- BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK -

Before you go any further in this book there are a few

Japanese words and names for the ninja that you must
know to understand the text in full.

Ninja: You may think you know what a Ninja is, but
without a doubt most people of the world do not fully
understand. For ease you may understand Ninja as men
and women of various ranks, ability, social status and
origins who have trained in the arts of Ninjutsu.

Shinobi: The original reading of the word Ninja, it can be

used to mean a person or a verb, to do Ninjutsu, to carry
out a Ninja activity.

Shinobi no mono: A person who does Ninjutsu, a

Ninja.

Ninjutsu: The art and skills of the Ninja.

Shinobi no Jutsu: The original way of saying the art of

Ninjutsu.

Ninp: This word has been mistranslated of recent years

and given philosophical meaning. In medieval Japan this
term was interchangeable with Ninjutsu.

Ninpei: This translates as Shinobi Soldiers

Suppa: An old word for Shinobi.

Rappa: An old word for Shinobi.

Iga no Mono: Men of Iga, normally classed as Ninja.

 You like samurai swords?...i like baseball!
The words of Hattori Hanzo from Kill Bill and they
still ring out after 400 years after the name Hattori
first sliced its way into the mainstream. So who is this
Hattori Hanzo, a master sword smith, a black
assassin, a master ninja, a superhero? All of these and
more have been portrayed as Hattori Hanzo but what
is the truth of this illusive yet popular character?
Within this short volume we will explore the small
amount of evidence available to us about the man and
the myth of Hattori Hanzo and come to terms with the
reality above the fiction, a reality that is far more
impressive than any fiction will achieve. For those
who know the name Hattori Hanzo but do not know
who or what he is, then you are indeed in for a treat.
If anyone from the pages of history deserves a spot in
the limelight it is the Japanese character of Hattori.
Hattori Hanzo or Devil Hanzo as he is sometimes
known was a strategist, samurai and ninja leader of
the 16th century. His exploits are legendary and the
name of Hattori is without doubt one of the most
connected names with the history of the shinobi
warriors. One could say that where there are ninja,
there is always the echo of Hattori.
What should be the simple recounting of one mans
tale become a complex but short puzzle to be
unfurled. The aim of this work is to first establish
who or what is Hattori Hanzo, his origins, homeland
and skills. From here we will turn to the family name
and title of Hattori Hanzo and the successive
generations that undertook the task of master ninja.
The book will concentrate mostly on Hattori Hanzo II
and his famous exploits and connections to the
shogun, see how his name lives on in the town of
Hanzomon, the battles he featured in and the ninja he
commanded.

Surprisingly for a high profile figure there is little

historical information on the historical figure, there
seems to be legends, stories, small ditties but nothing
concrete. Therefore this book has attempted to pull in
all the strings linked to the historical Hattori and
formulate a picture of an illusive man that existed in
the shadows of history.

To wrap up we will also investigate the myths and the

effects he has had on modern culture, alongside some
demonology and a look at some writings written by
one of the Hattoris.

Lastly and after the investigation of Hattori this book

will include a look at Natori the Ninja, the shinobi
cat. A comic created by the author to display true
historical ninjutsu and also a test chapter from the
book Shinobi Soldiers, an investigation into the ninja,
a book also written by the author.

Most people will give you stories of the famed ninja

leader, some media productions will recount the tales
of Hattori Hanzo but one thing that they have in
common is the fact that they class Hattori Hanzo as
one singular man, whereas in fact historically there
are at least 4 Hattori Hanzos! Before the examination
of the individuals, Hattori Hanzo has to be broken
down into two parts for investigation, first the family
name Hattori:


As far as we know Hattori is the umbrella name for a

family line that has its origins in Iga and is a
successive term akin to our family names.

Hanzo is the real gem of interest here as it is not

actually a christen or given name. The word Hanzo
is a form of -tsusho a popular name/title given to
the head of the Hattori family as he succeeds his
predecessor before him. Thus, a child is born with a
given name and the family name of Hattori and then
upon their appointment they are then called Hattori
Hanzo, or Head of the Hattori Family.

As stated above there are 4 historical Hattori Hanzos

that have been recorded in connection with the
Mikawa Hattori branch. It is these four versions of
Hattori Hanzo that we get our modern icon from and
it is these 4 that gave birth to the Hattori connection
with the ninja or Men of Iga. The 4 are of close
family connections and being of a direct grandfather
to grandson linage. It started with Hattori Hanzo the
1st, a ninja from Iga and extended through his son and
grandsons who were Bushi of the Sengoku and early
Edo period. The last three Hattori Hanzos were born
into the Matsudaira the name of the Tokugawa family
before they came into power. It is theorized that only
the first Hattori Hanzo was in fact a Ninja and that
the final three were not in fact ninja, but were merely
connected to the shinobi in some form. This argument
will be discussed later on and will outline what it
means to be a ninja and how can one claim from a
historical point if in fact the final three were ninja or
not?
The line of Hattori passed from an Iga ninja, Hattori
the 1st to his son who then passed it to his first son
who then died in 1615 and thus passed the final
version on to the 2nd son, Hattori Hanzo the 4th. There
is a 5th Hattori Hanzo but it is unknown if he had any
connection to the Shinobi at the castle, it is more than
likely that he was simply attached to the Hattori
family and not connected to the shogun.

The following is a basic outline of the given names,

births and deaths of the 4 Hattori Hanzos.

Hattori Hanzo I
Original Name: Hattori Yasunaga
Date of Birth: Unknown
Date of Death: Unknown

Hattori Hanzo II
Original Name: Hattori: Masanari The Elder
Date of Birth: 1542
Date of Death: 23/12/1596

Hattori Hanzo III
Hattori Masanari: The Younger
First son to Hattori the II
Date of Birth: 1565
Date of Death: 1615?

Hattori hanzo the IV
Hattori Masashige
Second son to Hattori II
Date of Birth: 1580
Date of Death: 1652

Hatorri Hanzo V
Hattori Masayoshi1

1 Possibly Masakichi

Hattori Hanzo I
Original Name: Hattori Yasunaga

The originator and first in our line of recorded

Hattoris was a Ninja from Iga, the homeland of the
Shinobi. We can only identify that he was probably
the head of the Hattori Clan as he has achieved the
status of Hattori Hanzo. However it is uncertain when
the concept of Hattori Hanzo as a clan leader was
established. Thus it is only by logical deduction that
we can claim that he was a Ninja Leader of the
Hattori clan. But what we can say is that this was a
true Iga no Mono and a true ninja.
What is difficult to ascertain is why a ninja from Iga
had sexual relations with a woman from Mikawa, or
why a man and women from Iga moved to Mikawa.
We do know that their son Hattori II was in the
employ of the Matsudaira and thus we can understand
that the move was one of position or that the placing
of an infant in the clans care was for advancement.
Whatever the reason for this change we do know that
Iga ninjas did act as mercenaries and were part of the
warrior elite which is against the common media
misunderstanding. During the warring states period a
ninja was a considerable asset to some and thus real
life Iga no Mono was a benefit for any clan.

What we do not know is if Hattori was a Jonin or not.

To the modern reader a Jonin is an elder ninja in a
hierarchical system. In fact a Jonin was a highly
skilled ninja and this subject mater will be
investigated later, however we have no understanding
of what performance level Hattori Hanzo I could
achieve. However, a warring period ninja from Iga
would by definition have been a skilled man in some
form.

Hattori Hanzo II
Original Name: Hattori: Masanari The Elder

The second Hattori Hanzo was born a samurai or

Bushi in Mikawanokuni which is now part of
the modern east Aichi prefecture on Honshu. Named
Masanari and son to Yasunaga he was a retainer of
the future Tokugawa clan. It is interesting to highlight
the fact that the dogmatic structure normally
associated with the samurai is not in place here. To
our modern minds it seems almost unthinkable that a
ninja could have his son brought up in a very
powerful samurai clan as a samurai? One factor that
one has to consider here is the social position of
Hattori Hanzo I. He was a man of Iga and at the time
of his sons birth Iga was still an independent domain
free from external national control. This independent
system ran its own samurai class and thus an Iga no
mono could have been both a ninja by trade or skill
and also at the same time a samurai by birth or
achievement. Thus we are left with the interesting
figure of a son of a ninja and samurai born, Hattori
Hanzo II, the most famous ninja in history.

When one hears the name Hattori Hanzo you are

normally hearing this incarnation, as Hattori II is the
famous war general under Tokugawa Ieyasu and of
the famed connection with the Iga Shinobi.

We know that when he was 16, he had his first test of

arms at Udo castle in Mikawa in the form of a night
raid. We can also affirm that he was given a spear by
Tokugawa Ieyasu himself and that he was a feared
spearman.

It is said that Hattori Hanzo II was a master in the

martial arts and that he distinguished himself in the
arts of swordsmanship and spearsmanship, along side
this he is said to have been an outstanding tactician
general and to have had a high level of skill in the
Chinese based art of Onmyd , a form of
archaic science and divination crossover.
Hattori Hanzo II was also famously known as Devil
Hanzo or in Japanese Oni Hanzo. It is said
that he was like a devil in his abilities and that this
man was feared by all for his prowess and capabilities
as he is the product of the best his generation could
offer. Part ninja, samurai, sage, general and killer he
was thus termed Devil Hanzo, a person to be feared
and respected.

A further name has to be added to his retinue of

epithets as Hattori Hanzo II obtained an official
public post and was thus given the title of:
Iwaminokami and thus he was and is
sometimes known (mainly in a written form) as
Hattori Iwaminokami .

Hattori II apparently died of natural causes at the age

of 55 and Hanzos remains now rest in the Sainen-ji
temple cemetery in Shinjuku, Tokyo where alongside
his remains the temple also holds his favourite spears.
Further to this the Japanese imperial palace also holds
some of the Hattori treasures.
 THE GRAVE OF HATTORI II

DEATH BY NINJA: THE MYTH:

It is firmly understood that Hattori II died of natural
causes. However, there is a myth that is falsely
believed that Hattori Hanzo II had an interaction with
a ninja called Fuma. It is told that Hattori was killed
by this now, archenemy! Of course we know
differently, however we see that this theme is
reoccurs in popular culture.

Hattori Hanzo III
Hattori Masanari: The Younger
First son to Hattori the II

Hattori III was 31 when he came to bear the position

of Hattori Hanzo upon his fathers death. By this time
the Tokugawa Shogun was only 7 years away from
total victory over Japan and the Shogun already had
300 ninja in his employ as he had taken them into
permanent service. Of the 300 we know that 200 were
Iga ninja and under the direct command of Hattori
Hanzo II and then III.

We have a view of Hattori Hanzo III as the spoilt

child character but unfortunately we have only a
small amount of information. It appears that when we
took over as the ninja commander at the Hanzomon
gate that he was a poor leader and that a revolt
against his leadership was instigated. The following
extract is taken from Stephen K Haynes but one must
be aware that he does not reference his sources;
however it is of interest from a character building
point of view. That being said it is repeated in
Japanese literature and thus could have a solid
foundation in history.
Hanzo Masanari died in 1590 at the age of fifty-five.
He was succeeded by his eighteen-year-old son,
whose name was also Masanari, though written with
different Chinese characters. Hanzos son had not
mastered ninjutsu, and he mistreated the members of
the Band of Iga. The ninja did not consider him
worthy of the name Hanzo, and the band revolted.
Armed with guns and bows, they holed up in a
nearby temple and demanded his dismissal. If their
demand wasnt met, they vowed to kill Masanari and
to take their own lives. Their number was large
enough that historians consider their action to be the
first strike in Japan. The year was 1605. The Band of
Iga was divided into four factions, each led by a low-
ranking samurai. They could no longer boast that the
band was headed by Hanzo Hattori.
A further aspect of this comes in an argument
between Hattori III and the Iga Doshin (group). It
appears that Hattori III had a grudge against 10 of the
ringleaders from the Iga Doshin, and he requested the
death penalty for them. Two of the group escaped out
of fear of their lives. However, Masanari went in
pursuit of them and found and executed a man whom
he thought was one of the escaped Iga ninja, this was
no so and he had killed the wrong man. Thus, Hattori
Hanzo III lost his position as the Iga leader and then
leaves the pages of history.

Hattori hanzo the IV
Hattori Masashige
Second son to Hattori II

This, the last of the Iga Hattori Hanzos is a blank on

a page of history all we know is that he took over the
name of Hattori Hanzo from his brother. But he was
caught up in Okubo Nagayasu Jiken, a political
embarrassment in the early Edo period and thus he
fell into disgrace. After that, he floated from place to
place and it is said that the Matudaira family took him
in. The Hattori family then moved to the service of
the Kuwana family and took up a chief retainers post.

After-note:
Hattoris 3rd son Hattori Masahiro became a Priest.

?
Watanabe Moritsuna
Spear Hanzo
(1542-1620)

There was another Hanzo that served under the

Shogun at the same time as Hattori Hanzo II. He was
a general and Hatomoto and was a peer of Devil
Hanzo, so much so that the two received their
epithets. To distinguish the two, one was called Devil
Hanzo and the other was Spear Hanzo for his
expertise in the art of the Yari.
Japanese kanji are the ideograms used to represent
phonetic sounds within the language. Each ideogram
or kanji has both phonetic and symbolic meaning.
Unlike the west, a better name in the Japanese culture
is not founded upon a good connection between the
meanings of the words but more upon the
individualistic kanji used, the amount of strokes
within that kanji and the overall strokes used in a
single name. Thus to a western or modern eye we see
no connection between the meanings of the kanji used
and can not get a feel for the overall theme intended.

HATTORI
CLOTHES
DEPARTMENT OR DIVISION

HANZO
- HALF
SHED

MASANARI
CORRECT OR TRUTHFUL
BECOME OR GET
Hattori Hanzo Masanari II built the Jodoshu temple to
memorialize the eldest son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The
reason for the inclusion here is to link the idea of the
man to the physical remains we have left to visit.
With the destruction of the original Hanzomon gate
there is little left for the average visitor to see and feel
that was once touched by any of Hattori Hanzo line.
To get a better understanding of what the Japanese
people think of as a devil it is worth while looking at
the kanji representation of the ideograms for Devil
Hanzo or in Japanese Oni Hanzo.

It is noticeable that the kanji used for the word devil
is Oni which is represented by the first kanji in the
name above.

It is a point to understand that the kanji used was not
as above which is the Japanese word for Akuma. In
an English translation they become quite similar, but
upon investigating the nuances of difference you start
to understand that Oni in Japanese has the following
characteristics.

It has form.
It is more akin to a monster.
Troll like.
Substantial.
Something terrifying because of its presence
on the physical realm.

On the other hand the word Akuma brings the

following forth:

It is formless.
 It is more akin to the English concept of a
demon or evil spirit.
It has a satanic feel.
Brings forth ideas of existing on a different
plane of existence.

Thus, we can see that Oni Hanzo was a very real and
horrible threat to those who apposed him and could
be a monster to his enemies.


Onmyodo is a form of ancient science/divination that

was used for a multitude of issues. From weather,
divination, astrology, tactics and any issue that
needed wisdom to support it. It would be best for a
western audience to understand it as a complete
science based on supernatural qualities that were
available to the Onmyyoji. The Onmyoji were
specialists in magic and divination. Their court
responsibilities ranged from tasks such as keeping
track of the calendar, to mystical duties such as
divination and protection of the capital from evil
spirits. They could divine auspicious or harmful
influences in the earth, and were instrumental in the
moving of capitals.
How does this fit in with Hattori? Well Hattori is
attributed with being skilled in the practice of
Onmyodo and what really cements the connection
between Hattori and Ninjutsu is the fact that he is
supposed to be Onmyoji. The Gunpo manual of
samurai strategies discusses this form of divination
and it stresses that this is skill attributed to the
shinobi. Thus, the connection between this skill and
ninjutsu and the fact that Hattori is so connected with
Iga supports the claim of Hattori as a shinobi and not
just a shinobi leader.
To highlight the importance of this connection the
following extract is from the Gunpo manual (1615)
and is chaptered under the shinobi skills section.

KNOWING FROM WHICH DIRECTION THE ENEMY NIGHT

ATTACKING SHINOBI WILL COME

In Shinobi night attacking, people tend to utilize

specific places as shelter or a hiding place, you
should be aware of this, Shinobi of all people are
likely to move along places that go behind things.

Also there is a way to know what a Ninja will in

accordance with the Chinese Sexagenarian Calendar,
this uses the ten calendar signs and the twelve zodiac
signs, which was transmitted by Hattori Jibuemon.
Therefore, it is not mentioned in the Hidorisho,
which is volume 9 11 of this scroll but it is written
down here.
When using the Sexagenarian Calendar a Ninja will
infiltrate from the 8th direction when counting in a
clockwise motion on the days of:

Ne (Rat)
Uma (Horse)
Tori (chicken)
Mi (Snake)
I (Boar)
Tora (Tiger)

When using the Sexagenarian Calendar a Ninja will

infiltrate from the 4th direction when counting in a
clockwise motion on the days of:

Ushi (Ox),
Hitsuji (Sheep)
Tatsu (Dragon)
Inu (Dog)
U (Rabbit)
Saru (Monkey)

For the above days you should be able to work out

the direction a Ninja infiltration or from where a
night attack will come from by applying the above
rules and counting the correct number of spaces on
the calendar in accordance with the above
information.
Mikawa Province is an old province in the
area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi
Prefecture. Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino,
Shinano, and Ttmi Provinces. Mikawa was the
original fief of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu before
he gained control of Kant. Okazaki was the principal
castle town of Mikawa, although Yoshida Castle, near
Toyohashi, was also a major fief at times. Hattoris
homeland is famous in Japan for its fireworks and to
this day it is still manufacturing most of Japans
fireworks2. In order to maintain security, Mikawa was
the only area permitted by the shogun to produce
gunpowder, which led to this distinction in their
fireworks industry.

During the Edo period, the following domains were

located in Mikawa:

1. Koromo, ruled by the Nait clan.

2. Yoshida, ruled by the Matsudaira (kchi)
clan.
3. Tawara, ruled by the Miyake clan.
4. Hatagamura, ruled by the Toda clan.
5. Nishi-hira, ruled by the oka clan.
6. Okazaki, ruled by the Honda clan.
7. Nishio, ruled by the Matsudaira (Ogy) clan.
8. Kariya, ruled by the Doi clan.
9. Okutono, ruled by the Matsudaira (Ogy)
clan.

2 It is interesting to note that Dr Nakashima has put forward the

theory that the ninja moved their skills towards firework
manufacture at the end of the Edo period.
Iga, is a mountainous area and is special in Japanese
history. Up until the Iranki wars, that was the defeat
of the Iga clans by Oda Nobunaga, Iga was a separate
state external to Japanese central rule. They were a
self governing body of mountain families who are
believed to be Ninja families. Iga is found in modern
day Mie prefecture and is home to the official Iga
Ninja museum.

MIE PREFECTURE
 IGA

A MAP OF IGA
FROM THE EARLY PART OF THE EDO PERIOD.
Hattori Hanzo is not only associated with the ninja
but is always seen as a premier example of the
archetypal shinobi. Yet according to research it
appears that the Japanese do not class Hattori II, III &
IV as a ninja. Firstly the question itself is too
simplistic as one needs to identify what a ninja is by
definition. A dictionary will inform you that a ninja is
a Japanese spy. Thus by default anyone doing spying
in Japan is then a ninja? Of course this is not true to
our image and thats why the question needs to be
refined. To a modern reader the term ninja covers an
image and feel of what we think are the ninja.
However in ancient Japan there were multiple terms
with differing connotations to mean ninja and to
identify the level of achievement by a shinobi. The
two questions that need answering are

What is a ninja?
Were Hattori Hanzo II, III & IV classed as
archetypal ninja?
This subject is discussed in full in Shinobi Soldiers
and thus will not be discussed here however, a
simplistic outline is thus.

A ninja is an espionage agent or wartime covert

operative and was subcategorized into one of the 5
types of spy outlined by the Chinese warlord Sun Tsu
in his art of war. Further to this the ninja were then
categorized by the level of their own merits and skill.
According to historical ninjutsu documentation a
ninja could achieve one of three levels, low middle or
high. Then one needs to add a further element, the
factor of if a person was one of the following:

1. A ninja by profession.
2. A warrior who has achieved some success
in the arts and skills of ninjutsu.
 3. A low born person who has been assigned
an espionage task and has grasped 2 or 3
ninjutsu concepts.

The first option of a ninja by profession is what we

all see as they archetypal shinobi and would be an
expensive and highly trained asset. However, even
the low peasant or the 3rd choice would be classed
and recorded as a shinobi.

As you can see shinobi is a generic and an umbrella

term for all those who deal with ninjutsu. The ninja
portrayed in film and media and the ninja of our
imagination is often real but it is the case that these
ninja would be option 1 and they would represent the
archetypal ninja. Now with this firmly set in the
discussion the question still stands: Were Hattori
Hanzos II III IV Ninja?

Now that we understand that a shinobi could be a

highly skilled master of ninjutsu or a low level local
sent on a mission of spying we can now refine the
question of whether the successive Hattoris were in
fact ninja? So if we return statements above we can
now ask the question:

Were the Hattoris ninja or not?

If we ask the question of whether they were ninja in
one form or the other then the answer is most
definitely yes, they were ninja. Simply being
involved and working alongside archetypal ninja
would make them Genin or low level ninja. So yes,
by definition they were all ninja3 . However, lets
return to the more detailed question as to whether
they fit into the band of archetypal ninja.
We know that Hattori Hanzo I was without doubt an
Iga no Mono and an archetypal ninja. What we do not
know is if Hattori II was such a man? Research tells
us that he was not classed as one even though the
media tells us the opposite. In fact it is very difficult
to identify if he is deemed to be a ninja or not? Thus,
forgetting the media and previous opinions let us look
at the bear facts.

Hattori II was the son of a warring period

ninja, what we do not know is how much
contact they had together but it would
seem that as Hattori II became the head of
that Hattori line by becoming Hanzo. Thus
we can assume that he was not a cast off
child given over.

3The last two could be argued as ninja in this way but it is still
open to if that label could be fully attached.
 Hattori allegedly travelled between
Mikawa and Iga frequently to stay in his
ancestral home of Iga. Therefore he would
have had ample opportunity to witness
and partake in ninjutsu training.
Hattori Hanzo II acted as a scout on the
famous journey made by Ieyasu through
the mountains of Iga. For the ninja of Iga
at that time on such a momentous act to
relay on a person without shinobi skills
would seem a little odd?
After this Ieyasu took 200 Iga and 100
Koka ninja into permanent service and
placed Hattori Hanzo II as unit
commander.
Taking any of the above as single points one could
argue against Hattori as a ninja. However simple
logic would tell any historian that the obvious reason
for Hattoris status is in fact the high probability and
very likely fact that he was in fact a ninja.
HATTORI III
The question of if this Hattori was trained in ninjutsu
is more then difficult to answer. As we have read this
Hattori was a troublesome hand-full and was
disgraced. We can take the fact that the Iga Doshin
were not happy with his leadership as a pointer that
he may have not have been a shinobi. However, you
must remember that simply because he was not liked
does not make him untrained in ninjutsu.
HATTORI IV
Again it is unknown weather this Hattori was a ninja
and we do know that he left the leadership of the
ninja behind. Was he a ninja? This is anyones guess.

The concept of Jonin, Chunin and Genin is often

wrongly translated in the modern ninjutsu world. The
modern and incorrect version is the social ninja
hierarchy where a Jonin is at the top and the Jonin
represents the head of the social ladder. From here it
is incorrectly thought that he commands others
through the Chunin and that the Genin were in fact
the Ninja agents.
THE ABOVE DIAGRAM IS AN INCORRECT VERSION OF
THE USAGE OF JONIN, CHUNIN AND GENIN.

This system is the result of an early 20th century

mistranslation by Okuse Heishichiro.

In point of fact a Jonin has nothing to do with social

status in a hereditary fashion. A Jonin is a ninja agent
who has achieved a high level of skill and has
mastered aspects of the ways of ninjutsu to the
highest degree. Thus a Chunin and a Genin are as
such people or ninjas of lower skill. Also to add
confusion sometimes the nin from Chunin and
Genin is based on two differing Kanji: The first nin
is the ideogram for shinobi and the second nin is
the ideogram for person. Thus the context can
change and this three tier system can mean, High
middle or low skilled ninja or it can mean mid or low
level person in a social standing. Thus when we read
historical documents like the Iran-ki that state that
the Jonin Hattori we can identify that this was a
highly skilled ninja, no matter what his social level
was or was not.
The Ninpiden4 is a historical scroll written by Hattori
Hanzo I (Yasunaga) and then he gave it his son
Masanari who became Hattori Hanzo II and the
famous ninja master Devil Hattori. This scroll is now
kept at the Iga-ueno museum and is one of the three
major manuals on ninjutsu alongside the
Bansenshukai and the Shoninki.

4 It is probable that the Ninpiden was originally called the

shinobi-hiden as the original word was shinobi, which would
change the phonetic sound of pi to hi.
We know that Hattori Hanzo or Devil Hanzo was
involved in the following two battles. What we do not
know is to what extent that he was involved.

The following extracts are basic outlines of those

battles and help to aid us in an understanding of the
world of Hattori. Plus we do know that he was not yet
commander of the Tokugawa shinobi unit.

Date: 1570
Location: mi Province
Forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga
Number: 20,000-28,000
Forces of Azai Nagamasa, Asakura Yoshikage
Number: 14,000-18,000

The 1570 Battle of Anegawa , came as a

reaction to Oda Nobunagas sieges of the castles of
Odani and Yokoyama, which belonged to the Azai and
Asakura clans. It was also referred to as the Battle of
Nomura by the Oda and Azai clans and the
Battle of Mitamura by the Asakura clan.

As warriors sallied forth from the castles, the battle

turned into a melee fought in the middle of the
shallow river. For a time, Nobunagas forces fought
the Azai, while the Tokugawa warriors fought the
Asakura a short distance upstream.
After the Tokugawa forces finished off the Asakura,
they turned and hit the Azai right flank. Inaba Ittetsu,
who had been held in reserve, then came forward and
hit the Azai left flank. Many of the besiegers of
Yokoyama even left their task to aid in the battle. The
Azai and Asakura forces were soon defeated.

The exact number of the casualties in this battle is

unknown. However, the Shinchokoki mentions 1,100
Samurai from Asakura clan being killed in battle. An
army of this period had at least several times more
non-samurai Ashigarus than the samurai, so it would
be reasonable to assume at least several thousand
men were killed.

According to A.L. Sadler in The Life of Shogun

Tokugawa Ieyasu there were 3,170 heads collected by
the Oda camp. A good portion were taken by Mikawa
men, the Tokugawa force. The Mikawa Fudoki gives a
very real picture of the battle: The retainers fighting
in groups and the decapitation of soldiers in the
confused mingling of armies among the clouds of
smoke and dust.

Dec/January 1573

The Battle of Mikatagahara was

one of the most famous battles of daimyo Takeda
Shingens campaigns, and one of the best
demonstrations of his cavalry-based tactics.

As Takeda Shingen drove south, seeking to attack

Tokugawa Ieyasu at his fortress at Hamamatsu, his
forces were met by the Tokugawa on a high plain
called Mikata, just north of the fortress. According to
the Ky Gunkan, the contemporary Takeda military
history, Shingen outnumbered Ieyasu three-to-one,
and organized his men in the gyrin (fish-scale)
formation, enticing his opponent to attack. Ieyasus
troops were arranged in a line, so they could make
the best use of their arquebusiers.
At around four in the afternoon, snow began to fall,
and the arquebusiers opened fire, along with a
number of peasant stone-throwers. Firearms being
quite new to Japanese warfare, were probably
considered an unbalancing factor; Ieyasu may have
expected his superior weaponry to defeat Shingens
tactical attempts. Shingen then let loose his famous
cavalry charge; his horsemen raced towards the
gunners, and overran them; some of the Tokugawa
stood firm, but many withdrew or were killed.

Shingen then withdrew these forward troops, offering

them an opportunity to rest; a new set of horsemen
initiated a new charge, led by Takeda Katsuyori and
Obata Masamori. They were soon joined by the main
body of the Takeda army, which drove their
adversaries into full retreat. Ieyasu sent one of his
commanders, kubo Tadayo, to plant his giant
golden fan standard (uma-jirushi) to serve as a
rallying point at Saigadake, where the high plains
began to drop off. He then sought to re-engage the
Takeda army, to free his trapped generals, but was
persuaded by Natsume Yoshinobu to retreat; Ieyasus
life was too important. Yoshinobu then led a charge
into the Takeda line, and was killed.

When Tokugawa returned to the Hamamatsu fortress,

he was reportedly accompanied by only five men; the
battle had gone badly. Nevertheless, he commanded
that the fortress gates remain open, and that braziers
be lit to guide his retreating army back to safety.
Sakai Tadatsugu beat a large war drum, seeking to
add encouragement to the returning men of a noble,
courageous retreat. This tactic is called the empty
fort strategy. When the Takeda vanguard, led by
Baba Nobuharu and Yamagata Masakage heard the
drums, and saw the braziers and open gates, they
assumed that Tokugawa was planning a trap, and so
they stopped and made camp for the night. Had they
pushed though, it could be argued that they might
have taken the fortress.
In the night, a small band of Tokugawa warriors
attacked the Takeda camp, forcing them into a ravine,
where they lay helpless. The Takeda withdrew the
following morning.
The greatest and by far the most important event that
helped to establish the name Hattori in the annals of
history was his connection to Tokugawa and the
escort of the future shogun through the lands of Iga.
This occurs just before the start of the Edo period and
after the Iga wars with Nobunaga. Nobugana has just
died, killed by one of his own generals, Akechi. At
that time Tokugawa and his retainers had been
staying near saka and learned of the assassination
only just in time to avoid being detained by Akechi
Mitsuhides troops. Mikawa, Tokugawas home town,
was still a long way away and Akechi men would be
combing the roads for them. At this point, Hanzo
suggested that they take a route through Iga province
for their return, as he had ties with the samurai there.
In addition, Ieyasu had sheltered survivors from
Nobunagas bloody invasion of that province in 1580
and those who knew of this would certainly be well
disposed to offer assistance. Honda Tadakatsu sent
Hanzo on ahead, and the Iga men agreed not only to
guide them along back roads, but also to provide
them with an escort.
Tokugawas home and had given shelter to the fleeing
ninja from the Iga ninja wars, the invasion of
Nobunaga a few years before. Thus, the men of Iga
were eager to help the future shogun make there way
through the mountainous realms of Iga and to face the
mountain bandits that roamed the land as the Iranki
document points out.

Hattori Hanzo Masashige (an alternative of

Masanari) was an Iga man. Sent out by Tadakatsu, he
went ahead as a guide to the roads of Iga
It is this above event and the successful escort by the
300 ninja led by Hattori Hanzo that became the major
instance that gives importance to the Hattori story as
because of this the shogun takes 300 ninja into his
employ under the great general Hattori Hanzo.
Hattori Hanzo is classed as one of Tokugawa Ieyasus
great generals and is held in high esteem and thus was
known as Devil Hattori!

HATTORI HANZO III & THE TOKUGAWA

We know that Hattori III was based at the Hanzomon

gate and in command of the ninja group. The only
other thing that we know is that in the1614 siege of
Osaka he was killed as Tokugawa was putting down
the last of his opponents. It is interesting to know that
once he died the ninja group were then led by
Yamaoka Kagetsuge.
THE 1614 SIEGE OF OSAKA CASTLE
Upon consolidating all of Japan the Shogun took
control of Edo castle at the beginning of the 17th
century. The castle was massively complex and this
move began the start of what we understand as
modern day Tokyo. On its outer walls is a series of
gates, gates that were there to defend against the
enemy and to control the stream of people entering
the castle. The castle foundations still stand today and
it is home to the Japanese Royal family.

As Ieyasu settled into his castle he had in his employ

300 ninja, 200 from Iga and 100 from Koka. The
shogun decided to give over two of these gates to his
shinobi retainers. Retainers that are said to have
become gardeners around the palace as well as
overtly established shinobi guards.
The most famous ninja-gate of all has to be
Hanzomon. The gate of Hanzo. It was here that
Hattori Hanzo III took up residence and controlled his
200 Iga ninja from in 1603. It is believed that his
residence was a house built just outside of the gate. It
is unknown when the ninja stopped guarding this gate
but what we can gather is that this period of peace an
the move towards such jobs as palace guards, Iga
Gumi and secret police was the start of the ninjas
decline.
As the Iga ninja took the Hanzomon gate it is said
that the koka ninja took the Otemon gate. Not mush is
well known about this gate and the koka ninja but it
would seem that Hattori was possibly the overall
commander of the ninja under the shogun.
Now keeper of the west gate of Edo castle known as
Hanzomon as mentioned above, the line of Hattori
Hanzo gives its name to that area as well, an area of
modern Tokyo now named Hanzomon which is a fact
unbeknown to most. According to the Tokyo
Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, as of June
2009 the Hanzmon Line is the sixth most crowded
subway line in Tokyo, at its peak running at 173%
capacity between Shibuya and Omotesand stations,
a far cry from the ninja who used to live in the area.
 -THE HANZOMON LINE

According to personal questioning of Japanese

nationals most tend to not understand where the
etymology of Hanzomon comes from and most are
surprised to learn that the station and town was in fact
home to the famous ninja of the past.
There are of course more than just the family line of
Hattori Hanzo. There are more Hattori families out
there. What makes it confusing for a researcher is the
fact that these family lines all share the same
Japanese kanji and thus making it hard to establish
any differences. At this stage it is impossible to tell if
they are ninja or not, the following are historical
instances with no visible connection to the shinobi.

-OTHER HATTORI FAMILIES

Hattori family under the Honganji temples
command with Hattori Tomosada as their
most famous member.
Hattori family under Mutsunokuni Hirosaki Han
command, with Hattori Yasunari as their
prominent figure. This line of Hattori could have a
connection to the Iga ninja line, however it is hard to
verify and thus they have had to be submitted to this
section.
The 1581 siege of Hijiyama was one of the crucial
battles in Oda Nobunagas campaigns to seize Iga
province during Japans Sengoku period. After a
lengthy siege, and several successful sallies by the
defenders, the castle eventually fell and was
destroyed. The Iranki tells us that Hijiyama
Kannondo burnt down and with its fall came the
death of a Jonin named Hattori.

In the Attack on Kikyo Castle thousands were killed

with one sweep of the sword, including the Jonin
Hattori

As the attack came in 1581 which rules out the

possibility that it was one of our 4 main Hattoris and
thus it must be a ninja of the Iga Hattori family.

The Mika Go Fodo-Ki document brings another

Hattori into the historical records and one which more
than likely served under Devil Hanzo, as he was one
of the Iga no Mono who helped Ieyasu across the
mountains on his famous trip around Iga.

From here it was mountain roads and precipices as

far as Shigaraki, with many mountain bandits.
Yamaoka and Hattori accompanied them, defying the
mountain bandits and yamabushi alikeHattori
Sadanobu was praised for the great extent of his
loyalty and on leaving was presented with a
wakazashi forged by Kunitsugu.

Lastly we have a Hattori ninja in a very true form and

one that was under the command of Lord Shingen, a
rival of Tokugawa Ieyasu! This ninja was called
Hattori Jibuemon and appears to us through the
historical warfare manual The Gunpo Jiyoshu. The
author tells us that his understanding of Ninpo comes
from the above ninja and is quoted below:

These 3 volumes of the Shinobi no Sho were

originated by Hattori Jibuemon in the entourage of
Lord Takeda Shingen and written down by me. He
once said that there are 5 principles for the Shinobi.
Number 1 is guidance, 2 is fire, 3 is the enemy, 4 is
that of time and 5 is the principle of stealing in.

Thus we see that the name of Hattori permeates the

world of the shinobi and even finds its way onto
opposite sides.
Among the research for this Hattori investigation
were elements and stories that have found their way
into the mainstream audience that yet have no
references to academic work. Thus they are collected
here as extracts for you to read. However, remember
that these have no recognised source and can not be
accepted into historical research but that does not
mean that they have no place in reality, it simply
means that they, at this point can not be verified.

He was said to have begun training on Mt. Kurama

north of Kyoto at the age of eight, and became a full-
fledged ninja at age twelve, and was known as a
master ninja at age eighteen. His father Yasunaga
served Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, the lord of Mikawa and
the grandfather of future shogun leyasu Tokugawa.

In a folk song from Mikawa in the late 1500s and

early 1600s, Hanzo Hattori is identified as one of
the three bravest retainers of the Tokugawa
Shogun
Lord Tokugawa has brave retainers.
Hattori Hanzo is Hanzo the Daredevil,
 Watanabe Hanzo is Hanzo with a spear,
Atsumi Gengo is Gengo the executioner.

It was said that he could sit behind a hand-held fan,

bow, and then suddenly disappear, only to reappear
in the next room. He was also master of the art of
using a rope to capture an enemy who sneaked up
behind him as he sat in seiza posture. He was
renowned as an other-worldly warrior, capable of
psycho-kinesis and psychomancy. He could discern
clairvoyantly the plans and strength of an enemy
army.

A well-known story is told about Hanzo and Ieyasu

Tokugawa, then the future shogun of Japan. The
general was fond of the martial arts, and was a
sharpshooter, a master swordsman, and an excellent
swimmer himself. One day in his twenty-fifth or
twenty-sixth year, when he was living in Mikawa, he
grabbed Hanzo Hattori by the scruff of the neck,
dragged him to a river, and pulled him underwater.
While Hanzo continued to calmly hold his breath,
Ieyasu had to break the surface, gasping for air. He
crawled ashore, pale and exhausted. How long can
a ninja stay underwater? he asked. One or two
days, Lord. However long you request, replied
Hanzo, who then dived beneath the water. Several
hours passed and there was still no sign of him.
Leyasu became worried. He and his retainers began
calling Hanzos name. Then Hanzo rose to the
surface with bursting air bubbles. He was not out of
breath, but smiling. He handed leyasu something,
and the general let out a cry of surprise. It was the
short sword he had put on after dressing on shore.
I was not beneath the water all the time, Hanzo
proudly told his astounded listeners. After diving
beneath the water, I swam ashore, hid behind a rock,
and napped. When I was called, I dove underwater
and surfaced. I apologize for taking your short
sword, Lord, but this is ninjutsu. Leyasu was deeply
impressed.

Accompanying leyasu, who had been informed of the

betrayal of Nobunaga at Honno-ji temple, Hanzo
Hattori proposed that his lord enter Iga, return to
Mikawa with the help of ninja from Iga and Koga,
and then attack the warrior who had betrayed
Nobunaga. Ieyasu agreed to his proposal, and Hanzo
then visited a famous ninja living on the border of
Iga and Koga and asked for his help. While guiding
leyasu, he shot a rocket into the sky to signal ninja to
gather at the Otogi pass, on the border of Iga and
Koga. When leyasu arrived at the pass, 300 ninja
had already gathered there. Hanzo had Ieyasu ride in
a kago, and he himself stood guard at the future
shoguns side. Guided by the ninja, Ieyasu headed for
Mikawa, safely negotiating difficult places day and
n i g h t . H a n z o re c e i v e d re p o r t s a b o u t t h e
repercussions of the attack against Honno-ji and the
movements of the various daimyo. He, in turn,
informed leyasu, riding in a kago beside him.

As a historical samurai in one of Japans greatest

periods of samurai culture, Hattori Hanzo has
significant cultural resonance among admirers of that
culture, both within Japan and abroad. In the modern
popular culture he is most often portrayed as a ninja,
involved with the Iga ninja clan. A fact one can
ponder on through the investigations contained
above.
1. Hattori Hanz appears in the novel Fukur
no Shiro (Owls Castle), later made into
two feature films.
2. The life of Hanz and his service to
Tokugawa Ieyasu is fictionalised in the
manga series Path of the Assassin.
3. Hattori Hanz appears in the manga/anime
series Gintama, Samurai Deeper Kyo and
together with his clan in Tail of the Moon.
In Tenka Mus young Hanz is the main
 character. In Ninja Hattori-kun, the main
character Kanzo Hattoris name is a pun
on Hanz.
4. Hanz appears as a recurring character in
the Samurai Shodown video game series,
appearing in every game in the series. In
World Heroes, another SNK series, Hanz
serves as one of the main characters, and
is portrayed as rivals with Fma Kotar,
also featured in the games (their rivalry is
based upon the legend surrounding
Hanzs death).
5. The actor Sonny Chiba played his role in
the V-Cinema series Kage no Gundan.
6. In the film Kill Bill, Chiba plays Hattori
Hanz, a master swordsmith who is called
upon to create a katana for the films
protagonist; it has been implied that this
character is a descendant of the historical
figure.
7. He is featured in video game series
Samurai Warriors, where he is portrayed
as a highly skilled ninja, highly loyal to
Tokugawa Ieyasu and attributed to the
death of many of Ieyasus rivals, including
Imagawa Yoshimoto, Takeda Shingen,
To y o t o m i H i d e y o s h i a n d S a n a d a
Yukimura, and having an extremely fierce
rivalry with Fma Kotar.
 8. In the first two games of the Gensou
Suikoden series, a character named Hanzo
is the leader of the hidden ninja village of
Rokkaku. Hattori Hanz is also featured in
the games Kessen III and Civilization IV:
Beyond the Sword.
In the film The Machine Girl, the villains (yakuza
said to be descendants of ninja) state that Hattori
Hanz is their familys name. The manga and anime
series Basilisk (as well as its feature film adaptation
Shinobi: Heart Under Blade) features a character
named Hattori Kyohachiro as an attendant to the
shogun, being the son of the second Hanz, and
adopted son of the fourth Hanz. Another Hanz
clans descendant, private investigator Hanpei
Hanpen Hattori, appears in Android Kikaider.
In the 2009 film Goemon, Hanz appears as a
legendary shinobi and has a significant supporting
role (played by Susumu Terajima).
So where are we and what are we left with? It is clear
that the Hattori Hanzo story is incomplete and in need
as a vast torch shining upon it. The difficulty comes
in that his history is in so much shadow that we may
never know the story in full, but what a story to be
told. There are not many stories that combine, kings
and rulers, esoteric practice, ninjas, ninja
commanders, mountain bandits, battles, desperate
mountain journeys, disgraced ninja leaders and
ancient secret scrolls. The world of Hattori Hanzo is
poetic, deep and of interest to everyone.

As in most cases the historical figure truly outclasses

the fictitious ones and makes one wonder why people
change the original at all. However what makes the
story of Hattori Hanzo more appealing then most is
his connection to the ninja. The ninja have gone
through many changes and the truth is starting to be
revealed and again the incredible abilities of the ninja
are starting to impress us. Thus, Devil Hanzo is what
is best in men, he is a general, a ninja, an academic a
philosopher and above all a shinobi commander. For
us, a modern audience we can only dream of what it
must have been like to command a group of 300
highly trained shinobi and to have them at your
service and thus in turn to be a highly respected
general in an elite position. There seems no better life
to us in this changing century.

However, we are not ninja and we are not in medieval

Japan but we can take the story and lessons of Hattori
Hanzo with us and help them shape the world we live
in, we can push the boundaries and try to establish a
level of respect in our own lives, a respect that we
hope to be equal only to the great Hattori Hanzo!
From the real Iga ninja and head of the Hattori
family, across the stages of Kabuki, through the
cheesy cinema of the 1970s & 80s to the wackiness
of the hit film Kill Bill, Hattori Hanzo has been in the
background for over 400 years and does not appear to
be dying any time soon! So why does this line of
ninja leaders hold our attention more than most? If
we were to be honest it is the same reason that the
Spartans and James Bond are the role models for
men. We all want to do what they can and be them,
deep down. The figure of Devil Hattori represents
what is close to the perfect human. Trained in all the
arts of ninjutsu and all the myriad of skills that that
would contain, to be a samurai and to be known for
courage and martial prowess that is topped with
honour and chivalry and lastly to have the brain to be
able to believe in and push our minds to the extreme
ends of philosophy and magic. In all Hattori Hanzo is
the perfect human, the sword saint of our time.
As a historian and Archaeologist this project has been
difficult to say the least. Not difficult in the volume of
work needed to be accomplished, but difficult in the
amount of work that was not possible to do. One can
simply not just start excavating the imperial place in
Japan and look into the floor plan of Hattoris
residence. Nor was their massive amounts of
information available in an academic format.
Therefore, I have had to collect all I could from the
academic sources in English and have people
translate from Japanese sources where possible.

That left only one other option, the internet. While

internet research is not an avenue that should be
taken, one can assess the information by cross
referencing reliable accounts with the academic
records and arriving at what is almost a certain safe
bet. This project has been an exercise in strictness and
having the ability to cut out all that has even the
slightest possibility of false representation.

Therefore, when the text talks in a strong tone with

definite edges then it is where the work has been
referenced from the academic records. Where such
words as, apparently and it appears, then those are
areas which no matter how much library research was
undertaken there was no way to prove the reality or
authenticity.

Thus, please take assurance in the fact that even

though actual historical records for this more than
famous character are scarce, the work in this book has
stuck to academic principles and has tried to bring
you the most accurate version of his life that it can.

All mistakes in this minefield of history are my own

and I apologize for any error (if any) beforehand.
 - NATORI THE NINJA -
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HISTORICAL NINJUTSU AND NATORI
VISIT

WWW.NATORI.CO.UK
Yin is the negative or dark element within eastern
philosophy and represents the opposing force of light
within the natural world. In Japanese this Yin-Yang is
termed In-Yo and thus here we will call Yin, In.
Thus, In-Nin means the Dark side of Ninjutsu, but
what does this mean to the western reader? Let us
consider this dark side with all we have learnt about
the Ninja. If you spoke to a Ninja in feudal times and
said the word In-Nin they would understand the word
to mean night-time infiltration. Therefore, technically,
In-Nin is the most famous element of Ninjutsu as it
represents the Ninja moving through the night-time
and climbing castle walls while spying on those they
target, yet the word In-Nin is almost unheard of in the
martial arts community.

A DEFINITION

In-Nin in its definition is the art of infiltrating or

spying whilst under the cover of darkness without
being in open disguise and trying to hide your form
from the eyes of others. That does not mean that the
Ninja may not adopt a disguise if he is caught, but it
does mean that he sets out on a mission with the
intention of not walking openly in public.

TECHNIQUES

There are various ways to infiltrate a camp or castle

or certain things that you should look out for when
you, as a Ninja are climbing those high castle walls!

THE IMPENETRABLE APPROACH

A Japanese warring period castle was normally set on

the high ground and like castles all over the world it
made good use of the natural fortifications that can be
found in an area. Thus, a Ninja was told to scale that
impenetrable angle, an angle that was normally not
guarded, and they were told that was the way for
them to get in. This confirms the iconic image of the
Ninja scaling a cliff face, sword and equipment
attached as he made his way into the lions den. The
Gunpo scroll talks about leaving powder and spikes
around these areas as the Ninja often come that way.
At the same point the scroll says how Ninjas, when
they steal-into castles like to hide behind things in the
dark, thus you should check behind all buildings.
Alongside this we have a glimpse of an alternative to
this iconic image, and remembering what we have
said before about the Ninja suit being normal
Japanese wear, we are told that if the castle is large
get in from the most impregnable area. However, if
the castle is small get in from a busy area, so that
once you are in you can blend straight in with the
crowd (that must take serious balls!).

TESTING THE GUARDS

You must remember that the guards at a warring

period castle are more than likely Ninjas themselves,
or at least they have Shinobi within the group and
make no mistake it is these Shinobi that are the
dangerous ones, as they know all the tricks and are
old hat at catching other Shinobi. Firstly, guarding
Shinobi are trained in the skill of Kamaritsuke that
means Detection Skills of the Ninja and they would
follow after the guard and check everything and
everywhere, like a Shinobi deterrent they would
circle the castle or camp waiting to find the Ninjas in
hiding. To add to this you had guards who were
possibly Ninja and they were called Tokiki and this
means listening scouts. These scouts would go out
into the night and listen for other Shinobi who were
approaching, their job was to hide and listen and wait,
wait for that footstep in the dark!

Therefore, when a Ninja found his way to a castle or

camp he would create a sound, and unbelievably he
may have done it with a musical instrument such as a
drum (this is what the scrolls say!) and if those in the
guard house did not react or made a large ruckus in
reaction to the noise, he would know that they were
untrained in the arts of the Ninja. However, if when
he made this sound, the guards in the castle or camp
went silent and if then 3 or 4 men came out of the
guardhouse with spears and swords under their
arms then the attacking Ninja would know that it
was impossible to infiltrate that castle. Other skills
include placing umbrellas at the doorways to
guardhouse and then using the distraction of the
guards responses to gain entry. From scarecrows to
mice a Ninja would use anything to create
misdirection in the enemy and find a way in under the
cover of darkness.

MASS NINJA INFILTRATION

If there is anything more impressive then a lone Ninja

in the night, it is loads of Ninjas in the night! What
many people do not know is that lots of Ninja activity
took place in the mountains and trees between two
encamped armies and they protected the paths to and
from the main camp. One method of infiltration that
sticks out is the art of putting about 70 Ninjas (or
warriors) into the oppositions army without them
knowing and in the middle of an attack at night! The
aim was to have about 100 Ninja in waiting and when
the enemy made their attack and ambush in the night
(which they did en mass) about 70 of the Ninja would
join the attacking force and return with the enemy
and act as part of the army, once there they would
create havoc and kill as many people as possible or
perform other operations such as sabotage. You may
ask what do the other 30 Ninjas do? Well, they are
designated as Ambush Shinobi and they have
passwords and signs set up with the other 70 Ninjas
for their return. They wait to see if the enemy try the
same trick and kill anyone who does not know the
passwords. Just picture the havoc and struggle that
must have gone on in the cold Japanese forests at
night, under the moon with those Ninjas creeping into
each others armies.

The point to this is that the classic vision that we have

of the Shinobi is correct but it is only a fraction of the
reality and only a pale understanding of the amazing
skills that the Ninja held. This is the true way of the
Ninja in the night and the skill of In-Nin, the Dark
Ninjutsu.
ANTONY CUMMINS HOLDS A BA IN ANCIENT HISTORY &
ARCHAEOLOGY AND ALSO AN MA DEGREE IN
ARCHAEOLOGY. HE IS AN AUTHOR, ILLUSTRATOR AND
ARTIST BASED IN M ANCHESTER , E NGLAND . A NTONY
WRITES FOR THE UK MARTIAL ARTS MAGAZINE COMBAT
AND IS A MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR. HE HAS AN INTENSE
PASSION FOR HISTORICAL NINJUTSU, AND IS THE FIRST
PERSON TO BRING AN HISTORICAL NINJUTSU MANUAL TO AN
ENGLISH AUDIENCE.
www.iamjaykane.com