Page 52 - All About History - Issue 34-16

SHADOW WARRIORS

and the distance from the enemy.” On countless more blurred, with prominent samurai like Hattori
occasions, the information gathered by ninja helped Hanzo also being skilled ninja.
turn the tide of battles and sieges. For nearly 2,000 years, two family clans
Sabotage was another important role for the provided ninja for the warring shoguns and
ninja, who often infiltrated enemy castles to set daimyo. These clans, the Iga and the Kōga, took
them on fire. In 1541, elite Iga ninja infiltrated their names from their regions, which neighboured
Kasagi castle and set fire to the buildings in the one another. The villages of this mountainous
outer bailey. This sort of raid became the speciality area became the breeding ground for Japan’s
of the ninja, with similar attacks at Sawayama in most effective professional ninja. Free from feudal
1558 and Maibara in 1561. lords, these ninja were able to devote their lives to
Ninja have become synonymous with training in ninjutsu –the ‘art of stealth’.
assassination, and warlords often employed ninja The Iga ninja were often retainers of the
to kill their rivals. The ninja were so skilful and Ashikaga shogunate, until it was overthrown
stealthy that castle designers began to implement by Oda Nobunaga in 1573. In 1581, Nobunaga
anti-ninja defences, including pressure-sensitive consolidated his power by destroying Ashikaga’s
Ninja were instrumental in the siege of
floorboards and hidden weapons. Many castles, like Hara Castle. The Christian rebellion was supporters, invading Iga and destroying many of
Himeji, were also designed to be mazes to those the last major conflict to involve them the region’s villages. So fast was the attack that the
not familiar with their corridors and passages. Iga were unable to utilise their ninjutsu skills in
These countermeasures were not always a professional class of warriors. The rival daimyos their defence and were overwhelmed when they
successful, however, and dozens of assassination (lords) who emerged during this time used ninja were forced to fight conventionally.
attempts using various methods – from throat as another weapon in their arsenal, employing The Iga ninja that survived fled through the
cutting to dripping poison into sleeping victims’ them as spies, scouts, kisho (surprise attackers) mountains to serve Tokugawa Ieyasu. One of the
mouths – were made. and agitators to disrupt their enemies. While they greatest Iga ninja, Hattori Hanzo, became a close
During the vicious Onin War – which ravaged were often treated with suspicion and mistrusted friend and bodyguard of Ieyasu, protecting him and
Japan between 1467 and 1477 and destabilised the even by their own allies, the ninja’s skills were helping him escape Nobunaga. For this, Hanzo was
country, plunging it into the chaotic era known grudgingly respected. By the 1600s, the lines rewarded with land and power as Ieyasu gained
as the Sengoku period – the shinobi emerged as between the ninja and samurai class had become enough power to became shogun in 1603. The
remnants of the Iga served as guards and spies for
“The ninja were so skilful and stealthy the Tokugawa shogunate into the 18th century.
The ninja of the smaller Kōga clan acted
that castle designers began to implement independently as mercenaries during the 14th
century, with Kōga ninja often serving rival
anti-ninja defences” warlords. However, in the 15th century, they were
called upon by their local daimyo, the Rokkaku,

The roles of a ninja

While the primary task of the multifaceted ninja was
to be a covert operative, they were also highly skilled
tacticians and conventional warriors
Spies Soldiers Saboteurs Assassins

One of the While ninja As ninja were The most
ninja’s main were able to easily legendary
tasks was to masters of infiltrate to role of the
gather stealth and enemy ninja was as
intelligence staying strongholds, a ruthless
for their lord before and hidden from enemy one of their main duties and silent assassin. Warlord
during military campaigns. combatants, they were became conducting Oda Nobunaga was the
Using their clandestine also supremely skilled in sabotage. Their primary target of many such
skills to blend in with the conventional combat. weapon for such an act attempts. Sugitani
enemy, they would Some ninja were also was fire. The classic Zenjubō, an expert
infiltrate camps and samurai, and a favoured Japanese castles of the marksman, tried and failed
castles. This allowed them tactic during battle was to period were constructed to kill him in 1571. In 1573,
to map defences, obtain create confusion among from wood with stone Manabe Rokurō infiltrated
passwords and report on the enemy by capturing foundations, which made Nobunaga’s castle but was
troop movements. In 1487, their banners. More them extremely vulnerable detected and forced to
Yoshihisa ninja infiltrated a commonly, however, ninja to flame. At the siege of commit seppuku. In 1579,
Takayori camp at Magari, were used to bring Sawayama in 1558, ninja Kido Yazaemon and his
reporting back vital prolonged sieges to a swift infiltrated the enemy’s ninja opened fire on
information before an conclusion by acting as castle and set it alight, Nobunaga, missing him but The legendary bandit ninja Ishikawa
attack was launched. saboteurs. ending the stalemate. killing seven attendants. Goemon meets his end, captured by
his enemies and boiled alive in an
iron cauldron with his son
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