112°intotal16:

1.TheWellhasanarcof33°

2.TheGhosthasanarcof4°

3.TheWillowhasanarcof15°

4.TheSevenStarshasanarcof7°

5.TheExtendedNethasanarcof18°

6.TheWingshasanarcof18°

7.TheChariothasanarcof17°

Forexample,inthetimeofrainwaterinthefirstlunarmonth,17ifthemoonis8°intotheEncampmentmansion atmidnight on the first day of [the time of rainwater], then itspositionwillmove13°ormorebymidnightonthesecondday,whichmeansitwillreach5°intotheterritoryoftheWallmansion.Furthermore,atmidnightonthethirddayitwillreach9°intothelunarmansionnamedStride.

VersespertainingtowindandrainTheheavensstretchaboveandconsistofthesun,themoonandthestars,whiletheearthstaysbelow,withthegodsofwind,rainandthunderreigningaboveit.Youcanforecast18[theweather]bythebrightnessoftheBigDipperandthecolourofthemoon.

IfblackcloudsarecoveringthefourstarsformingtheladleoftheBigDipperandareovertheopeninginaridgeshape,thentherewillberainonthatnight.

Ifthereisyellowchi19infrontoftheseventhstaroftheBigDipper,youshouldknowthatplentyofrainwillcome.

IftheBigDipperisfullycoveredwithclouds,itwillberainywithinthreedays.

If theBigDipper ispartiallycovered[with thinclouds], then itwillbe rainy for fivedays.20

OnadayofDog,21SnakeortheSix22Dragon(whicharethedaysTsuchinoe-Dragon23andTsuchinoto-Snake),youcandeterminetheweatherbythesunatdawn[justafterthesunrise or in the earlymorning], in the evening [just before the sunset] or by the BigDipperatnight. If thereareclouds thatareblueandmoistandappear ina ‘fishscales’pattern,itwillrainheavilyonthatdayornightandwithoutfail.

LooktotheBigDipper:iftherearecloudsoffivecoloursandthatmoveintotheshapeofaturtleoradragon,thenitwillberainy.

Redchi isasignofburningfireandyellowchiasignofasandstormordustywind.WhenyouobservetheBigDipperandthereisredchi,itisasignofadroughtandsultryweather,whileifthereisyellowchi,whichisnotspreadingbutisthick,itindicatesalotof dusty wind [will come]. In addition to this, if [the chi] has an element of the blueDragon24orBoar,Rat,MizunoeorMizunoto [allofwhichhaveconnotationsofwater],thenitisasignofrain.

IfthereiswhitechiinfrontofthefifthandsixthstarsoftheBigDipper[whichmakeupthehandle],thentherewillbeaheavywindandraintocome.

Ifyouseemistdyedcrimson,thenitwillrainbeforetheendofthesolartermthatyouareinandthuswindandrainwillcomeandinduecoursethefarmerswillbenefitgreatly.

Iftherearenocloudsonanyofthesixversions25ofdaysofKinoe,itwillbesunnyforthenexttendays.

Accordingtothecloudsyoucansee,thefollowingcanbepredictedinconnectionwiththeFiveElements:26

Byobservingfromwhichthedirectionthecloudsorchirise,youcanknowiftherewillbe rain. For example, the days of Kinoe or Kinoto [both of which are of the Woodelement]areassociatedwiththeeast[whichisalsooftheWoodelement].

The rest of the elements and variations are shown below and you should apply thismethodtothem.

Ifthereareblueclouds[intheeast,thenitwillberainyonadayof]KinoeorKinoto.

Ifthereareredclouds[inthesouth,thenitwillberainyonadayof]HinoeorHinoto.

Ifthereareyellowclouds[inthecentreofthesky,itwillberainyonadayof]TsuchinoeorTsuchinoto.

Iftherearewhiteclouds[inthewest,thenitwillberainyonadayof]KanoeorKanoto.

Ifthereareblackclouds[inthenorth,thenitwillberainyonadayof]MizunoeorMizunoto.

[Ascanbeseen]thefivecoloursareconnectedtothefivedirections[whichalsoincludethecentre].

OnthefivedaysoftheHare,27astheHareisoftheWoodelement,thismeansyoucanpredicttheupcomingatmosphericconditions.OnthefivedaysoftheHaretogetherwiththesixdaysofKinoe[whichisalsooftheWoodelement],raincanbepredicted.Ifthesunand/ortheBigDipperarenotcoveredwithclouds,thentheweatherwillremainthesameforthenexttendays.

By observing the sky at sunrise or sunset, including the changing conditions andphenomena,youcanpredict theweather for thenext ten-daycycleof theTenCelestialStems [as each one has a specific element attached to it]. For example, to predict atsunrise,youshouldobserveinwhichdirectionblackcloudsaretobeseen.Iftheyareintheeast,youwillknowthatitwillberainyonadayofKinoeorKinotobecausetheyareconnectedwiththedirectionofeast.

If the sun looks purplish and the moon whitish, there will be a long spell of rainyweather;thismeansthatthecelestialchihasdescendedandtheearthlychihasnotrisen,anditmeansthattherewillbealongspellofrain.

Ifthesuniswhitishandthemoonreddish,thentheearthlychihasrisenbutthecelestialchihasnotfallenandtherewillbeadrought.

If the sun is bluish and the moon greenish, then it means that the celestial chi hasdescendedbuttheearthlychihasnotrisen,butinthiscasethetwoformsofchihavenotmixed,whichmeansitwillbeverycold.

Ifthesunisdarkandblackishandthemoonisblue,thecelestialchiandtheearthlychihavemixedbutnotverydenselyandtherefore itwill looklike it isabout torainatanytime.However,understandthattherewillbenorainandarainbowwillappear.28

If you forecast on a day of theHare, and if the clouds are gathering together in thecentre[ofthesky]andastrongandcoldwindisraging,tearingthegroundandbreakingthe trees, andheavy rain continues to fall andpour everywhere, then this is a signof aterribledisaster.Itmeansthatwarfareoranescalatingsituationwilltakeplacewithinfivedays.29

There are five notes in the Chinese pentatonic musical scale and they are: gong ,shang ,jiao ,zhi andyu .

ThedaysoftheRatandtheHorseareconnectedtothenotegong.

ThedaysoftheHareandtheCockerelareconnectedtothenoteyu.

ThedaysoftheDragonandtheDogareconnectedtothenoteshang.

ThedaysoftheSnakeandtheBoarareconnectedtothenotejiao.

ThedaysoftheOx,Ram,TigerandMonkeyareconnectedtothenotezhi.

TheelementEarthisconnectedtothenotegong.

TheelementWaterisconnectedtothenoteyu.

TheelementWoodisconnectedtothenotejiao.

TheelementFireisconnectedtothenotezhi.

TheelementMetalisconnectedtothenoteshang.

Ifonaday30ofzhithereisawindofzhiandanelement31ofOx,Ram,TigerorMonkeyisadded,thenafirewillbreakout.

IfonadayofjiaothereisawindofjiaoandanelementofeitherSnakeorBoarisadded,thenanepidemicwillbreakout.

IfonadayofshangthereisawindofshangandanelementofeitherDragonorDogisadded,thenawarwillbreakout.

IfonadayofyuthereisawindofyuandanelementofeitherHareorCockerelisadded,aheavyrainwillfall.

Theartofjudgingthesixemotions32inconnectiontotheweatherOn a day of the Tiger or of the Horse – which are connected with judiciousness andfidelity – if awind comes from the south, an auspicious or pleasurable eventwill takeplace.

Onadayof theSnakeor theCockerel –which are connectedwithgenerosity– if awindcomesfromthewest,thentakeitasasignofboozeorsextocome.

OnadayoftheOxortheDog–whichareconnectedwithfairness–ifawindcomesfromthesouthwest,itisasignformutualvirtueandharmony.

OnadayoftheMonkeyortheRat–whichareconnectedwithgreedandcruelty,likethat of a wolf – if a wind comes from the north, it is a sign that invasion, robbery ofpropertyormoneyorawarwilltakeplace.

OnadayoftheBoar33ortheHare–whichareconnectedwithinornegativenature–ifawindcomes from theeast, raiderswill invadeacross theborder andpillagea fortresswithinsevendays.

OnadayoftheDragonortheRam–whichareconnectedwithviciousness–ifawindcomes from the northeast, then an astonishing, unusual and evil event will take placewithinsevendays.

Also,ifthewindisfreshandnotcold,itisconsideredproper,whileifitisadarkandgloomywind,breakinghousesortrees,itisasuresignof[further]badluck.

ForthesixdaysfromthedayofMizunoe-RattothedayofHinoto-Snake,ifitisrainyanddarkfor threedays, itwillbe thesamefor therestof that[six-day]period.Also, iftherearenocloudsforthethreedaysfromthedayofTsuchinoe-HorsetoTsuchinoto-RamandKanoe-Monkey,34 itwillbesunnyfor thefollowing threedays.Thismethodcanbeappliedtootherdaysinthesameway.

ForthesixdaysfromHinoe-RattoKanoto-Snake,ifthecloudsarelowandthick[onthefirstday]thenitwillberainyinvariousprovinces[fortherestofthatperiod].IfthereisacloudshapedlikeasnakeovertheCelestialRiver,mistwillgathertobecomeclouds;ifboar-likecloudscrossovertheCelestialRiver,thenthewindwillsubsideanditwillberainy.

Inthecasewheretherearenocloudstohidethesunlightandyetthetreesorgrassesdonotgrowforthetendays[becauseofalackofrain],thenlookforblackmoistcloudsthatcrossovertheCelestialRiver,asthismeansitwillberainyandthericefieldswillbecomesoaked.

IfthereisablackcloudatmidnightonadayofMizunoto-Ox,andit isshapedlikeadragonandisintheeast,thenitwillberainyonadayoftheDragon.

IfthereisacloudshapedlikeahorseearlyonadayoftheHorseanditisalsointhesouth,thenitwillberainyonadayoftheHorse.

Atthebeginningofa lunarmonth, if thesunandthemoonareblue-black,moistandbright,therewillbeplentyofraininthatmonth.Iftheyareyellow-red,thenitwillbedryandsunny.

Ifthereisabeltofcloudsacrossthecentreofthesunatsunriseandifthecloudsarenotdispersed until the sun is at the height of three jo [from your point of view], then thismeansthatsoontherewillbeplentyofrain.

Whenyoulookeastinthemorning,ifthereisacloudshapedlikeapileofsoil,itwillberainy.

Whenyoulookwestintheeveningandiftherearecloudsintheshapeofapileofsoil

closetothesun,thenitwillberainy.

Whenyoulooknorthintheearlymorning,iftherearelotsofyellowish-blackclouds,itwillberainy.

Whenyoulooksouthatdawn,ifthereischi thatmovestowardthesouth,35 itwillberainy.

Ifthereisablackcloudshapedlikeaboaratsunrise,itwillalsoberainyonadayofRat[orwithinsevendays].

Ifheavycloudsareblownbyasouth[east]windtothenorthwest,thenitwillberainywithineightdays.

Iftherearecloudsstretchingbetweenthedirection36oftheTigerandtheHare,thenitwillberainyonadayofKinoeorKinoto.

IfthecloudsstretchinthedirectionoftheDragontotheSnake,thenitwillberainyonadayofHinoeorHinoto.

IfthecloudsstretchinthedirectionoftheHorsetotheRam,thenitwillberainyonadayofTsuchinoeorTsuchinoto.

IfthecloudsstretchinthedirectionoftheRamtotheMonkey,thenitwillberainyonadayofKanoeorKanoto.

IfMarsreachestheCelestialRiverorgoesintoitandtherearefewerstarsseen,thenitisasignofdrought.

If thestars in theCelestialRiver look‘thick’or‘dense’andthestarsofPegasus lookbrightandswaying,thentherewillbealotofrain.

Ifthecelestialpowersbecomeangry,thentherewillbehailandcloudswillspreadallover thesky.Also, if it is rainingslightlyand thewind isgentle, then it isasign thatarighteouslordwillcherishhispeopleandberespected.Inaddition,ifalordisrighteousandtheretainersarefaithful,thentheweatherwillbewindyfirstandrainylateron.Ifthelord is arrogant and thevassals arenot faithful, itwillbe rainyat the start andbecomewindyintheend.

WhenSaturnenterstheCelestialRiverfromthereverseside,thenthelaws[ofhumans]willbeindilemmaanditwillresultinaheavyrain.

IfMarsgetswithin[twenty-onecentimetres]ofJupiter37[whenlookingatarm’slength]then the governing principles [of man] will be overturned and there will be a seriousdrought.

Ifyouhaveenoughknowledgeoftheheavens,thatisperiodsofinandyoand‘open’and‘closed’,includinganunderstandingofthe‘movements’ofthesecondandthirdstars[of the Big Dipper], then, when combined with [an understanding] of the four earthlybranchesofRat,Horse,HareandCockerel,thenthefollowingwillhappen:ifcloudsareraisedinthetimeofHare,Horse,CockerelorRat,thenitwillrainwithoutfail.

Also, in theyear,month,dayorhourof theabovefourbranches, ifPolarismoves toanotherCelestialPalace38 and it iscoveredwithclouds thatareblue-blackandmoist, itwillinvariablyberainy.

On the six days of Mizunoe, then [the element of] the Dragon or Water will besummonedandthereforeitwillberainy.

Forthethreemonthsofspring,onthedaysofHinoeandHinoto

Forthethreemonthsofsummer,onthedaysofTsuchinoeandTsuchinoto

Forthethreemonthsofautumn,onthedaysofMizunoeandMizunoto

Forthethreemonthsofwinter,onthedaysofKinoeandKinoto

Fortheperiodsofdoyo,onthedaysofKanoeandKanoto

OneachoftheabovedaysoftheTen[CelestialStems]andinconnectionwiththelunarmansions,nomatteriftherearecloudsorchi,thentherewillbeheavyrainoralongspellofrainyweather.

OnthefirstdaywhenVenusorMercuryappears,thenitwillbeheavywindandrain.

Ifthemoon‘invades’theareaofstarsthatareinthelunarmansioncalledtheNet,thenitwillberainy.

Ifcoppersparrows39chirpthentheharvestisripe,andiftheydonotitisasignofayearofdrought.Also,ifyouseeaspider-snakestretchitsfourwings,thenathree-yeardroughtwillfollow.

Ifstonesparrowsflyaround,riverswillbeinfloodandiftheshoyoone-leggedbirdishoppingaroundvibrantlywithitswingsstretched,itisasignofaflood.

Ifthevirtueofthelordandifthefivephasesofweatherarethrownoutofbalance,newthingswillprosper.40Thewisdomofthelordisconstructedfromthetenrighteousperfectprinciples and is formedas awholeandbecause these tenare adhered to, thenwisdomwillmanifest itself.Heaven should be respected; also, value the earth and have perfectprinciples.Withasubtleandsecretmethod[thelord]enhancessincerity,showsrespectforspirits,worshipsthegodsandthusacquiresperfectfunction[inthislife]andinthiswayheestablisheshisbloodline.

[Thisistheendoftheversesonrain]

ExaminetheseChinesepoemsorsayingsofwindandrain,eachofwhichareoffourlinesandsevenideogramsinlength,andnotethatthingsconcerningthetwenty-foursectionsofheaven41willnotdeviatefromtheseaboveverses.Youshouldreadthetextthoroughlyandthink through itwithmuch care, giving consideration to the generating and conflictingcycles of the Five Elements, and in this way there will be scarce a chance that anyforecastingyoudoshallfail.

I have extracted and summarized some essential points from the Bingheng42 andBingjing43 Chinese manuals and other texts and written them above. Apart from thesequoted above, there are a multitude of other ways for divining both wind and rain.However,thesearetobepassedonorally.

Toknowhowheavyarainwillbe,youshouldbeawareofthefollowing:

Ifitisaperiodofchishigo44and[ifyouexpectrain],thenamedium-sizedshowerwillactuallyturnouttobealargercascade.Ontheotherhand,ifitisnotaperiodofchishigo

thentherainmaybemediuminleveleven[ifitisexpectedtobe]alargesquall.

[AmethodtoestablishwhichoneoftheFiveElementsrepresentsyourcharacter]45

•[Infigure34]theideogramsmarkedatthetopoftheconnectinglinesay‘wind’and‘rain’.

•[Whenyouusethismethod46ofweatherprediction]youshouldstartcountingfromtheRat.

•Theideogramatthetopoftheindexfingeris‘small’,theoneatthebaseoftheindexfingeris‘medium’andtheideogramatthebaseoftheringfingeris‘large’.

Figure34.TheFiveElementsandpersonality

[Thislistofideograms47startsatthethumbandgoesacrosseachupperfingerjointuntiltheyreachthelittlefinger:]

Gold–Wave–Illuminate–Wall–Old

TheanimalsconnectedwiththisuppertieraretheRat,Horse,OxandRam.

[Thislistofideogramsstartsatthethumbandgoesacrosseachmiddlefingerjointuntiltheyreachthelittlefinger:]

White–Light–Earth–Grass–Hook

TheanimalsconnectedwiththismiddletieraretheTiger,Monkey,HareandCockerel.

[This listof ideogramsstarts at the thumbandgoesacrosseach lower finger jointuntiltheyreachthelittlefinger:]

Flame–Soil–Tree–Bell–Rain

TheanimalsconnectedwiththislowertieraretheDog,Boar,DragonandSnake.

ThreepointsoncalculatingthetimeofthemoonriseandmoonsetThereisasetmethodfordoingthis:

SplitaJapanesehourintotenparts.Thesearecalledthe‘tensub-hours’[eachoftwelveminutes],makingtenofthemadduptooneJapanesehour[120minutes].

Onanydayinalunarmonth,multiplythenumberoftheday48byfour,andaddittothe[startof the]hourof theDragon[7am]; theansweryouarriveatwillbe the timeof themoonriseforthatday.However,rememberthemoonsetssixJapanesehoursafteritrises[twelvestandardhours].

Anexampleoftheaboveformula:

Ifitistheeighthdayofthelunarmonth,multiplyeightbyfour,thisequalsthirty-two.Nowyouknowthe time[ofmoonrise]willbe: threeJapanesehoursplus two sub-hours[twenty-four minutes] after the hour of the Dragon [7am].49 In this case the time [ofmoonrise] would be during the first third of the hour of the Ram [between 1pm and1.40pm].

[Anexampleusingatwo-digitdaynumber:]

Ifitisthetwenty-fourthdayofthelunarmonth,multiplytwobyfour,thisequalseightJapanesehours,andnextmultiply[thesecondpartofthedaynumber]fouralsoby four,which equals sixteen. [Sixteen is made up of one and six, which correspond to oneJapanesehourand six sub-hoursof twelveminuteseach,] thus, add theeighthoursandonehour, then thesix sub-hours.Whenaddedyougetnine Japanesehoursandsix sub-hours[nineteenhourstwelveminutesinstandardhours].Inthiscase,younowknowthetimewill be in the second thirdof thehour of theOx [between1.40amand2.20am50].Remember,sixJapanesehourslaterthemoonwillsetinthesecondthirdofthehouroftheRamonthe‘next’day.

Fortherestofthedays,thesamemethodshouldbeapplied.Youshouldnowbecomefamiliar with this system and you should fully understand [and memorize] how tocalculatethetimeofmoonriseforthefifteenthandtwentiethdayofthelunarmonth[asaguideline].

ThethreewaysofbeatingthedrumforthehourInthefirsttendaysofamonth:

You should beatHare ‘on the head’ – that is, as the hour changes to the hour of theHare.DothissothatpeopleknowitisthehourofHare,thismeansthatpeoplewillknowthetimeuntilyoubeatthedrumforthenexthour,whichisthehourofDragon.

Inthemiddletendaysofamonth:

YoushouldbeattheHare‘onthehip’–thatis,inthemiddleofthehourofHare.

Inthelasttendaysofthemonth:

Youshouldhit theHare ‘on the tail’– that is,at the last sectionof thehourofHare.ThismeansthatthedrummingwillfinishatthestartofthehourofDragon.

Fourpointsonhowtoknowtheebbandflowofthetides

I

Spring tidesequal tendaysandneap tidesequal five.Although thedrawing is includedhere(seeFigure35),thereisalsoasecretthatgoeswithit.51

II

Youcanhaveanapproximateideaofthetimeofthetidesbyusingthewayofchishigo.52

[Themonthisdividedintothreesectionsoftendays,makingthefirst,secondandthirdpartsofamonth.53]

On the first, second, ninth and tenth days in each of the three ten-day sections of amonth,itwillbelowtide54inthehoursoftheRat,Horse,HareandCockerel.

Figure35.AtidaltimechartYoushouldsetthedate[whichcanbefoundontheinnerrimofthewhitecircleinfigure35]tothecharacterofeast [whichistheideograminthewhitesquaresetinsidetheblacksectionatthetopofthe

chart].

Onthesixth,seventhandeighthdaysineachofthethreeten-daysectionsofamonth,itwillbelowtideinthehoursoftheTiger,Monkey,SnakeandBoar.

Onthethird,fourthandfifthdaysineachof thethreeten-daysectionsofamonth, itwillbelowtideinthehoursoftheOx,Ram,DragonandDog.

Thefollowinginformationistakenfrompoemsforspring,mid-rangeandneaptides.

Springtidesarefromthefourteenthtotheeighteenthdaysofalunarmonthandfromthetwenty-ninthdaytothethirdday[ofthenext]lunarmonth.

Mid-range tides are from the fourth to the eighth and from the twenty-fifth to thetwenty-eighthdaysofalunarmonth.

Neap tidesare fromtheninth to the thirteenthandfromthenineteenth to the twenty-fourthdaysofalunarmonth.

III

The timeof themoonrisealwaysparallels the timeof thehigh tide.Therefore,youcanknow the tidal times by calculating the time ofmoonrise ormoonset. The second tidalsystemshouldoccurintheseventhJapanesehour55after theriseofthemoon.Therearemoreoraltraditionshere.

In the above information on tides, the tidal timemay sometimes gradually shift overtime, but with the method [of observing moonrise and moonset] you will always becorrect.

IV

HereisOtaDokan’spoemabouttides:

Bylisteningtothecallofploverbirds56andcheckingifitisnearordistant,youcanknowifitisloworhightide.

Twopointsonidentifyingthedirection

I

Youcanknoweast,westandsouthbyobserving theBigDipper.Generally,youshouldalwayshaveacelestialmaponthewallsothatyoucanlearnwhatthetwenty-eightlunarmansions and the stars look like; also, you should watch the sky to get used to theirpositionintheheavens.TheBingjingmanualsaysthattheskyisasobscureasaspaciousplain[ontheground]andifyouhavenoclueto thedirectionyouwishtoheadin, thenyoushouldobservetheBigDipperandthe‘middlestars’57 everynight,sothatyoueasilyknowhowtofindyourway.

[Thestarswillbeinthefollowinglunarmansionsandpositions:]

Thefirstmonth–theyareinManeatthetimeoftwilightandinHeartatsunrise.

Thesecondmonth–theyareinWellatthetimeoftwilightandinWillowingBasketatsunrise.

Thethirdmonth–theyareinWillowatthetimeoftwilightandinSouthDipperatsunrise.

Thefourthmonth–theyareinBaseatthetimeoftwilightandnearthestarofAltairatsunrise.

Thefifthmonth–theyareinHornattwilightandinRooftopatsunrise.

Thesixthmonth–theyareintheSouthDipperattwilightandinWallatsunrise.

Theseventhmonth–theyareinTailattwilightandinBondatsunrise.

Theeighthmonth–theyareinEmptinessattwilightandinNetatsunrise.

Theninthmonth–theyareinOxattwilightandinWellatsunrise.

Thetenthmonth–theyareinEmptinessattwilightandinEncampmentatsunrise.

Theeleventhmonth–theyareinEncampmentattwilightandinChariotatsunrise.

Thetwelthmonth–theyareinStrideattwilightandinNeckatsunrise.

II

Ifyoucarryacompasswithyou,youcanidentifyeastorwest,evenonarainynight.

TheBingjingmanualsays that if thesky iscloudedorgloomyorevenpitchblackatnight and you cannot identify the direction you need, then you should let an old horsewalkinfrontofyou,ashewillknowtheway.

Analternative to theabovemethod is touse thecompassknownas the ‘south-pointingfish’toidentifythepositionofthecardinalpoints.Tomakeoneofthese‘fish-compasses’youshoulddothefollowing:cutafishshapeoutofthinironleaftothemeasurementoftwosun in lengthandfivebu inwidthandwithapointedheadand tail.Thenheat thisiron-leaffishinacharcoalfireuntilitbecomesthoroughlyred-hot,thentakeitoutbytheheadwithirontongsandplaceitsothatitstailisinthedirectionofnorth.Inthispositionitshouldthenbequenchedinabasinofwater,sothat[only]itstailissubmergedanduptoseveraltenthsofaninch.This‘fish’isthenkeptinatightlyclosedbox.

Touseit,fillasmallbowlwithwaterandsetitupinashelteredarea,thenthefishislaidasflataspossibleuponthewater’ssurface,58sothatitfloats,whereuponitsheadwillpointtothedirectionofsouth.

Twopointsonknowingthetime

I

Byobservingthefourstars[thatmakeupthe‘pan’]oftheBigDipperyoucanknowthetime.Thesestarstraveloneshi(30°)foreachJapanesehour(approximately120minutes).Youcancalculatethetimebycountinganticlockwisebyfourplacesonazodiaccalendar.[RememberthesefoursectionsarerepresentedbyanimalsintheChinesesystem,]also,donotforgetyouneedtoapplythenumberofthemonth.

Hereisanexampleofthismethod:ifitisanydayinthefirstlunarmonthofayearandiftheendofthe‘handle’oftheBigDipperpointstothedirectionoftheTiger,thencountfourspacesanticlockwise,i.e.Ox,Rat,Boar,Dog–therefore,thetimewillbethehouroftheDogwhenthehandleoftheBigDipperisinthedirectionoftheTiger(approximatelynortheast).Anotherillustrationwouldbe: inthehourof theCockerel the‘handle’of theBigDipperwillpointtothedirectionoftheOx[becausetheyarefoursectionsawayfromeachother].Anotherexample:ifthe‘handle’oftheBigDipperpointsinthedirectionoftheHare(east),thencountinganticlockwiseyoucancalculatethetimeisthehouroftheBoar.Asyoucansee,theHareisthreeplacesdownfrom[andincluding]Ox,astheBoar

isthreefrom[andincluding]theCockerel.59Thesamemethodshouldbeappliedforeveryoneofthetwelvezodiacsignsandforeverymonth.

TheBigDipperIntheBigDipper,starsone,two,threeandfourmakeupthe‘pan’andstarsfive,sixandseven make up the ‘handle’. The seventh star or ‘Flickering Light’ is the star ofHagun[asdescribedinvolumesixteen].

II

Onarainyandstarlessnight,youshoulduseasandclock,aweightorthefollowingpoemTheCat’sEyes:

Atthehourofsix[6amand6pm]theeyesofacatareround.

Figure36.TheBigDipperandunnamedimage

Figure37.Thetwenty-eightlunarmansions

Atthehouroffive[8amand8pm]andeight[2amand2pm]theeyesofacatareegg-shaped.

Atthehouroffour[10amand10pm]andseven[4amand4pm]theeyesofacatarelikepersimmonseeds.

Atthehourofnine[midday]theeyesofacatarelikeneedles.

ThelunarmansionsTherearetwenty-eightlunarmansions,whicharearrangedinfourgroupsofsevenandareallottedtoeachofthefourcardinalpoints.ThetwostarscalledKeisei andBoseiof the star clusterPleiadesare found ina lunarmansionof thewestern sideof the sky.Also, to find the western lunarmansion called the Triad, find the stars Karasukiboshi

[whicharewellknown60].

Inordertolearntheabovesubjectofthedivinationofthewindandrain,thediagramsandinstructionsonhow toknow the tidal times, the risingandsettingof themoon, theBigDipperandthetwenty-eightlunarmansionsasmentionedabovehavebeenincluded.Youshouldalwaysobserveastronomicalphenomenaandstudy[thenightsky]veryclosely,sothataftermuchpracticeyouwillknowthesethingsinstantly.

1TheversesonwindandrainarenotestakenbyFujibayashifromtheBantenkyovolumeoftheChineseBingjingmanual.Unfortunately,eitherFujibayashiorthescribemademistakesandthetextdeviatesatsomepointsfromthemanual.HerewehavecorrectedthesemistakesandusedtheoriginalChinesemanualasafoundation.

2Thetextsayssixteenpoints;however,thereareonlyfifteen.Eitheronepointismissingoritisatranscriptionerror.

3TheMilkyWay.

4Literally‘fishandsoft-shelledturtles’.However,thisisanidiomforallanimalsinthesea.

5Theideogramusedheremeans‘end’ insteadof‘Ram’ ,whichisatranscriptionerror.

6Themeaningisnotclearhere,asthetwowindsappeartogoagainsteachother.

7Thispointhasbeensimplified.

8Thestormpetrelisknowninotherculturestopredictbadweather.Thisisbecausethesebirdsarepelagic(theyinhabittheopenseas),whichmeanstheywouldbespottedbyaland-basedindividualonlyatthetimeofastorm,asbadweatherdrivestheminland.(Source:ornithologistProfessorTimBirkhead.)

9Literally‘watersnake’,thoughttobeafreshwatersnake,possiblyHomalopsinae,whichisnotnativetoJapan.Thishighlightsthefactthatthisinformationcomesfromaforeignmanual.

10ThisisafamousquotefromSunTzuandproliferatesbothChineseandJapaneseincendiarywarfareandmeteorologicalmethods.

11Thisnumberisnotconstant,itisvariableandcouldbecloserto12.8ºthan13ºorjustover.

12Theterm‘degrees’hasbeenusedhere.However,itisbasedontheChinesesystemwhereacirclehas365°insteadof360°.Therefore,one‘Chinese’degreeisequivalentto0.98630137standarddegrees.ToconverttheChinesedegreesusedinthismanualintostandarddegrees,simplymultiplythenumberwrittenbythispreviousfigure.Forexample,theWillowingBasketmansionhasanarcof11Chinesedegrees,whichis10.8493151°instandardterms.

13Literaltranslation;thetextisambiguoushere.

14Thetwenty-foursolartermsisanoldsystemofmeasuringtimethroughayear.Eachsolartermcovers15°alongtheecliptic.

15Unknownterm.

16Theoriginalhasatranscriptionerrorandstates‘120’.

17ThisisinoraroundFebruaryonasolarcalendar.

18Thetextsays‘divine’;however,thiswordhasbeensubstitutedby‘forecast’inallcases.

19ChiorkiinJapaneseisadifficultconcepttograsp.Whenitcomestochiintheskytherearetwopossibleconclusions:eitheritisthepresenceofinvisiblechi,whichonlyaselectfewcansee;orthechiistheenergythatshapesandcolourstheclouds,whichisvisibletoall.

20Thetextsays‘halfaday’,buttheChineseoriginaltextsays‘halfofajun’.Ajunisaperiodoftendays.AlsoFujibayashi’sfootnotesaysitwillberainyfor‘threetimesfivedays’,whichdoesnotmakesenseandshouldberegardedasatranscriptionerror.

21TheoriginalChineseBantenkyo manual,fromwhichallthesepointsaretaken,saysTsuchinoe(whichisthenameofaspecificday)insteadofDogandalsoRatinsteadofSnake.TheideogramforDog andTsuchinoeareverysimilarandcouldbeatranscriptionerrorwhiletheissueofSnakeandRatisclearlyasubstitution.

22Thereappearstobenoexplanationforthenumericalinthetext.

23TheoriginalBantenkyo ChinesedocumentwritesthisasRat.

24Thishasconnotationsofaneasterlydirection.

25AsthecyclesoftheTwelveEarthlyBranchesandtheTenCelestialStemsrotate,sixdifferentversionsofKinoeappear.

26Eachdirectionincludingthecentrehasanelementattachedtoit,sodothenamesforthedays.Therefore,Fujibayashiissayingthatifthetwointersectinthemannerhedescribesthenyoucanpredicttheweather.

27IntheJapanesecalendarcycleofsixtydays,eachanimalisassociatedwithfivedays.

28Twoissuesarisefromthispoint:firstly,whatistrulymeantby‘blacksun’;andsecondly,astheoriginalChinesetexttalksofmist,itispossiblethatthisisamethodofpredictingmist.

29Thisappearstogobeyondusingtheenvironmenttopredicttheweatherandentertherealmofusingtheweathertopredictfuturehumanevents.

30Eachnoteisattachedtoananimalandtheseanimalsrepresentspecificdays;thus,ifitisadayoftheOxthenitisalsoadayofzhi.

31Eachnoteisattachedtoananimal,andtheseanimalsrepresentspecificdirections,timesetc.Forexample,theHareiseast,whichmeansthatanyelementthatisconnectedtotheHareintheabovesituationbecomes‘mixed’intotheequation,andthenthestatedresultwillhappen.

32TheShoninkininjamanualstatesseven.

33TheoriginaltextstatesTiger.However,TigerhasalreadybeenusedandBoarismissing;therefore,itisconsideredamistake.

34Threeindividualdaysinthesixty-daycycle.

35ThisdescriptionhasbeeninsertedfromtheoriginalChinesetext.

36Eachanimalrepresentsadirection.

37FujibayashiwritesthisasMercuryinhisannotation,buttheoriginalmanualstatesJupiter.

38 Anine-squaregridusedinancientChinainconnectionwithastrology/astronomy.

39FujibayashiisreferencinglegendaryChineseanimalsinthesesections.However,byhissyntaxitisclearhebelievesinthem;therefore,thesemythicalnamesmaybeassociatedwithrealcreatures,oralternatively,hemaysimplybecarryingthe‘belief’acrossfromtheChinesetext.

40TheChineseishighlyambiguoushereandthissentenceishypothetical.

41Possiblythetwenty-fourpointsoftheLoupanCompassoffengshui.

42Anunknownmanual.

43TheSoldierMirrorofWuzi ,aChinesemilitarymanualwrittenabout1620.

44Aperiodwherepeopleareconsideredmorelikelytodie.Suchtimesarepredictedinconnectionwithtides.

45Intheoriginaltext,thisisalistofideogramsnexttotheimageofthehand.TheBansenshukaidoesnotexplaintheirpresence,butitisinfactaChinese-basedmethodtoestablishwhichoftheFiveElementsrepresentsaperson.Thetoplineofideogramscorrespondstotheupperjointontheinsideofeachofthefingers;thenextlinerepresentsthemiddlejoint;andthebottomlinerepresentsthelowestjoint,whichisthejointbetweenthefingerandthepalmofthehand.Armedwiththeanimal-zodiacofaperson,anyoneskilledinthismethodcandeterminewhichoftheFiveElementsapersonisconnectedto,whichfitsinwiththeskillsdescribedinthisvolume,manyofwhichrequireyoutoknowaperson’selement.

46Fujibayashidoesnotclarifytheselabelsontheimage.However,theyappeartobeconnectedtotheaboveissueoflarge,mediumandlesserrainfallandaremostlikelyamethodofprediction.

47TheoriginalChinesetextdiffersslightlyfromFujibayashi.

48Thatis,thefirst,secondorthirddayofthelunarmonth,etc.

49ThreeJapanesehours,plustwosub-unitsequalssixhourstwenty-fourminutes.Addingthisto7amgivesthetime1.24pm.ThehouroftheRamfallsbetween1pmand3pm.

50Theactualtimewouldbe2.12am.

51Thewhitecircleinthecentreofthechartrotates.However,theoraltraditionisthemissingelementofthispuzzleandthereforeitsfullexplanationcannotbegiven.

52IntheChineseskillofOnmyodo,itissaidyoucanknowtheperiodortimeofaperson’sdeathbythetidesortheChinesezodiacsignoftheperson’sbirthdate.

53Themanualdoesnotincludethissectionasthesethirdsarediscussedearlierandwouldequatetoa360-dayyear.Aswithalllunarcalendarsthepointswouldchange,asthesolaryeardoesnotcorrespondexactlytothelunaryear.

54Themanualstates‘timeofthetide’.However,thisappearstoimply‘lowtide’,aschishigoisbasedonthelowtide.

55Tidesworkonatwelve-hourlybasis;therefore,theterm‘seventh’herecouldbeatranscriptionerrormeaning‘sixth’,oritcouldbeowingtothefactthatFujibayashiwouldhavestartedcountingonhisinitialhour.Modernreadersstartcountingfromthehourafterthestartpoint,whereastheMedievalJapanesestartedcountingfromtheiractualstartingposition.

56Ploversforagealongtheshorelineasthetidescomeinandout.Therefore,ifthebird’scallisfaraway,thensoistheshorelineandviceversa.(Source:ornithologistProfessorTimBirkhead.)

57ThisisacomplexChinesesystemwhichchangesandmovesfromlunarmansiontolunarmansionastimeprogresses.

58Thetextdoesnottalkofaleaforanysupportingsheet,meaningthatthiswaseitherobviousorthatthesheetitismadeofisthinenoughtofloat.

59ThislastsentencehasbeeninsertedbyFujibayashitohighlightthatthesystemisthesameasitmovesaroundtheChinesecalendar.Whenthismethodisappliedtothemodernillustrationgivenintheintroduction,thesystemimmediatelybecomesapparent.

60Fujibayashigivesthisparagraphtohighlighthowtousewell-knownstarsofthetimetofindthelunarmansionsinquestion.

VOLUMEEIGHTEEN

NinkiINinjaToolsI

Climbingtools

NotonlyclimbingtoolsbutthewholerangeofNinkininjatoolscanbesaidtobesimilartothemeshofanet.Evenifthenethasmillionsofinterwovenlinks,itmaycatchabirdwithonlyasmallarea.Itisexactlythesamewiththewayofninjatools.Youdonotneedtouseallofthetoolsinyourarsenaleverytimeyou‘stealin’butyoushouldhaveawellthoughtoutplanbeforehandandconsiderthestatusoftheenemy,takingonlythosetoolsthatsuittherequirements.Donotcarrytoomanytoolsandrememberthatthosewhocanachievemultipletaskswithasingletoolcanbecalledgoodshinobi.

Thetiedladder

Therearetwotypesofthisladder:theproper andthetemporary .Theproperversioniswhatyouareusuallypreparedwith inadvanceand ispre-constructed.The temporaryversionismadeonthelocationwithtwobamboopostsyouhavecarriedwithyou;thisisdonetoavoidsuspicionwhenenroutetoyourtarget.

Splitbamboointothinbamboosticksandformthemasyouwouldformanuchie1spearhandle.Youcanmakeitaslongasyoulike,butnotsolongthatitslengthmakesitbend.The rungsshouldbebambooand tiedupwith thin rope.There isa secretwayof tyingthem.Peopleinancienttimesmadethewidthbetweenthetwoverticalpostseightorsixsun,andvariedthelengthbetweentherungsaccordingtotheplace.Isaythatthelengthbetweentherungsshouldbechangedasonelikesandassuitstheindividual.Bothendsofthepostsshouldbewrappedwithstrawmattingatalengthoftwoorthreeshaku,sothattheywillmakenonoise.Ifnotstrawmatting,thenuseanythingsoftandavailableatthattime;ratherthanfollowingexactlythisaboveexample,youshouldalwaysbeflexible.

Figure38.Theflyingladder

Figure39.Thetiedladder

Figure40.Thecloudladder

TheflyingladderThisshouldbemadeinthesamewayasthetiedladderabovebysplittingthickerbamboointo thinner strips and attaching it to a central pole. The ends of the shaft should bewrappedwithstrawmattinginthesamewayasthetiedladder.

Figure41.Therolledladder

Figure42.Thespikedladder

ThecloudladderThisisnotaladderinitsownright.Foraplaceyoucannotreachwithatiedladderoraflying ladder, secure a flying ladder onto a tied ladder as in the drawing and use it toclimb. This is called the cloud ladder. There are further things to be orally transmittedhere.

TherolledladderThisshouldbemadeofhempropeanditslengthshouldbetheheightfromthefloortoaman’swristwhenhestandsandholdshishand[directlyabovehim]intheair.Moretobeorallytransmitted.Therungsshouldbemadeofbamboo.

ThespikedladderThelengthofthisshouldbetwojoandfiveshaku2andthewidthshouldbesixsun.Theropeshouldbeofhemporbrackenandthehooksshouldbeattachedasillustratedabove.Therungscanbebambooorrope;morethingstobeorallytransmittedhere.Thisshouldbeusedonasteeprockycliffwithtreesontop.

Thehighladderortool-transportationwireTie[tworopes]ontoanironringasinthedrawing[sothattheringcanbepulledbetweentwoagents]andhaveit[travel]alongonefixedrope,whichgoesthroughthering.Thishighladderisatooltotransportotherninjatools.

ThekunaidiggingtoolThelengthshouldbeoneshakutwosunoroneshakusixsun.Itshouldbemadeofironandconstructedusingthesamemethodasfortheherakunai,whichistheflareddiggingtool.

Thesaguritetu(alsocalledthetsukihake)probingironThisshouldbemadeofiron.Thelengthshouldbeoneshakufivesunoroneshakutwoorthreesunwithahandleofsixsun.Thereareoraltraditionswiththistool.3

Figure43.Thehighladder

Figure44.Thekunaidiggingtool

Figure45.Thesaguritetuprobingiron

Figure46.Thenagabukurolongbag

ThenagabukurolongbagThebagshouldbemadeofcotton,witha lengthof twoor three jo.Sew twopiecesof

clothtogetherandhaveasemi-circularbarsewnintothemouthatthetop;alsoattachironnails[asintheillustration].Thereisawayofputtinganironballatthebottomofthebag;however,Idonotbelieveinthismethod.

Figure47.Uchikagigrapplinghooks

Figure48.Thespiderladder

UchikagigrapplinghooksUchikagicomprisefourseparatehooksmadeoftemperediron.Usethesmallironring[inthedrawing]tocombinethemallintoonegrapplinghook.Theropeshouldbeonejofiveshaku4 long and made of hemp. I say that the rope should be varied according to the

opportunity.

ThespiderladderRopegoesthroughtheringatthetop,andthereisasecretaboutthespacingofoneshaku;oraltraditiononly.

Theouterrolleronthistoolismadeofwood.5

Thereisaholeatthesideofthetool,whichallowsthecentralaxletopassthroughthewoodenroller.Theaxleshouldbewrapped6inclothandcoveredinlacquer.

Figure49.Theryutoortatsunoboridragonclimbingtool

Figure50.UnknownimageThisimagecomeswithnodescriptionortitle,whichhaveprobablybeenlostintranscription.Itappearstobeaheadlessarrowwithmarkings.

Theropeshouldbebraidedlikeshirashime,7andattwo-shakuintervalsandshouldbeconstructedinafret-likemannerlikeastringed[instrument].8

TheryutoortatsunoboridragonclimbingtoolItisfourandahalfbuthickandhasasquarecross-section9onthespike.

Itissixbuthickandhasasquarecross-sectiononthemainandlongerarm.

Thelengthofthespikeisfoursunandfivebu.

Figure51.Theokagilargehook

Figure52.Themitsukagithree-prongedhook

Themain lowerbar isninesun fourbu long, twobuwideandonebu thick.Put a thinthreadonthebottomring;thelengthofthethreadshouldbefortyken.

Theokagilargehook10

Thebarontherightissixsunlong.

Thetopbariseightsunlongwhenunfolded.

Thetoolopensoutaroundthecentralconnectingjoint.

Lockthetoolinplacewithalockingring.

Thebarontheleftandsideisfivesunlong.

Themitsukagithree-prongedhookAttachtheropetothebottomofthehooks.

Whenthetriangularsocketispulleddownthehookfoldsaway,andwhenitispushedupthethreeprongswillspread[formingthegrapple].

Theimageontheleft[figure52]istheviewofthesocketfromabove.

[Usingweaponsasclimbingaids]Climbingwithyourtachilongsword11

Usethismethodforawalluptosevenoreightshakuhigh.

Usingaspearasatemporaryclimbingaid

Thisisusedforclimbingawalluptoonejooneshakuinheight.

Climbingwithaspeardesignedforclimbing

Withaspear[handle]oftwokeninlength,youcanclimbupawalltwokenhigh.Foratwoandahalfkenandalsoatwokenandfourshakuwall,thereisasecretaspectfound

aroundthebuttofthespear,butthisistobeorallytransmitted.

Also,therearetools[for]thespiderladderandvarioususefulmethodsofusingaropethataretobeorallytransmitted.

1Anuchieisalightweightandcost-effectivetypeofspearhandle.Itisformedwithsplitbambooputaroundashaftofwoodthengluedandboundwithstrings.

2Thisislongerthanexpectedandmeasuressevenandahalfmetres.

3ThekudenororaltraditionsreferredtoherearediscussedintheShinobiHidenmanualof1560,whereitsaysthattheprobingironshouldbeusedwithalubricanttodampenanysound.

4Thisisquiteshortforagrapplinghookandmeasuresfourandahalfmetres,whichshowsthatitwasmainlyforclimbingoverlowwallsandsuch.However,asFujibayashistates,thesituationwilldictatethelength.

5Thisisthewhitesectionintheimageandisagreasedrolleronanironaxle–theoriginalsaysmetalwithaninternalwoodenroller,butthisappearstobeatranscriptionerrorandshouldbereversed.

6Thetextsayswrapclothoffourorfivetanaroundtheaxle.However,onetanisextremelylargeanditisbelievedtobeatranscriptionerrorandthatitsimplymeanswraptheaxleinclothfourorfivetimes.

7Unknownterm.

8Whileambiguous,thiswouldmostlikelybeaknottoplacethefeetonorholdonto–thetextimpliesthatyouplacethis‘knot’inpositionwhiletheropeisbeingmade.

9Thesetwostatementsarereferringtothedescriptionsontherightoftheimage,whichpointtothecentralhub.

10Thisisafold-outhook.Whencollapseditwouldmostlikelyfoldinhalf,forminganL-shape,andwhenashinobineededtomakeafasteningontoawiderwallorpoint,hecouldusethisfold-outhooktoholdfastaropeforotherstofollow.

11Thismethodisdescribedearlierandappearsinvariousmanuals;itistheskillofusingyourswordhiltasafoothold.

VOLUMENINETEEN

NinkiIINinjaToolsII

Watertools

There are tools to help you cross over water; however, if you find yourself in anemergencysituation,youmaynotalwayshavethemtohand.Insuchacase,youshouldmakeamakeshiftraftofanythingavailable–forexample,bamboo,wood,bamboograss,reeds,cattails,tubs,jars,woodenmalletsandmortarsetc.Toillustratehowtocreatethesemakeshifttoolstherearedrawingsandguidelineswithinthischapter.

In ancient times thereweremany exampleswhere amassive army had to tear downhouses tosupply themselveswithbuildingmaterials for theseformsofcraft,doneso inordertocrossariver.

Themizugumowater spider [floating seat], thehasami-bakobunewarboatandothertoolsofourschoolarethebesttoolsthatyoucanusetocrossoverariver,moatorsoonandarevitallyimportantinshinobinojutsu.Theyarehandyandallowyoutocrosswaterincompletesafety.Beingofaqualityrareintheworld,theyshouldbekeptinstrictsecret.However,thesehavenobenefitforalargearmyandshouldbeconsideredassecrettoolsthatonlybenefitninjutsu.

Thefloatingbridge

Thelengthofthebridgewilldependonthesituationatthetime,buttherearethingstobeorallytransmittedhere.Thewidthshouldbeoneshakuandtwosunandtheropeshouldhaveanextratwoshakuormoreattheendtosecuretheironhogusediggingtools1thatgoateachendofthebridge.Youusesplitbamboofortherungsasintheillustration,thereismoretobeorallytransmittedhere.

Figure53.Thefloatingbridge

Figure54.Thecattailraft

ThecattailraftCattailraftsshouldbemadewithsectionsofwoodandbundlesofcattails.Placeabundleofcattailsontothetopofthewoodenshaftsasintheillustration.Insomecasesyoucanputthewoodenshaftsthroughthestackofcattails.

ThejarraftJarraftsshouldbemadeasintheillustration.Pans,buckets,woodenmalletsandmortarsandsuchcanbeused.

Howtousethisjarraftisanoraltradition.

Figure55.Thejarraft

Figure56.Thewicker-basketraft

Thewicker-basketraftFor the wicker-basket raft, you should take leather-lined wicker baskets and hingedsockets2 with you, andwhen you need to cross over an expanse ofwater, put the fourbasketbottomsandthelidstogetherandconnectthemwiththehingesocketssothatyoucangetontheraft.Thosewhoareengagedinthiswayshouldconsiderusingleather-linedwickerbaskets.3

Thefoursquaresaretheleatherwickerbaskets.

Youcanseethehingedsocketsconnectingthem.

Thewaterspider4floatingseat

•Thefulldiameterofthewaterspideristwoshakuandonesuneightbuandtheinternaldiameterisoneshakuandonesuneightbuwhenyouhavecutoutthecentre,whichleavesawoodenringwithawidthoffivesun.

•Theboardusedshouldbetwobuandfiverinthick.5

•Thehinges6shouldbetworininthicknessandtwosunandtwobuinlengthandtheneightbuinwidth.Theseshouldbefixedwithfivenailsateachendofthehinge.

•Thetypeofkakeganelatchesyoushouldusearehakakeganeor‘wingedlatches’.7

•Thehirogekanecollapsingjoints:theoutercollapsingjointsmeasurethreesunandfivebu,whiletheinternaljointsmeasurethreesun.8Therivet[thatfitsintoandfixestogetherthecollapsingjoints]shouldbethickeratthetopandthinneratthebase.9Thisistobeorallytransmitted.

•Theseatsuspendedinthecentreismadeofleatherandcanbeofcowhideandbeeightsuninlengthandfoursunandfivebuinwidth.Putaleatherringoneachofthefourcorners,whichareattachedinturntoaring,towhichabraidedcordshouldbeconnected[asinfigure57].10

However, generally the leather should be horse leather as this leather is thin and isdesirable. Apply bitumen or asphalt11 onto the leather; there are things to be orallytransmittedhere.

Figure57shows theuppersideof thewaterspiderwhenfoldedoutandprepared foruse.

Thefourthingapsorpathways[ateachcardinalpoint]shouldbenarrowerinthecentreandwiderattheedge.Alleight12[collapsingjoints]areconstructedinthesameway.Moretobepassedonorally.

Figure57.Thewaterspiderfloatingseat

Figure58.Thehirogekanecollapsingjointsintheirunconnectedstate

Figure59.Thehirogekanecollapsingjointsintheirconnectedstate

Figure60.Mizukakiflippers(fromabove)

Figure61.Mizukakiflippers(fromtheside)

Theheadoftherivet[thatholdsthetwosectionsabovetogether]rotatesandthuslocksthetwotogether.Eachoftheeightcollapsingjointsshouldbemadethesame.

Mizukakiflippers13[tobeusedwheninthewaterspider]

Mizukaki flippers should bemade like thewooden sandals of katahama.14They shouldhavearevolvingspool15onthebottomandathongonthetopsoyoucanputthemonasyouwouldputonsandals.

Thisistheviewfromabove:

Themechanismcanbefoundonthebottomoftheflipper.Hereisthesecret.16

Thisistheviewfromtheside:

Youcanseethemechanism[wheretheflippermeetsthesoleofthesandal].

AwaterspiderfromanotherschoolTake thin round sticks of hard bamboo orwhalebone by shaving them and construct aseriesofrings.Connecttheringstogetherinalinewiththreadatthreeorfourplaces,sothatitissimilartotheinternalframeofapaperlantern.Covertheendswithroundboard-capsmadeofthePaulowniatreeandwhicharefoursuninthickness,andcovertheframewithhorseordeerleatherusingglueandlacquer.However,youmayalsorivettheleatheron.Cutaholeintooneoftheendboard-capsandattachascrewsealtoit;youthenusethistoinflate17 the tool.Therearemorepoints tobeorally transmittedhere.One theorysays that you can use jumonji paper and the juice of persimmons applied to it as acovering.Whenyouusethisversionofthewaterspider,blowairintoit,screwonthecapsealandwearitbelowyournavel.Moretobepassedonbywordofmouth.

[Infigure62]thedrawingontherightshowstheinternalframeworkofthewaterspiderand thedrawingon the left shows thecompletedwaterspiderwith the leatherstretchedaroundit.

Thehasamibako-bunecollapsibleboat[Textfounddirectlyonthedrawing:]

•Alloftheboat’sbottomboardsshouldbehingedtogether18[sothattheycanfoldintoaportablesize].

•Someofthebottomboardsshouldhavethesamedimensions;eachshouldhaveawidthofoneshakuthreebuandfiverin.However,thecentralbottomboardshouldhavealengthoftwoshakuninebu,whiletheouterbottomboardsshouldhavealengthoftwoshakutwobu.19

•Allofthebottomboardsshouldbethreebufiverininthickness.

•Theportandstarboardbulkheadsareidenticalinsize.

•[Thebulkheadsfoldupintooneportablepiece,]alternatehingesareontheinsideandtheoutsideofthewall[sothatitcanfoldinaconcertinafashion].

•Eachbulkheadhasfivemainsectionsofthesamedimensions;eachsectionmeasuresoneshakuandonesuninheightandtwoshakuandeightsuninlength.

•Thebulkheadstructureismadeofbeamsthatmeasureonesunandfiverininwidthandfivebuinthickness.Theyareallthesameinallfivepartsofthebulkhead.

Figure62.Awaterspiderfromanotherschool

Figure63.Thehasamibako-bunecollapsibleboat(sectionviews)

[Textaccompanyingthedrawing:]

20

Concerningthehinges:planetheboardssothatthemetalhingesandtheboardsareflushwitheachother.21

Eachhalfof the lowerbaron thestempost isoneshaku twosunandfourbu in length[andattachestothestempost].Thepositionofthethwartsinthisboatmakethebulkheadsflareoutward.Therefore,youneedtoanglethejointsattheendofthissectionsothattheyfitcorrectly.Thisbariseightsuninwidthandsixbuinthickness.

22

Thelengthofthetsukustempostbetweentheconnectingjointandlowerhorizontalbaronthetransomissixsuneightbu.

The upper bar of the transom is two shaku one sun and five bu, not including theconnectingjointsateachend.Thewidthisonesunandfiverinanditissixbuthick.Itisjoined[inanangularfashion]wherethetsukustempostcomestogether.

Planethebottomboardssothatallthemetalfittingsareflushwiththewoodandarethesamelevelastheboard.Therearemarkingsforallthefittingsforthebulkheadsandallofthesefittingsshouldbethesame.23

Thewidthoftherectangularcutoutsonthesidesofthebottomboardsistwosunfivebuandfiverin.24Thedimensionsofthethwart-holearesixbubyfourbu,fourrin.

Onthejointsofthebulkheadsattheareawherethethwartsits,youwillfindaringwherethehookthatisattachedtothethwartispositioned.

Insertthepegatthebottomofthepictureintotheholesonallfourcorners–thisfitsthemainshapeoftheboattogether.Thissymbol atthetopofthepicture25showsahook,whichshouldhookintoaholeontheforwardthwart.

Herethecross-beamisoneshakuninesunandfourbuinlength,andalsoonesuninwidthandsevenbuinthickness.Thisismadeofhardwood.

Thisjointhasametalattachmentonthetop;whenyouplacethisinthesocketyouneedtoopenthemetallinksothatitwillbeself-trappingandfitinplace.26

Thesetwosquaresarerowlocksforattachingtheoars.

Join[thetwohalvesofthebow]atthecentrehere.

Theupperbeamat thispointshouldbe twoshakuonesun in length,onesun twobu inwidthandeightbufiverininthicknessandshouldbemadeofoak.27

As thegunwale flaresoutwards, theedgesof thebottomboardsshouldbeshavedatanangle,sothatthebulkheadsfitperfectly.

Thewidthofthissupportingmetalband[seeninblackinfigure63]isthesamewidthasthesectionitison.Thelengthofthesmallprotrusionattheendistwosunfivebu.Therearetwoofthesemetalplatesoneachcorner[oneoneachside].Themetalfittingsonallfour corners are the same.When dismantled thesemetal fittings should be folded overontothebulkheads.

[Thethwarts]Thedrawingatthetop[seefigure64]

Thedegreeoftheopeningoftheboatcanbeadjustedwiththeangleatwhichthisthwartismade.

Theseconddrawing

The hook latch seen on both sides of the thwart, should be hooked into the eye on thebulkheads28[asseenonthefullplan]tohelpfixitinplace.Thehorizontalwoodforthethwartintheseimagesshouldconnecttothelegsectionswithadovetailjoint.

Thethirddrawing

[Notext]

Thefourthdrawing

Thewoodbetweentheouter‘leg’andthehorizontalthwartisonesuntwosuinwidth.

Thewidthoftheouter‘leg’issevenbufiverin.

Thedistancebetweenthebottomboardsandthethwartissixsunsevenbu.

Thethwartistwoshakulong,onesunandfivebuwideandfivebuthick.

Thelastdrawing

Thisthwartisattheend.

Theringinthisdrawingthatisattachedtotheundersideofthethwartconnectstothelatchthatismarkedinthemiddleofthestempostattheendoftheboat.

[Theleatherskinofthehull]When attaching the strings to the leather skin, a round leather washer of one sun indiametershouldbeputononesideoftheleatherskinandfullysealed.Theleathershould

bestitchedwithfuroshikinuistitches.29

Figure64.Thethwarts

Figure65.Theleatherskinofthehull(viewfromunderneath)

Treatingtheleatherfortheskinofthehull

Therecipeforthetreatment:

•oneshoofpureperillaoil

•threegoofrawwheat

•thirtyleavesoftheJapanesestaranisetree(Illiciumanisatum)

Place theabove inakettleanddecoct it.Tocheck if it is appropriatelydecocted,placestrawverticallyinthemixture.Ifitiscorrectthenthestrawwillstandunaided.

Applyingthemixturetotheleather

Asoildoesnotdrywell,addonegoofleadtetroxidetospeeduptheprocess.Then,thinlyandevenlyapplyit totheleatherwiththetypeofbrushusedbylacquerwarecraftsmen.Nextusethelacquerman’sbamboospatulatospreadtheexcessandcreateathinandevenfinish. Strain lacquer from Yoshino30 through a cloth and mix one hundredme of thelacquer to twentyme ofwater.Apply two layersof thismixtureonto theabove leather.Thenextstepistoapplyagood-qualitylacquerontoitfortwoorthreemorelayers–thisshouldalsobefilteredthroughaclothasinthemethodabove.Applyonelayeroflacquerto the inside of the skin.31 Pitch can be used instead of lacquer. To see if the pitch isappropriatelydecocted,putastrawinthekettle;again,ifthestrawstandsuponitsownthenitissuitablydone.

Theoarfortheboat

FastenthetwosectionswithU-clampsintwoplaces,asintheillustration,right.

•Youcanseetheropefortheoarattachedtothehandle.

•Thehandleofthisoarismadefromthehandleofahasamibakoluggagebox.

•Thehandlegoesintothebladeoftheoarbyinsertingitintoagroove.

•Putawoodenpegthroughboththehandleandtheblade.

•Addasmallprotrudingandextrajoint.

•Thebladelengthshouldfitdiagonallyinsideofahasamibakoluggagebox.

Figure66.Theoarfortheboat

1Normallyasmallwoodenorbamboodiggingtool.

2Hijitsubo.

3Thissentenceimpliesyoushouldkeepthistypeofbasketwithyou.

4Oneofthemajormisconceptionswithinninjutsu,andpossiblythesecondmostdamaging,isthebeliefthatthe‘waterspider’isaformoffloatingshoeandthatninjawouldusetwoofthemto‘walkonwater’.Thewaterspiderisinfactasingletool(notapair)andis,inessence,afloatingseat.Ashinobiwouldsitonthecentralleatherseatandpaddleorswimtotheoppositesideofawaterway.Cross-referencingthistoolinothermanuals(suchastheRodanshu)showsvariationsthat,again,aresingularandaredescribedintheexactsamewayaswithinthismanual–asfloatationdevices,akintothemodernlifejacket.

5Thisissevenandahalfmillimetres.

6Thesearethefour‘strips’intheimage,twooneachside.Theyareusedtofoldawaythetoolwhennotinuseandareredundantwhenthetoolissetup,astheentiretoolisheldtogetherbytheotherjointsmentionedabovethispointinthetext.

7Theseappeartobethethinmetalbarsthatarehookedthroughthefourholesatthetopoftheimageandthefour

holesatthebottom.The‘winged’descriptionreferstotheangledmetal,overwhichthesecondhalfisslottedandheldinplacewitharivet.

8Whilenotclearinthedrawing,Fujibayashisaysthatthefourthin‘gapsorpathways’inthecircumferenceofthe‘wheelshape’arewiderontheouterrimandnarrowerontheinnerrim.

9Thisisthesamerivetthatcanbeseenintheimagesofthecollapsingjoint,below.Itappearstobetherivetthatholdsthetwojointstogether.Theoriginalsaysnail;however,rivetsandnailsaresimilarandthesubstitutionispossiblyatranscriptionerror– ‘nail’and ‘rivet’.

10Noticethelackof‘sandalstraps’,whichareoftenincorrectlydepictedonthissectioninmodernimages.

11Inninjutsumanualsthisisgenerallydonetoformawatertightsealforinflation.However,thereisnomentionofinflationhere,butthatcouldbethekudenorsecretaspectofthetextthathasbeenlost.Alternatively,itmaybepossiblethattheentireringiscoveredinleatherandwaterproofedtostopwaterpenetratingthewood.Thelatterismostlikelyasthereareholesgoingthroughthewood,whichwouldstopanyinflationbutwhichcouldbesealedontheirinnerrim.

12Youcanseeintheillustrationofthetwosectionsofthecollapsingjoint(figures58and59)thatoneislongerthantheother.

13Thisisaflipperthatpropelsanagentforwardswhenheissittingupright.Thefactthattheflipperissetbetweenthetwofloatingseatshintstoitsconnectedusage;however,insomeversionsoftheBansenshukaitheflipperssectioncomesbeforebothfloatingseats.

14Unknownterm.

15Thetextsays‘rokuro’,whichmeans‘toturn’or‘aturningaction’.Inviewofthenatureofthisparticulartool,itistranslatedhereas‘spool’.

16Thisannotationpresumablyreferstothedeviceonthebottomoftheflipper.

17Theconceptofthewaterspiderasa‘floatingshoe’isfullyatoddswiththissectionoftheBansenshukai.Fujibayashihimselfshowsthatthewaterspiderisaformofmedievallifejacketandhiscomparisontoversionsfromother(unknown)schools,totallyeliminatesthemythoftheninjawalkingonwater.Thismythandincorrectinterpretationcanbetracedbacktoearlytwentieth-centurypublishedworksbyFujitaSeiko.

18Thepairsofwhitedottedrectanglesonthebottomboardsrepresentthehingesthatareonthetopside.Thelineorsectionnexttothesedoublehingeshasahingeontheunderside.Thismeansthatwhenfolded,itfoldslikeaconcertinaandintoasinglefoldedrectangle.

19Thismeansthatwhentheboatiserected,thesideswherethesebottomboardsgentlyslopeinward,towardthebowandthestern,giveitamorehydrodynamicsignature.

20ThesesymbolsrepresenttheequivalentofA,BandCinJapaneseandmatchthetexttotheimage.Somearemissingfromtheoriginalimage.

21Thehingesinquestionherearethewhiterectangularbandswhicharedottedandinpairsandwouldalsobefoundonthereverse.

22Thisidentifyingmarkdoesnotappearinthedrawing.

23Allofthecirclesonthebottomboardsaremetalringsforthesidelatches.Allofthesmall‘U’shapeswithringsthatarefoundonthebottombeamofthebulkheadsarekakeganeormetalhooksthatgointotheringsonthebottomboards,togivetheboatitsshape.

24Thetextdoesnotspecifyifthisisthelineparalleltotheforeandaftlineorifitisthelinethatisperpendicular.

25Thewordhereistomoorhesaki;thislendsconfusion,asitcanmeanboth‘bow’and‘stern’,dependingonthecontext.However,thetopoftheimageisconsideredthebow.

26ThisappearstobeofFujibayashi’sowninventionandisalockingmechanismwhichcanbeopenedandclosedandinalllikelihoodisplacedwithinthesmallwhitesquareonthepictureofthewoodenpeginthebottomrightcorner.Thetechnologyisbelievedtobeaformoflockinternal.Itwouldseemthatthesmallneedlenexttothepegonthebottomleftoftheimageisthetoolwithwhichtooperatethisself-lockingjoint.

27Thisdiagramisaviewoftheboatfromabove.DuetothelimitationsofmedievalartintheEast,thereisnoperceptionofdepth.However,thelengthsandthediagramandthesyntaxallleantowarda‘V’-shapedbowwhenthissectionisupright.

28Theholeorringthatthehookgoesintocanbeseeninfigure64justabovetheblackrectanglesoneachvertical

beam.Thisholeorringwillbeabovethethwartwheninplace.

29Themainpointhereisthattheinstructionsbeforethisarefortheframeoftheboat,whereasthisimageisoftheskinofthehull,whichiswrappedaroundtheframetocreatetheouterhull.Theideaistousethestringandtietheleathertotheframeworkandtofullysealtheareawherethestringcomesthroughtheleather.

30Aplacefamousforlacquer.

31Thisisjustaninterpretation–thetextisambiguousandcouldmean‘ontheinternalskin’ortodoitexternally.

VOLUMETWENTY

NinkiIIINinjaToolsIII

Openingtools

Opening tools are designed to help you open the doors of the enemy housewith ease.Therefore,ofallthearts,thisistheoneconductedwhenyouareclosesttotheenemy.Thismeans that any tool that is bulky should be avoided; and, secondly, that the number oftoolsyoucarryshouldbelimited;and,thirdly,thatanytoolthatdoesnotworksmoothlyormakesrelativelyloudnoisesshouldbeavoided.

Havingseen those tools thathavebeen inexistencesinceancient times, Ihavefoundtheminconvenient,duetotheirbulkynatureandaneedtocarrymanyofthem,andhavedeplored that there isnoone tool that isversatileandcanbeusedforvariouspurposes.Becauseof this, after quite a numberof years of effort spent, I have invented the toolsdescribedbelowbymodifyingtheoldversionsandmanufacturingnewvariationsofthesetools.1

When extended, [my new inventions] have the benefits of long tools, while whenshortenedandfolded theyformashort tool,oralsowhilerolledup theyallbecomesixsun insize.Thesetoolsareadaptableandfitmanyrequirements,suchas theneedtobelong,short, large, small,high, low,wideornarrow,and justone toolcannowserve formultiplefunctions.Also,theyaresohandythattheycanbecarriedwithinthesleeveoratyourchest.

Thosewholearnatourschoolmustdevotetheiringenuitytomakingthemevenbetterso that they will be made more lightweight, compact and flexible. However, it is notacceptableiftheyareweakorsoftsoeasilybentorbroken.Youshouldtakeduecareandattentionandmakeallthingsappropriatetotheirfunction.Theirontobeusedshouldbewell tempered.If itonlyconsistsofsteel, it iseasilybrokenwhileifonlyofpigiron, itwillbendeasily.Thus,itisstronglyrecommendedtomixsteelandpigironandtemperitverywell.

ThetoihazushiprobingtoolTheangledprotrusionon theendof the toihazushiprobeshouldbeonesunand twoorthreebuinlengthandwithaholeattwoorthreebufromtheedge.Themainbarshouldbesixsunlongandverythin.Thesquarebasesectionshouldbeonesunandtwoorthreebulongandfiveorsixbuwideandasthinaspossible.Itshouldhaveabladeontopofthe

squaresection,asintheillustration.

•Thereisaholeinthecentreofthetopspike

•Thewholelengthissixsunintotal

•Thesmallwhitesectionabovethemainsquarebaseisabladeforcutting

•Thesquare‘box’atthebottomisthemainbase

Thistoihazushiprobingtoolhasfivemajoradvantages:

With the angled end, you can examine and feelwhere the shirizashi locking bars orkakeganelatchesareorwheretheyarenot.Secondly,youcanknockoffshirizashilockingbarswiththeendofthetool.Thirdly,youcanhookorcatchthesenwoodenpegsthatareforcedintowakakeganeringedlatchesandremovethem.Ifthepegwillnotcomeoff,putanailontotheholeattheendofthistoolandremoveitwiththehelpofthenail.Fourthly,ifthesenpegcannotberemovedwiththesaidnail,usethesquarebaseontheoppositeendandknockitoutbyhittingthesenpegfrombelow.Fifthly,ifthesenpegcannotberemovedbythenailortheplatesection,usethebladeontheoutsideofthebasetocutintotheheadofthepegandremoveit.Moretobeorallytransmitted.

Figure67.Thetoihazushiprobingtool

ThehamagariangledsawThehamagariangledsawshouldbemadeasthinandasnarrowasakogatana2knifeandshouldconsistoffoursectionsthataresixsunlongandjointedwithhinges.Thefronttwosegmentshavebladeedgesontheinsideandareserratedontheback.Thefirstsegmenthasaholeforanailattwoorthreebufromthetip.Whenthistoolisfolded,itisonlysixsunlong,andwhenextendeditcanreachtwoshakufoursun.Theholeonthecornerofthesecondsegmentshouldbea littlerectangular3and iswhereyoucanfixanail to thetool.Thereismoretobeorallytransmittedonhowtoattachthenailtotheend.

Theroundholesarefortherivetsofthehingingmechanism.

•Thereartwosectionshavenobladesorsawedges.

•Therectangularholesonthreeofthesideshousesenwoodenpegs.

•Everyoneofthefourpartsissixsunlong.

•Thehamagariangledsawcanchangeitsshapeinvariousways;itissometimeslongbutalso,whenfolded,itisshort,oritcanbesquareoritcanbetriangular.Thusinthisdrawingitappearsthisway,thisissoyoucanhaveafullunderstandingofitsabilities.

•Itseemsthattherearemanynailholes;however,noteonlyfour.4

•Theinternalsideofthetwoendsegmentsshouldbebladed.

•Therearofthesawisserratedforthesetwosections.

Figure68.Thehamagariangledsaw

Thehamagariangledsawhasfivebenefits:

I

Itcanbeusedasahakagilatchkeywhenyoufindakuroro5latchwithakeyhole.Youputthistoolthroughthekeyholeanduseitasthekey.Itcanbeusedaccordingtothelength,regardlessofwhetheritissixsunoroneshakutwosun.

II

Ifthereisnokeyhole6andthistoolcannotbeusedasahakagikeytoopenalatch,useitthroughadoorasakugikagior‘nailkey’[whichmeansyoushouldusethespike].

III

Ifadoorwithakakeganelatchhasaverticalsupport[andthereisnogapinthewalltoputatoolin],thenshapetheangledsawasintheright-handdrawingandinsertitbetweentheverticalpillar[andthedoor]andremovethelockbyforce.

Figure69.Howtousetheangledsaw

IV

For thesen lockingpegofawakakeganeor ringed latch,angle thesawas in theabovedrawing–theimageontheleft–andpullthesenpegoutorremoveitbyforcewiththethree-prongedtiporthesawblade.

V

Whenoutofuse,thistoolcanbeofanylengthyoulike–sixsun,oneshakutwosun,oneshakueightsunortwoshakufoursun.Itcanbeusedformanypurposes;itcanbelongorshort,largeorsmall,reachhighorlow,wideornarrow.Also,itcanbestraightifyouneedittobestraight–thisisagreatadvantage.

Thenobekagiextendablekey7

The nobekagi extendable key consists of nine8 pieces hinged together, each of whichshouldbeofwell-temperedironandhaveameasurementofeightrininthickness,onebuthreerin inwidthandsixsun inlength.Theendpiece[atthetopofthemainbarintheimage] has a square hole and a hole that is used to insert the connecting rod for theattachments.9

Alsomakeaverythinplateofiron[whichistheheadattachmentintheimage]thatisonesun sevenor eightbu in length and one sun inwidth, and put a connecting rod ofsevenor eightbu in lengthonto it andput it into thehole of thepreviouslymentionedpiece, which is at the end of the main tool. Alongside this, there should be anotherattachment[asseenhereinthedrawing]anditshouldmeasureonesunandfourorfivebu.Makeitwithtwoholesonthesurfaceandnotethatthisattachmentalsogoesintothesocket hole at the end. You should be prepared with two attachments, both of whichshouldhaveaconnectingrod[sothattheyareinterchangeableandhaveholessotheycanbesecuredwithapeg].

Thetwopiecesthatmakeupthehandleshouldhavetheabilitytochangeandbesetatvariousangles,asisthecasewiththehamagariangledsaw.

It is essential for anobekagi extendable key to be lightweightwhile not being easily

brokenorbent.Remember,eachoftheironpiecesissixsunlongandishingedwitheachother.Thepiecesonthemainarmofthistoolhavetwoholeseachandhingesandtheyareanoraltradition.

Notesforthediamondsectiononthetopright

•Thesetwoholesonthediamondattachmentaretomanipulatethekakeganelatchandthehook.10

•Youshouldattachtothemainbodybymeansofarivet.

Notesontheleftofthedrawing

•Thereisaholeontheendofthemainbody;thisissoyoucanremovetheattachmentsandfixingrivetwhentheyarenotinuse.

Notesatthebottom

•Attheholeinthecentreofthehandle,nearthesquareprotrusion,thetoolcanberightangled–ifneeded.

Thenobekagiextendablekeyhasfiveadvantages:

•Itenablesyoutoopenadoorfromtheoutsideatthetop,bottom,leftorfromtheright–thisaddsuptofouradvantages.

•Thefifthadvantageisthatitcanbeaslongasfiveshakufoursunoritcanbeshortenedtotwotimesbysixsun;11therefore,itcanbebothextendedandretractedtotherequiredlength.

Figure70.Thenobekagiextendablekey

Theconnecting rodon the tip isalso to takeout thesenwoodenpegs thatare securinglatches[andhaveastringattached],whiletheplateattachmentistohitthesenpegfrombeneathsothatyoucanremoveit,thatisifthesenpeghasnostringandyoucannotpushit by manipulating the cord. Also, fasten a nail onto the plate attachment – do this toremovethesenpegortotakeoutthewakakeganeringedlatchbyforce.Youcanalsoopenakakeganelatchonadoorwithastrengtheningboardwiththisnobekagikey.

Inalloftheabovecasesyouneedapractisedhandtoperformtheseskillsfreely.Moresecretsaretobetransmitted.

Theirekokagiretractablekey12

TheL-shapedhandlesectioniseightsuninlengthfromtheinnercornerofthehandleandshould be forged and extended by hammering. The inside hollow section is two shakulong.Between thehollowsectionand thehandle, the tool is solid for fivebu13andalsoextendedandforgedbyhammer.Thehandleshouldbemadeofbrass.Thecross-sectionofthehandleshouldbetwobufiverinsquareandthemouthfortheextendablerodshouldalsobesquareandonebufiverinandshouldbeperfectlystraight,sothatthebar,wheninserted,willrunsmoothly.

Figure71.Theirekokagiretractablekey

The ireko or extendable and retractable rod section [that comes out of the housing]shouldbeoneshakuninesunfivebulongandonebusquareandshouldbeconstructedofa square bar of tempered iron [so that it fits into themouth perfectly].This bar shouldhaveaV-shapednotchatthetip[asinthedrawing]justlikekirine[jointsinconstruction].Youshouldhavedetachableandinterchangeableplatesandalsonail-likeattachmentsthatfitontotheendtosuitanygivenpurpose,justasthenobekagiextendablekeydoes,soyoucan use either of the attachments according to the need.There should be a hole on theouterhousingandalsoaholeon the retractablekey itself, [this is soyoucan lock it inplacewhentheylineup]butthereismoretobeorallytransmitted.

•AtthetopofthetoolattheV-sectionisaholeonbothsides.Thisisforafixingrivettosecuretheattachments.

•Thedetachableheadatthetopofthetoolhasfourholes,oneoneachside.

•Theseparateattachmentontheleftofthetoolisonesunthreebuwideandonesunsevenbulong[notincludingthenodule].

•Thehollowinthehandlesectionistwoshakulongandthesolidpartbeforethehandleisfivebulong.

•Fromtheinnercornertotheendofthehandleiseightsun.

•Thewhitecircleontheinternalrodsectionisaholeforarivet.

•Thelengthfromthebottomofthehollowtothehandleisfivebu.

ThehasamisnippersThelengthof theseissixsunandtheyaremadeofwell-temperednanbantetsu14 so thattheycancutiron.

Thesesnippershavefouradvantages:

•Tocutthiniron.

•Tocutbambooorwoodthatcannotbecutwithaknifeorsickle.

•Totakeoutashirizashilockingstickfrombehindadoor.Thisisinthecasewhereyoucannotremoveitwiththehazushiganetool.15Youdothisbythrustingwiththesesnippers.

•Ifyouneedtoforcesomethingintoadoor,insertthisintothegapwithvigour.

ThenomichiselThisconsistsoftwoironpiecesofsixsunthatarejoinedwithahinge[sothatitcanfolddowntohalfsize].Thethicknessisaboutonebuandthewidthistwobufiverin.Thetipshouldbehammeredandmadeofwell-temperedsteelsothatitcancutintoiron.Ithasaholenearthehingewhichyoucanputanailinto,butthisistobeorallytransmitted.

Figure72.Thehasamisnippers

Thischiselhasfouradvantages:

•Toshaveiron.

•Ifthesocketofadoorhingeisstuckandifthereisapadlockattachedtoitandthedoorcannotbeopened,putthistoolintoanygapandforceitintopositionaroundthesocketandthenremoveitbypushing.16

•Whenyouopenakurorobolt,usethistotakeitoutwithforce.17

•Usethistooltoremovethesupportingstrutsthatholdadoortogether[sothatyoucangetthroughthedoor];thisisagooduseofthechisel.Moresecretstotell.

DrillsDrillsshouldbesixsunlongandofthreetypes.Producethemasinthedrawings.

Smallscrewdrill

•Thewidthbetweenthebladesissevenbu.Thewholelengthissixsun.Thatisonesunfivebufortheironpartandfoursunfivebuforthehandle.

Largescrewdrill

•Thewidthbetweenthebladesistwosunsixorsevenbu,orjustthreesunifrequired.

•Thewholelengthissixsun;thatis,twosunfortheironpartandfoursunforthehandle.

•Thehandleshouldbemadeofoak.

Speardrill

Theironpartistwosunsixorsevenbulongandthehandleisthreesunthreeorfourbulong.

Thesethreetypesofdrillshavetwo18advantages:

•Incaseswherethereisnogapbetweenthedoorandtheframeandtherearewoodenboardsonbothsides,sothatyoucannotuseanyopeningtool,youcanusethesmallscrewdrilltomakeaholesoyoucanputanopeningtoolthroughit.

•Secondly,thelargescrewdrillcanbeusedwhenapadlockisontheinsideofadoororinothercaseswhereyougetstuckwhenusinganopeningtool.Usethisdrilltomakeaholeanduseatekagihook[togettothelock].Also,thisdrillhassuperioradvantagesoveralltheopeningtoolsthatareoutlinedhere.Usewell-temperedironfortheblade.

•Thirdly,thespeardrillcanbeusedfordebashirizashiandsanshirizashilockingbarsandsoon.Therearemoreusagesotherthanthese,butnotallcanbelisted.

Figure73.Thenomichisel

Figure74.Thesmallscrewdrill

Figure75.Thelargescrewdrill

Figure76.Thespeardrill

Theshikorosaw

Thelengthofthissawissixsun;thatis,twosunforthehandleandfoursunfortheironblade.Thewidthisthreetofourbuorevenuptofivebudependingonyourchoice.Theblade should be double-edged – one side for cutting bamboo and the other for normalcutting.19

Theshikorosawhastwoadvantages:

First, it canbreakshinobi-gaeshior spikeddefencesagainst theninja. It canalsobreakthrough bamboo fences such as the basic hari style or the yarai diagonal-crisscrossedfencesandsoon;theseyoucannoteasilybreakwithasickle.HowtobreakthroughthesedefencesisdescribedintheearlierIn-ninchapter.

Secondly,whenyoubreakinbycuttingoutawoodenpanelfromadoororsuchthings,you shouldmake a holewith a drill andput this shikoro saw into the hole and cut outaroundtheboard.Moretobeorallytransmittedhere.

ThekamafoldingsickleInolder times thesicklewasfoursun longwithahandleof fivesunand thebladewasfixedinplace.Inthesemoderndaysthebladeandthehandleshouldeachbesixsunandthe handle should be hinged [so that the handle and the blade fold together] and youshouldkeepanailtofixthebladeinplacewhenyouusethesickle.Whenyoucarrythiskama in your kimono, the handle and the blade lie side by side.20 The blade should bedouble-edged but a single-edged version should also be prepared. Details to be orallytransmitted.

•Thehandleissixsunlong.

•Itishinged.

•Theironbladeshouldbesixsunlonganddouble-edged.

Thisfoldingsicklehasthreeadvantages:

•First,itallowsyoutocutlikeanormalsickle.

•Secondly,withtheedgeontheupperridge[asitisdouble-edged]youcancutwithapushingmotion.

•Thirdly,itishandyandcanbecarriedsecretlywithinyourkimonoorsleeveswithoutdifficulty.

Figure77.Theshikorosaw

Figure78.Thekamafoldingsickle

Figure79.Thekuginukinailremover

ThekuginukinailremoverThereisnosecrettoproducingnailremovers[astheyarecommon].Thelengthissixsun,thethicknessshouldbepreferablyalittlelessthanfornormalversions.

Thisnailremoverhastwoadvantages:

•First,youcanremoveironfittingssuchassocketsbytwistingthemoutofplace.

•Secondly,ithastheabilitytoremovethingsconstructedbybambooandwoodwhichwillnotcomeoffeasily;dothisbytwisting.

Figure80.Joshinukilock-pickingshims

Figure81.Thesejoshinukiback-padlockpick

Figure82.Thetsukibirakijoshinukipickfor‘thrustandopen’padlocks

Joshinukilock-pickingshims21

Thelengthshouldbesixsun,thethicknessshouldbeasthinasthickpaper,andthewidthshouldbefiverin.Theyshouldbemadeof ironandit isessential theybemadeso thattheyareapplicabletoanysizeofpadlock.Thereisatremendousamounttobetransmittedorallyhere.

Theselock-pickingshimshavefiveadvantages:

Youcanopenanyofthetsukidashipadlocks,22twistpadlocks,backpadlocksordrawerpadlocksbecause these toolsbend[toeachvariation].Theseaboveare fouradvantages.Allof thesedependonhowskilledyouare.Thefifthadvantage is that ifadoorwithakakeganelatchhasagap[aroundit],youcanspringthelatchwiththesetools.

Thesejoshinukiback-padlockpick23

•Themiddlestraightsectionisonesunlong.

•Theverticalstraightsectionatthetopisfourbulong.

•Theverticallengthatthebottomisfivebulong.

•Thegapatthebottomhasdeepsecretstobetransmittedorally.

Thetsukibirakijoshinukipickfor‘thrustandopen’padlocks

•Thereisanattachedthreadtoaidinpulling.

•Theendhasamovablescissoraction[forgripping].

•Thereisalong‘V’-shapedcutoutdownthelengthofthetool.

•Thelengthofthistoolissixsunanditisthinnerthanthecentralpoleofaspindlewheel.

Anumberofthesetoolsshouldbepreparedinavarietyofsizes.

Thehikidashijoshinukipickforguidedpadlocks24

•Thelengthofthistoolissixsun.

Theabovethreelockpickscanserveforonlyasingleusagesotheyhavelessadvantage.Therearemoreoralsecretshere.Itismostadvisablethatyoushouldpractiseandbecomeveryskilledwiththefirstsetoflock-pickingshimsoutlinedabove[astheycanbereused].

Figure83.Thehikidashijoshinukipickforguidedpadlocks

SilentsandalsTheseshouldbemadeofkiriwood.Theirlengthisoneshakutwosun,thewidthiseightsunandthecornersshouldberoundedlikethewoodensandalsofHamachigi.Putclothonthebottomwithathinlayerofflossymaterialbetweentheshoeandthecloth.Thisclothshould be fixed to the shoes by sewing25 and the thongs should be attached as in thedrawing.Moredetailstobeorallytransmitted.

Thewoodensandalsareusedifthefloormakesnoiseswhenyousneakintotheenemy’shouse. Sometimes they are hinged so you can fold them away and carry them in yourkimono.Moreinoraltradition.

Figure84.Silentsandals

1Manyofthetoolsare‘modern’variationsonancienttoolsandsomearebrandnew.AsFujibayashistatesearlier,theupdateswerenecessitatedbychangesincastletechnologyandwarfaretechniques.

2Alsocalledkozuka,aknifeinsertedalongsideaswordsheath.

3Thiscanbeseenonthetopleftoffigure68.

4TranslatedinthesimplestofformsandgivenhereinJapanese: .

5Inthiscontext,akuroroisalatchontheinsideofadoor.Itisopenedandlockedviaasmallholethatgoesthroughthedoor.Apersonlockingthedoorwouldcloseit,withthepersonontheoutside,anduseakurorokagi(hereitsayshakagi),whichisaU-shapedironbar.Thisbarfitsthroughtheholeandcatchesthelatch,allowingapersontolockandunlockthedoor.NinjabeforeFujibayashi’stimewouldidentifythesizeofkeyneededandtakeasetwiththem.Fujibayashi’spointhereisthatyoucananglethistooltothesizeyouneedandthusmakethecarryingofsetsofkeysredundant.

6Describedinthefootnoteabove.

7Thistoolhascomplexinstructionsandtheyhavebeentranslatedhereinthetext.However,inshort,thistoolisanine-sectionextendablebarofaroundfivefeetinlength,whichhaschangeableheads.EachsectionfoldsoutandthebottomL-shapesectioncanbeangledinthecentretochangetheangleofusageforthetool.

8Intheillustration,groupsofwhitecirclesandrectanglescanbeseen;thesearethehingesfortheninesmallsections.Theshapeandsizeofthiskeycanbemanipulated.

9Thisholeisontheveryflatofthetoolandcannotbeseenontheimage.Allthatcanbeseenistheconnectingrodoftheattachmentwherethisholeislocated.

10Mostlikelyforaboltandnotalatch.

11Thetexthereliterallystates‘two,sixsun’andpossiblymeansthat,whenfoldeddown,thenobekagibecomesanL-shapedtoolofsixsun.

12Thisisliterallya‘nestingkey’,butisbestunderstoodasasockethandlewithanextendableandretractablesquarerodthathaschangeabletipstosuitcertainandspecifictasks.Lookingatthedimensions,thistoolisaverylightweightandextremelythintool,makingtheillustrationmisleading.

13Thehollowsectioninthedrawingstopsbeforeitreachesthehandle;thislengthisfivebu,oralternativelyfromthehollowtotheedgeofthetoolisfivebu.

14RefinedironimportedbyearlyEuropeantraders.

15Unknown.Presumablytoihazushiprobingtool.

16Hereitcouldmeanpushthroughoruseasalever.However,themainpointofthetextistotakethepinoutofthesocketoftraditionalhingesandthus‘takethedooroffitshinges’,whichallowsyoutoenter.

17Theideahereistosmashtheboltoffitsfittingsfromtheoutside,thusreleasingthedoor.

18Thisisatranscriptionerror,asthereareinfactthree.

19Oncloserinspectionthisdifferencecanbeseenintheimage.

20Asamodernflickknifewouldfoldaway.

21Theseareironsliversthatareusedtomanipulatelockinternals,muchlikemodern-daylockpicks.

22Anypadlockwitha‘thrustandopen’mechanism.

23Topickthisformofpadlockyouneedatoolthatcangoaroundtheinternalmechanism.Therefore,thesetoolsare‘U’-shapedandareinsertedandmanipulateduntilthelockissprung.

24Fujibayashidoesnotinfactgiveanyinstructiononthistool.

25Themethodhereistogatherupandstitchthematerialsothatwhenithasbeencompletelystitchedtogetheritwillnotslipofftheshoe.

VOLUMETWENTY-ONE

NinkiIVNinjaToolsIV

FiretoolsI

Theuseoffiretoolsisuniversallyconsideredoneofthemostbasicprinciplesunderlyingninjutsuandisofutmostimportancewithintheart.Theprimaryprincipleofthisskillisthat,nomatterhowstronglyacastleorapositionisfortified,thetechniqueofsettingitonfireandreducingittoasheswillbeeffective.Secondly,beitbydayorbynight,youneedtosendsignalstoyourallies.Thirdly,thosetorchesorfiresthatcannotbeextinguishedbythewindorrainwillaidyouandyouralliesinthemostdifficultsituations.

Therefore, thosewhostudy thiswayshould trainandprepare themselvesso that theyareusefulwhenneedsarise.Seemingly,inthisdayandage,thosewhoarecalledshinobinomonoaresaidtohavemasteredshinobinojutsuwiththefifty-three1firetoolrecipes.However,as theydonotknowthefundamentalessencebut learnanduseonlytheleafydetails,itisamatterofgreatregretthatthisartiswronglyunderstood.

Thedeepdoctrineofourschoolenablesyoutomasterthedeepesttruthoftheprinciplesofboththeinandyoarts,whichallowyoutoinfiltrateanenemycastlewitheasesothatyoucanannihilatetheenemywithinaninstant.

SunTzusays:

Attackbyfireisaninferiortactic.However,ifitcannotbehelpeditshouldbeused.

Forthisreasonabove,thesevolumesareattachedattheendofthismanuscript.

2

Aspringmoonlitnight3

•Pinewoodcontainingahighquantityofresin–20momme

•Powderedgreentea–2momme

•Mousedroppings–6[momme]

•Saltpetre–100[momme]

•Sulphur–40[momme]

•Camphor–9momme5bu

•Moxa–12momme

•Hempash–10momme

•Pineresin–6momme

Make a powder4 of the above andmix itwith hempseed oil and put themixture into abamboocylinder.Shave theoutsideof thecylindervery thinandwrapwith[paper]and‘teaglue’andignitewithtinder.

Theautumnmoon•Saltpetre–20momme

•Sulphur–14momme5bu

•Camphor–18momme

•Hempash–1momme5bu

•Pinewoodcontainingahighquantityofresin–1momme7[bu]

•Mousedroppings–1momme5[bu]

•Cattledung–2momme

Makeapowderoftheabove,mixitwiththehempseedoilandputitinabamboocylinder.Usethesamemethodasforthetoolabove.

Cherryblossomsatdawn•Saltpetre–20momme

•Sulphur–12momme


•Hempash–2momme

•Moxa–6momme

•Used[powdered]charcoal–300[momme]

•Whitelead–4momme


Makeapowderof theabove,mix itwithhempseedoil,wrap it inclothandput it inabamboocylinder.

Theonewhobringsheaven’sfire•Saltpetre–80momme

•Arsenic(Arseniousanhydride)–5momme

•Lacquer–20momme


•Japanwax(sumacwax)–10momme5[bu]


•Bluevitriol(chalcanthite)–10momme

•Beeftallow–20momme


•Japanesetigerbeetle–8momme

•Chinesewax–8momme

•Alum–8momme

•Powderedtea–11momme


•Moxa–150momme

•Ironfilings5–20momme

•Mousedroppings–3momme

•Redchillipepper–120momme

•Finesand6–20momme


•Pinesawdust–50momme

•Redbayberrybark(Myricarubra)–100momme

•Privet(Ligustrumobtusifolium)–20momme

•Japanesenutmeg-yew(Torreyanucifera)–15momme7

•Charcoal–80momme

•Japanesenutmeg-yew(Torreyanucifera)sawdust–28momme

•Raigan(aformofPolyporaceae)–8momme5[bu]

Makeapowderoftheabove,kneaditwithoiluntilitisstickyandwrapitincloth.Lighttheendusinghokuchitinderandthrowitintotheenemyhutorwherepeopleareholedupindefence.

Theplumblossommoon•Alum–5momme


•PowderofPolygonumlongisetum–8momme

•Saltpetre–8momme




•Moxa–50momme

•Camphor–6momme

•Japanwax–5momme

•Mousedroppings–3momme5[bu]

•Sulphur–9momme

TheonethousandritorchfromtheShinShinSekiguchischool•Sulphur–3momme5[bu]

•Saltpetre–1momme2[bu]



•Moxa–5momme8[bu]



•Gunpowder8–2momme

•Hempash–1momme7[bu]

•Asmallhelpingofcattledung

•Asmallhelpingofwhitelead

Makeapowderoftheaboveandpackitfirmlybydoingthesameasabove.9

TheclothtorchWrapcottonclotharoundfiveorsixreeds.Mixpineresinandcamphorwithoiluntilitissticky.Applythemixtureontothecloth-wrappedtorchacoupleoftimesanddryitsothatitisreadyforuse.Thistorchwillnotfailinwindorrain.Itisalsocalledthekomyokohior‘brighttorch’.

ThefiveritorchSplit sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) into thin pieces, apply oil, and tie firmly atintervalsofonesun.Thecircumferenceofthetorchshouldbeeightsun,withalengthofthreeshaku.Detailsforthisaretobeorallytransmitted.

Therainprooftorch•Saltpetre–2momme

•Sulphur–1momme5[bu]

•Pinetreeknot10–3momme

•Camphor–2momme

•Moxa–3momme


•Mousedroppings–3[momme]

Makeapowderoftheabove,putthemixtureintoabamboocylinder,scrapetheexteriorofthebamboountilithasthinwallsandburnpaper[coveredwithalayerof]powderontopofthecylinder.Useandlightitwithtinder.

Analternativerecipefortheabovetool•Saltpetre–80momme


•Camphor–7momme

•Ash–7momme


•Moxa–10momme

•Flaxstalks–2momme5[bu]

•Mousedroppings–4bu

Makeapowderoftheaboveandputitintoacylinderasalwaysandapplyoiltothetop.11

Theyawara12‘soft’torch•Saltpetre–2momme

•Sulphur–3momme

•Camphor–3momme

•Borneol–1momme

•Privet(Lingustrumobtusifolium)–3momme

Mix theabovewithhempseedoil andput themixture intoabamboocylinder as in thepreviousexamples.

Thewind-andrainprooftorch•Flaxstalks–100momme


•Moxa(crumpleduntilitbecomeswhiteandsoakedinwaterovernight)–100momme



•Japanesenutmeg-yew(Torreyanucifera)–15momme

•Sesame–8momme



•Borneol–3momme



AnalternativerecipefortheabovetoolIexperimentedwiththisversionofthetorchintheyearofRamanditburnedquickly.


•Camphor–7momme



•Ash–7momme

•Moxa–10momme


Itsconstructionisthesameastheaboveexamples.

OneriforonesuntorchThistorchwillnotfailintherain.

•Walnuttreebark(finelychopped)–120momme


Theabovetwoitemsshouldbedried.

•Shochuspirits(boiled)–2go

•Borneol–5bu





•Whetstone13–8momme

•Moxa–50momme


Thetorchofappearanceanddisappearance14



•Borneol–9momme



•Ironfilings–53momme

•Finesand–30momme




•Charcoal–150mommePrivet(Ligustrumobtusifolium)sawdust–85momme

•Hair–60momme

•Peucedanumjaponicum–250momme

•Chillipepper–200momme

•Flaxstalks–300momme

•Moxa–150momme

•Redbayberry(Myricarubra)bark–200momme

•Whitelimestone15–15momme

•Rokansekistone16–18momme5[bu]

•Limepowder–120momme

•Finesugar–1sho5go

•Alum–32momme5[bu]



•Whitelead–12momme

•Bluevitriol(chalcanthite)–150momme

Makeapowderoftheabove.

Therecipecontinued:



•Raigan(aformofPolyporaceae)–100momme

•Lacquer–35momme

•Manteiga(boar’sfat)–28momme

•Beeftallow–25momme

•Glue17–100momme

Decocttheaboveseven18ingredientsinoneshoofoil,thenincludetheprevioustwenty-sevenitems,andmixwell.Youshouldaddmoreoilifthemixtureistoostiff.Whenitisappropriatelydone,wraptheingredientsinclothandlightwithtinder.Itisatorchtobethrowninwherepeoplearedefendingorintoanenemyhut.

Nanbanyama–theEuropeanmountain19

Makethisinthesamemethodastheabovetool.


•Ash–3momme




•Sulphur–5momme

20

Analternativerecipefortheabovetool•Camphor–50momme



•Sulphur–3momme

•Ash–3momme

Waterprooftorch(alsoknownasthepalmtorch )•Alum–5momme


•Pineresin–5bu

•Ash–1momme

•Moxa–1momme

•Camphor–5momme

•Saltpetre–5bu

•Bluevitriol(chalcanthite)–5bu

Puttheabovecontentsintoabamboocylinderoffiveorsixsunandramandcompactitwithforce.Lightitwithanignitionfuseorasplitcedarsplintwithsulphuruponit.Thistoolisusedforobservinginside[aroom]throughawindoworknothole.







•Alum–3momme

•Borneol–1momme


•Moxa–20momme

Makepowderoftheaboveandmixitasisdoneinallcases.

Thesecrettraditionofmakingarainprooftorch•Camphor–20momme



•Moxa–50momme

•ClothmadefromthefibreoftheJapanesebananatree–20momme



•Privet(Ligustrumobtusifolium)–5bu



•Powdereddeerantler–5bu

•Japanesenutmeg–1momme



•Oil–3go

21

TheYoshitsunewaterprooftorch•Camphor–5bu


•Ash–2momme5bu


•Moxa–5bu

•Pinesawdust–3momme5bu

Themethodofconstructionisthesameaswithmosttorches.

Asecretrecipeforthefinestwaterprooftorch•Saltpetre–7momme

•Sulphur–7momme

•AshofaJapanesepussywillow(Salixchaenomeloides)–5bu

Makeabagofthickpaper,puttheabovemixtureintoitandproditdownwithforce,thenwrap it with a flat braided cord andwrap thick paper around it with glue and apply acoveringofwaxtoit.

Theattacktorch•Saltpetre–5momme

•Ash–2momme


•Mousedroppings[unknownamount]

•Moxa–1momme

Put the above into abamboocylinder, scrape thebamboountil it is thin andwrap it inpaperwithglue.

Theswingandhurltorch

Soak bamboo grass (Arundinaria simonii) in water for about fifteen days, then dry itthoroughly,andaddpowderedsulphur.Bundle fifteenshootsand [igniteand]swing thebundletowardtheenemy.Thedesiredlengthshouldbeaboutoneshaku.

Theyawara‘soft’torchWhenIhaveusedthistorch,thefiregoesoutifyouswingitbutitreignitesifyoublowontoit.Also,ifyoucutoffthetipwithakogatanaknife,thetorchwillburnagain.



•Ash–2momme

•Sulphur–8momme

•Horsedung–2momme

•Hempcloth–5momme

To construct this torch so that it will not22 go out when blown upon, add five bu ofcamphorandtenmommeofpinesawdust.






Ifyoumake itwith tenmommeeachofsaltpetreandsulphur itwillgoout ifyoublowuponit.

23

Thescrapingmatch24

•Kumano25tinder–3momme

•Saltpetre–1momme2bu

•Borneol–1momme2bu


•Japaneseroyalfern(Osmundajaponica)–1bu

•Crystal–5bu

•Ash–1momme5bu


•Pinesawdust–3bu

•Pineresin–3bu

Makeapowderoftheaboveanddecoctthethininnerbarkofapinetree,andthenmixthepowderintotheliquid.Drytoacompletelysolidformandcutitwithaknifeandlightit.

Thesleevefire•Saltpetre–10momme

•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–2momme

Mixtheabovethoroughly.Takeabamboocylinderofsixorsevensunanddrillaholeinthebamboojointandfill thebamboowiththemixture.Wrapthecylinderwith[missingtext]lightitfromwithinyoursleeve.

Theilluminatingarrow•Saltpetre–20momme

•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–5momme

•Camphor–3bu


Makeapowderoftheabove,putthemixtureintoacylinderandscrapetheoutersurfaceofthecylinderandwrapitwithpaperandglue.Attachittoanarrowthatisoneshakufivesun longandthathasanarrowhead.Whenyouneedtosee inside[afortress],shoot thearrowthroughanarroworgunportsoyoucanseewithin.

Enemy-attackingpowder•Saltpetre–10momme

•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–2momme


Makeapowderoftheaboveandputthemixtureintoacylinderoffoursunorso.Sprinkleitovertheenemy.

Thenight-attackskyarrow•Saltpetre–10momme

•Borneol–1momme1bu3rin

•Well-agedsake–20momme

•Adecoctionofmugwort(Artemisiaindicavar.maximowiczii)–20momme

Makeafinepowderoftheaboveandputthemixtureintoabagandattachittoanarrow.Lightthemixturebeforeyoushootthearrow.

TheYoshitsunefire(alsoknownasthelong-lastingtorch )Scrapeoxhornuntilthewallsareverythinandplacefivecormorantfeatherspinesatthebottom.Nextplacemercuryintothespinesofthefeathersandcoverwithalid.

ThesecretrecipeofthedonohibodywarmerCutveryoldhempclothintopiecesandmixthesootfromakettleintogluethoroughlyand cover the pieces of clothwith it. Knead the entiremixture thoroughly and put thewholemixturefirmlyintoabamboocylinder,coveritwithalayerofsoilontopandthensmotheritinbran[andcreateafireaboveittochartheinternalsofthecylinder].

Oraltraditionsaysthatyoushouldwashoutthinpiecesofclothandexposethemtothesunthoroughly.Accordingtoonetheory,coveringabamboocylinderwithclayandthencharringitwillalsodo.

AnalternativerecipefortheabovetoolKnead powdered green teawith rice broth, ram it firmly into a [bamboo] cylinder andburyandroastitinbran.Thebambooshouldbeshaveddown.Dryingitinthesuninsteadofsmotheringandroastingitinbranwillalsosuffice.

Tinder•CharredPeucedanumjaponicum–5momme

•Camphor–1momme

Makethisintoapowder[anduseastinder].

Analternativerecipefortinder•Leavesofpokeweed(Phytolaccaesculenta)–10momme

•Camphor–2momme


•Sulphur–1momme

Makethisintoapowder.

AnalternativerecipefortinderTakemushroomsthatsproutonchestnuttreesanddrythemintheshade,buttakecarenottoletthemgetwetwithrainordew.Charthemandaddalittlesaltpetre.

AnalternativerecipefortinderFullycrumplemoxaleaves,soaktheminwaterfortwonightsanddry.Mixalittlewaterto ten momme of dried moxa and add two momme of saltpetre. Decoct all and drycompletely.Thisrecipeisbetterthanthepreviousones.

HowtoprepareahizutsufirecontainerMixalumandricepasteattheratioofonetothree.Applythemixtureonto26acylinderseveraltimesandaddalayerofpowderedgreentea.

Silentgunpowder•Saltpetre–100momme(roasteddowntoabout70momme)

•Sulphur–11momme(coverlargechunksofsulphurwithricepaste,exposetorainordewfor100daysandnights)

•Ash–8momme

•Uchi(birddroppings)–3momme5bu

•Charredtigerfur–3momme

•Charreddroppingsofthecormorantbird–1momme

•Grilledbonesofaseabream

Thisrecipeandthefollowingonearebothforgunpowder.

Whitepowder•Saltpetre–8momme

•Cinnabar–1momme

•Grilledbonesofaseabream–3momme

•LeavesfromtheGleicheniajaponica(driedintheshade)–3momme

SleepingmedicineCuttheheadoffabrowndogatnight,takethebloodanddryit27outofthesun.Anotherrecipeistoextracttheliverofalivebrowndoganddryitintheshade.

Thewaterproofwatchfire•Chestnutwood(driedintheshadeandpan-friedinhempseedoil)–50momme


•Alcoholicspirits(shochu)–2go

Mixthefirsttwowiththealcoholicspiritsandkneadit.Roastthemixtureoverafireandharden it, this will now burn when you are in and around water28 – and will burnsurprisinglywell.

Also,whenyoudiveunderwater,itissaidthatitisbeneficialifyouapplythe‘OilofToad29’ointmenttothenineholesofthebodyandputagreenleafoftheRoseofSharontree(Hibiscussyriacus)inyourmouth.Ihavenottriedthisyet.30

WatermusketshotPuttwomommeofgunpowderintoabarrelofagunthatisdesignedtotakethreemommeand five bu [of gunpowder]. Add two momme of powdered green tea and ram it

thoroughly.Putonegoofwaterintothebarrelandshoot.Whenyoushootsomeonetheywillfaint.

Thewaterprooffuse•Saltpetre–70momme

•Water–2teacups’worth

Putasectionofhinawafuseintheabovemixtureanddecoctit.Next,mixseventymommeofcamphorandfiftymommeofpineresinwithcamelliaoiluntilitissticky.Applythistothehinawafuseandcoverinwaxseveraltimes.

AnalternativerecipefortheabovetoolMix powdered alum with thin glue. Add camphor to the mixture and apply it to thehinawafuseseveraltimes.

Thethree-centimetrehinawamatch•Pineresin–2momme

•Camphor–1bu

Mixtheabovewithrapeseedoilandapplyittoahinawafuseseveraltimesanddryit.

TheshinyhinawafuseSoakapieceofhinawafuseinwaterovernightanddryitinthesunforoneday.Repeatthisprocessforthreedaysandnights–threetimesintotal.Next,putthehinawafuseinwaterinwhichbuckwheathasbeenboiled,leaveitovernightandthendryitinthesuninthedaytime.Repeatthisthreetimes.

Then soak it in kanemizu31 liquid made of an acetic acid with iron dissolved in thesolution.Repeat thisseveral timesso that thefusebecomes impregnatedwith the liquidcompletely. Then put Chinese sumac (Rhus javanica var. roxburghii) in the liquid andsoakthehinawaforonemorenight.Again,dryitcompletelyandburyitinthegroundfortwoor threedays, then take it out anddry it. Itwill nowbe ready for use. I thinkyoushoulddothisbeforethehinawafuseisbraided.32

BlindingpowderLoadgunpowderintoarifleandaddpowderedhihatsulongpepper(Piperlongum)[intothebarrel].Apply the appropriate amountofkuchigusuri fine gunpowder and shoot theweapon.Thisisusedwhenthosedefendingabuildingarewithin.Thiswill totallyblindtheoccupantswhoareinside.Onemanualsaysitshouldbehihatsuasaboveoruse theseedofPittosporumglabrum.

Thetorch•Saltpetre–25momme


•Charcoal–2momme

•Pinewoodsaturatedwithresin–7bu

•Pineresin–1momme2bu

•Powderedgreentea–2bu

•Mousedroppings[unknownamount]

•Moxa–3momme

•Camphor–5bu

Mixtheabovewithsakeofhighqualityandfirmlyramitintoabamboocylinder.

133



•Charcoal–4momme4bu


•Salt–3momme


•Wax–1momme

Mixtheabovewithoilandputitinacylinderasusual.

2

Choppedfire•Horsedung(olddungisbetter)–2momme

•CharredflossoftheJapaneseroyalfern(Osmundajaponica)–1momme

•Ash–5bu

•Sulphur–5bu

•Saltpetre–5bu

•Coarsecrystal–1momme5bu

Mixtheabovewithkanemizutooth-dyingliquidandthenkneadandhardenthemixture.[Powderit]andsprinklethemixtureontosaltpetrepaperandcutitintothinpieces.

3

Thedonohibodywarmer•Charred34oldcloth–1momme

•Powderedmoxa–3bu3rin

•CharredJapaneseroyalfern(Osmundajaponica)–5bu

•Oldropecoveredinbirdlime–2bu5rin

•Oldtea–5bu

•CharredPolygonumlongisetum–1momme

•Saltpetre–2bu5rin

•Charredsugiharapaper–5bu

Mix the above with kanemizu tooth-dying liquid and solidify it. Mix with the dust ofcrushedstoneandmixitintoriceglue.

4

Thenoroshisignalflare35


•Sulphur–1momme

•Ash–2momme

Mix the above in the sameway as gunpowder, put it into a bamboo cylinder, ram themixturefirmlyandputaflare-bullet36downthecylinder.Makesurethisisrammeddownagain,aftertheflare-bullet.Ifthereisanygapatall,thebamboowillshatter.

5

KeepingsleepatbaypowderTakeonlythewhitepartofthedroppingsofhawks.Putitintoyournavelandstickpaperoverit;withthisyouwillnotfallasleep.

6

Fool’sbrewDryhempleaves,powderthemanduseasyouwouldtheequivalentofthreecupsoftea.Thiswillmakepeoplefeelfuzzyandbecomefoolish.Youshouldreaptheleavesofhempintheseventhlunarmonth.

7

The‘intheair’candlePutmercuryintothecentreofanormalwaxcandle,igniteitandpresstheignitedendontothe[undersideofa]branchofatreeorsomethingsimilar.Releasethe[candle]withcaresoitwillremaininplaceandburn.37

8

ThehorncandlePlaceadeerhornintohorsedungfortwoorthreedaysuntilitissoft.Thenstraightenitasmuchaspossible,scrapethesurface[thin]anddeep-fryitinrapeseedoil.Next,deep-fryitagaininperillaoil,coveritwithpaperandlightit.Itissaidthatalengthofsevensunwillholdoutforsevennights.

9

TheimmortaltorchTakethecentrespinesoftwentyorthirtyfeathersoftheJapanesecrestedibis(Nipponianippon)andcut them to the lengthofonesun.Empty the insideofeach, then fill themwitha thimble fullofmercury.Seal theendsand tie them togetherwitha thread.Placegoldleafinanincenseboxandplacethetiedfeathersontopofthegoldleafandfixthemsothattheyaresecure.Warning:thefeathersshouldbeofamatureJapanesecrestedibis

or the torchwill not glow.However, the centre spines of the feathers of the black kite(Milvusmigrans)38willsuffice.Accordingtoonescript,youcanusethepinionsorflightfeathersofblackkiteswithmercuryinthemtoreflectthelightoftheneighbouringhouse.Youshouldputthistoolonyourtachimitsu39andswingit,oralternativelyusingamirrortoreflectthelight[toilluminateyourarea]willworkwell.

10

Yoshitsune’storchHollow[orshave]thehornofawaterbuffalountilitisverythin,soyoucanseethroughto the inside.Empty the spinesof feathersofa Japanesecrested ibis (Nipponianippon)andput them into theabovehorn; cement thegaps [between the feathers and thehorn]with lacquer so that they arewatertight.Next, put a small cup full ofmercury into thehorn.Accordingtoonetheory,hollowingthehornofabrowncowtothisthinnesswouldbebest.Thistorchwilllightupasbrightasamoonlitnight,especiallyifthehornisofabrownox.

Figure85.ThehandheldgimballanternVentholescanbefoundatthetopofthisimage.

Figure86.Theireko-hiadjustablelantern

11

Thehandheldgimbal(gando)lanternwithillustration(similarinformtoaportablecenser)

Useacirculartube40aaslargeasasmallbucket,andattachanironhandletothebottom.Includeathree-ringedirongimbalsystemascanbeseeninthedrawing.41Theouterringisfixedtothecylinderandisstationary;thetwoinnerringsshouldbefreetorotateandshouldbepositionedexactlyinthemiddleandhungwithironneedlesatcertainpoints.42Thecandleshouldbehungandoilshouldbeputinit,andthenyoushouldlightit.Ventholesshouldbeputnearthehandle.

12

Theireko-hi43adjustablelanternwithillustrationBeatcopperintoathincylindersothatithasadiameteroftwosunandalengthofthreesun. Suspend a candle on the inside [as in the drawing] and attach a second ‘flaredcylinder’ or funnel of the same length and with a slightly larger diameter [to where itconnects].Thislatterfunnelhasnobottomandcanbedetached[atwill].

Thetorchhasanairholeonthebottom.The‘flaredcoppercylinder’shouldhavecordssothatitcanbesecuredtothebasesectionofthetorchandsothatitwillnotfalloff.

•Thecandleisinthemiddle.

•Theflaredcylinderisatthetop.

•Thecordsareattheside[andusedtosecurethefunnel].

•Theairholeisatthebottom.

13

Noroshismoke-signalpowder•Wolfdroppings

•Moxa

•Saltpetre

•Ash

Thepowderoftheaboveshouldbeused[forsmokesignals].

Itiswritten44thatthefollowingisalsoarecipefortheabovetool:

•Wolfdroppings–onethird

•Pineneedles–onequarter

•Alargeamountofstraw

The‘onethird’means that if thereare threebundlesofstraw,putwolfdroppingsof theamountofonethirdofthetotalstraw.Ifonequartertheamountofgunpowderisaddedtothe mixture, the smoke will reach even higher. This way was invented by KusunokiMasashige.

Oraltraditionsays:

Digaholeandpoundthegroundfirmly.Puttheabovemixtureintheholeandleaveahinawa match on top so that it will catch fire spontaneously. Cover with an upturnedbucket,panorsoonthathasasquareholeofonesunacrossinthebottom.Sealthebucketattheedgeswithsoilsothatthesmokewillnotleakfromtheunderside.

Analternativeway:afterburningthepineneedlestoaquantityofhalfthefullvolume,surround them with brushwood and stand a green bamboo stick in the centre. Thensurround thestickwithstrawmats so that thesmokewill riseupwards.Thestrawmatsshouldbeasaninvertedcone.Addinggunpowderiswithoutdoubtabenefit.

14

Analternativerecipefornoroshi•Wolfdroppings–10ryo

•Moxa–3ryo

•Ironfilings–5ryo

•Cattledung–3ryo

•Pineneedles–10ryo

•Ash–15ryo

Powder the above and make balls of seven or eight sun in circumference. Light withhokuchitinder.

15

Analternativerecipefornoroshi•Straw–3bundles

•Wolfdroppings–onethirdtheamountofstraw

•Pineneedles–onequartertheamountofstraw

Mixtheabove;addingironfilingsofonethirdtheamountofstrawwillworkwell.

16

Thewind-andrainprooftorch•Camphor–50momme



•Ash–20momme


Make a powder of the above and mix it with oil and birdlime. Knead and solidifyappropriatelyandthendryinthesun.

Ifyou intend tomakea ‘palm torch’ , produceaball that is as largeas afifty-mommeweightbullet, light it fromahandheldpositionand throw it into thedark.When it is used as a torch, the abovemixture should be applied onto cloth, then strawshould be wrapped around the cloth and it should be tied with a rope. As a torch, abamboostickshouldbeinsertedintothestraw[asahandle].

17

Theappearanceanddisappearancetorch45



•Ash–2momme5bu



•Moxa–3momme

Uponexperimentation,thistoolwentoutwhenitwasswungaround.However,itignitedagainwhenblownupon;also,ifyoucutthetipoffitwilllightagain.

18

AnalternativerecipefortheabovetorchThisshouldbemadeinthesamewayasabove.



•Camphor–8momme

•Kunroku46–1momme5bu

•Ash–5bu



•Oldcloth–1momme5[bu]

•Moxa–1momme


Forbothoftheabovetworecipes,ramtheingredientsfirmlyintoabamboocylinder.

19

Thethree-centimetrestothree-ritorchThisshouldbecreatedintheusualway.



•Ash–1momme


Powdertheaboveandmixitwithhempseedoil.

20

ThebaskettorchoftheUmeda47school•Borneol–1bu

•Camphor[unknownamount]

•Scouringrush(Equisetumhyemale)–2rin

•Sandstone–2rin

•Saltpetre–1bu

•Sulphur–2rin

•Pineresin–8rin

•SeedsofJapanesehoneylocust(Gleditsiajaponica)–1rin5mo

•Orpiment–1rin

Powdertheaboveandmixitwithricebrandy.Ifricebrandyisunavailable,useshochu.48

21

Slicedtinderfromthesameschool•Saltpetre–3momme


•Sulphur–1bu5rin

•Ash–1bu5rin

•Sandstone–3bu

•Bamboosawdust–3rin

•Japaneseroyalfern(Osmundajaponica)–7rin


•Moxa–5momme

•Borneol–2bu


•Kumano49tinder–1bu5rin

Powdertheaboveanddecoctthebarkofpinetrees,andmixtheabovepowderwiththedecoctionandsolidifyit.[Sometextomitted]

22

Thebaskettorch•Borneol–1ryo




•Lithargeorleadmonoxide–1ryo

Powdertheaboveandmixitwithricebrandy.Ifricebrandyisunavailable,mixwithglueandkneadit.Thereareoraltraditionsonhowthisshouldbedone.Applybeateneggtothesurfaceofthemixture.Putitinanironbasketandhangitfromajointedrodandlightit.Ifyouuseonehundredmommeoforpiment,itwillilluminateasquareofsixchoorwilllastthroughthedistanceofthreeri.

23

AnalternativerecipeforthebaskettorchfromtheschooloftheTsuge50clan

Rememberastrongfirewillnotlastlong.



•Ash–3momme


•Moxa–15momme




Solidifythisbykneadingwithliquid[ricebrandy]asmentionedinthepreviousrecipe.

24

Thecapturingfire•Saltpetre–10momme


•Ash–2momme5bu

•Ironfilings(ofpigironmadeintoafinepowder)–2momme


Powdertheaboveasfineasdomyojipowder51andmixtogetherasone.Makeacylinderofcopper with a length of six or seven sun and a circumference of five or six sun. Thecylinderisopenatoneendandhasaholeofaboutonebuattheotherend[whichisatthetopof theillustration].Put thepowderin thecylinderandramitdownfirmlyandputatwistedpaperstringwithkuchigusurifinergunpowderwithinit.Alsomakeahandleasin

thedrawing.

This tool isusedwhenyoucapturesomeoneorwhenfighting.Nomatterhowstrongthepersonis,hecannotfightagainstthisfire.[Figure87]

Thepowdershouldberammeddownfirmlyinthecentralchamber.

Pegandfixthehandleinplacewiththecentralbarthatgoesthroughthetool;withoutthisthehandlewillcomeoff.

Thehandleshouldbemadesoyoucangripitwithease.

Figure87.Thecapturingfire

25

Thedreamorillusionfire•Saltpetre–12momme


•Orpiment–4bu

•Camphor–5bu

Powdertheaboveandputitintoabamboocylinderthatiseightsuninlengthandfoursunormoreincircumferencewithabamboojointononeend.Rollthecylinderwiththinropeandramthepowderdownfirmly.Coverthetopwithpaper,takeawaytherope,scrapethebamboountilitisverythinandpastepaperaroundit.

26

ThedonohibodywarmerCutwaterproofhinawa fuses into lengthsoffivesun,mixalumwithglueandapplythemixture onto thehinawa. Also apply alum on new paper, light it and then wrap it [insomethingnon-flammablesothatitdoesnotburnyoubutkeepsyouwarm].

27

Theattacktorch52


•Sulphur–2momme

•Ash–2momme

•Camphor–5bu




Puttheabovemixtureintoabamboocylinderthatistwosunninebuincircumferenceandfivesuninlengthwithabamboojointononeend.Attachatorchhiltontheend[thathasthebamboo joint; this handle shouldbe] four sun in length, octagonal and tapered to apoint,likeabird’stongue53andshouldpreferablybeofsteel.

Powdertheabovemixtureandramthepowderintothecylinderveryfirmly.Scrapeoffthesurfaceofthebambooandpastepaperaroundit.

28

Theflyingrocket(alsoknownastheokunifirearrow )•Saltpetre–22momme

•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–6momme


•Camphor–3bu


Powdertheaboveasfineasdomyoji54powder.Thearrowshouldbefourshakutwosunin

length and the nockpart is nine sun long.55 The fletchings should be six sun in length.Firmlyramthepowderintoabamboocylinderofsixsuninlengthandputatwistedpaperstringwithignitionpowderwithinit,andlightitatthispoint.

Thearrowheadshouldpreferablybetheshapeofabird’stongue56andbetwosunandfourorfivebu.

Thearrowitselfshouldbefourshakutwosuninlengthandthefletchingsshouldbesixsunandshouldbemadefromthefeatherofacraneorotherlargebird.57

Figure88.Theflyingrocket

Thebamboocylinderissixsuninlengthandtheinsidediametershouldbesixbu.58

The fuse should consist of ignitionpowder inside a twistedpaper string and insertedintothebottomofthecylinder.

Thenock[strengthening]shaftendsoneshakufromthebuttendofthearrowandthefeathersareabouteightsunlong.59

Putasupportplate60atthearrowhead,wherethethinvinesbindthearrowheadon.This

isdonesothatyoucanfitthebamboocylinderuptotheedgeofthearrow.

29

MonkeyfireApplyample‘whitealum’andsaltpetretoathinrope.Tieastonewrappedinclothononeendoftherope[asaweight].Nexttieacopperring[furtherup]theropeandinsertatorchinthering.Thiscanbefreelyliftedupanddownsothatyoucaninspectthebottomofamoatortheareabeneathayaguraturretarea.Thatiswhyitiscalled‘monkeyfire’.

30

Thematch•Saltpetre–50momme




•Adashofshochuspirits

Powder theabove,knead itwith thinglueandapply it tohoshogami fine-qualitypaper.Cutitintothinpiecesforuse.

31

[Unknowntorch]61

Splitpinewoodthat issaturatedwithresin into thinsectionsandapplyaheavydoseof[missingtext];dothistwoorthreetimes.Next,splitthinbamboointothinnerpiecesandboiltheminwaterandallowthemtodrycompletely.Bindthebambooontotheoutsideofthesplitpineatintervalsofonesun.Thenextstepistowrappaperaroundthetorchwithalayer of glue. After that, wrap equal amounts of saltpetre, sulphur, camphor, wax andresin62 inclotharound the torchandapplyoil to itand thenroast itovera fire.Finally,wrapthetorchinshibugami63paperand,tofinish,wrapaboutfivesunofthetorch–atitsbase –with the plant-sheath that grows at the bottom of a bamboo plant [and use thissectionasahandle].Thelengthofthistorchshouldbetwoshakufivesun.Thedetailsarekeptoral.Thecircumferenceissevenoreightsun.Itcansustainfireforsixriorforsixhours.

32

The‘chiofthesouth’torch64

Splitbamboointothinpiecesandbindthemwithpinewoodinthesamewayasthetorchabove.Thistorchshouldbeaboutthreeshakulong,andinaddition,youputanailoffiveorsixsunonthebottom.65Itisthrownintotheenemyhutorwheretheyaredefending.

33

ThebasicbambootorchSplitthePleioblastussimoniiformofbamboointothinpieces,soakthesectionsinclearwaterforabouttendays,66andthendrythemcompletely.Howtobindthemistobeorallytransmitted.

34

Thetorchforawindyandrainynight•Sesame–8momme

•Pine[?]67–20momme

•Lingustrumobtusifolium–5momme

•Borneol–3momme


•Hemporflaxstalks(soakedinwater)–100momme


•Moxa(crumpledverywell)–120momme



•Japanesenutmeg–15momme


•Alum–12momme

•Ashofkiriwood–120momme


•Oiloftheraigan68–15momme

•Camelliaseed–20momme

•Manteiga–5momme5bu

•Coconutoilorasimilartypeofoil–8momme

•Powdereddeerhorn–6momme

•Perilla–30momme

Powder the above, knead it with oil, and dry it very well. Then firmly ram it into abamboocylinder.

35

Thewind-andrainprooftorchStrip thick sections of the bark of the rosebud cherry tree (Prunus pendula var.ascendens).Mixshochuspiritsandcamphorandapplytothebarktwoorthreetimes.Dryitverywellandbindtogetheratintervalsofonesunandmakeitthreeshakuinlengthandwithacircumferenceofeightsun.Theropehasasecretoraltradition.

36

Thethrownfireball•Saltpetre–10momme

•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–3momme

•Pigiron–4momme

Mix the above appropriately and throw it into the enemy. Further details are an oraltradition.

37

Thethunder[attack]torch•Saltpetre–100momme


•Ash–25momme


Makeapowderofthismixtureanddothesameasabove.

38

Analternativerecipefortheabovetool





•Ash–20momme

Powder theaboveandkneadwith the sameoilused formakingbirdlime.Apply it toapieceofcloththat isoneshakufivesun inwidthandthreeshakuandfiveorsixsun inlength.Putabouttwentyhempstalkstogetherandbindthemwithvines.Bindthreewhole[andsmall]piecesofbambooaround[thebundle],sothatitcanbeheld.

39

Theburningballfire•Lead–200momme

Makeaballofleadandsplititintotwo.Putgunpowderintothecentreandmakeaholethroughthecasingsothatyoucanfeedamizu-hinawaorwaterprooffuseintothegrenade;this is used to ignite it. This weapon should be taken on board one of your ships andthrownonto[anenemy’s]vessel.Oraltradition.

40

Musketgunpowder•Saltpetre–20momme

•Sulphur–6momme

•Ash–9momme5bu(ofwhich5mommeisofbeehiveand4momme5buisofsnakeskin)

41

Analternativegunpowder•Saltpetre–40momme


•Ash–20momme

42

Stronggunpowder•Saltpetre–40momme

•Sulphur–2momme

•Ash–3momme

43

Fire-startingpowder•Saltpetre–10momme

•Sulphur–5momme


Powdertheaboveandputitintoabamboocylindersothatyoucancarryit.Thisistobeorallytransmitted.

44

The‘heaven’spalace’torch•Saltpetre–23momme

•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–5momme

•Camphor–3bu


Put theaboveintoabamboocylinderof threesunandscrape thesurface thinandwrappaperaroundit.Takeanarrowthatmeasuresoneshakufivesunandremovetheheadandattach this torch to it. When you need to look inside [a compound], fire the torch inthrough an arrow or gun port so that you can see inside. There is more to be orallytransmitted.

45

Thedouble-shotmusketPut gunpowder and a bullet as normal into amusket. Next placewet paper [down thebarrel]on topof thefirstbulletand thenplaceasecondchargeofgunpowderdownthebarrel.Then,insertabulletthatisslightlysmaller[thanthelatterone]andcutahinawafusedowntoonesuninlength;lightthisfuseandputitin.Whenthehinawaignitesthe

gunpowder, the outer bullet fires and then you may shoot the normal bullet as usual[givingyouasecondshot].69

46

ThebasketfireandillustrationUse this when you deal with those who are defending a building. This is a basket ofwoven iron and is of one and a half or two bu in thickness. It should be madeappropriatelyso thata [hard-burning]candlecanbeput inside.Thisworksverywell inthe case of dealing with those who are defending a building. Remember,70 inattentivepeoplemayhavealightsourcetakenbyaprisonerandeventhosewhoareveryattentivecan be careless at times and they cannot fight verywell in darkness ormay even fightamong themselves in suchacase.Youshoulduse this light toobserve the statusof theinsideofabuilding.Thislighthasthebenefitofnotallowingacriminaltocaptureitandalsoithasthebenefitofnotbeingeasilyextinguished.

Figure89.Thebasketfire(1)Thereshouldbeahingeandlockonthesmalldoorasinthedrawing.

Figure90.Thebasketfire(2)Theinsideshouldbelike[thegyrosystem]ofthegandolantern[asmentionedintoolnumbereleven].

47

Theshieldtorchandillustration71

Thisshouldbeusedfordealingwiththosewhobarricadethemselvesinorforcarryingoutanightattack.Theshieldshouldbepreferablyofwillowwood.Itismoreorlesstwosuninthicknessandsixsuninwidth.Ifitistoolarge,thenitisnotsoconvenient.

Figure91.Theshieldtorch

Thechain-mailskirtshouldbeoneshakuandninesuninlength,butitshoulddependonthesizeofthewielder.Thechainmailshouldbemadeofironinthesamemannerasagauntlet.72

Figure92.Thehandgrenade(1)

Figure93.Thehandgrenade(2)

Ahandle shouldbeput at six sun below themonomi viewingwindowand there is acrosspieceatoneshakubelowthewindowontheoutsideoftheshield.Thisissoyoucanputa[hard-burning]candlethere.

48

Thehandgrenadewithillustration73

Duringanight raid thisshouldbe thrownintowhere theenemyisgathering inorder tocreatepanicsothatyoucantaketheadvantageanddefeatthem.

Useatwistedpaperignitionpowderfuse.

This should be made of clay in the shape as in the drawing. Fill it with musketgunpowder and iron filings, put the halves together and throw it where the enemy isgathering.Also it isgood in thecase thatyouneed to fleeveryquickly fromashinobimission.Furtherinformationistobeorallytransmitted.

Thenumberofholescanbechangedasyouwish.

Putburningcharcoalintothechambersaroundthecentreandtheninsertatwistedpaperfusewithignitionpowderthroughthecentralhole,74thenloaditwithshotandtsuyogusurigunpowderandthencoverthewholethingwithpaper.Throwitintheplacewherepeoplearegathering.Furtherinformationistobeorallytransmitted.

49

Thelandmineorburiedfirewithillustration75

The size shouldvary according to the place and situation.Theboards used for the boxshouldbeasthinaspossible.

First, splitbamboo inhalfandplace itwith the insidefacedownandplacean[unlit]hinawa fuseundereachbamboosection [with theendscomingoutofonesideand tiedtogether].

Second,putamixtureofgunpowderandpebblesintothebox[andcloseit].

Third,putoneendofthehinawa[intothebox]andmakesurethattheflamecanpassthrough[thegroundafteryouhaveburiedthebox76].

Fourth,putanoldstrawmatontheboxandspreadsoilthinlyonthetop[tocamouflageit].

Thisweaponshouldbepositionedupontheenemy’spathandshouldbemadesothatitwillignitewhensomeonestepsuponit.77Moretobeorallytransmitted.78

Figure94.Thelandmine

Figure95.Therolledburningarrow

50

Therolledburningarrowwithillustration•Cutoutahardwoodsealandplaceitinthecentreandatthebackofthisarrow.

•Windathinropeontoabamboocylinder.

•Applyignitionpowderaroundthetipandinthebamboojoint.

For theflightof thearrow, thebarkof thecherry tree isrecommended.Thesizecanbevariedasyouwish.

51

Thetorinokonight-attacktoolwithillustrationTake theearsoff strawandpound them inamortarwell and thendry them in the sun.Makeafour-sunlongbundlesofstrawandtieitatbothends.[Tomakeitsecure]weavestrawaroundthe toolat intervals[ascanbeseenin thedrawing]andput the[pounded]earsinsideit.Youcancarrythistool.

Howtoconstructandusethenight-attacktorinokoandtheshinobitorinokohasmoretobeorallytransmitted.

Figure96.Thetorinokonight-attacktool

Thetopimageisatorinoko.

Thebottomimageisatorinokothathasbeenwrappedinstraw.

AnalternativerecipefortheabovetoolTaketheearsofstrawandpoundtheminamortar,thensoakandfrytheminoilandthendrythemout.Next,wrapinstrawinthesamewayasabove.Also,applyingasolutionofsulphurisrecommended.

52

ThecarttorchMake a cart with the dimensions of six or seven shaku79 square. Stand a wind-andrainprooftorchthathasabrightflareonthecartandattachathinropetothevehicle.Ifyou are defending a mountain castle or any other situation, you should have this cartlowered down to the bottom of the valley by extending the rope; do this if there issomethingsuspicious.Thereismoretobeorallytransmittedonthemakingofthistool.

53

Thesevenrecipesofthedonohibodywarmerwithillustration

I

Tomakeabodywarmer thatstaysalight forawholedayandnight,youshouldbraidahardropewithveryoldandbleachedclothandmakeitsothatitissixsuninlengthandsixsunincircumference.Layitinahitsubocharringjarandputalayerofashtoadepthof twoor threesunon thesectionof rope,and thenburna fireon topof theash.Afterroastingitinthejar[inthismanner],takeitoutandputitintoasealedcontainersothatthefirewillgoout.Wraptheropeinathinlayerofstrawandtieitupwiththreadateightornineplacesanddothistightly.Itcanbecarriedinyourkimonooronyourwaist,thusitis called the donohi body fire or the koshi-donohi, which is the waist body fire. Thedrawingrightshowstheversiontobecarriedinyourkimono.Itcanalsobecarriedinabamboocylinder.

Figure97.Thedonohibodywarmer

II

Tomakeabodywarmerthatwillstayalightfortwoorthreenights,cutold[hemp]clothorcotton intovery thinpieces,mix themwithanappropriateamountofkettle sootandharden themixturewith glue. Ram it tightly into a bamboo cylinder that is six sun incircumferenceandcutitintosix-sunlengths.Roastitwithacoveringofbranandinthesamewayastheaboveone.Thentakeitout,shaveofftheburntsurface,wrapitwiththenaturalsheathfoundatthebottomofabambooplantandtieituptightlyatsixorsevenplaces.

III

Roast oldhempor cotton cloth in a closed jar and cut it into very finepieces [or evenpowderit]thenkneadandsolidifyitwithricebrothorpersimmontannin,afterwhichyou

ramitintoabamboocylinderanddryitcompletely.Thentakeawaythebamboocylinderandwrapitwithbamboosheathorsimplykeepitinthebamboocylindersoyoucancarryitinyourkimono.Thisiscalledtakedonohi orthebamboobodyfire.Whenusingcharredauberginestemsyoushouldusethesamemethodasabove.

IV

Soaksugiharapaper insaltedwater foronenightanddry itcompletelyand then tear itinto thinpieces.Packit intoabamboocylinderverytightlyandchar thispaper.Glaze80somemore paper and lightly grill it. Thenwrap the first charred paperwith this latterglazed paper [so you can keep it on you], or alternatively you can glaze thin tannedleather,makeasmallbagofthisleatherandputthe[ignited]paperinit,soyoucancarryitinyourkimono.

V

Mix charred sugihara paper and funoriglue,81 knead and solidify it. Light it and put itbetweenboards,sothatyoucancarryit.

VI

Break down charcoal of chestnut oak from Ikeda into very fine pieces and thenthoroughlycrumplesugiharapaperandtearitintothinpieces.Mixbothofthemwithglueandkneaduntilsticky.Ramthispasteintoabamboocylinderverytightlyanddryitinthesun;shavetheoutsideofthebambooandwrapitwithbamboosheath,tyingitfirmly.

VII

Chewapieceofsugiharapaperfortwodaysuntilitdoesnothaveanytasteatall.Dryitinthesunandigniteit.Ifyouwishtoextinguishthisthenyoushouldwrapitinthickersugiharapaper.

ThepocketfireCharthinpiecesofhenonbamboo(Phyllostachysnigravar.henonis)andsolidifywith

glue,cover inpowderedgreenteaanddry in thesun.Light the toolandthenwrapit inglazed82papersoyoucancarryit.

Smalllightning83



•Ash–6momme

Uniqueness84

•Moon–30momme

•Sun–60momme5bu

•Star–7momme5bu

Thereisanoraltraditionforeachpoint.

AwaterprooffuseBoilanormalhinawa fuse in fushi85 liquid, stretch itoutanddry itcompletely.Then

scrub[thesurface].

Anotherrecipeistoboilahinawafuseinwaterwiththeleavesofthehenonbamboo(Phyllostachysnigravar.henonis).Ithastheadvantageofhavingnosmell.

As for a kusa-hinawa86 fuse, soak the bark ofRose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) inwater and use it as ahinawa fuse. There is another version called the ambushhinawa

,wherewashed-outclothisused,asithasnosmell.

Musket-cleaningballsSewtogetheraclothbagoftwosun inlength.Putamixtureofequalamountsoffine

sandandaluminit.Loaditintoamusketandshoot;thiswillcleanoutthebarrel.

Theincineration87weaponThereareseveralmethods,buttheyareallthesame.Youdonothavetousealottoburndowntheenemy.

Thestonedragonmethod[oftheincinerationweapon]•Saltpetre–200momme



•Pinewood/resin–60momme

•Ash–40momme

Theirondragonmethod[oftheincinerationweapon]•Saltpetre–100momme


•Ash–25momme


•Pinewood/resin–10momme

ThedonohibodywarmerMixequal amountsofwashed-out clothand Japanese royal fern (Osmunda japonica)

and add a small amount of camphor.Knead themwith glue. The ears of foxtailmilletshouldbeusedaswell.

Analternativemethodistocutwashed-outclothintoone-shakucircles,charthemandcutthemlikemoxaandwrapinbamboosheath.Atooloffivesun in lengthcanlastfortwenty-fourhours.

TheJapanesecypresstorchSplithinokiJapanesecypressintothinpieces,applysulphurontothemandbindthem

together.

Mixingwolfdroppingsandmoxaisdesirable.88

1Thereareinfactonlyforty-nineskillsincludedinthefirstlistandmuchmorewhenalllistsareputtogether.AccordingtoYunokiShunichiro,thereisatotalof213differentitemsand279individualrecipes.

2Atthetopofeachofthefirstforty-ninerecipes,thereisanidentifyingmarksuchastheonehere.Thesearetakenfromtheoldalphabet,knownastheiroha,andtogetherformaJapanesepangram.Theyalsomayactasaquickreferencetablefortheninja.

3Literally,‘Monthofthedeutziaflower’,orthe‘fourthlunarmonth’.

4Theword‘powder’appearsthroughouttherecipes–theoriginalideogramis andisconsideredtomean‘grinddown’or‘powder’.Questionsarisewithsomeoftheingredients,suchaswood,asFujibayashisometimesstates‘sawdustof’,whichimpliespowderofwood,yetinothercaseshedoesnot.Therefore,whiletherecipessay‘powder’thisisbestthoughtofasthesmallestunitorsizepossibleforthatspecificingredient.

5Theideogramisliterally‘ironsand’,whichhasafewsmalldifferencesfromironfilings.However,ironfilingsisamorelikelyingredientinexplosives.Also,‘ironsand’inthemodernsensehasadifferentnameinJapanesefromtheonelistedintheBansenshukai.

6Literally,‘smallsand’.

7Takenfromanunrecordedsectionofthetree.

8Literally,‘musketpowder’.

9Thisisaproblematicissue,astheprecedingtoolhasnoconstructioninstructions,whichleadsustosuspectthatthereisatranscriptionerrorintheprecedingtoolorthatitcouldbeareferencetothegenericmethodofpackingandwrappingthebambooasusedinmostfiretools.

10Thegnarledorknottedareaofwood.

11Thiscouldbeeitherthe‘top’orthe‘outersurface’.

12Thephoneticsoundhereimplies‘softness’andthelatterideogramofthenameismostprobablyaphoneticsuffix.

13Thesharpeningblock.

14Anunknowntool,possiblyafierce-burningweapon.ItstitlehasBuddhistconnotationsofbirthanddeath.

15Kansuiseki .

16Unknownstone.

17Thishasconnotationsofgluetakenfromananimal.

18Theoriginalsayseight;however,thisisamistake.

19ThisimpliesthatthetoolwasimportedfromEurope.

20Theideogramherecouldmeanthatthefollowingrecipeisanalternativeone.However,thefirstword,meaning‘three’,isfollowedbyphoneticmarkerswhosemeaninghasbeenlost.

21AsthetoolsarelistedfollowingtheJapanesealphabet,Fujibayashistraysfromthenormherebyusinganideograminsteadofthekanaorphoneticmarkof .Theideogram isoftenusedinsteadofthekana .

22Itshouldbenotedherethatinthisversionofthetoolitstatesthatitwillnotgoout,whilethefollowingtorchwill.Lookingattheingredientsitispossiblethatthetranscribermixedthesetwoentriesandtheyshouldinfactbereversed.

23Again,thisphoneticmarkerischangedanddoesnotfollowthenormalpattern.

24Presumablyusedasanignitionaid.

25AnareainWakayamaprovince.

26Thegrammarheresuggeststhatthisisappliedtotheoutsideofthecylinder.

27Otherschoolstalkaboutusingbloodonpaperandburningitinaguardhousetoinducesleep.

28Literally‘inwater’.

29ThisisalsofoundintheShinobiHidenmanual–withthesameusage–andismadefromamixtureoftoadsecretionsmixedwithporkgrease.

30Presumablyhemeanshehasnottrieddivingduringashinobiactivityordivingwiththisleafinhismouth.Thereferenceisambiguousbutitiscertainhehastriedtheactualtorch.

31AliquidusedinJapanfordyingteeth.

32Beforetheropefuseisformed.

33Thetextnowcontinueswithnumericalmarkers.

34Thisiskuroyaki,or‘blackburnt’.Dryroastthematerialinaclosedpotwithoutoiluntilblack.

35Therearevariationsonthenoroshi;someareflaresandsomearesmokeandfiresignals.

36Thisisabamboocylinderpackedwiththeexplosivepowderdescribedhere.Theballisaformof‘bullet’thatcanbefoundinfireworksmanufacture.Whenfiredfromthetube,itwillcreateaflare-likesignalthatshootsintotheair.Theballorbullet’sconstructionisdiscussedinvolumetwenty-two.

37Grammatically,itappearsthattheignitedendattachestothetree,whichwouldseemimpossible.Itisnotentirelyclearhowthistoolworks.

38Theideogramforthismeans‘owl’;however,thephoneticmarkerschangethemeaningto‘blackkite’.

39Unknowntoolorarea;however,itispossiblythebladeofasword.

40Acylinderthathasbeensteamedintoshape.

41Thisisthesameset-upasthatusedonaship’scompass.Theideaisthatthegimbalringskeepthecandleorilluminationsourceupright.

42Thetextsaysthreepoints,however,thismustbeatranscriptionerrorasifthatwasthecasethesystemwouldnotrotate.

43TheJapanesenamegivenhereas‘ireko-hi’isusedmanytimesthroughoutthetext.

44ThisappearstobetakenfromtheGunpoJiyoshumanual.

45ThisisareferencetotheBuddhistconceptofbirthanddeathandmayormaynotmeantoappearanddisappearinaphysicalsense.

46Fossilizedmaterialofpineorcedarresin,usedasmedicineorperfumes;itissimilartoamber.

47Anunknownschool,possiblyconnectedtotheUmedafamilyofIga.

48Spiritdistilledfromsweetpotatoes,rice,etc.

49AnareainWakayama.

50AfamilyofIga.

51Powdermadeofdriedrice.

52Usedtothrowintoanenemycampenmasseasyoucarryoutanightraidorpossiblytosetfiretothatchroofsandthelike.

53Thistermcomesfromaformofarrowheadthatistaperedandconsideredoctagonal.

54Coarsericepowder.

55Presumablyaninternalstrengtheningrod.However,thishasnotbeenconfirmed.

56Taperingtoapoint.

57Thisispossiblyareferencetoeagles,asinOtorijinja,orthe‘eagleshrine’.

58Transcriptionerror;theoriginaltextsays‘sun’.

59Thispointisatranscriptionerror,astheoriginalsays‘ninesun’.

60Thisappearstobeafixedplatejustbelowthearrowheadthatstopsthebamboocylinderfromcomingofftheshaft.

61Theideogramsimplysays‘thisillustration’.

62Possiblyanimalfat.

63Japanesepaperstrengthenedwiththejuiceofastringentpersimmons.

64Thisissimilartothe‘thrownattacktorch’describedintheGunpoJiyoshumanual.

65AnimageofthiscanbeseeninthetranslationoftheGunpoJiyoshumanual.

66Thisisdonetoremoveallsap.

67Themeaningoftheword isactuallyunknown–thefirstideogramisfor‘pine’andthesecondmeans‘toclose’or‘relation’.

68Aformoffungusthatgrowstoaroundoneortwocentimetresatthebottomofbambooplants.

69ThisskillwaspossiblyusedintheassassinationattemptonOdaNobunaga.

70ThisistakendirectlyfromtheGunpoJiyoshumanualofc.1612.

71ThisistakendirectlyfromtheGunpoJiyoshumanualofc.1612.

72ComparedtoWesternchainmailthisisquitethinandlightweight.

73ThisistakendirectlyfromtheGunpoJiyoshumanualofc1612.

74Alternatively,thiscouldsimplymean‘fillthecentrewithignitionpowder’.

75ThishasbeentakenfromtheGunpoJiyoshumanual.However,inthiseditionthetranslationhasbeenexpandedupon.Theoriginaltextisquiteambiguousandismeanttobesupportedbyanoraltradition.Therefore,thismoreaccessibletranslationhasbeencross-referencedwith‘explosivesmanuals’fromdifferentschoolstoofferabetterunderstandingtothereader.

76Alternativemanualsshowthataseparatesectionofbamboonormallycomesoutofthesideofthebox,whichmarriesallthefusestogether.Thiswouldthenbecoveredoverandcamouflagedafterbeinglit.

77Thegeneralideaamongothermanualsthathavebeeninvestigatedisthatwhenapersonstandsonthemine,theirweightcracksthebamboowiththelitfusesandalsothethinlidofthebox.Thisemptiestheembersandburningsectionsoffuseintothebox,whichignitesthegunpowderandlaunchesthestonesupwardsintothegroinandsoftundersideofthehumanwhotriggeredit.

78ItisbelievedthatthisimageisinvertedandincorrectlydisplayedasitisknownthatthisistakenfromtheGunpoJiyoshumanual,whichisofHattorilineage.ItispossiblethattheauthoroftheGunpoJiyoshu,thesamuraiOgasawaramisinterpretedHattorianddrewtheboxupside-down,whichwasthenalsomiscopiedbyFujibayashi.Thiswouldaccountforthedifferencesbetweentheimageandthetextandalsothedifferenceshighlightedbycross-referencingwithotherschools.ItwouldappearthatFujibayashiwasnotawareofthecorrectprocedureforthisweaponandwassimplyrecordingthistoolasaseparatetoolfromanotherclan.

79Theoriginalmanualsays‘sun’–however,thiswouldmakethecarttinyinsizeandthereforeitismostlikelymeant

tobe‘shaku’.

80Mixalumandglueandpasteitontothepaper.

81GluemadeofGloiopeltis(seaweed).

82Asinthepreviousexampleofglazedpaper.

83Anunknowntool.However,thiswouldformatypeofblackpowder.Itcanbehypothesizedfromitsnamethatthisisaformofflashpowderorbomb.

84Anunknowntoolwhoseingredientsaregivenincode.AccordingtoYunokiShunichiro,theingredientsaresaltpetre(sun),sulphur(moon)andash(star).Histheoryisbasedoncross-referencingtheamountsusedherewithothertoolscontainingthreeelements.However,theissueisstillopentoinvestigation.

85Ablackliquidmadeofanaceticacidwithdissolvedironandgallnutandtanninpowder.

86Thetextstates‘kusahinawa’,whichcouldbeareferencetothefusebeingmadeofkusa(‘grass’)oritcouldbeareferencetokusatroopswhowouldwaitinambushinthegrass.Itisprobablythelatter,asthisfuseisnotableforbeingodourlessandsowouldbeparticularlysuitableforuseinanambush.Interestingly,theGunpoGokuhistatesthatyoushouldsendshinobitosmellforhinawafuses.

87Onthesurfacethisappearstomean‘pottery’.Inamoderncontext,however,theetymologysuggeststhatitwasaformofChineseexecutionbyburning.This‘incineration’isprobablyoneoftwoweapons.Itiseithera‘Chinesefirelance’,whichisaflamethroweronapole,oritisaformofhandgrenade.

88Thislastsentenceiswrittenonitsownwithnoindicationastowhetheritisconnectedtothelasttool.Itsoundsasifitbelongstoasmoke-signalrecipe.

VOLUMETWENTY-TWO

NinkiVNinjaToolsV

FiretoolsII

1

Thefire-carryingcylinderSoakbleachedclothintheshallowsofariverforaboutthirtydaysandthenbraidittoasegment that is threesun in circumference and five sun in length.Next, takeabamboocylinderofthesamemeasurementsandsplititintwoandplacethe‘clothropesegment’insideandreformthetwobamboohalvesbackintoone.Tiethecylinderupwithropeandputakatsuchiredclayarounditandcharthewholethinguntiltheclaycracks.Breakoffthe clay and wrap it with rice straw and tie the whole tool up with oiled rope.1 Toextinguishtheflameofthistool[whenyouneedto],buryitinrice.

2

Analternativerecipeforthefire-carryingcylinder•Charredauberginestems

•Moxatinder–10momme


•Paperfortinder–10sheets

‘Powder’theaboveandmixittogether.

3

Afurtheralternativerecipeforthefire-carryingcylinderCutsugiharapaper intosmallpieces,soaktheminwaterforaboutfivedays, takethemoutanddrytheminthesunandthencharthem.Next,cutbamboointosmallpiecesandmixthemintothecharredmixtureandplacethewholeconcoctionintoabamboocylinder.

4

Alternatively,soakthesugiharapaperinwaterforfivedays,thencutitupsofinelythatitresemblespowderandputitintoabamboocylinder.

5

Afurtheralternativerecipeforthefire-carryingcylinder•Charredauberginestem

•Japanesecypresssawdust

Mixinequalamountswithsakeandsolidifyit.

6

Afurtheralternativerecipeforthefire-carryingcylinderCutmizu-hinawawaterprooffusesintofive-sunsectionsandcarrytheminyourkimono.

7

Torinoko2

Striptheearsoffricestrawintheoppositedirection,3poundtheminamortarandwrapasmallamountofthepowderedearsina[tied]strawbundle.

8

ThehinokiJapanesecypresstorchScrapehinokiwoodintosectionseightsun inlengthandthreesun incircumference.Tiethemtogetherwithleft-laidropeatthreeplaceswithaleft-sidedknot.Thisisbecausetheleft is yo, which is joyous, and this method should be used in the construction of alltorches.At thebottomof this torchputa four-sun-longnail so that the torchwill servewellasashurikenthrowingblade.4This[spike]shouldhaveasquarecross-sectionsothatyoucanholdit,andalsoyoushouldaddyakigusuripowdersecuredat thecentreof thetorchforaneasyignition.Thereismoretobetransmittedorally.

9

AnalternativeformofhinokiJapanesecypresstorchBindand tieup three lengthsofwood thatmeasureoneshaku twosun longand securethematonesunfromthebottom.[Missingtext]shouldbeputatthebottomofthistorch.Secureabaroftemperedironthatisaboutfivesunlongandthathasa[spiked]shapelike

abird’stongue.

10

AfurtheralternativehinokiJapanesecypresstorchScrape the red heartwood of the hinoki Japanese cypress and shape it into triangularlengthsofoneshakutwosun.Youshouldtiethesetogetheratthreeplaces,uptothreesunfromthebottomandwithasukiyamusubiknot.Thetopshouldbemadeintheshapeofabambooteawhiskanditshouldhaveahiltatthebottom.

11

Atorchrecipe•White[saltpetre]–10momme


•Black[charcoal]–2momme

•Moxa5–1momme


•Sulphur–2momme

Thiscanalsobeusedasanattacktorch .

12

Analternativetorchrecipe•White[saltpetre]–10momme

•Camphor–5momme

•Sulphur–2momme




•Powderedmoxa–1momme



Powdertheaboveandfirmlyramitintoabamboocylinder.Thenscrapeoffthesurfaceofthebambooskinandpastepaperaroundit.Itisthesameasinthepreviousrecipes.

13


•Sulphur–2momme






•Moxa–[unknownamount]

Constructitastheabovetorchandwhenusedasa[thrown]attacktorch ,putleadinthebottom[forweight].

14

Analternativetorchrecipe•White[saltpetre]–5momme1bu

•Sulphur–2momme6rin


•Ash–1momme5bu

•Hinokisawdust–4momme

Powdertheabove,kneaditwithsesameoil[damanoabura]andsolidifyitinathree-sunlongbar.

15





•Moxa–1momme

Constructitusingthemethodabove.Thiscanalsobeusedasanattacktorch .

16

Thegreatertorch•White[saltpetre]–100momme





•Moxa–5momme5bu


Solidifytheaboveforuse.

17

ThekunugiJapanesechestnutoaktorchYourequireoneshakuofthistosustainyouforthedistanceofoneri,andalsothistorchwillwork verywell inwindy or rainyweather.Cut kunugiwood (Quercus acutissima)intothree-shakulengths,thenbeatitsothatyoudonotcutthroughthefibrebutsothatitsoftens.Next,powderonehundredmommeofsaltpetreandmixitintothreeshoofwater.Thensoakthekunugisectionsintothissolutionforsevenoreightdaysanddrytheminthesun.Applypowderedsulphuroftheamountoffiftymommeintothetorchandbinditalltogetherwithacircumferenceofapproximatelyoneshaku.Soakstrawinsaltedwater,dryitinthesun,beatthestrawtosoftenitandthenwraptheabovetorchwithit.

18

Theten-ritorchCutsectionsofkunugiJapanesechestnutoakintolengthsofthreeshakuandbeatitwithstone into small pieces and crush it fully.Powder saltpetre anddissolve it inwater andapply the solution onto thekunugiwood.Dry it for twenty-four or twenty-five days toharden it. Powder the above-mentioned amount of saltpetre and camphor, sprinkle thepowderontothekunugiwood,andwrapitwithstraw.

19

AnalternativekunugiJapanesechestnutoaktorchPound kunugi wood into very small pieces, extract the fibres and bind them togetherneatly.Putcamphor,saltpetreandnutgallsinkanemizu6andsoakthekunugiwoodinthesolutionforawholedayandnight,takeitout,putitinapantogetherwiththeliquidand

boilitthrough.Thenwrapthemixtureinpaperandburyitinthegroundforoneday.

20

ThehandtorchCutkunugi Japanesechestnutoak into lengthsof threeshaku andpound it into small

pieces.PowderonehundredmommeofWhite[saltpetre]andputitintothreeshoofwater.Then soak thekunugiwood in this liquid for sevenor eightdays anddry it in the sun.Then,powderfiftymommeofsulphur,sprinkleitontothekunugiwood,andbinditintoatorchwithacircumferenceofapproximatelysixsun.Nextgluepaperarounditandapplylacquer.Finally,attheopenendofthetorchandataroundthelengthoftwo7sun, tie [apacket]ofattack-torchignitionpowder.

21

[Powderfortheabovetorch]•White[saltpetre]–25momme

•Yellow[sulphur]–2momme5bu

•Blue[camphor]–5bu

•Black[charcoal]–2momme5bu

•Red[moxa]–3momme5bu


•Mousedroppings–3grains

•Powderedgreentea–apinch

22

Tegi8powder•White[saltpetre]–10momme

•Yellow[sulphur]–9momme



Puttheabovepowderintoabamboocylinderfoursuninlength.Also,attachaflatplatedhand guard (tsuba) to a shortmetal truncheon (jitte) and then tie the bamboo cylinderthroughthehandguard[withtheendfacingtheopponent].Themethodofmanufacturingthisandthemeasurementsoftheshortmetaltruncheonareoralsecrets.

23

Adding fivebu of pepper and threebu of borneol to the abovemixturewill alsoworkwell.

24

[Analternativetotheabove]•White[saltpetre]–70momme



•Pepper–10momme




Coarselypowdertheaboveandfirmlyramit intoabamboocylinder,applymoxaat thetopwith glue, light it and allow the fire to spray over the enemy. There aremore oralsecretshere.

25

ThepocketfirePowderwhitealum,mixitwithglueandapplyittothickpaper.Nextinsertthemixtureintoabamboocylindertwosunincircumferenceandramthecontentsdownfirmly.Dryitinthesunandputitinyourpocketbetweenfoldedpaper.

Itisgoodtosplitthebambooandusethistolightthetoribifiretool[Toolnumber30].

26

The‘twelve’torchScrape Japanese cypress to sections of six to eight sun in length and three sun incircumferenceandthentieitwithleft-braidedropeatthreeplaces[fromthebottomofthetorchworkingyourwaytothetopandalsodothis]withleft-handedknots–thisisdonetosymbolizeyo(yang).Putasquarenailoftemperedironoffoursuninlengthontheendsothatitcanbealsousedtothrowlikeashuriken.When[acollectionof]theabovepocketfiretoolsiswrappedaroundthistorchataheightofonesunfivebu,itwilligniteandyoucan throw it toward a position to ignite [the area]. Also, though it is called‘twelve torches’, it isalsoknownas ‘twowisdom’or ‘threewisdom’.9Detailsare tobeorallytransmitted.

27

Theattacktorch•White[saltpetre]–25momme






•Mousedroppings–3grains

•Powderedgreentea–apinch

Powdertheaboveandplaceitinabamboocylinderfivesuninlength.Scrapeofftheouterskinofthebambooandwrapitinpaper[andglue].Drillaholeandputapaperignitionfuseintoitandigniteitwiththefirecylinder.Lightitjustbeforeyouareabouttoattackthe enemy.Use a hilt as normal – theway to attach the hilt to the base is to be orallytransmitted.

28

Analternativerecipe•White[saltpetre]–10momme


•Sulphur–2momme

•Camphor–8momme




Powdertheaboveandputitintoabamboocylinderfivesuninlengthandtwosunninebuincircumferencewithabamboojointatoneendofthebambooshaft.10Onthebottomendattachanailoftemperedironwhichisfoursun inlengthandisofoctagonalshape,likethatofabird’stongue(spiked).Constructitasabove.

29

Thecylinderfire11

Alsoknownasthe‘firewithinthesleeve’ .

•White[saltpetre]–10momme


•Ash–2momme

Mix theaboveappropriatelyand ram it firmly intoabamboocylinder sixsun in lengthandwithajointatoneend.Crumplepaperandputitontheopenendandthendrillaholeat thebottomend[whichissealedbythenatural joint]andinsertakuchigusuriignitionpowderpaperfuse.Carrythistoolinthesleeveandlightitasyoutakeitout.

30

Fireforcapturingpeople•White[saltpetre]–20momme

•Yellow[sulphur]–9momme5bu,or5momme6bu[ifrefined]

•Black[charcoal]–7momme5bu,or2momme4bu[ifrefined]



Coarselypowdertheabove,mixitandputitintoabamboocylindersixsuninlengthandfoursuntwobu incircumferenceandwithajointononeend.Ramthemixtureintothecylinder firmlyandfastena lidofwoodso that it is firmandwillnotcomeoff.Drillahole in theclosedendand insert apaper rolled stringwithkuchigusuri ignitionpowderinsideit.Lightthistoolwhenheldinyourhand.

31

Fireforcapturingpeople•Camphor

•White[saltpetre]

•Pineresin

Mixtheaboveintoequalamounts,[lightit]andthrowitintothefaceoftheenemy.

32

Firethatrenderspeopleredundantforcapture•Iron[filings]–4momme




•Chillipepper–3momme5bu

•Blackpepper–3momme

Makeapowderoftheabove.Howtobinditistobeorallytransmitted.

33

Musketpowder[andballforcapturingpeople]Thisisnormalgunpowderandisusedtomakeabullet.




Wraptheabovepowderinsilkflossandwrapitwiththread12[intheshapeofabullet].

34

Firefromthesleevewhenrushing[theenemyholdout]•White[saltpetre]–10momme




Powdertheaboveandfryitinoil.

35

Firetocapturewhenrushing[theenemyholdout]•White[saltpetre]–10momme

•Sulphur–5momme


Measuretheaboveandgrateitcoarsely.Binditinthesamewayasabove.13

36

Hereisanimportantpointaboutbullets;youshouldrememberthiswhenusingamusket.Makea[thin]leatherbagoffivesunandramfinesandintoit.Loadit intoamusketsothatyoushouldshootitwhenyoufeelitisthebesttimetocapturethetarget.Youshouldcapturethepersonwithhaste[aftershootingit].

37

Tengugoblinfirearrow•White[saltpetre]–23momme


•Ash–10momme


•Camphor–3bu

Powdertheabovemixtureandinsertitintoacylinderthreesuninlength.Scrapeoffthesurfaceof thebambooandwrap it inpaper.Thearrowshouldbeoneshaku fivesun inlengthanditspreparationistobeorallytransmitted.Whenitisdifficultforyoutogetintoa castle but you need to investigate inside from your position on the outside, fire it inthroughashootingport.

38

FiretorendertheenemyredundantforcaptureAlwayshaveyourmusketloadedwithgunpowder.Forthebullet[usedinthisskill],makeitofroundcottonthatisthesamesizeasanormalbullet,byrollingitwiththinthreadandsoakingitinwaterthencoveringitwithpowderedchillipepper.Shootitwhenneeded.

39

TheshinobitorchSaltpetre–22momme5bu


•Oldcattledung–1momme


•Ash–2momme5bu

•Moxa–2momme5bu

•Mousedroppings–1momme5bu

•Oldcloth–5bu

Mixtheaboveandputitintoacylinder.

40

Shinobiburningpowder14

•Ash–10momme





•Bear’sgallbladder–3bu

Thefollowingisarecipeforkuchigusuriignitionpowdertoignitetheabove.


•Sulphur–3momme

•Ash–2momme

Puttheaboveinacylinderanduseit.

41

Theshinobitorch•Saltpetre–3momme3bu


•Ash–5momme5bu

•Moxa–2momme5bu

•Oldcattledung–1bu

•Pineresin–1bu


•Oldcloth(eitherhemporcottoncanbeused)–5bu

Mixtheaboveandputitintoacylinderanduseit.

42

Analternativerecipefortheabove•Saltpetre–1momme

•Ash–8bu


•Borneol–1momme2bu5rin

•Pineresin–1momme1bu5rin

•Mousedroppings–5bu5rin

Mixtheaboveandconstructasthetoolabove.

43

Afurtheralternativerecipefortheabovetool15

•Ash–10momme







•White[saltpetre]–9bu

•Ash–2bu

•Sulphur–3bu

Puttheaboveintoacylinderanduseit.

44

Afurtheralternativerecipefortheabovetool•White[saltpetre]–25momme





Mixtheaboveandputitintoabamboocylinder.

45

Shinobiburningpowder•White[saltpetre]–100momme


•Yellow[sulphur]–50mommeor20momme[ifrefined]

•Pineresin–2bu







Powdertheaboveandputitintoabamboocylinder.

46

Shinobifalconfire•White[saltpetre]–23momme


•Black[charcoal]–3bu


Powder the above and put it into a bamboo cylinder five sun in length and sixbu16 indiameter. Scrape off the surface of the bamboo and wrap with paper and then attach[arrow]fletchingsoneshakufivesuninlength.Attachthecylindertoanarrow;whenyoushootit,itwill[skitaroundand]attacktheenemy,buthowtomakeandattachthe[arrowand]fletchingsistobeorallytransmitted.17

47

Thefireinsidethehand•Saltpetre–2momme

•Sulphur–3momme

•Ash–2momme

•Camphor–5momme


Powder the above, mix it with thin glue and liquor, solidify [into a ball] and dry itcompletely.Holdthisinyourhandandlightitjustbeforeyouthrowit.Itwillcontinuetoburnnomatterhowfaryouthrowit.

Thisisalsonamed–the‘fire[thrown]intoaship’ .

48

UnnamedtoolInsertmercury,cinnabarandonebufiverinof[powdered]tigertoothintothehollowof

thespinesofthefeathersoftheJapanesecrestedibisorcormorantbird.Tiethreeofthesewithwhitethreadattwoplacesandcarryitinthehand.

49

18

Illusionfire•Saltpetre–12momme

•Sulphur–7–10momme

•Borneol–4bu

•Camphor–5bu

•Ash–1momme

Mixtheabove,andramittightlyintoabamboocylinderwrappedwiththinrope.Itshouldbeeightsuninlengthandfoursunincircumferencewithasolidbamboojointatoneend.Removetheropefromthecylinder[afterfirmlypoundingthemixture]andscrapeoffthesurfaceofthebamboo,pastepaperaroundit,andlightitatthetopopening.

50

Analternativerecipefortheabove•White[saltpetre]–12momme


•Borneol–4bu

•Camphor–5bu

•Ash–1momme

•Chillipepper–4bu

Theconstructionisasabove.

51

Afurtheralternativerecipe•Saltpetre–10momme


•Borneol–4bu

•Camphor–5bu

•Ash–1momme

Again,constructitasabove.

52

Thefireofspiritualdarkness•Saltpetre–9momme5bu

•Sulphur–5momme

•Soil–4momme

•

Mixtheabovetogether;also,itisgoodtouseas‘heavenfire’.19

53

ThewaterprooffuseSoftenanormalhinawa fuseuntil it isweak, soak it inkanemizu black liquidwith theadditionofChinesesumacforawholedayandnight,dryitinthesun,wrapitwithpaperandburyitinthegroundforawholedayandnight.Thentakeitoutanddryitinthesun.

54

Thewaterprooftorch•Saltpetre–27momme


•Ash–1momme



•Moxa–2momme

Mixtheaboveanddothesamethingsasabove.

55

Waterproofburningfire•Saltpetre–10momme



Powdertheaboveandputitontoatorchsoitwillburnintherain.

56

Thewaterprooftorch•Saltpetre–5bu

•Camphor–5bu

•Ash–7bu

Kneadtheabovewithsesameoilsoitcanbeusedintherainaswiththeabovetorch.

57

Waterfire•White[saltpetre]–25momme



•Blue[camphor]–1momme

•Red[moxa]–3momme




Howtobindtheaboveisasecretpassedonbymouthonly.

58

Waterprooftorch•Saltpetre–27momme


•Ash–5momme5bu

•Camphor–5bu



•Powderedmoxa–2momme

Ramtheaboveintoabamboocylinderanddothesameasisalwaysdonewiththesetools.Ifyouneedthefiretoburnlessfiercelythenomitthesaltpetre.

59

Yoshitsune’swaterprooftorch•Saltpetre–25momme


•Ash–9momme5bu


•Moxa–3momme5bu


•Mousedroppings–3pieces

•Apinchoftea

60

Analternativerecipefortheabovetool•White[saltpetre]–14momme5bu



•Horsedung–1momme7bu





•Cloth–1momme4bu



•Tinder–4bu

Powder theaboveandknead itwithsesameoil.Adding thesameamountof liquorwillalsosuffice.

61

Thebattle-camprainprooftorch•White[saltpetre]–20momme





Powdertheabove,kneaditwiththeoilusedforbirdlimepaperuntilitissmooth,applyitto a piece of hemp or cotton cloth one shaku in width and three shaku in length. Puttwentypiecesofflaxstalkontheclothandrollit[intoacylinder]andthenbinditwithrattanvine.Surroundthetorchwiththreepiecesofroundbamboo[toaddsupport].

62

Wind-andrainprooftorch•Camphor–50momme



Powder theabove,knead itwithhempseedoilandapply it tocottonclothoneshaku inlength.Placeflaxstalkswithinitand[rollintoacylinder],binditwithvine,thenrollitupinsideabamboo,bindandsecureit.

63

Yoshitsune’sbattle-camprainprooftorch•Saltpetre–25momme


•Ash–2momme5bu

•Camphor–5[momme]

•Moxa–3momme5bu


Constructaswiththeabovetool.

64

Thegreaterbattle-campwind-andrainprooftorchSoakthinbambooinariverforonehundreddays,beatituntilitissoftandbinditsothatithasathree-shakucircumferenceandistwoshakufivesuninlength.

65

One-piecetorchBeatthejointsofapliantbambooormadakebamboo(Phyllostachysbambusoides).Dryitforsevendaysandthensoakitinwaterforsevendays,thendryitagainforsevendays.This takes twenty-onedays inall.Becarefulnot toexpose it to rainordewduring theperiod.Thefirewillsustainitselfforoneandahalfri.

66

The‘scraped’fire•TinderfromKumano–3momme


•DioritefromKurama–5momme4bu

•FlossoftheJapaneseroyalfern–asmallamount

•Ash–1momme5bu


•Pinesawdust–20[momme]

67

Analternativerecipe•TinderfromKurama20–3momme2bu

•Diorite–5momme4bu


•CharredJapaneseroyalfern–20momme

•Tindermadefromsugiharapaper–20[bu]



•Ash–5bu



Powdertheabove.DecocttheinternalbarkofJapanesewhitepine(Pinusparviflora)withasufficientamountofwatertojustcoverit,andthensimmerituntilthewaterleveldropsby half.Knead glue so it is neither too thick nor too thin and it is almost in the sameconditionasthedecoction,thenmixthedecoctionwiththeglue.Theconstructionisthesameas‘scrapedfire’.21

68

Theone-suntothree-riwind-andrainprooftorch•White[saltpetre]–15momme








•Moxa–1momme7bu

•Hempcloth–1momme5bu

Powdertheabove,kneaditwithhempseedoilandramitintoabamboocylinder.Afterawhilebreakoff thebamboocylinder [to reveal thehardened formof themixture], thenwrapitwithpaperandglueandputitintoalargercylinder.

69

Theone-suntothree-rifire•Saltpetre–15momme


•Ash–1momme



•Moxa–11momme7bu


Powdertheaboveandkneaditwithoil.Putitintoabamboocylinderandthenremoveitasabove,followingthesameprocessasthetoolabove.

70

Theone-suntothree-rifire•White[saltpetre]–15momme




•Moxa–1momme7bu


Makeitusingthesamemethodasabove.

71

Thethree-sunfireScrape away the insidewhite ofhenon bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis) andcharit.Thenpowderitdown,solidifyitwiththinglueandputitintoabamboocylinder.Scrapeoffthesurfaceuntilitisthin,anddryitinthesunforfivedaysandthenputitintoalargercylinder.Itwillhold[aflame]frommorninguntilnight.

72

Thefive-sunfire

BurnJapanesecypresstogetashandperformthesameasoutlinedaboveforthethree-sunfire.Nextfirmlyramtheabovepowder[whichisnamedintheabovethree-sunfire]intoabamboocylinderthreesuninlength.Next,wrapandsewaleadballinleatherandattachittothebottom[ontheoutside]–thiswaythefirewillnotgoout.Also,acylinderof eight sun in length can be used. Tie [the same kind of ball] in the same way asdescribedabove.

73

Theturret-collapsingfire•White[saltpetre]–14momme




•Borneol–3bu

Puttheaboveintoabamboocylinderthreesunincircumference.

74

Thedevil’sfire•Sulphur–1momme2bu

•Hokuchitindermadefromdecayedwood–10momme


•Perillaoil

Mixtheabovewitholdsakeanduseit.

75

ThefireofKumasaka•Powderedyellow[sulphur]–2momme

Applytohempstalksandbindfiftypiecesofittogether.

76

Analternativerecipefortheabove


•Powderedgreentea–1momme2bu

•FlossoftheJapaneseroyalfern–1momme





•Papertinder–1momme

•Cattledung–1momme5bu

Addoilandliquortotheabove.Howtobindittogetherisasecret.

77

Thefire-settingtool•Saltpetre–10momme

•Sulphur–5momme


Puttheaboveinabamboocylinderandmakeholesonallfoursides.22

78

Analternativerecipefortheabove•White[saltpetre]–10momme




Constructasabove.

79

Afurtheralternativerecipefortheabove•Saltpetre–10momme

•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–3momme

•Soil–3bu


Constructasabove.

80

Theyawaraorsoft-burningtorchTherearethreevariations.Astheyaresameasdescribedinthepreviousvolume,theyareomittedhere.

81

Torch•Saltpetre–5momme

•Sulphur–2momme



•Moxa–1momme

Powder theaboveand firmly ram it intoabamboocylinder.Constructasabove. Ifyouwanttomakeanattacktorch ,thensimplyputleadatthebottom.

82

Theincinerationfire[leadhandgrenade]Theballcontainershouldbemadeoflead,whichshouldbethinlyextendedoutsothatitcan contain about three sho of materials. Split it in half and place inside it a layer ofgunpowderandthenalayerofstones.Becarefulthatitdoesnotbecometooheavyandlose its shape.Wrap thisball [withpaper]andmake threeholes for fuses;hereyoucaninsertwaterproofhinawa fuses into the[internalsof thetool].Whenyouattackacastle,lightthetoolandthrowitthroughanarroworgunport.Also,itisdesirabletoputitintheenemy’s path, or to throw it onto [the deck] of a ship so that itwill destroy thewholevessel.When the enemy is besieging your castle, you should throw it out through thearrowandgunports.Throwingitinthepathoftheenemywhentheyarefollowingyouorintotheenemy’scamparealsopreferredmethods.

83

Firetobeputontheendofaspearwhenfightingwithalargenumberofenemysoldiers

•White[saltpetre]–7momme5bu



•Iron[filings]–10momme(5mommeofwhichshouldbefriedinoil)

•Driedginger–4momme

•Blackpepper–4momme

Asalways,mixtheaboveandthinlyscrapetheoutsideofthebamboo.

84

Theswingtorch(tobeusedatthesametimeastheabovetool)Soakbamboo(Arundinariasimonji)inariverforsevendays.Thenaddpowderedsulphurinto thebambooandbind fourteenor fifteenpieces together eachmeasuring twoshakufivesuninlength.Swingthistowardtheenemywhenfightingthem.Asignitionpowder,boiloneshakuofclothinwaterwithfifteenmommeofsaltpetre.Thentearitupintostripsandputitontotheopeningsoftheabovetoolanduseitasanignitionpoint.

85

Thenight-attackcelestialfirearrow•White[saltpetre]–10momme

•Yellow[sulphur]–2momme2bu5rin

•Borneol–9momme7rin

•Oldsakespirits–20momme

•Adecoctionofmoxa–20momme

Powdertheabove[andaddittotheliquid],putasmallamountinabagandattachittoanarrowthatyouwillfire.Thereismoretobetransmittedorallyhere.

86

Analternativerecipe•Yellow[sulphur]–2momme2bu5rin


•Camphor–1momme8bu6rin


•Oldsakespirits–20momme

Drytheabovecompletely,placeasmallamount inabagandthenattachit toanarrow.Lightitandshootthearrow.

87

Theballfire23

Charsugiharapaperandsolidifyitwithricebrothforuse.

88

Theshinobilesser-tengufire•Saltpetre–23momme


•Ash–5momme

•Camphor–2bu


Put theabove intoacylinder threesun in length.Wrap itwithpaperandattach it toanarrowoneshakufivesuninlengthandwhichhashadthearrowheadremoved.Whenyouneedtolookinside[afortress],firethisthroughanarroworgunportsoyoucanseetheinside.

89

Enemy-attackpowderAsthisisthesameaspreviouslymentioned,it isomittedhere.Turntheopening[ofthetool]towardtheenemyandsprayitatthem.24

90

Foxfire25







•FlossoftheJapaneseroyalfern–5bu


•Mousedroppings–asmallamount

•Powderedgreentea–asmallamount

Powdertheaboveandmixoilwithit.

91

Thefireflyfire•Hempcloth–5momme


•Borneol–10mommeor3momme26



Howtobind this is tobe transmittedorally.This recipe27makesme think that thismayburninwater.

92

Thedawnfire•White[saltpetre]–15momme



•Cloth–14momme



Howtobindthistoolistobetransmittedorally,butyoushouldmixitwitholdspirits.

93

Kusunoki’srenownedfire•White[saltpetre]–14momme


•Blue[camphor]–9momme2bu






Powdertheabove;however,thebindingprocessistobetransmittedorally.

94

Therecipeforjiyakiground-burningpowder28 and theburiedfire29

Thisisalsocalledthedoublepowder .



It is said that no liquid is required to solidify this, but I recommend you use kanemizutooth-stainingliquidwithChinesesumacoralcoholicspirits.Spreaditoutonthegroundreadyforburning.

95

Torch•White[saltpetre]–100momme

•Yellow[sulphur]–20mommeor5momme[ifrefined]


•Blue[camphor]–30mommeor10mommeless[ifrefined]





How to solidify this is to be transmitted orally. I tried this in the year of Ram and itworkedwell.

96

Thefirerocket30

[Basicrecipe]



•Ash–7momme

•Ironfilings–4bu

•Camphor–3bu

Thisisarecipeforthedistanceofonecho.

[Thefollowingisaselectionofrecipesforrocketsthatcanflyvariousdistances.]Foradistanceofthreecho31


•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–6momme


•Camphor–3momme

Foradistanceoffourcho



•Ash–17momme3bu


•Camphor–5bu

Foradistanceoffivecho



•Ash–55momme


•Camphor–6bu

Foradistanceoffivechoandfivetan32



•Ash–27momme5bu


•Camphor–3bu

Foradistanceofsixcho



•Ash–35momme


•Camphor–4bu

Foradistanceofsevencho



•Ash–26momme

•Camphor–1momme

•Ironfilings–1momme5bu

Foradistanceofeightcho



•Ash–5momme


•Camphor–3bu


Forthedistancestherearefurtherdetailstobetransmittedorallyandalso,youonlyneedto grate the ingredients in a coarse way. The cylinders of all the above signals shouldroughlybesixsuninlengthandsixbuindiameter.Useasquarespikedgimlettocreatethreeholesatthebottomtoallowforafuseandinsertapapertwistedstringwithignitionpowdercontainedwithinit.

97

Theflyingtorch•Saltpetre–13momme

•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–6momme


•Camphor–3bu


Coarsely grate the above. The arrow to be used should be four shaku and two sun inlength,andthenockingsupport33 shouldbefivesun long;also, thefletchingsshouldbesixsun.Thecylinderused[topropeltherocket]shouldbesixsuninlengthandsixbuindiameter.

An alternativemeasurement: the arrow should be four shaku two sun; the fletchingseight sun; the nock support six sun; and the cylinder six sun in length and six bu indiameter.Forthefuse,makethreeholeswithasquarespikedgimlet.

Thepowdertobeusedinfusesfortheabovetool.34

•White[saltpetre]–20or30momme

•Black[charcoal]–7momme5buor4momme1bu[ifrefined]




98

Tinder•Moxa–10momme


•Sugiharapapertinder–10sheets

Gratetheabovefinely.

99

Burningpowder•White[saltpetre]–40momme

•Yellow[sulphur]–50or20momme[ifrefined]






Howtobindtheaboveissecret.

100

Theturrettool35

•Uptoonechofivetan[away],theturrettoolshouldbetwosunlong.

•Fortwocho,itshouldbetwoshakuthreesuninlength.

•Foramasuyagura[thatisabiggerversionofthistool,add]twosun.

•Forthreecho,itshouldbetwoshakusixsuninlength.

•Forfourcho,itshouldbethreeshakuonesuninlength.

•Foreachfivetanthatisaddedtothedistance,addthreesuntothemeasurement.

101

Noroshi–thesignalrocketWhite[saltpetre]–23mommeBlack[charcoal]–8momme6bu

Yellow[sulphur]–10momme5bu

Mousedroppings–4bu

Blue[camphor]–3bu

Powderandmixtheabove,ramitintoabamboocylinder,scrapeoffthesurfaceandwrapitwithpaperandattachittoanarrow.Detailstobetransmittedorally.

102

ThelargesquallThisalsoisanoroshisignalfire.









Grate the above finely and construct as with the above tool [that is, use a bamboocylinder].Thecylindershouldbeeightsuninlengthandeightbuindiameter.Scrapeoffthesurfaceandwrapitinonelayerofpaperandthenrollitwithhempcloth[orrope]andthenwrapitwithpaperasecondtime.

Glueasectionofleatheroverthebottomoftherocketwhereyouhaveinsertedignitionpowder and make a hole for the ignition fuse. The hole should penetrate through theleatherand toadepthof twosun fivebu –make theholewith a square spikedgimlet.Nextinsertapapertwistedstringwithignitionpowderwithinitintotheholeasafuse.

Forthetipofthecylinder,takeJapanesecypresswoodandshapeitasa[spear]buttandattachit.Thearrowshouldbefourshakuthreesuninlength,thefletchingsshouldbesixsunandtwobu,andthecompletedcylindershouldbeattachedtoit.

Theignitionpowderusedfortheabovetool:



•Black[charcoal]–9mommeor4momme[ifrefined]



•Ironfilings(friedinoil)–4bu

103

[Thesignalflarerecipeinthreeparts]36[PartI]

Thesignalflaregunpowder


•Sulphur–7momme4buor3momme4bu[ifrefined]

•Black[charcoal]–7mommeor4momme[ifrefined]



Thiscanbeusedasasignal.

[PartII]

Theballsusetoproducedroppingfiretrails


•Yellow[sulphur]–8bu5rin



•Blue[camphor]–6rin

•Copperfilings(friedinoil)–1bu

Coarselypowdertheaboveingredientstobeputitintoacylinder[later].Makeballswiththeabovepowderandwrapthemwithcottonmaterialandputtheseontop[ofthelayerofsignalflaregunpowderasdescribedabove].Youcanusetwoorthreeoftheseatonetimeifyouwish.

104

[PartIII]Thepowderusedtofillthegapsbetweentheballsofammunition




Powdertheabovefinelyandmakeitintosmallpipsthesizeofmustardseeds,thenpourthisintothecylinderontopofthecottonballsdescribedabove.Normalgunpowderwillalsosufficeifyouneedtouseit.

Thereisawaytoconstructthissothatitwillflythreechoandfallwithatrailofonecho.

Thereisalsoawaytoconstructthissothatitwillflyfourchoandfallwithatrailofonecho.

[Thisistheendofthesignalflarerecipe.]

105

Theokunifirearrow[Recipesforvariousdistances.]

Forthedistanceofonecho




•Ash–4momme3bu

•Camphor–3bu

Forthedistanceoftwocho





•Ash–7momme5bu(or2buwillalsowork)

Forthedistanceofthreecho




•Sulphur–5momme

•Ash–6momme

Forthedistanceoffourcho




•Ash–11momme2bu

•Sulphur–9momme

Forthedistanceoffourchoandfivetan





•Ash–85momme

Forthedistanceoffivechoandfivetan





•Ash–27momme

Forthedistanceoffivecho





•Ash–85momme

Forthedistanceofsixcho




•Ash–35momme


Figure98.Theokunifirearrow

Forthedistanceofsevencho


•Ironfilings–1momme1bu



•Ash–51momme

Coarselygratetheabove.Inallcasesthecylindershouldbesixsuninlengthandsixbuindiameteron the inside.For the fuse,pierce threeholeswitha square spikedgimlet andinsertanignitionfuse.

[Attach thebamboocylinder] three sun from the end, not including the lengthof the

arrowhead.37

Thearrowshouldbefourshakulongforatrajectorythatspanseightcho.

Thelengthshouldbechangedaccordingtothedistance.

106

Ignitionfusesfortheabovefirearrows•White[saltpetre]–10momme

•Sulphur–7momme


Applytheabovetotwistedpaperandcoatinpineresin.

107

Gunpowderforfirearrows•Saltpetre–10momme

•Ash–10momme


Analternativerecipe.



•Ash–4momme


Mixtheabovesoitwillnotextinguish,evenifitisshotintowater.

108

ThegunpowderusedbytheMatsuraclan38


•Camphor–2momme

•Sulphur–5momme


•Ash–1momme


Mixtheabovesixingredients.

109

Powderusedinfuses–forthecylinderofafirearrow•Saltpetre–20momme


•Ash–5momme

110

Ignitionpowderforthecylinderfirearrow•Saltpetre–10momme

•Sulphur–9momme

•Ash–1momme5bu

Detailsaretobetransmittedorallyforthewaytopreparetheabove.

Forthenockofthearrow,insertawoodendowelsupportonethirdofthewaydownthebambooshaft,andremember thefletchingsshouldpreferablybewet[whenyoufire thearrow].

111

[Unnamedtool]•Sulphur–5momme5bu

•Ash–11momme

•Driedginger–4momme


•Ironfiling–10momme

•Pepper–4momme

Outofthetenmommeofironfilings,fivemommeshouldbeusedasinstandardfireworkmanufacture,while theremainingfivemomme shouldbefried innormaloilbefore theyareinserted.Powdertheaboveandmixintheironfilings.Thenscrapedowntheoutsideof thecylinder thinlyandwrapitwithpaperandglue.This toolshouldbelitwhenyoufightagainsttheenemyinalargenumber.

112

Quick-lightmatch•Camphor–3bu

•Sulphur–4momme


Kneadtheabovewiththinglueandapplyittopaper.Puttwosheetsofthispapertogetherandcutintoappropriate-sizedpieces[andstrikesparksoverthemwhenneeded].

113

Shisokubi–thepapercandle•Saltpetre–20mommeor10momme

•Sulphur–7momme5buor7momme3bu

•Cinnabar–5momme

•Camphor–9mommeor8momme9bu[ifrefined]

Kneadtheabovewiththinglue,applyittopaper,wrapthepaperaroundthinbambooasapapercandleandtakeawaythebambooanddryitinthesun;thenyoucanlightit.

114

ThegreaterrainprooftorchMixandkneadcamphorandsesameseeds insesameoil,andapply toa torchso itwilllightintherain.

115

[Analternativeforthenoroshisignalrocket]Thefollowingsignalrocketcangoupashighasfourorfivecho,aswhenItriedthisintheyearofSnake.Thisexperimentwasachievedbymixingonlyasmallamountofeachofthoseingredientsthatwillmakeitriseashighaspossible.






Preparetheabovesoit iscoarserthangunpowder.Thesaltpetreandsulphurshouldfeel

smoothenoughthatyoucansprinkleitwithyourfingers.Thecylindershouldbeeightsunin length and eight bu in diameter; however, when I experimented, I tried this with acylindersixsun inlengthandsevenbu indiameterandwithabamboowall-jointatoneend.Next,Iputtwospoonfulsofthepowderin,littlebylittle;then,Iinsertedahardwood

rod (which was five bu in diameter) into the opening of the seven-bu wide bamboocylinderandbeat[thepowder]asmanyasfortytimeswiththishardwoodpounderandanironhammeruntiltheamountwasabouthalfofthedepthofthecylinder.ThenIremovedthe rope [whichwasholding it together], and scrapeddown the surfaceof the cylinder.Note:onlyscrapeoff thesurfaceof thebamboofromthetopof thecylinder to twosunfivebudownfromtheendbamboowalljoint[atthetopoftherocket],thengraduallyyoushouldmakethecylinderthinnerasyouworktowardthebottomendoftherocket–atthebottomofthecylinderthebamboowallsshouldbeasthinaspaper.Afterthis,Iputleatherovertheendjointbutthisleatherendisasecrettobetransmittedorally,soIshouldnotwrite itdownhere.39Nextdoublewrap the toolwithpaper fromMinoanddry it in thesun.Then,firmly[attachittothearrowby]wrappingitwithastringmadeoftheramieplant and glue andwrap it againwith paper three times in a neatmannerwithout anystrain.[Unintelligibletext]

Figure99.Analternativeforthenoroshisignalrocket

Hand-drillholesforthefusetoadepthoftwosunandsixbuandthencarefullyinsertpapertwistedstringscontainingignitionpowder.Theholesshouldbestraightandwithoutanyformofbendinthem.

•Wrapwithramiestringandpapertoalengthoftwosun[toattachittothearrow].

•Thebalancepointofthearrowshouldbejustbelowthecylinder.

•Thelengthofthearrowshouldbethreeshakusevensunandfivebu,whilethefletchingsshouldbesixsunandtheinternalnocksupportshouldbesixsun.

•Thefletchingsshouldbethin.

•Thecylindershouldbesixsuninlengthandsevenbu[indiameter]andabouttwentymommeofpowderwillsuffice.

116

Theflyingtorch•White[saltpetre]–30momme





Mix the above but make sure that it is a little coarser than the previous signal rocketmentioned. The cylinder should be six sun in length and six bu in diameter. Put thepowder in the cylinder in the same manner as for the signal rocket above; scrape thesurfaceoffthebamboobytakingonlytheskinoffatthetopjointendandthengraduallythinitoutasyougettothebottomoftherocketcylinder.Doublewrapitwithpaperandglue.Nextbinditwithflatramieropeandthendoublewrapitwithpaperagainandfixittoanarrow.

•Drillaholeofaboutthreesunindepthandputanignitionfuseintoit.

•Itshouldbalancejustbelowthecylinder.

•Inserttheignitionfusedelicately–withoutforcingittoomuch.

Figure100.Theflyingtorch

Forayaguraorturretrocketofthreeshakutwosun thatwill flyfor twoandahalfchoandwill embed itself in the ground to a depth of three sun, put seventeenmomme andthreebuofpowderintoacylinderofthreesuninlengthandsixbuindiameter.

When you use this as a noroshi signal rocket or flying fire, hikigusuri powder oryakigusuriignitionpowdershouldbeaddedattheendofthecylinder[forbetterignition].

117

Ageneralguidelinefortheingredientsusedinthesefiretools40

•Themorewhite[saltpetre]thatisincluded,themoreintensethefirewillbe.

•Themoreyellow[sulphur]included,themorebluishtheflamewillbe.

•Themorecamphorincluded,theweakerthefirewillbe.

•Themoreashincluded,thesofterandweakerthefirewillbe.

•Themorehorsemanureincluded,thelongerthefirewillholdout.

•Themorepineresinorsawdustincluded,thebetteritwillburn.

•Themorecloth,cattledroppingsormoxaincluded,themorethefirewillbesuppressed,andtheweakeritwillbe.

•Themoremousedroppingsincluded,theweakerthefirewillbe.Mousedroppingsshouldpreferablybeaddedtoafusetoslowitdown.

With the above principles you can discover any appropriatemethod of construction foryourpurpose,asanykindoftorchcanbecreated.

[Ageneraltorch]

Tomake a torch, split bamboo in two,wrap thebamboowith rope andput thepowderinsideandramitdownveryfirmly.Thenremovetheropeandthebambooandwrapthreelayersof paper around the solidifiedpowder. In the caseof thewaterproof torchor thecapturingfire,thereisnoneedtoscrapeorwrapthecylinder.Detailsaretobetransmitted,butthismethodisfromNagaiMatabeiofIgaprovince.

118

AtraditionfromOgawaShinbei•Saltpetre–60momme


•Ash–13momme8bu

Mixtheaboveandmakeapowderofit.Ifyoupowdertheingredientsseparately,theywillnotmixverywelllateron,sobesuretopowderthemtogetherfromthestart.Ifashrisesintotheairwhenyouarepoundingthem,applyalittlewaterwithabamboowhisk.Thepowdershouldbeasfineaspossible.Whenyougratethepowder,youshoulddoitveryhardandwithout any restbecause ifyoudonotworkhardenough, thepowderwillbeweakerand itspotencywillbecomedull.Thispowder iscalled tomiokaone-bupowderandisnamedsobecauseyourequireonlyonetenthofthenormalamountofpowder.

119

ThehangingrainprooftorchThisisalsocalledthefive-ritorch .

•Sulphur–13momme(3mommeshouldbesmashedassmallasricegrainsand10mommeshouldbepowdereddown.)

•Saltpetre–21momme(1mommeshouldbesmashedassmallasricegrainsand20mommeshouldbepowdereddown.)

•Camphor–9momme(powdered)

•Pinesawdust–2momme(Usewoodthathaslotsofresin,andmakesawdustfromitbysawingdownwards.Drythesawdustinthesun;ifitisnotdryenough,thefirewillnotholdoutforlong.)

•Ash–7bu(powdered)

•Pineresin–2momme(Ideally,useJapaneseredpine–putthewoodinboilingwatertoextracttheresin,thendrytheresininthesunandgrinditinamortarintoaveryfinepowder.)

•Moxa–1momme5bu(Thisshouldbecrumpledverywellthenrolledintoahardbarandcutintosmallpieces.)

Theaboveseveningredientsareusedinthefollowingway:thebambootobeusedshouldbeArundinariasimonii,which should be large enough for your needs; however, if youintendtomakealargertorchthenhenonbamboo(Phyllostachysnigravar.henonis)willbebest.Scrapethesurfaceofthebamboodown,splititintwoandremovealltheinternaljoints– that is, all but the endone [while leavinga small overhangas in thedrawing].Then,putthehalvestogetherandpastethemwithastringentjuiceorthegluemadefromGloiopeltis. Put holes the thickness of a brush here and there – these holes are called‘drainholes’.Againwrapmorepaperaroundthebambooandapplylacquertoitonce.

•Putthejointatthetop[nearthestrings].

•Usetheholesforstrings.

•Thefireisopenatthebottom;therefore,youshouldpaste,wrapandcoverit.

Figure101.Thehangingrainprooftorch

Howtoramthepowderintothecylinderistobetransmittedorally.Nextyouneedtowrapthiscylinderwith thin ropeandput theabovepowder in it, littleby littlewithaspoon.Ram the powder down very firmly with [a rod and] a hammer and repeat this,rememberingtoramitdownfirmly.Youshouldturnthecylindersothattheopenendisfacing downwards, then let the access powder drop out, collect the powder and ram itdownagainandmakesuretodothisfirmly.Ifthesizeofthistoolisoneshakufivesuninlengthandfivesun in circumference, itwill last for five ri.This iswhy it is called thefive-ritorch.Howtoignitethistorchisasecret.

120

TrailfireSaltpetre–10momme

Sulphur–2momme

Ash–1momme5bu

Camphor–5bu

Mixtheaboveandgrinditallinamortarintoaveryfinepowder.Thisiscalledtrailfirebecausefiretrailsalongexactlywherethispowderhasbeenlaid,andthatisamazing.41

1Literally,‘oilrope’.

2Thisisasmall–sometimesegg-shaped–bundleusedforilluminationorfirestarting.

3Thisappearstobeareferencetothedirectioninwhichyoustripthesectionoftheplantyourequire.

4TheGunpoJiyoshumanualpointsoutthatthisisnotforthrowingatpeople,buttobethrownintoacompound.

5Theideogramusedheredoesnotexist.IthasbeenassumedthatFujibayashimeant‘moxa’.

6Tooth-blackingsolution.

7Whileambiguous,itappearsthatyoustrapdownthispacketofpowdertwosunintothemouthofthetorch.

8Ategiisanalternativenameforajitte,whichisaformofmetaltruncheonusedinJapan.Heretheninjahasattachedanormalswordguardasahilttotheweaponandhasattachedthebamboocylindertothebarofthetruncheon,withtheholefacingtheenemy.Thisway,whenhelightsithecanattacktheenemywithasprayoffireandprotecthishand.However,itdoesappeartosay‘throughtheguard’,asthoughthelowerendofthebamboocomesthroughandbelowthehardguard.

9PossiblyaBuddhistreference.

10Bambooformsnaturaljoints,whichactasinternaldivisions,creatingcompartments.Inthiscasetheuppercompartmentwillbeusedforthecombustiblesandtheloweronewillbetoholdthehilt.

11Acompactandhiddenflamethrower,nottobeconfusedwiththefirecylinder;theabovetoolisaweapon,whilethefirecylinderisanember-carryingarticle.

12Thisisabulletmadeofcompressedandwrappedgunpowder.Itisforfiringatthoseyoudonotwishtokillbutthoseyouwishtocapture.

13Fujibayashidoesnotspecifywhichtoolitisboundlike.

14Themanualdoesnotdescribethepurposeofthistool;alsoitdividestheingredientsintotwosections.Mostlikelythisisaformofarsonpowdertobeusedbyshinobiwheninfiltrating;however,otheroptionscannotberuledout.

15Thisismostlikelyanalternativeforshinobiburningpowder.

16Thetextsays‘sun’;however,thisappearstobeatranscriptionerror.Iftrue,thebamboowouldbetoowidetofirecorrectly.

17Thetextisnotclearhere–mostlikely,thisisa‘firerat’,acylinderwithcompressedignitionpowderinserted,whichwhenignitedsendsthecylinderspinningandskittingaroundanarea.Therefore,thesecretofattachingisprobablyhowtotiethearrowsoitdetacheswhenithitstheground,allowingtheweapontojumparoundthefloor.

18Presumedtobeidenticalto ,whichhasthesamesound.

19Whileonlyatheory,itispossiblethatthisisaburningmixturepouredontoenemysoldiersastheyscalecastlewalls,allowingtheburningsoiltoinfiltratetheirarmourandcause‘irritation’.

20Mostlikelyhemeanskumano.

21Fujibayashidoesnotexplainitsconstruction.

22Apowder-packedcylinderwithfourholesinit,sothatwhenitislitandthrownintotheenemy,firewillsprayinmanydirections.

23Smallflammableballsthrownintotheenemypositionorroof;usedtostartfires.

24Aformofsprayingfirefromacylinder.

25InJapanthefoxhasmagicalorsupernaturalconnotations.

26Inmostoftheothercaseswheredualmeasurementsaregiven,theingredientissulphurorcharcoalandthedistinctionisprobablybetweencoarseandrefined.Thereasonforthedualmeasurementinthiscaseisprobablythesame.

27Theliteraltranslationofthetextis‘inwater’;however,itcouldalsomean‘inheavyrain’.ThesyntaxheresuggeststhatFujibayashihasnottriedthistool.

28Powderusedtostartgrassfiresupwindfromanenemytoburntroops.

29Normallyburiedfirereferstoalandmine;however,ithasalsobeenusedforothertoolsandseemstomeanburningpowderhere.

30Literally,‘flyingtorch’–itcouldbeafirerocketorasignalrocket,makingitsusechangebetweenattackingandsignalling.Hereithasbeentranslatedasafirerocket,becausethewordfor‘distance’hasbeenused.Ifithadbeenintendedasasignalrocket,itsfunctionwouldmorelikelyhavebeendescribedintermsofheightratherthandistance.

31Forquickreference:onechoisequalto109metres.

32Atanisonetenthofonecho.

33Thisappearstobeasmalldowelofwoodinsertedintotherearofthearrowtostrengthenthenock.

34Theideogramusedhereis ,thefirstoneliterallymeans‘path’or‘tolead’andthesecondone‘powder’.Possiblypowderusedinafuse.

35Thetoolisnotdescribed,howeveritappearstobeaprojectilelauncherthatincreasesinlengthastherequireddistancefortheprojectilestotravelincreases.Mostlikelyitisafirerocketusedagainstcastleturrets.

36Oneoftheformsofthenoroshifiresignal,thisisatubewithalayerofgunpowder(partI),whichthenhassmallammunitionballsplacedontop(partII),andfinallyalayerofignitionpowder(partIII)coverstheballs.Whenlit,theyfireintotheairasasignalflarewhiledroppingandleavingatrailingflare.

37Threesunfromtheendoftheshaft.

38ThoughttobethesameMatsuraclanthatwasrenownedforitsseamanship.

39Thisseemslikeastrangestatement,earlierintheworkFujibayashiwritesthatthisendofleatheristosealit.Therefore,eitheritisadifferentmechanismoritisevidenceofthepossibilitythatFujibayashiwroteonlytwenty-onechaptersandthatthisvolumeisanextraandlateraddition,whichmayexplainitsrepetitiousness.

40Themanualsimplystateshere‘aguidelinefortorches’.

41Theideahereisthatonceashinobihasinfiltratedtheenemycastleorcamp,heputsatrailofthispowdertothegunpowderstoresortosomethingflammableandlightsit.

PARTTWO

TheBansenshukaiGunyo-hiki

SecretsonEssentialMilitaryPrinciples

bySasayamaKagenaooftheOharaClan

Onthepositionofwatchfires

This task should be assigned to [the samurai] commander of the foot soldiers and allbrushwoodshouldbepreparedbeforehand.The firesshouldbe tendedbyashigaru footsoldiers,whoshouldtaketurnseverytwohoursoreventakehalfofanight,andshouldbestationedontheoutsideoftheearthworkofthemaingateofyourcastleorposition.Iftheearthwork stretches out east andwest, it is preferable tomake the fireswhen thewindcomesfromthenorthorthesouthbecauseifthewindblowsfromeastorwest,thenitisdifficulttomaintainthefire;insuchacaseasthelatter,standdoorsortatamimatsonthewindward1sideofthefire.Theearthworkwallnearwherethewatchfiresaretobebuiltshouldbemadeaboutthreemetreshigh.Ifthereisnotenoughfirewood,youhavetoburnbrushwoodorstraw,anditisnotdesirabletomakeafireinapot;insteaditisbesttohaveanironworkercastafour-shakusquare[ofironforburningfirewoodon2].Evenifyouaretakinguppositionsforonlyonenightwhileconfrontingtheenemy,itisdesirabletobuildearthworks,eveniftheyarenotveryhigh,andyoushouldburnwatchfires.Remembertosetyourfiresatanadequatedistancefromyourmainposition;theywilllightuptheinsideofyourowndefencesiftheyaretooclose.

UnattendedwatchfiresThese should be built when the route that the enemy is approaching by has beenconfirmed.Buildearthworksbetweenyouandtheenemyandmakeafireontheothersideof thewall [so that the fire is on the side closer to the enemy]; this is done so that theenemy can see the flare of the fire but you cannot. Also, build a number of fires atintervals,so thatwhen theenemyiscoming,youcan igniteoneandretreat, leaving thefireunattended.Thenburnanother [along thepath]andretreat,again leaving it.That iswhyitiscalledsutekagariortheunattendedwatchfire.Youshouldbeawareofthetruemeaningofthis.

Inaddition,cutcherrybarkintostripsofonesuninwidth,drythemverywellandtiethemtoatorch[asarrowfletchings].Tousethistorch,youshouldthrowitoutwardssoyoucanobtainagoodview[as it illuminates thearea]. If the torch is threeshaku long,youshouldputtworodsofwood[stuckthrough]thetorchinacriss-crossmanner;dothisat one shaku from the bottom, then throw the torch.With the two criss-crossed [rods]

goingthroughit,whenitlandsitwillnotfallover.3

Onthepositionofranguitripwires4

Thesetrapsshouldbebuiltinthesea,inariverorinamoat.Inaninlet,thestakesshouldbeplantedsothattheyarehiddenunderwaterbyatleastoneshakuathightide.Also,thestakesshouldbeputatanintervalofoneandahalftotwoken.Iftheintervalistoosmall,it will be disadvantageous for your allies; however, this is dependent on the situation.Stretchropeatthetopandbottom[ofthestakes]andsecurethematbothends.Besuretomarkawaysothatyouralliescanpassthroughthecomplex[oftraps].Also,youshouldbuildthemalittlewayfromtheshore,whereitisalwayscoveredwithwater,[sothattheyarestillhidden]whenthetideisout.

Inthecaseofariver, if thestreamiscurved,plantstakesaroundtheshallows[wheretheenemymaycross]sothattheycannotseethemcomingoutofthewater’ssurface,tieathickropeonto themandlet theropeflowwithoutsecuringtheotherend.Twoor threeropesshouldbemadeflowlikethis.5Remember, ifyouplantanotherstakedownstreamandyousecuretheotherendoftherope[toit], then[therope]islikelytobecut.Iftheriverbed is stony and it is hard to plant a stake, use a long jakago bamboobasketwithpebblesandattachtheaboverope–and,again,letitflow.

Foramoat,plantstakesintheshapeofatriangleoneoreventwoshakuunderthewatersurfaceso that theywillnotbe seen.The ropeshouldbedoubledupon these.Plantingstakesintheshapeofapentagonwillalsosuffice.

HowtobuildariverbridgeUse this if the river is not verywide, but is too deep for footedwarriors to cross overeasily.Heapstonesintheshallowsofyourside,cutandgatherwoodorbamboo,orbreakdownanyhousesnearbyandtaketheirwood.Laythreebeamsacrosstheriverandontopofthestonefoundation,oneinthemiddleandtwooneitherside,andthentiemanyrungsatintervalstomakeitsecure.Whenthebridgeislongenough[foryoutowalkouttothecentreoftheriver],youshouldtiethreejakagolongbasketstolengthsofrope,thenfloatthesebasketsontheupstreamsideofthebridgeandmanoeuvrethemintopositionontheopposite bank; do this byusing thedownward flowof the river.Next put stones in thebaskets so they forma foundation for theopposite endof thebridge. If the river is toowide for a single bridge, thenmake two bridges and have them connect by creating amoundorfoundationinthecentreoftheriver–also,youwillneedtoattachbuoysalongthestructureofthebridgetohelpitfloat.Thisbridgeisforfootsoldierstocrossover.6

OfthornyshrubsMogariiswrittenas‘thornyshrubs’inourideogram-basedlanguage.Inoldtimesthornyshrubswereusedtodefendagainsttheenemy.Lateron,busheswithmanybrancheswereusedandwerepositionedhigh,so that theyreachedhorses’chestsorbelliesandsothatthebaseoftheshrubwaspointedtowardyourownside.However,thishindersyouwhenyouaredepartingonhorseback.

If thick and longbamboo is available, cut off thebranches and attach two7 pieces of

[shruborthorny]woodtothehorizontalbamboo.Plantstakeswhereneededandtiethisbarrierontothem–makeitsothatitopens[likeadoor]andyoucandrawitbackwhenyourpeople aregoingor coming,but so that it is ahindrance for the enemy.Also,useshrubsinariver.

ThequickropeThisiscalledmogariorkoraku–the‘tigerfall’–whichisusedinforeign8countiesasamethodforcapturingatiger.Onapathalongwhichtheenemyisexpectedtocomeforanightraid,plantbamboostakesofthelengthofaJapaneseobibelt.Ropeshouldthenbestretched double horizontally at two points, one high and one low so that the enemycannot walk through or pass over it. This should have pathways through in the formillustratedbelow,sothatyouralliescanpassbyfreely.Thoughthis isashallowskill, itstillhasagreatbenefit.

Figure102.Thequickrope

ThehorizontalstakeIf the enemy is close and it is difficult to build the quick rope and youwant to buildsomethinglightweightandatspeed,thismethodshouldbeused.

Makeforkedtripodsofbambooandstandthematvariouspoints.Thenputbambooorwoodacrossfromstandtostandandcollectasmuchbambooorwoodaspossibleandtieitontothehorizontalbeams[creatingatemporarywall].

Thebamboo-bundleshieldIf thebundle is too large, itwill be tooheavyand cannotbeused freely.Principally, itshouldbetwoshakuincircumference,boundatfiveplaces,andsevenshakuinlength.Inthecaseof thinbamboo,use thewholebamboo [without splitting it]while if it is largebamboo,mixingsplitpieceswillsuffice.

Ifyouareclose to theenemycastle,youshouldhave longerversions,and tomake itstronger,bindandentwine[rope]internallyinatleastthree9placesandthentieitatfivepointsontheoutside.

[Howtobuildtheshieldbundlestands]

Maketripodsofwoodandstandthemupinline,withoutburyingthemintheground10andputhorizontalbeamsontothetripods,fasteningthemtogetherwithropeifnecessary,thenstandthebambooshieldbundlesagainstthem[tomakeafence].Remember,theyshouldbeputontheoutsideofthebarsoyoucanmovefreelyontheinside.Whenitisrainingyoumaycreate temporary roofs,whichwillallowyou toshootmuskets fromunder theroof.Sometimesit isgoodtohavethe[sheeting]oftheroofoverhangingandrestingontheoutsideof the ‘wall’but thisdependson the location.Alternatively, there isanothertypeofbambooshieldbundlethathastwolegs[whichenableittostandonitsown].

Figure103.Typesofbamboo-bundleshield

Inallcases,puttingsandbagsatthefronttoadepthofonelayer–oreventwoorthreelayers–will help.11 In addition, you canhave awooden stand, like a saddle stand, andplacebamboobundlesagainstitandtiethemontoit;then,withafewpeople,liftthestand[andtemporarywall]upintoposition.Dependingwhereyouare,youshouldconstructafence of wood with horizontal and vertical posts; make this sturdy and then securebamboobundlesontothisfence.Ifyouarefacingamountainoranearthwork,makesuretobuildithighenoughtocopewiththeenemy.Therearevariouswaystodothisandyoushouldchoosethemostappropriateoneforyoursituation.

Aswell as the abovemethods,you shoulddiscuss andgain advice fromexperiencedpeople so you can always choose the best way, as there is no definite principle to befollowed.Thebamboobundlesdonothavetohavegunportsasyoucanshootoverthem.Ifneedbe,youcanuseacylinderofthickbamboo[whichactsasashootingportinthebundle]toputamusketthrough,thencoveraboveandbelowthecylinderwithbambooorplasterandusethistoshootthrough.Therearevariouswaystobuild[thesedefencesofbamboo]–italldependshowthekoguchigatewayofthecastleorcampisconstructed.

DefencesforthebesiegingarmyDefenceswhen you are conducting a siege are usually constructed at night in order toavoidbeingattackedbyarrowsormuskets,whichwouldbeexpectedduringthedaytime.Also,usewhiteropeonamoonlessnight[toconstructyourdefences12].And,ifyoudigatrench13 in a straight fashion, it can be easily shot into with arrows; therefore, dig itdiagonally [in relation to their forces]. This is called the hiraki siege position. Thesetrenches should be about four shaku in width and you should also dig out spaces forpeopletopasseachotheratvariousplaces.Dependingonthedistance[totheenemy]andthetopography,youcanmakethewidthofthesetrenchesuptofiveshaku.Digthetrenchthree shaku deep andmake an embankment of soil on the front, which should rise upabout two shaku, so that the total will be five shaku and it will cover the height of

people.14Thecloseritistothecastle,thedeeperthetrenchshouldbe.15

TheretractablebridgeBuild a bridge as normal, but make it so that the floor boarding in the centre can beretractedbackwardsand[shouldgointo]theflooringbelowyourside.Attachthreeropesonthe[moving]floorthatistoberetractedandoperateitinthefollowingmanner.

Whenyouneedtoretracttheflooring,youshouldpullthetworopesontheoutersidessotheflooringwillberetractedandtheway[fortheenemy]iscutoff.Then,whenyoupull the rope in themiddle, the flooringwill gobackacross thebridge so that youcancrossitfreely.

Wallsexternaltoyourcamp16A[woodorbamboo]fencewithpapercanbeusedtomakeoneofthesewalls,andsocanawallthatlookslikeanormallatticefence.Thiswallshouldbepositionedinfrontofthesprung catapults and these catapults should have a frameon the embankment and havestoneswithintheframe.Asshownintheillustration[missing],securethebenttreesandattach them to posts that have been drilled into the ground, with spikes that you canremove.Whenthesespikesareremoved,thetreeswillspringback.Takenote,toidentifyif there isa fakewallonapositionyouwish toattack,observe theembankmentas thiswillletyouseeifoneispresent.17

ThespringwallInstead of putting a stone in a catapult as normal, you should construct a lattice cagewovenoutofthickbamboo.Nexttiehorizontalbarsontobothsidesofitandattachropeontothesefourends.Pullandfastentheropeasinthedrawing[missing]sothatitformsawedge, thenpullandfasten theother tworopes inplace.18When theenemyisclimbingup,youshouldcuttheropesandletthefencego,thenattackwiththecatapult–rememberthatthebambooyouuseneedstobestrongenough.

Thefakesuspendedwallsection19At[every]one-kensectionofawall,youshouldhavetwopostsstoodsidebyside[aroundtheareayouwish tobuild thiswall].Viewedfromoutside, the trickshouldnotbeseenandthewallshouldbeseenasone,asthoughitisonecontinuoussurface.Thefoundationof the wall is also false. The supporting posts should be made as in the drawings[missing].Thefakesectionshouldbesecuredonlytemporarilywithwedgesandwhentheenemysoldiersareadvancingoverthewall,removethewedgessoitwillfalldown[andcrushthem].

TheitemsyoushouldcarryinyourportableboxAcomb,scissors,tweezers,one20orahalfrollofwhitecloth,arazor,awhetstone,whitepowderedmakeup,amirror,amagnet, threadsoffivecoloursandneedles, therootofakudzu (Pueraria lobata) plant,21 glue, dried bonito, a long thin strip of dried abalone,22

[strongpaper]strings,atorch,domyojiricepowderandkudzuplantstarch.

Theitemsyoushouldcarryinaportablepouch[andonyourperson]Including:apanaceamulti-purposemedicine,atelescopeforlookingtothedistance23andseveraltagswithyourtitleandnamewrittenuponthem.24

While in an army, if you are askedby someone tobe awitness [to their deeds] thenagreebutonlyaslongasyousurvive.Youshouldstate:‘ItismyhonourthatyouwouldlikemetostandaswitnessforyouandIwouldbehappytotestifyexactlywhatIseeyouachieve– if I remainalive that is.However, if Iamkilled,please takeevidenceof [mydeeds]. I have prepared this tag inmy own handwriting for such a case as I have justmentioned.’Atthispointgivehimoneofthetagswithyournameandtitle.

HowtoasksomeonetobeawitnessYou should state to the intended person: ‘As you [my witness] have many things toremember, itmay be the case that youmay not remember [my achievements at a laterpoint].AsIhappentoseeyouhereatthistime,hereandnow,Iwouldappreciateitifyougivemeanythingofyourstoshowyou[whenwemeetagain]toremindyouofthistimeafter the battle.’ To do this, you should ask him to cut out a piece of the inside of hishelmetandgiveittoyou.Whenhegivesyouthis,youshouldsay:‘IfIamkilled,sobeit,butifyoulatertalkaboutthisbattle,pleaseacceptthis[nametagandrepeatmydeeds].’Asyousaythis,givehimanametag[fromyourpouch].

TheloinclothYoushouldfirstdonasimpleloinclothandthenanouter loinclothafter that.Whenyouarekilledinbattle, it isoftenthecasethattheloinclothiswhatpeoplemaytakeoffthebody,25soitwouldbetoyourdishonouriftheyfindyouarewearingapoorloincloth.Thisisoneofthenecessarywaysofthesamurai.

Figure104.Theloincloth

Asyoucansee,theloinclothissplitasshowninthedrawing–thisissoyoucantieitat

thebackoncethenwrapitaroundyourwaistandthentieitatbothsides.

Warning:whenyoucomebackafteryouhaveachievedsomethinggreat,youshouldbecarefultoavoidaroutewherelotsofpeoplearegathered,asitisoftenthecaseyoumaygetintotrouble.26However,ifthereisnobypassitcannotbehelped,butbesuretotalkinamodestwaywithyourachievements.

ThereversiblejacketBattlejacketsoranyothersuchgarmentsshouldbewhiteontheinsideandblackontheoutsidewithacrestadorningthemasintherulesofeachclan.Theyshouldbeblacksotheywillnotstandoutatthetimeofnightattacksandsuch.Thecrestcanbehiddenbycuttingoutblackpaperandputting itover thecrest [whenneeded].The reason that thejacket should be white inside is because of its multiple advantages.27 You should bepreparedwithsuchjacketsandgarmentsofyourownandsoshouldyourmenbedressedinthemannerdescribedabove.

Howtotetherahorseusingthe‘connectinggrassskill’28

Therearevariouswaystodothis.However,hereIsaypullandfastenthekokake29onthefrontsoitwillnotmove.Next,backcombthe‘dragon’shair’ofthehorse’slegsandtwistitandtieitfirmlywithstrings,sothehorsewillnotmove[becauseofthepain].

Howtowearaspear[onhorseback]Therearevariouswaystodothis.However,itisgoodtoplaceathree-foottenuguiclothbetweenyoursash[andyourside]andtiethisclotharoundthespearsothatitcanbeheldverticallyorhorizontallyasyouneed.Alternatively,holdingitwiththeuseofahingeisalsocommon.

Howtoweara[horse]leadatyourwaistCoilthetetherofthehorseandsecureit,thenwrapitaroundyourwaistfromtheleftside,thenaroundyourbackandthendrapeitovertheleadandputahitchinit.

SaddleflapsorsaddleskirtFor these, tanned leather will suffice. Also, it is desirable to attach a bag onto theundersideofthesaddleflapsothatyoucanstoreyourrations,etc.Alsoyoucanequipthehorsewithbuoyancyaids,foratimeofneed.

Themannerinwhichyoushoulduseahelmet-bearer–whileonthemarch

Itisdesirabletohaveyourhelmetwornbyyourgroom.Itissaidthatyoucanhaveyourstandard or anything else of less importance carried by the lower men. However, becarefuloftheirpoorabilities,asitislikelythatifyoutakesomeoneonforthatjobhewilldropbehindandfailtobeavailableinanemergency.ForthesereasonsIsayitisbesttohaveitwornbyyourgroom.

Themannerofhowyoushouldwearyourbow,musketandspearonhorseback

Hold your musket between the gap30 in the right stirrup leather, with the butt of yourmusket pointing backwards and the muzzle pointing forwards, over and across thesaddlebow.Your spear should be held verticallywhile you are on themarch. It shouldstandonthestirrupandleanagainstyourshoulder.Thebowshouldbeputattheleftsideandunderyourbottom.31

OfhorsebuoyancyIfyoudonothavebuoyancypreparedbeforehandandiftheneedarises,youshouldrollupthesaddleflaptowardtheinsideandkeepithelddownwiththestirrup[leathers]whileyouareinthewater.Alternatively,youshouldmakebuoyancy‘floats’withtannedleatherandputthematthefrontandrearsides.Therearethingstobeorallytransmittedonhowtoplacethem.Itisbesttohavetwolong‘floats’.

HowtocookricewithseawaterPutanybowlofpotteryonthebottomofapanwithitsbottomupwardsandplacericeontopofthepot[andcoveritwithwater]andwhenyoucookitthesaltwillbereducedandwillbedrawnbeneaththeinvertedbowl.

HowtocookricewithoutapanTherearevariouswaystodothisbutonemethodistowrapriceinastrawmatorstrawbundle,soakitinwater,digasmallholeandthenburyit.Burnafireonthegroundoveritandintimeitwillbecooked.Remember,riceshouldbewashedandsoakedinwaterverywell.Anotherwayistowashriceandputitinabucketandaddhotrocksintothebucketsoitwillcook.

HowtomakefreshwateroutofseawaterWhenyouareonboardashipandhavenowater,youhavetouseseawater.Tomakeitsafetodrink,applyunmixedredclay32onthebottomoftheboatandputseawaterintoit.Afterawhiletheclaywillattractsalt[andthewaterisbettertodrink].

HowtousewaterfromamarshDig a small hole and put paper around the rim. Thisway you can take thewater [thatfilters]throughthemiddle[ofthepaper].

FrostbiteointmentTakeoilfromtheJapaneseanisetree(Illiciumanisatum)andapplyittothewholebody,includingthehandsandlegs.Alsoapplyingsakecanpreventthis.

Howto[safely]feedapersonwhoissufferingwithstarvation

Boilredclayinwaterandmakethepersondrinkthismixture.Afterthisyoucangivethemfood.Alternatively,decoctthebarkofaJapanesewhite-barkedmagnolia(Magnoliahypoleuca)andgivearicebowlfullofthisdecoctiontothepersonbeforeyougivethemfood,littlebylittle.

Arecipeforthirstpills

•Beatpickledplumuntilitissoft–1ryo

•Sugarcrystals–2momme

•Dwarflily-turf(Ophiopogonjaponicus)–1momme

Chop theabove three ingredientsandmakepillsof them.Thisworksamazinglywell ifyoutakethemwhenyouarethirsty.

Arecipeforhungerpills

•Asiaticginseng(Panaxginseng)–10ryo

•Buckwheatflour–20ryo

•Flour–20ryo

•Japaneseyam(Dioscoreajaponica)–20ryo

•Liquorice(Glycyrrhizaglabravar.glandulifera)–1ryo

•Coixseed–10ryo

•Ricepowder–20ryo

Powdertheaboveandsoakitinthreeshoofsakeforthreeyearsuntilitisalldry.Thenmakeballsthesizeofapeachstone.[Tosustainyourself,takethreeoftheseaday.]Thiswill help youwhen you have no alternativeway to feed yourself. If you take three ofthem,youwillnotbementallyorphysicallydrained.

HowtoattachadecapitatedheadtoyourhorseOnoneendofacordmeasuringtwoshakufiveSun,youshouldputahookwhichisassharpasaneedleformakingtatamistrawmats.Piercethehead33withthehookandattachitontotherearshiodesaddlehornorring.Anotherwaytoattachaheadiscalledoitsukeor‘addinganotherhead’andisattachedontotherearleft34saddlehornorring.Whenyouare feeling ambitious andwant to fightmore, you should cut off the nose of the headbeforeyouattachittothehorse.Remember,lower-levelpeopleoftenstealheadsiftheyare not so obedient. You should be aware of this and save the evidence of yourachievements.

Theprinciplesofmilitaryrulesandformations•Offormationsoflowersoldiers

•Ofbugyocommandersandtheirlogistics

•Ofmonomiscouting

Unless there isanurgentneed,youshouldnotmarch longdistances. It isaprinciple tomarchforthreeoldJapanesehours(sixstandardhours)aday.However,thisdependsonthesituation.Marchingbeforedawnorlateatnightshouldbestrictlyavoided.

OfdrumsTherearetwotypesofdrum.Oneistheoshidaikomarchingdrumandisoneshakueightsun in diameter and is also used when you are in the battle camp. The other is thekakedaikoattackingdrum,whichisoneshakutwosunindiameter.

These should be carried by two people at normal times and on amountain path onepersonshouldcarryoneonhisback.Thejobofdrummingisthetaskofadomyo.35Thenumber of beats should be three and four then four and then three. When used formarching, it makes the troops walk in step and settle down mentally. When the beatfinishes,marchingshouldbestopped.Alternatively,youshouldchooseagoodpersonofsamuraistatusasadrummerofthekakedaikoattackingdrum.Itissaiddrumsquickenthespiritsofsoldiersandthattheycanfightvigorouslywiththem;thusyouwillgainahighadvantagewhenadvancing.Thebeat[forattack]shouldbequickwhilethebeatforretreatshouldbeslow.

OfhornsandbellsHornsareconchshells.Theyarecalled‘horns’becausethemouthpieceismadeofhorn.Theyshouldbeblownbyamountedwarrior.Basicallytheyareusedthreetimesatthreepointsoftheday:inthemorning,atmiddayandintheevening.

In the morning you should blow the horn in three [double sections of five36] whilefacingtherisingsunintheeast.Withthefirst[doublesetoffive]blows,thearmyshouldwake; with the second set, they should prepare; and with the third set, they shouldassemble [in formation]. However, this all depends on the decision of the general. Forexample,itcanbearrangedsothatthevanguardorthesecond,third,fourthorevenfifthcompaniesofforcewillassemble information,allofwhichisdonebysignalsfromtheconchshell.

On the midday call, you should blow the horn facing south because of the wordconsistingof‘harmony’and‘south’ [‘showreverencetotheelders’].Intheevening,youshouldfaceeastagainaswestandnortharemadeupofinnegativityandshouldbeavoided.Inanycaseitshouldbeblownfivetimes,twice.Makethefirstsetoffiveshorterand then thesecondfiveshouldbeprolongednotes.Eachnoteshouldbedistinct –non-distinct soundsshouldbeavoided.

Therearethreetypesofbells:gongs,bellsandsmallbells .InJapan37gongsare inuse–yourgongshouldbemadeofbrass38andbeatenintoshape.Thestrikingpartofthegong,whereitisbeatenflat,shouldbeathree-sunsquareandhigherthantheedgesofthegong.Thedrumsshouldbeusedforattackingwhilethegongsshouldbeusedtoretreat.Bellsshouldbeusedtorallydefeatedandretreatingsoldiersorusedfornightattacks.Thenumberofstrikes tobeusedshouldbearrangedbyprioragreement.Wheninanurgentsituation,thebellsshouldberungquickly[andcontinuously].

Foralldrums,gongsorhorns,theaboveareonlygeneralrules.

[Takingupposition]When you are going to take up a military position, you should send scouts stealthily(monomi-shinobi) to check ahead and start to set up positions beforehand. You shouldchooselandthatishigheratthecentreandlowerineverydirectionaround,likeatortoiseshell.Besurenottochooselandwherefirewood,grassorwaterisnotavailable.

PlacesinappropriatetotakeupformationSuch places as near a big river, beneath a highmountain, in a village, around a forest,havingasteepplacetotherear,arenotgood.However,havingasteepplacetothefrontisnotaproblem.

[Typesofformation]Essentially, formationsshouldnothavestrictandset formsandtheformationshouldbeappropriatetotheenemyandthetopography.However,iftherearenosetprinciples,youcannotfightabattle,thusthefollowingguidelinesarementionedhere.

Formations are originally based on the number five – that is, the formation shouldrepresentandreflectprinciplesofeast,west,north,southandthecentreandalsoreflecttheFiveElements.Fromtheonecomesinandyo,andthenmovestotheFiveElements.The Five Elements generate everything and everything can be reduced to the FiveElements,whichcanendinthetwovariantsofthechiofthemoonandthechiofthesun[in and yo], and thus the two chi become the one again.39 Also, the eight dispositionscreated by Zhuge Liang40, though there are various theories, seem to be based on thenumberfive.

Figure105.Thesquadoffive

[Aunit]consistsoffivepeopleandthecentrepersonisthegroupleader[asseenintheleftdrawing].

This unit of five can be ordered to gather together to make a troop of twenty-fivepeople.Evenaforceofmillions41ofpeoplestartswiththisbasic[componentoffive].Twogroupsoftwenty-fivemakefiftymountedwarriors–thisiscalledasonaeformation.Thisbasicformationshouldalsohavethefollowingmen:

•Onesamuraidaishoorformationcommander

•Twospearcaptains(bugyo)

•Twobannerorganisers(bugyo)

•Onesamuraicaptain(mushabugyo)

•Twologisticsofficers(bugyo)

Thisaddsuptoatotaloffifty-eightmountedwarriors[becauseoneformationisequaltofiftymenplustheaboveeight].Thisisthewaythataformationisformed.Sometimes,aformationoffiftymountedwarriorshasasamuraidaishowhoservesasamushabugyotoo,meaningthatthetotalwilladduptofifty-sevenwarriorsinstead.

Foraformationoffiftymountedwarriors,iflowersoldiersareincludedinthecountbutthosepeopleforlogisticsarenot,thenumberaddsuptomorethanthreehundredpeople.If even the lowest people42 are included, the total number for an army of about sixtymountedwarriorsaddsuptoaround420people.Ifthisarmyismarchinginoneline,thelengthwillbeeightcho,andifintwolinesthenitwillbefourcho.Withthisinmind,youcanestimatethenumbersbythewidthofthearmy.

A formation with more than fifty mounted warriors should always have twomushabugyosamurai captains, as it is risky to advanceor retreat ormanoeuvre an armywithonlytheformationcommander(daisho)present.

Theformationofthecranewings•Thetwofront‘wings’areashigarufootsoldiers

•Thefirstlinearethespearmen

•Thesecondlinearemountedwarriors

•Thefourthlineisthecommander

•Thelastlinearemountedwarriors

Inawideandopenspace,thefrontshouldflareout[asseeninfigure106]andbeformedofarchersandmusketeers.

Figure106.Theformationofthecranewings

Figure107.Theformationoftheshape

Figure108.Thegreatcircle

TheformationoftheshapeWhenyougointothewilderness,suchasafieldofJapaneseplumegrass,whereyouarenot sure from which direction the enemy may attack you and thus you have to payattentiontoeverydirection,youshouldhaveyourashigaruinthe Formationas in thedrawing.

Thegreatcircle43

Asyoucanseeintheaboveimage,thedotsarenumbered,startingwiththetopright:one,three,fourandfive[onthesamemarker],six,seven,eightandthenfinallyonthebottomright, the number nine. Then, moving across to the bottom left, you can see that thenumbers startwith one, two, three, four, five, six and seven [on the samemarker] andeightandninetogetheratthetopleft.

Anexampleofthisformationwhenattackingacastleandfightingtheenemyorwhennight-attackinganenemypositionisasfollows:youshouldhaveoneforceattackfromtherearwhileothersareattackingfromthefrontandtheyshouldalsoattackincombination.However,withoutdirect teachings this skill and the following informationcanneverbe

clear.

Concerningthedrawingabove,youcanseethatitstartswiththenumbersoneandthreeandendsatnineandalsoontheleft-handsideyoucanseeitstartswithoneandtwoyetalsoitendswithnine.Thisisbecausenineisayonumber44andisauspicious.Therefore,thisrevolvingformationshouldalwaysstartatoneandendatnine.Theprincipleisthattheformationattacksfromthefrontandrearcontinuouslyrevolving[fromtrooptotroop],justastherearenoendstoanancientChinesejadedisk.45Thisiscalledtheformationofthegreatcircle46becauseitteacheseverythingaboutthepreviouslymentionedformations.Thegreatcircle isaconcept inwhichyourevolve inyourmindall thevariouspossibleoutcomes [of theenemyattack].There isnothing that isnot taken intoconsideration inthis concept. This includes all things: theworld and the nation, themountains and theforests, the rivers and the seas, the easy and the difficult. There are deep secrets to bepassed on byword ofmouth here. In essence it is ever changing, like the relationshipbetween awheel and the terrain itmoves along.Also, remember this: victory is like awheel going down a mountain, when you are in an advantageous phase your armycontinuestowin[andgainawinningspiritfromit],butifinadisadvantageousphaseitisthenlikeawheelgoinguphillandyourarmywillstruggletofightwell.Therefore,attackasswiftlyasthewindandbeimmovablelikeamountain.

[Unnamedformation][Anexplanationoftheillustrationonthenextpage]

•Theblackcircleatthetopleftrepresentsthesidetroopsnamed‘threeandfourinbattle’.

•Thenextlowerblackcirclerepresentsthesidetroopsnamed‘twoandone’.

•Thedistancebetweenthesetroopsshouldbefiftytsue.47

•Thedistancebetweenthesecondandthirdblackcirclesisalsofiftytsue.

•Thedistancebetweenthethirdandfourth,thefourthandfifth,andthefifthandsixthblackcirclesandthelowerrightblackcircleisthirtytsue.

•Onecommanderisplacedaheadofthetwolowerblackcirclesinthezigzagsectionoftheformation.

•Thetwolowerblackcircles(inthezigzagareaatthetop)representtheauxiliaryforces,whichhavehorsesbetweenthem.Also,thedistancebetweenthemandtheflagwhichisbelowthemontheimageiseightytsue.

•Inthemiddleoftheformation,behindthetwolowerauxiliarytroops–asdescribedabove–arethestandardsandflags.

•Behindtheflagsandstandardscomesthelogisticsdivisionwhichiseightytsueinlength.Alsonote,iftherearetoomanyhorsesinthisdivisionthenyoushouldkeepthehorsesatadistance.

•Attherearisanothercommanderandmorestandardsandhorses.

Figure109.Unnamedformation

Abattlecommanderandthe‘evidenceofficer’shouldbeattachedtotheflagcommanderandtheyshouldcontrolthedrumsandconchshells.Theyokome-tsukaiobserver48shouldalso be connected to this group. In addition, you should have an estimate of themeasurements [foryourownformation]byobservingyourownflags.Thedistance thatyoukeepfromtheenemywilldependontheirnumbersandthetopography.Afterthefirstclashyoushouldbeabletoestimatehowstrongtheenemyareandafterbothvanguardshaveconnectedyoucandecidewho is the strongerand if theenemywill followup. Inreferencetothissituation,youhavetoconsiderwhethertroop‘two’willsavetroop‘one’oriftroop‘four’willsavetroop‘three’.49Remember,thevanguardshouldhaveastrongleaderandthesecondorthirdsetsoftroopsshouldhaveabraveleader.

In battle there needs to be a powerful current50 [in the army]. If the first section isdefeated in a clash and the troops behind them do not hold, this negative current (chi)withinthearmywillspread.Therefore,youneedtounderstandthefeelingoftheenemy’ssecondandthirdforces.Ifyoufindthemwearied,thenitisagoodsign[becausetheywillnot hold]. If you rejoin troops that have been separated, then they will double theirfightingspirit.

Ifyouhaveyourforcesat thefrontbutdecideinthelast touseapartoftheseforcesfrom the rear, thinking that the enemy is few in number, your armywill lose impetus.Basically,ifyouchangeyourformationsorreplacethefrontwiththerearbeforeactuallyconfronting the enemy and when you are at a relatively short distance, then this willundoubtedlyleadyoutofailure.Lastly,ifyouaregoingtouseaforcethatcomesfromtheside,youneedtoconsiderthetopographyandthedirection.

[Flagsandcolours]•Thetopcircleisred

•Thenextdownandontheleftisblue

•Theonetotherightandontheoppositesidetotheblueiswhite

•Thenthecirclebelowthesetwoisyellow

•Thenthecirclebelowtheyellowoneisblack51

Asinfigure110, theformationsshouldbesetupwith thesefivecolouredflagsand thedrumsandbellareusedtoinformthosesectionsiftheyshouldadvanceorretreat,orifitbequicklyor slowlydone; all isdependenton the situation.Thiscolour system isveryuseful–thiswaysoldierswillnotbeleftinconfusioninthecasewhereyouaredefeatedandneedtoretreat.

Figure110.Flags

HowtoinitiatebattleIn principle, you should keep as quiet as at normal times when initiating a battle,especiallywhenyouareadvancinginanadvantageoussituation.Ifyouadvancequietly,theforcewillstepintimeandthepowerandmomentumwillnotbelost.Whentheforceactually attacks, be warned that the step will always increase in speed. At this pointrememberthatifsoldiersfalloutofstepandarestragglingaround,thisisnegative.

Humans will always be exhausted after they use up ‘three bursts of energy’. Inadvancing,youuseoneburst.Ifthedistanceislargeandyouhavetomovequickly,thenyouuse thesecondburstand in fightingyouuse the finalburst.Onceyouuseup thesethree bursts of energy, your men will be exhausted. Therefore, when advancing, theirfootsteps should be quiet so that only one burstwill be used up, leaving you two finalbursts. By doing this, the army will have spare energy to invest in intense combat.Therefore,youshouldunderstandthesethreesurgesofenergyinrelationtoattack.

OnwarcriesFundamentally,therearefourtypesofwarcry.

Beforebattle, awarcry shouldbea singlepersonwhocriesout ‘Ei,Ei’52 atwhichpointeveryonecriesoutalong ‘Ou’soundandinchorus.53Itisconsideredbadformforawarcrynottobe[inunison];therefore,thecrymaster54shouldraiseawarcryat the most appropriate time because momentum is important for victory and defeat –unityisparamount.

Afteryouwinincombat,youshouldmakeawarcrywhensteppinginto thepositionthattheenemyusedtooccupy,inordertomakeitknownthatyouhavewonthefirstbattleoftheday.Thereisadeepreasonwhyavictoryinthefirstassaultisespeciallyimportant.

Whenyoucaptureacastle, thewarcry shouldbecriedout twice (‘EiEiOu’, ‘Ei EiOu’),thusatroopcommanderorevenarank-and-filewarrior55shouldcryoutthefullcryof‘EiEiOu’andtheneveryoneshouldrepeatinunison,‘EiEiOu’.Ifeveryonedoesnotcry,‘EiEiOu’thisactionshouldberepeatedagain.

Atthetimeofinspectionofthedecapitatedheadsandwhenthatinspectionisfinished,thelordshouldbeginawarcry,atwhichpointallthosepresentshouldcryouttogetherasone. The purpose of thiswar cry is to unite the power of the entire army and there issomethingtobeorallytransmittedforbeforeandafterthiscry.

AdvancingandretreatingAdvancingandretreatingareofcriticalimportanceinabattle.Youshouldadvancewhenyouhavethechancetowin,whileyoushouldretreatwhenthereisabenefitinretreating.However,arecklesslordtendstoliketoadvanceanddoesnotfavourwithdrawing,whichcanbringruinuponhisarmy.Athoughtfullordhasalong-termviewofthefullprocessofthebattleandwillnotrefusetoorderaproperretreatifneededatthatmomentnordoeshegettooeagerafteratemporaryvictory.

Itiscriticaltounderstandthatyoushouldretreatinthecasewheretheenemydefendsitselfcloselyandinaveryorganizedwayor ispositionedinanadvantageousplaceandthereisnochanceofgainingavictoryuponanattack.However,whenyouretreat,iftheenemyfollowsyou,youshoulddefeatthembytakingadvantageoftheirconfusion.Thisshould be considered as a tactical retreat, which allows you to take advantage of theirmovement.

Itisaprincipletothinkoftheelementofretreatevenwhileadvancingandtothinkofadvancewhileretreating.Advanceandretreatare indivisibleandtheyare likewindandtide.Advanceislikewindaswindhasnoshapebuthitshard.Retreatislikeatide.Evenifitseemstobefull,itallretreatsnaturallyandinaccord,thusyoudonotnoticeitsgradualwithdrawal.Thewaytideretreatsshouldbethewaythatyouretreat–gradually.Itshouldbe done in an accord andwithout confusion and fluidly. If you retreat completely andsmoothlyand throughout theentiremovement, theenemycannot attack.That is, ifyouhavenogaptotakeadvantageofandtheyforceanattackonyou,itwillendupwiththemruiningthemselves[onyourstructuredretreat].

KnowingifyoushouldwaittoattackItisessentialtohavegoodjudgementonwhethertoattacktheenemyortowaituntiltheenemymoves,sothatyoucanmakethecorrectassault.Suchmeasuresassurpriseattacksorfeinttacticsshouldbeconsideredindividually.

Thefollowingfouraspectsarefundamentals:thegeneral,thetopography,thedistance,andcombatwithasmallerenemy.

Thegeneral–againstslowandsluggishgenerals,youshouldmakethefirstmoveandattacktheenemywithaddedconfidence.Thereismoretobeorallytransmittedhere.

Thetopography–itisrequiredthatyouunderstandwhetherthegroundisbeneficialforwaitingorforattacking.Thereismoretobeorallytransmittedaboutthis.

Thedistance– if there is fivecho betweenyouand theenemy,you shouldmake theenemyadvancefourcho forward.When thedistancereachesonecho,youshouldmakeyourmove;thisisbecausetheenemyistiredanddisorderedthroughmovingthefourcho.Ifyougetwithin thirtyken of theenemy inanorganizedmanner, it is advantageous tomovestraighton toattack. If this isdone theenemysoldierswillbeshakenas theyarestationaryandthustherewillbeagap,astheyhavenomomentum.Evenwithadistanceoffortyorfiftyken,attackingdependsonhowstrongtheenemyandyourspiritsare.[Ifyouhavethemomentum,]itislikewindorevenlikerollingaroundstonedown[ahighmountain].Whenyouaretomoveontoattackinthismanner,youwillbeabletochangeyourmethodofattackdependingonthecounter-ordergivenbytheenemy[inreactiontoyourcharge].Thisisdonetooutwitthem;therefore,beingintherhythmisessential.

Asmallerenemy–thegeneralruleisthatifyouareonaflatlandandofalargenumber,thenyou shouldmove to attack an enemyof a lesser number.However, you shouldbeawarethatthisisnotalwaysthecase.

Whethertowaittoattackornotattackwilldependontacticsratherthanthenumberofthearmy.Detailsaretobeorallytransmitted.

ThemannerinwhichtocommitreinforcementstothefrontlineInthecasewheretheenemyvanguardislargeinnumberwhileyourvanguardisrelativelysmall, you should insert reinforcements from the auxiliaries together with a battlecommander (ikusa bugyo) and they should be added to the second division [which isbehind thevanguard].Thenext step is to join the thirdand fourthdivisions together asone,whichnowgobehindthereinforcedseconddivision.Thenjointhefifthdivisionwiththehatamotocommandgroupandtogethertheyshouldcloseuptotherearofthefourthdivision;however, thehatamoto commandgroup [with the fifthdivision] and thepack-horsetrainshouldstayinposition[iftheformationmoves].

HowtodealwithastronglydefendedenemyIftheenemyisstronglydefended,itisaprimarytactictosendasquadofashigaru footsoldierstoprovide‘temptation’sothatyoucaninitiatethebattleinaccordancewithhowthe enemy reacts or changes its status.However, starting a battlewith this tactic is notverybeneficial.Thefirststrikebythefirstdivisionisofmostimportancewhilesendinga‘temptation’squadhastheobjectiveofdiscoveringhowstrongtheenemyisaccordingtohowitreacts.

Double the number of your vanguard and initiate the battlewhile having the seconddivisionreinforcedsothatitcanprepareforthesecondstrikeaction.Thisissothatifthefirstwavefailsyouwillbeabletogainavictorywiththeseconddivision.

If the enemy is not so well organized, you should position the second and thirddivisionsonbothwingsofyourforce.Whenyoursideiswinning,youshouldpursuetheenemybyusingtheaboveforces,whicharestationedinthewings.Whenyouarelosingthebattleandtheenemyisfollowingyouovertoyourside,youshouldattackfrombothsideswith thosesideforces.Then,when theside troopshaveattacked, thoseat therearshouldmakewarcriesandattack theenemy. If theenemysecondor thirddivisionsaredefeated, the remnantsof theenemywillnot fightproperly,andhow to follow themorhowtofindthemistobeorallytransmitted.

Figure111.Thethree-headedformationAboveisthethree-headedformationasledbythreecommanders.

Iftheenemysendsa‘temptation’squadagainstyou,youshouldfathomtheirintentionsand know they are doing this to induce disorder in your army which they will takeadvantageof.Ifyouare temptedbythesquadandyoufollowup, theenemywillactasthoughtheyaredefeatedbutinreality,itwillendupthattheirvanguardwilldestroyyou.Therefore, to counter this and so that you can maintain a defence after defeating this‘temptation’force,usethethree-headedformation,whichisledbythreecommandersasillustratedinthedrawingonthepreviouspage[figure111].Also,todealwiththeenemy’s‘temptation’tactics,youshouldfigureoutwhattheirintentionisandoutwitthematany

opportunity.Forexample,youcouldlet thembelievethatyouhavefallenintotheir trapandthentakeadvantageoftheirchange[thatyouhavepredicted].Furtherdetailsaretobeorallytransmitted.

Withdrawing–stepbystep56

Eveniftheenemyisatafardistance,ifyoudonotwithdrawinlinesproperlyitwillbedangerousandyouwillbecomevulnerable.Therefore,whenwithdrawingfromanyoftheabove-mentionedformations,youshouldhaveyourrearguardholdtogetherverytightlywithalineofspearsheldreadytoattack,andwhenthesignalisgivenbybeatingdrumsinthe rear force the front forces should start to withdraw. In any formation, you shouldfollow thispractice [ofkeeping signals and suchprepared] at all times.Youhave tobeawareofexactlywhat thedistances[of thedivisions]arewithineachof theformations.The hatamoto command group should withdraw first, and then the vanguard and theseconddivision should retreat.Oneshould takean inside route,while theothers shouldmoveontheoutside,but thiswilldependonthetopography.Whentheyhavearrivedatthe rear they should reform. Then, have the third division retreat, then, after them, thefourth and the fifthdivisionswill follow the samepattern andget into formation at therear. Lastly, have the auxiliary forces on bothwings retreat and get the entire army informationasitwasintheoriginalposition.

Withdrawing–immediatelyThisisawaytowithdrawurgentlywhenyouareatashortdistancefromtheenemy.Thehatamotocommandgroupshouldstaylonger[andnotwithdrawearly].Ifthelordretreatsfirst,thearmywillbeinpanicanditsstrengthwillbeweakened,andiftheenemyattacks,yourforceswillsufferdefeatwithoutanydoubt.

Youshouldstartbyhaving thevanguardandsecond forces retreatquicklyandget informationattherear;then,atthispoint,thelordshouldwithdraw.Therestoftheforcesshould withdraw as described in the previous tactic, which is step by step. In such anemergency it is a rule that thehatamoto command group should not retreat at an earlypoint.Inallsituationsitisessentialtoreformtherearguardandforittoholdgroundandkeepthearmy[incontrol].

TheformationoffourinharmonyAbravelordwillattack,whileastupidlordwillnot.Whenyouaremassiveinnumberandtheenemyissmallinnumber,havethevanguardandtheseconddivisionmoveforwardintwowings [that is, on either side].With them should be two samurai captains (mushabugyo),oneleadingeachforce;havethemobservetheenemystatus.Iftheenemyisnotstarting an attack, you should have your auxiliary forces [divide into] two and moveforwardalongbothsides[behindtheforcesyousentforward]toattachthemselvestotherear of these men. Then, the first two divisions in their wing formation should movearoundontobothsidesoftheenemy.Thebugyocommandershould[notadvancewiththemenbut] remainwith therear force. If theenemyisstillnotmoving toattack, then themiddledivisionsshouldmoveforwardintothespacewheretheauxiliarieswere,astheyhavenowgoneforward justbehind thefrontdivisions.Thenthehatamoto shouldmove

forwarda little, justonto thebackof themiddle force.Whether toadopt this formationandwhether thehatamoto commandgroup shouldmove forwardornotdependson thedistanceineachsituation.

Whentheenemyislargerinnumberandyourforcesaresmallerinnumber

It is a basic principle that thegreaterwillwinover the lesser.However, if youneed tofightagainstamassivearmywithasmallernumber,youshouldhavetacticsdesignedtoallowalessernumbertogainvictoryoveragreaternumber.Thefirstprincipleistoattackthe enemywhen theydonot expect it and are negligent.According to the fundamentalprinciples of war, you should apply three criteria to find a gap within the enemy: thestupidity of the lord, trouble among people, and the benefit of the location.Amassivearmyunder the controlof a stupid lord is seriouslyproblematic.Trouble amongpeoplemakes for aweakpoint,whereas thebenefit of the location is thekey foryour smallerarmyagainstamassiveenemy.Inwarfare,thebenefitofthelocationisagreathelpforanarmy, and steep grounds are considered the best position and allow a small number todefeatalargerforce.Ifyouoccupyabeneficiallocationandtakeadvantageofagapintheenemyandworkoutaplanbyallpossiblemeasures,suchasnightraidsandattacksatalltimesoftheday,beitmidday,intheeveningorintheearlymorning,thenyoushouldnotfearamassivearmy.

YourgreaterforceagainstalesserenemyIf an enemy of a smaller number is attacking your larger number, and they havediscoveredaprospectforpossiblevictory, thenyoushouldnotunderestimatethem.It iseasy tomanoeuvre a smaller number of people freely by orders and also to keep themtightlyundercontrol,whilealargernumberisdifficult tokeepunited.Ontopofthat, ifthe enemy is larger, they tend to count on this larger number and relax their attention.Also,itisoftenthecasethattheyunderestimateanenemyofasmallernumber,whichisbeneficialfortheopponent[ofsuchanon-thinkingforce].Youshould,therefore,keepthispointinmind,asitisthekey[towinning].

Ifyouhavedoublethenumberoftheenemyandareinawideopenspace,youshouldtrytoexhausttheenemyasmuchaspossible;youshouldattackthemharshlyanddeprivethemoftheircourage.Iftheenemyofasmallernumberattacksyouwithallthespirittheyhave, you should give them musket fire in succession, and then if the enemy is stillmoving forward, have archers shoot intensely and have mounted warriors positionedbehindthem.Bydoingthis,theenemywillbedispersed,atwhichpointyoushouldretreatlightlyanddo thesamethingwith thesecond, third, fourthandfifthdivisions. If this isrepeated several times, no matter how strong the enemy soldiers are, they will beexhaustedandyouwillwinwithoutfail.

Theartofattackinganenemythatistakinganadvantageousposition(includingtheartofthebattleonamountain)

Ifyoutakeapositiononaheight,thereisbenefitinhavingafullviewoftheenemyand

its tactics; also, this height increases your fighting potential when fighting against anenemy that is in a lowerposition.The side attacking from the lowerpositionwill havetroubleclimbingupandcanbestruckbywoodorrocks.Therefore,ifyouhavetheheight,youshouldmaketheenemyclimbup;whileifyouareinthelowerposition,youshoulddraw the enemy from its height and down to your level. Thus there is no benefit inascending or descending and an army does not move in such a manner. Therefore, a‘temptation’tacticshouldbeundertakeninanattempttoforcetheenemytomoveandyoushouldtakeadvantageofanygapthattheyshow,withtheintentofdrawingthemeitherupwardsordownwards.

An important point: if the enemy does descend from the mountain, there will be aweaknessintheirforceatthepointwhentheyareonechoawayfromthebottomof themountain.Also,when the [enemy] isdescendingonhorseback there [unknownword].57Howtogoupandfinditspositionistobeorallytransmitted.

Whenhardpushedbytheenemy[asyouretreatuphill],whenyougettothebaseofthemountainyoushouldtakeasiderouteandnotgodirectlyupthecentre.Dothiseithertothe left or to the right, because if you retreat up themiddle [path] youwill be shot byarrows.

Ifyouareinamountainareathathasanumberofpeaks,itisbeneficialthatyoushouldtraverse a ridgeway and take positions on those peaks [and do not go directly up thestraightestandmostopenroute].

Youshouldbeawareofafewthingswhenyoutakethedetachedposition[thatis,whenyourforcesareatseparatepositions],andalsowhenyouareinapositionbehindaforestonamountain;theseareasfollows.Thesetwopositionshavetheadvantageofmakingtheenemymisunderstand the true situationand theywill not realize the actual sizeofyourarmy–thatis,ifyouareasmallnumber–andtheircouragewillbeshaken.Warfareisthewayofdeception.There isalwaysaskill tomake thegreater look like the lesseror thelesserlooklikethegreater.Onetechniqueis tohidealargenumberinathicketof treesandsendoutonlyasmalldetachmentandthenhave[thehiddentroops]emergefromthethicket and take up a formation.To counter deceptions like this last one and the aboveexamples, youneed tohave a reliable estimationof the total numberof the enemyandtherearewaystodothis,buttheyaretobeorallytransmitted.Unlessyouhaveshinobinomono toinvestigatethestrengthoftheenemybeforeanyaction,youwillbedeceivedbythemandyouyourselfwillhavenowaytodeceivetheminturn.

Ifanarmycountsontheadvantageofamountainoraforest,thenyoushouldknowthatitwillhaveweakpointsthatyoushouldfind.Thisisbecausetheyarenegligentandlessguarded – there are more oral secrets here. Remember, you should attack them andseparatethemfromtheiradvantages.

HowtoalterenemyformationsdependentonthetopographyWhenboth sideshaveadvancedas far as theywill andareconfrontingeachother, it issometimesthecasethatthetopographyisbeneficialtotheenemybutnottoyourside.Ifyoucannotavoidfightingwheninadisadvantageousplace,youshouldattempttoaltertheenemy’sformationwithtactics,becausetheenemywillhavetorespondtoyourchange.

The vanguard should be kept in position, but you should move the second and thirddivisions toward the right or the left, dependent on the topography [of course] and thisshouldnotbedoneat thesame timebutoneafter theotherand in formation.Thenyoushouldmove thehatamoto commandgroupand then the auxiliary forces, onebyone–alsomovethepackhorsetroop.Lastly,thevanguardshouldbemoved,atwhichpointyouwillbeinfullformation.Doingitinthisordershouldbetheexampleusedinallcases.Ifyoumovethevanguardfirstofall,theenemywilltakeadvantageofthemoveandattackyou.Butifdoneasprescribedabove,andyouleavethevanguardinpositionandmovethesecondandthirddivisions,then,iftheenemystrikes,youcanhavethesecondandthirddivisions–whicharemovingtoonesideofyourarmy–attacktheenemyfromtheirflankas they battle with your vanguard. It is unusual for a great commander to set up hisformationinadisadvantageousway,butjustincasesuchathinghappens,youshouldbesuretoplan[yourmove]asdescribedabove.Also,astimepassestheelementschangeandyoumayendupfacingthesun,themoonorthewind–inwhichcase,youshouldchangeposition.

Thingsyoushouldbeawareofwhentheenemygivesbattle‘Givingbattle’meanswhenbothsidesaregettingclosetoeachothertoinitiateabattle.Ifonly theenemy tries toengage incombat,youshould fathomtheir real intention. If theenemyistooeagerandrashandattemptstoinitiatebattle,besuretograsptheirsituation[beforeyoucommit].Accordingtothetopography,theymighthavesentforcestocutoffyourrear,tosurroundyou,orhavereinforcementsatthebackofyourarmy.However,ifitisnotatrap,initiatingbattlemaysimplybeanestablishedcustomintheenemyclan.58Beaware that theywill not normally act rashly and attempt a fast engagement unless theyhavealternativetactics.Itisaprinciple[ofwar]thatyoushouldnotfightunlessyouknowwhattheenemytacticsareandthatyoushouldhaveappropriatemeasurestodealwithanychangestheymaymake.Iftheywithdraw,reinforceyourfrontwithdoublethenumberofarchersandmusketeersandpreparefortheupcomingbattleandwaitforanyconfusionorgap in theenemy. If theenemyattacksyou,youshoulddestroy their spiritwitharchersandmusketeersandthendefeatthembytakingadvantageoftheirconfusion.

HowtoalteryourformationafterwinninginbattleYoushouldnottrytoholdabattleinthesameplaceyouhavepreviouslywonabattle.Asyouhavebeenvictoriousatthisspot,itnowbecomesadangerousplace.Theenemywillbe familiar with the area, so you should leave it and build your formations in anotherappropriateposition.Youshouldmovewith the rear forcesat the front and the forwardtroopsattherear;thisisbecauseitisbeneficialforkeepingthearmyinvigoratedas[thoseintherear]willmovevigorouslywhilethoseinthefrontwillbetiredfromthebattleandthuswillneedtorest.This[move]hastheadvantageofchangingboththearmy’spositionanditsframeofmind.

In warfare, hidden within victory is defeat, but also within defeat is found victory.Victory contains defeat because you get conceited or negligent. Even if you lose in abattle,youshouldnotgiveintofearbutmotivateyoursoldiersandinspiretheirfightingspiritsevenmore.

ThemethodofusingyourstandardswhenyouhavebeendefeatedAs Imentionedearlier, you shoulddisplay thedairyu big dragon [banner] because it isdifficulttomanoeuvreyourarmyfreelybyordersalone.Youneedtodisplayyourordersby flags to theireyesandbybellsanddrums to theirears, so that theywill advanceorwithdrawaccordingtoyourintentions.Flagsalsoshouldbeusedtobuildformationsortorally;thereforetheyareguidesforyourentirearmy.Ifyouaretakingadefeat,youshouldarrangeforanagreementinadvance,thatistheagreementthateveryonewillrallyonthedairyu bigdragon.Thehatabugyo or commanderof flags shouldknow the importanceandtheuseofflags.Theproperpersonforthetaskofthe[hata]bugyoshouldbeselectedandheneedstoconductapreliminarysurveyofthetopography.Therefore,uselocalsorshinobinomono to have agoodknowledgeof the land ahead.Whenyou aredefeated,stand flags on a height or use a bell so that every soldier can rally to the banner.Sometimes your soldiers can be spirited and sometimes they can be intimidated, alldependentonthewayofusingflags.Therefore,youshouldchooseapersonwithproperabilitiesforthejobofhatabugyo.

Whenattackinga castle, if the flagsarebrought close to thecastle, thearmywillbespirited; but when the flags are withdrawn, the soldiers will lose heart. It is a greatachievementifyoucangetaflagintothecastlebychoosingtherightmoment.Ifaflagistakenbytheenemywhileyouareinaflatfield,itisadishonourforthe[hata]bugyo,butitisnodishonouriftheflagistakenwhileyouareattackingacastle.Inurgentsituations,the[hata]bugyoshouldberesourcefulandsometimesheshouldhavetheflagsfurledanddetachedfromtheirpolesandtiedtothewaistsoftheflagbearers[thisisdonetoavoiddishonour].

RegainingcontrolofanunsettledarmyAnarmyunderagreatlordwillnotbedisturbedeasily.However,adisturbancecanoccurevenunderagreatlordandoftenthebugyoorcommanderstrytocontrolthesituationbyridingahorsearoundandgivingoutorders,butthiswillmakethedisturbanceseemmoreserious than it actually is and make the people even more agitated. Therefore, all theleadersshouldbeaskedtodismountandtheyshouldtellthementhatthesecommotionsbeforeabattlearenotan illomen.Do this in thecasewhere theenemyarestillnot socloseandalsowhenadisturbancetakesplacefornoreason.

Know that standing59 up is yo, so it creates a disturbance, while being seated is in.Therefore, being seatedmakes the situation quiet – this principle covers all situations,evenamongfootedsoldiers.

OngivingordersbeforeclosecombatThere are lows andhighs inpeople’s spirits, so it is vital toknow if yourownarmy isspiritedornot,ratherthanknowingabouttheenemy,asvictoryordefeatdoesnotdependontheenemybutyourallies.Itistherulethatyouneedtofortifyyourarmybeforeyoucanfathomanyenemytactics.Whenyourwarriorsareinaweakmood,it isordersthatwill spirit them, and details are to be orally transmitted on how to do this. The mindaffectsmood andmood affects appearance.On a battlefield, generals shouldnever turn

tailcoat,butalwaysbeconfident,assoldiersareaffectedbythegeneral’sframeofmind.Remember,thesoldier’sstateofmindalldependsonwhatthegeneralsays.

Thingsyoushouldbeawareofiftheenemyrearrangesitsbattlelinestolaunchacounter-strike

Iftheenemyrearrangesitsformationwiththesurvivorsofabattletocounter-strike,knowthatitismeanttoattractyourattentioninmostcases.However,youshouldbefullyawareofseveralofthefollowingthings.

You should not be too eager to arrange your formation in response to the enemymovements,asthefirstprincipleistofathomtheirintentionandhaveabroaderpointofviewonthebattleasawhole.

Asageneralrule,ifitisnotpossibleforyoutoknowtheenemytactics,youshouldnotfight but try to bring your army to perfection [as a form of defence]. Remember, theirintentionmaybe to attract your attentionby the rearrangementof forceswhile actuallymanoeuvringothertroopsaroundyouinsecret.Anotheraimtheymayhaveinmindistofathomthestatusofyourarmyand tohavea flankingforce takeyou. Ifyouareoverlyconcerned, you may become intimidated by their change, leading you to retreat. Theenemy may intend to divide you and make your army react, so that they can takeadvantageduringthisunsettledperiod;rememberthis.

You should consider what the topography and the formations are like to aid yourunderstandingofwhat theenemyintentionis.Youmaynotwinabattle thatyoushouldwinbyrightsandyoumayloseawarthatyoushouldnotlosebecauseyoudonothavetheproperunderstandingofsuchessentialpoints.

When facing an enemy, if you are taking up the formation of dairin, that is theformationofthegreatcircle,dothefollowing.Anexample:ifwethinkoftheleftwingofthearmy,youshouldhavetheauxiliarydivisionmovealongsidetheoutsideoftheseconddivision.Also,abugyocommandershouldattendeachof thefivedivisions[andshouldwork together] tobuild the formationaccording to thedistances required.Thedistancesinvolvedaremainlydictatedbythetopography.Also,youshouldnotfightwithasingledivisionbutwithforcesdoubledandfortifiedandwithabugyocommandertoleadthem.Also,youshouldattachwarriorswhoaregreatandfamoustothevanguard;thisisdonesothatthesoldierswillbebrimmingwithcourage.

TobattleinamistAmist [or fog] is identical to a situation at night, as it gives both sides no freedom,makingtheconditionprecarious.Therefore,itisthegeneralrulethatyoushouldnotfightinthemist.However,thisdependsonthesituation,thetimeandtheplace.Mistisalwaysclearedawaytotheleewardside;therefore,theonlycasewhereitisadvantageoustofacethewindinbattleisduringabattleinthemist.Thisisthesameprincipleaswhenyouuselightsatnight. In thissituation, theenemysidewillberevealedearlier thanyourforcesandthusyoucanknowtheirformationorset-upwhileyouyourselvescannotbeseen[asyouarehidden]andinthisway,youcantakeadvantageoftheenemy.Thisstrategyisalsousefulforalesserarmytodefeatagreaterforce.

Ifyouareattackingacastle,youwillhavethebenefitofbeingabletoadvanceclosetothecastleand[ifyoustayinthemist]theirmusketscannotbeusedeffectively.

If you clearly know the [enemy] lord’s intention, the [enemy] formation and theposition,thenyouwillnotbedisturbedorconfusedeitherinthemistorinthedark.

TurnyourfaceawayfromthethreebladesofnatureYoushouldnotturnyourfacetothefollowingthreeelementsofnature:thesun,themoonandthewind–ifyoudo,itwillbedisadvantageous.Remembertoconstructaplansothattheenemywillfacethem.

PrecautionsagainstnightraidersInwarfare,beitdayornight,itisalwaysakeytovictorytotakeadvantageoftheenemy’stacticstobenefityourownagenda.Therefore,youshouldkeepyourplansadeepsecretforthisveryreason.Agreatlordknowseverythingoftheenemytactics,suchaswheretheenemy should lay a troop,when they shouldmake a surprise attack,when they shouldengage inanightattack,andwhere inyourcastle theyshouldstrike tocapture it.Theyknow these things because they useninja effectively. In old timeswhen Iga andKokawere independent,60 there were countless cases of armies who had ninja defeating theenemybysurpriseinsteadofbeingdefeatedthemselvesbysuchasurpriseattack.

Nightattacksshouldbeconductedwithtotalsurprise.Iftheinformationisleakedtotheenemy,itisexactlyasifyouwillinglyputyourselfintoatrapoftheenemy’sdesign.Youshouldalwaysuseninja and you should also send themout for scouting; do this everynighttoknowthestatusandmovementsoftheenemy.Also,youshouldalwayshaveyourforces prepared and if you are raided against during the night, it is essential that youshould not be troubled by this fact too much but instead take measures to cut off theraiders’retreatorevenfollowthemsothatyoucangainentranceintotheircastle.

FightingacrossariverWhenconfronting[anenemy]acrossariver, itgoeswithoutsayingthatbothsideshavetheirowntactics.Therefore,youshouldestimatethechancesofwinningandalsothoseoflosingbyanymeansandtrytotakeadvantageifyoucan.Iftheenemymovesallitsforcesdown to the riverbankwithout having backup troops at the rear, then you have a goodchanceofvictory–ifyouletthemcrosstheriverwithoutdisturbingtheircrossing,thatis.Youshouldpreparetoattackthematanappropriatedistanceawayfromtheriversothat[you can strike them] after theyhave crossedover and are tired and confused from theeffort required. Also, the distance at which you set up your attack position differsdependingonwhetheritissummerorwinterandonthedepthandwidthoftheriver.Theset-upofyourforcesshoulddependonthenumberofthearmyandonthetopographyoftheareaandthereareteachingsthatshouldbepasseddownaboutthesetopics.

Ontheotherhand,iftheenemydividesitsmuskettroopintoupper,middleandlowersections,ortheyconstructhorsebuoyancyunits,havefootsoldiersstandinthemiddleoratlowerpositions[oftheriver]andhelpotherscross,oraftercrossingtheriver,iftheydonotfollowyouimmediatelybutgetbackintoaformationontheriverside,inthissituation,

youshouldnotattackthem.

HowtofordariverbyboatTherulesofwarfarestronglywarnagainstdisarrayinanarmy,asanyslightconfusioncanleadtodisorderineverythinganditisbesttokeepyourarmyinacompletelyorganizedfashionthroughoutitsmovement.

When crossing a river by boat, it is always the case that the lines [of the army] areinterruptedandcommotionresults.Sometimes, ifyouboard[theboat]recklessly, itwillsink.

If you are close to the enemy, you should be careful as theymay attack you in themiddleofyourcrossing.Therefore,youshouldhavepike-menpositionedinlines,makingapathwaytotheboat;thisisdonetogetothersonboardinaproperfashion.Anofficershouldbeappointedtocontrolthiscrossingandeveryoneshouldlistentohisorders.Also,monomiscoutsshouldbeferriedfirstofallandwithoutfail;afterthis,theforwardoutpostgroups61 with muskets should come over to secure the other side for landing. Theformation theyshouldusedependson the topographyof thearea.On thenextboat, themushabugyoorsamuraicommanderandhismessenger-warriors62shouldboard,and,fortherest,thestandardorderofprocession[givenlater]shouldbeapplied.Theaboveisforwhentheenemycloses;however,iftheenemyisatadistance,thentheofficershouldtakeresponsibilityfortheordersgivenandallshouldbethesameasinthenormalprocession.

HowtosignalfromthevanguardtothecommandgroupThevanguardisthefrontdivisionofyourarmy.Inamassivearmyitmayextendoutsofarthatifurgentneedsarise,youmayhavetroublecommunicatingamessagewithspeedback to the command group. Therefore, you should prepare flags in five colours andarrange an agreement among yourselves, including the troop commanders, on how tosignal andwhatmessage isgivenby eachcoloured flag.Then, if a situation arisesyoushouldwave the appropriate flag and send a relay from flag to flag.Do this repeatedlyuntilthecommandgroupgetsthemessage.Iftheflagpoleisnotlongenough,itshouldbetiedontoaspearwhenyousignalwithit.

ThevariouswaysofsignallingWhetherinacastleorabattlecamp,therearesometimesdisturbances.[Todealwithsuchsituations]youshouldhaveanagreementonthemethodsofsignallingandhavethemsetup in advance, so that you can communicate with signal tools during night attacks,quarrels,firesoranyotherkindsofcommotionthatmayoccur.Thearrangementsshouldbemadeaccordingtoyourintentions.

To gather troop commanders when a situation arises, a conch shell should be used,whileabellshouldbestrucktoinformpeopleofthetime.Inthecaseofanightpatrol,asmallbellshouldbeusedinstead–theideogramforthisbelliswrittenas inChinesebutas inJapanese,whichisonlyhalfoftheoriginalideogram.

Forvigilancewithinyourownareaandquarters,clappersshouldbeused.Theashigaru

taishoorthecommanderofthefootsoldiersshouldtakeresponsibilityforthisprecautionandyoushouldhaveanagreementamongallthetroopsforthevariouswaysofclapping.Itisdesirabletousefalseholly(Osmanthusheterophyllus)wood.Japaneseevergreenoak(Quercusacuta) is also good for clappers as itmakes a good sound. The clapper itselfshouldbeeightsuninlength,onesuntwobuinwidthandeightbuinthickness.

Ifyouhavearrangedthesignalswiththeinstrumentsmentionedabove,youwillhavenounnecessarycommotionandeverythingwill settledownwithease– if acommotionarises,ofcourse.Also,whetherinacastleornot,thewayofafireorsmokesignalshouldalwaysbearrangedasameansofsignalling.

OnthemarchMarchingisariskytimeforbothsides.Fightingmaytakeplacesuddenlyandatanypointduring the march. Nomatter how organized the procession is, it is always possible toattackanarmyatanarrowpath,wherethedefenderscannotsavethemselves.Orevenonaflatland, it ispossible thatyoucanbreaktheenemy’sspiritsandsendtheirprocessionintodisarray.Whenyouareinanotherdomainandyouarenotsofamiliarwiththearea,youshouldbecautious.Conversely, inyourowndomainyouare familiarwith the landand thus you can act freely, attackorwithdraw, as onhomegroundyouwill be in fullspiritsandhaveagreatadvantagein[unintelligibletext],evenifyouhavenotstrucktheenemy.

Whentheenemyisgettingclose toanencounterwithyou, theywill try tokeeptheirprocessionevenmoreorganizedand their soldierswillbrace their spiritsandmoraleallthe more and guard themselves strictly. Therefore, you should attack them in order tobreaktheirspirits.

Whenattackinganarmyonthemarch,itissaidthatalesserarmycandefeatagreaterarmy,iftheycatchthembysurpriseatnight.Therefore,itisessentialforyoutomakethearrangementstosendninjaorlong-andshort-distancemonomiscouts.Dothisinordertodefend your army against any surprise night attack thatmay have been prepared alongyourpath.Thisiswhyshinobiormonomiarethetruekeytovictoryandtheverybasisofwarfare.

[Ondecapitatedheads]Theinspectionofdecapitatedheadsbythelordisthesameinvariouswritings,soIwillnotmentionithere.Somelordsonlyinspectanotherlord’sheadandnotothers.However,forthelordtopayatributeofpraisetohiswarriors’achievements,itisbesttoinspectalltheheadsnomatterhowmanythereare.Taiko63andNobunagaweregreatlords,rareinhistory,andtheyinspectedalltheheadsnomatterhowmanytherewere.Thisisanissueyoushouldbeawareof.

ThethreethingsthelordshouldconsiderregardinghisframeofmindIfthelordopensuphismindanddisplayshisthoughtstoothers,thearmywillfightinawiseway.However,ifdonethisway,thismaycausesomefailures,thusitisbestthatitisavoided.Ifhecloseshismindfully,thearmywillnotmakeanerrorandtheplanmaybe

deeper.However,thearmywillnotrespondtoapromptandsuddenchangeofsituation;therefore, this also should be avoided. A dauntless and overbearing lord will alwaysunderestimatetheenemyandbecomearrogant,sohetooshouldbeavoided.Inshort,youshouldbecarefulaboutyourownway,whiletryingtoperceivetheenemycorrectlyandby following this way, you can construct your strategy. This is the basis of victory ordefeat.

Themannersofthelord’smilitaryfanandthebatonsThere are two directions [for the fan or the baton] – forwards and backwards.64Whenpointingtowardtheenemy,thetipofthebatonshouldbeused.However,whenpointingtoyourownside, thehandleshouldbeused[asapointer]. It is thesamefora rodor fan.When beckoning the enemy [in symbolic challenge], do it with the point of the rod,keeping your palm up. However, when moving your army, gesture with your palmdownwards. For the command of attack, to be observed by your army, raise the fan orbaton up from the left side of the body [upwards to the right] and bring it down andaround.Forthecommandofretreat,lowerthebatonfromhighabovetotheleftsideanddoitstrongly.Forthecommandtohalt,raiseituphighandholditfastatthatposition.

StrategiesofcontrolThereare twomethods todiscusson thispoint,and theydependonwhether thearea isspaciousornot.Ifthenumberofpeopleistoomanyforthelocationtheycurrentlyhold,itcanbeaweakness,whileif therearetoofewpeople, it toocanbenegative.Thesebothconflictwiththestrategyofcontrol.

Inarelativelynarrowplace,youshoulddivideyourarmyintoanumberofgroups.Ifyouchooseasteepplacetofightwithsuchamassivearmy,youwillnotbeabletofightverywell,asyouwillcountonthetopographytoomuch.Ifyouareamassivearmy,youshouldtrytoutilizethepositiveelementsofhavingsuchalargegroup[insteadofrelyingonthetopography].However,foralesserarmy,theyshouldtakeadvantageofsteepandnarrowplaces,asinsuchaplacetenwarriorscoulddefendinplaceofonehundredmen–topographycancompensateforlackofforces.Furthertothis,ifyouareinanarrowandsteepplacedonotoverlyrelyonitsnaturaladvantagesandbecomelax,asthiswillbenoadvantagetoyou.Ontheotherhand,whennotinthesetypesofsteepandnarrowplacesandyouareinnormalterrain,youknowthatyoucannotrelyontopographytoaidyou.Ifyou understand this, your frame ofmind can benefit you in the sameway that naturaldefencescan.

Thesepointsabovearethewaysthatyoushouldusethetopographyoftheland.

Victoryanddefeatbringforththetruestrengthsandweaknessesoflords.•Overbearingandhot-bloodedlordswillbeoverconfidentaftervictory.

•Ordinarylordswillfeelrelievedaftervictory.

•Ignorantlordswillbenegligentaftervictory.

•Wiselordswillbecarefulaftervictory.

•Vigorousandbravelordswillbebraverafteradefeat.

•Tacticallordswillbeevenmorediscreetwiththeirtacticsafterdefeat.

•Stupidorcowardlylordswillnotcontemplatethenextstepafterdefeat.

Usingtheabove,youshouldfathomtheenemyandcontemplateyourownnature.

Youshouldnotonlyfocusonhowtowinovertheenemybutinsteadconcentrateonyourownfaultsandcontemplatewhereyouarenotawareofyourowngapsandalso fortifyyourdefencesso thatyouwillnotbedefeated.Then,youcan lookforagapwithin theenemyand,withoutadistortedviewpoint,findthewayofvictory.

Thosewho do not overly strive towin but achieve victorywith ease are consideredgoodlords.Therefore,perfectyourarmyandyouwillovercometheenemy.

Victoryexistsinsideoftheenemy’sformanddefeatexitswithinyourownform.ThisisidenticaltohowanexpertGoplayersucceeds,as,withtheirdefencesfortified,theywilltakeadvantageoftheweakpointswithintheenemy.

Peopleoften losewisdomwhen theyareoutofbalance.Forexample, if theyget toogreedy,theywillnotdispenserighteousrewardsandpunishments;whilealso,iftheyaretoofrightened, theymaymistakeamagpie foranenemyflag. If they indulge too far injoy,anger,sadness,easiness,depression,grieforanyotherstate,theywillnotbeabletofollowon the righteous path but instead theywill be surrounded by gloom. If you feelgloomy,youwillnotbeveryperceptiveof theenemytacticsandalterations.But ifyoudetach yourself from such emotions, then a new planwill voluntarily enter yourmind,exactlylikeaclearmirrorthatleavesnothingthatisnotreflectedinitssurface.

In thisway, you should be very prudent about your own state, anduse yourself as amodeltoknowtheenemyandusetheenemytoknowyourself.

Whendefendingabesiegedcastle,especiallyifyouhaveanallyontheoutsidewhoisattacking the besieging enemy to aid you, then you should position four or five ninjawithin tencho to twenty cho, or even one ri outside the castle. Before doing this, youshouldarrangethewaysofsignallingamongyourselvesveryfirmly.Thisset-up[ofninja]isbeneficialinvariousways.Ifyourcastleissurroundedbyamassivearmyanditishardto communicatewith thegeneralof the reinforcement troopswhoare at the rearof thebesiegingenemyforce,youwillbeabletosendsignalsfrominsidethecastletooutsidefreely[byusingthismethodandtheninja].Therearevastamountsoforal transmissionforthis.

Forexample,attheBattleofNagashino,65OkudairaKuhachirowasdefendingacastle,which was surrounded by a massive army under Takeda Katsuyori. The defendingOkudaira could not communicate with Lord Nobunaga or Lord Ieyasu, who were thereinforcementson theoutsideandwereattacking thebesiegingforces,andhecouldnottell them that thepeople inside the castlewere in aperilous situation andwerequicklyrunning out of food. Then Torii Sune’emon, one of his retainers, escaped the castlewithoutbeingnoticedandwenttoLordNobunagatoaskhimtoattackfromtherearandforaidwithsupplies.However,hewasdetectedonhiswaybacktothecastle.Thisisanexample where they had difficulty and also this warrior above was killed in the endbecause theydidnot take thismethod intoconsideration. Inour school it is called ‘one

mindsharedbetweenthepeople’andyoushouldkeepthissecret.

[Thesixbugyocommanders]At the top [and under the lord] you have twomushabugyo or samurai captains – theyalways take responsibility for giving orders to the army. Respected warriors should beassignedtothisjob.Therefore,accomplishedandexperiencedwarriorsaredesirable.

After the above pair come the two hata bugyo or flag commanders – one is forpositioningthesignallingflagsandtherallyingbannerandtheotherisforestimationofdistance and of margins within your troops. For the task of positioning, the mostaccomplishedwarriorshouldbeassignedashewillhaveasolidjudgementonthepresentstatus of battle and decide where flags should be positioned properly. The task of theestimationofficer is toestimate theproperdistances [between flags]and toposition theseven to nine flags that represent the whole army in the determined area, so that theretainersmayformupafterthiswiththeirownstandards.This[hata]bugyoshouldhaveknowledgeoftheestimationofdistancesandthereforehistaskiscalled‘theestimatorofmargins’.

Next comes the two yari bugyo or spear commanders – the average army normallyholdsashigaru foot soldiers in thenumberof1,200,66 includingeighthundredmuskets,threehundredbowsandtwohundredspears[anditisthejoboftheyaribugyotocontrolthem].

Theabovearecalledthesixbugyocommandersandonlythosewhoarecapableshouldberecruitedforthesepositions.

Thenextbugyocommanderstobeselectedarefortherearguardandforlogistics.Thebugyo for this rear guard are not usually allotted beforehand but need to be appointedwhen the correct time arises. For the bugyo commanders of logistics, you should havethosewhoaregoodsothattheycancontinuethetaskthroughoutthecampaign.

ThearmymarchingorderThevanguard

Themonomiosaeorposition-securingscouts

Reserves–footedclanretainers67

Pullingteam68

Thedairyuorbigdragonstandard

Reserves–footedclanretainers

Thehatabugyo–positioningflagcommander

Figure112.Thearmymarchingorder

Aidestotheabove

(theaboveaidesareonarotationsystem)

Themarchingdrum

Flags–Flags

Flags–Flags

Flags–Flags

Flags–Flags

Twoflagchiefs

Flags–Flags

Theestimationcommander

Aidestotheabove

Twomuskettroopcaptains

Musketeers–Musketeers




Twomuskettroopcaptains

Thearcherycommander

Archers–Archers

Archers–Archers

Archers–Archers

Archers–Archers

Thecommanderofthespears

Spearmen–Spearmen

Spearmen–Spearmen

Spearmen–Spearmen

Spearmen–Spearmen

Therearcommanderofthespears

Samuraicaptainormushabugyo

Themountedwarriors

(theytaketurnsonadailybasistoworkascaptains69whomarchatbothsides)

Mountedwarriorraidingparties70

(theytaketurnsonadailybasistoworkascaptainswhomarchatbothsides)

Samuraicaptainormushabugyo

Lesserstandards

Theattackingdrum

Theconchshellsandgongs

(theseinstrumentsshouldbekeptinbagsandnotbeshown)

Musketeers

(asillustratedintheformationabove71)

Archers

(asillustratedintheformationabove)

Spear-owning72troops

Drums–conchshells

Messengersandyokome73–thelordgeneral–messengersandyokome

Thelord’saides

Thelord’sesquires

Theindividualists74

Therearguard75

Thepackhorsetrain

(foreveryonehundredmountedwarriorsyourequiretwohundredpackhorses)

Twocommanderseacharerequiredforlogisticsandtherearguard

O-monomiorpre-marchinglargescoutgroupsBefore advancing into enemy territory, you should know if the route is safe or not byscouting out ahead. You should use monomi-shinobi or scouting shinobi to detectambusheshiddeninoraroundsteepordangerousareasofmountainsandforests.Forthisscoutingtaskchoosetwoorthreemountedwarriorsfromonetroop.Thetotalnumberoftroopscangouptotwenty,aseachmountedwarriorshouldbefollowedbybetweenthreeandfiveashigarufootsoldiers,whowillcheckaheadtoadistanceofuptothreerianddiscoverifthereisanambushoneithersideoftheroute.

Alternatively,choose twoor threemountedwarriorsfromthe lord’smessengers,eachofwhomisfollowedbytwofootedsoldiers.Theyshouldbegoodonesselectedfromtheesquires,andtaketurnseachday.Inallcases,everyoneinthescoutingpartiesshouldhavethe same identifyingmarks and are forbidden to fight, as theymaywish, even if theycome across the enemy e n route, and, furthermore, they should stay within the saiddistance and report the forward situation to the command squad.On flatland,mounted

scoutsarequicker,whileinmountains,thoseonfootarefaster;thatiswhyyoushouldusebothofthem.

When you are proceeding to another province for battle to establish a position, youshouldarrangeyourmarchingorderwithprecautionagainstsuddenattacksenroute.Fromtheinstantyouleaveyourdoor,youshouldactasif theenemyisdirectlyinyoursight,andinthisway,ifallthenecessaryprecautionsaretakenbeforeanythingoccurs,youcanavoidmisfortuneandfendoffdisaster.

1Theoriginal,whichsays‘leeward’,probablycontainsatranscriptionerror.

2Thisisprobablysothatthelightofthefireextendsoutwardandisnotdirectedupbythesidesofthepot.

3Atonefootfromthebottom,youshouldthrustaroddirectlythroughit,thenturnitninetydegreesanddoitagain.Theselongrodswillformacross‘+’thatgoesthroughthetorch.Whenthetorchisthrown,aslongasitlandshandlefirsttherodswillformastandandkeepthetorchatananglethatwillallowthefiretoburnupwards.

4Thesearestakesplacedatirregularintervalswithropetiedbetweenthem.

5Theideahereisthatthethickropeissecuredtoahiddenstrongpointandthatitsownweightandtheheavyflowwillmakeitrigidandastumblingpointfortheenemy.

6ThispointhasbeenexpandedontoallowittobeunderstoodmoreclearlyinEnglish.

7Theideahereismostlikelythatyougettwobrancheswhichhavetheirnaturaldirection,sowhenputtogethertheyfanoutcoveringmorespace.

8AsthereisnopluralintheJapaneselanguage,thismayrefertooneormanyforeigncountries(probablyChina).

9Thismeansinternallybinditandalsobinditontheoutside.

10Thatistosay,freestanding.

11Theoriginaltalksambiguouslyaboutone,twoandthreecollectionsofsandbags.

12Thereappearstobepartofthetextthatisnotdisplayedhereandmaybelost.Therefore,itisputforwardinitsmostbasicform.

13Thetextisliterally‘moat’.However,whatisbeingdescribedhereistrenchwarfare.

14ThisisagreatreminderofthediminutivestatureofJapanesemenoftheperiod,asthismeasurementisonlyfivefeetintotal.

15Presumably,toprotectagainstarrowattacks.

16Theconnotationhereisofawallthatisoutsidethemaincampdefencesbutthatisstillcloseby,andinthiscaseisusedtohideartillery.

17Thisandthenextpointarehighlyproblematic.Theoriginaltextdescribesimagesthatarenotpresentintheoriginaltranscription.Therefore,thetexthasbeensimplifiedandrearranged.Thefirstpointcontainsareferencetorocksandatrap,whichhasbeenremovedfromthistranslationaswithouttheoriginalillustrationitconfusestheparagraph.

18Withouttheillustration,thisisveryunclear.Onepossibilityisthatitreferstoabasketusedtothrowrocksatanenemyfromacatapultwhenafakewallhascomedown.However,thetextremainsunclear.

19Afakesectionofwallthatcollapsesontheenemy.

20Onerollisenoughtomakeakimono.

21Amedicinalplantusedtotreatfever.

22Possiblyasymbolofluck.

23WhiletelescopesdidexistinJapanatthetime,itisunknowntowhatextenttheywereavailable.

24Usedtoproveyourdeedsorleavewithpeopleastokensofprooforeventobeplacedinthemouthsofimportantdecapitatedheads.

25Mostlikelytocheckforhiddenitems.

26Mostlikelythismeansthatotherswilltrytotakedecapitatedheadsfromyou.

27Thetextdoesnotstatetheadvantages.

28Literally,‘horse-grassconnecting’or‘rope’.Thistextisambiguousandtalkssimplisticallyandwith‘jargon’.Itappearsthatyoushouldtwistandtiethehairfromsensitiveareasofthehorse’sundersideandlegstogether.Inthismanner,whenthehorsetriestomovethepainwillpreventitfromdoingso.

29 Unknownhorseequipment–normallyhorses’legsaretetheredtogetherinvariouswaystostopthemrunning.

30Japanesestirrupleathersaredoubledupcreatingtwostrapsthatgosidebyside.

31Thetextappearstomeanthatyoushouldsitonyourbowwhereitprobablyrestsunderanyfurorpaddingthatisused.

32Areddishclaywhichhasahighironcontent.

33Alternativewritingstalkaboutpiercingbetweenthecheekandthelowerjaw.

34Somemanualsdifferonthispoint.

35Unknownposition.

36Itappearsthatthissignalisgiventhreetimesaday.Onesetconsistsoftwogroupsofblows,onegroupconsistsoffivelesserblastsandtheotherconsistsoffiveprolongedblasts–however,theoriginalstateslighter/strongerblowsandthereforecouldrefertothestrengthoftheblow.Thiswouldmakeatotalofthirtyindividualblowsonthehorn–teninthemorning,tenatmiddayandtenatsunset.

37ThisismostlikelyatranscriptionerrorandshouldsayChina.

38Literally–‘yellow’.

39ThisisaretellingofthestoryfoundearlierintheBansenshukaiwhichconcernsitselfwiththecreationofmatterfromtheprincipalenergyoftheuniverse.SeethechapterSeishinPartII.

40ThefamousChinesestrategist(181–234).

41Notliterallymillions–thetermheremeans‘many’or‘animmensenumber’.

42Probablynon-combatantssuchaslabourersandservants.

43ThisisahighlyconfusingsectionandFujibayashihimselfsaysthatitcanneverbeunderstoodwithoutdirectteachings.However,itappearstobeaselectionoftroopswhoarestationedinoppositiontotheenemyandwhocontinuallyattackandretreatinarevolvingordertocauseconfusionwiththeopponentandtohopefullyweardowntheirdefencesandfindagaptoleadtovictory.ThenumbersappeartorelatetodifferenttroopsandhaveinpartsbeenmanipulatedtofitinwithJapanesenumerologyandtogainthebenefitofthemagicalnumbernine.

44Inthewayofinandyo,evendigitsareinwhileodddigitsareyo.Thus,nineisthebiggestyodigitandisthoughttobethestrongestofall.

45RounddisksfoundinChinawithnoclearfunctionorform.Theymayberitualobjects.

46TheJapaneseworddairinor‘greatcircle’comesfromBuddhismandmeansthePalaceoftheFiveWisdomBuddha.

47Onetsueisequalto2.2metres.

48Thisappearstobeaformofmessengerscout,themake-upofhisnamebringsconnotationsof‘fromtheside’.

49Thisisareferencetotheabovediagram,whichshowstroops‘one’to‘four’representedbythetwoupperblackcircles.ThepointFujibayashiismakingisthatyouhavetoconsiderwhetherthetroopsbehindtheoneswhohittheenemyfirstwillhavetheabilitytosavetheforwardmosttroops.

50 ‘Strongpower’orapsychologicalfeelingofpowerandvictory.

51Thereisnoinformationonthethreecirclesatthebottomoftheimage(figure110).

52Pronouncedas‘A-A’.

53EveninmodernJapanpeoplecryout‘EiEiOu’atpoliticalralliesandsportsevents.

54‘Officialsamurai’.

55Tobeclear,thecrybeforewarisasinglepersonwhoshouts‘EiEi’andeveryoneelseshouts‘Ou’,andafterthebattleasinglepersoncriesout‘EiEiOu’andtheneveryoneinunisonrepeats‘EiEiOu’.

56Basically,thisistheconceptofholdingaguardedpositionbywhichindividualsectionsofyourtroopsretreattotherear,sectionbysection,untiltheyendupintheiroriginalpositions,yetsetbackinazoneof‘safety’.

57Anunknownword,literally‘stand’and‘ship’–presumablyaweaknessintheenemyline.

58Meaningthattheymaypreferdirectandfastassaultsintheirclan.

59Itisunknownifthisispracticalormetaphorical.Itcouldmeansitthemendownorkeepthemsettledorevendismountthemountedriders–however,basicallyitmeansthatwhenacommotionarisesgettingpeopleseated/dismountedandcalmisthebestoption.

60ThetexthasasubtextthatisdifficulttoexpresswithinthesentenceandalludestowhenIgaandKokawereself-governingandtheIgaandKokashinobinomonoweretakenonasretainers.

61Mononmioshi.

62Tsukaiban.

63ThisreferstoToyotomiHideyoshi.

64Also,correctandincorrect.

65Afamousbattlewhichtookplacein1575inMikawaprovincebetweenTakedaKatsuyoriandthealliedforcesofTokugawaIeyasuandOdaNobunaga.KatsuyorisurroundedNagashinocastlewhileNobunagaandIeyasusurroundedandtotallydefeatedtheattackingarmy.

66Thiscalculationisincorrectbyonehundredmen.However,ithasbeenputhereinitsoriginalformwiththemistake,asitisunknownwhichnumberistheincorrectone.

67Mostlikelylow-rankingsamurairetainedbytheclan.

68Thisisanunknownnumberofpeoplepullingorcarryingthemainstandard.

69Bangashira,thishasconnotationsofcaptainsonarotasystem.

70Norikomi,aformofmountedshocktroop.

71Meaningthatitisidenticaltotheformationatthestartofthelisting.

72Warriorswhoowntheirspearsasopposedtothe‘loaned-speartroops’atthefront.

73Peoplewhocloselyobserveanarmy’sownmenandreporttothelordonanymatters.

74Gumigaikomi,thistermismadeupof‘group’,‘outside’and‘collection’–possiblypeoplenotrequiredforbattle,suchaspriests,monks,logicians,divinersetc.

75Shingari,literally‘afterthelord’,butusedtoprotecttheveryrear.

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