Page 55 - All About History - Issue 34-16

SHADOW WARRIORS

The intelligence gathered by infiltrating ninja was
essential during the storming of castles, helping to
find weaknesses in the enemy’s defences

Accounts recall that during the siege they were or runaway ninja. For 15 years, Goemon stole from of her late husband’s uncle, Takeda Shingen,
sent to scout the Christian rebels’ defences. They the rich feudal overlords and gave to the poor. As the leader of the Takeda clan. Shingen asked
reconnoitred the plan of the castle, the distance a legendary figure, there are conflicting accounts Mochizuki to form a network of kunoichi to spy
between bastions, the height of the walls and the of his death. The most common tells that in 1594, on rival clans and daimyo. Mochizuki recruited a
depth of the moat. On their return, they created a following the murder of his wife and capture band of female orphans, refugees and prostitutes,
detailed plan of the defences for the shogun. The of his son, he attempted to infiltrate Toyotomi who she trained in the clandestine arts of the
ninja were then tasked with raiding the enemy Hideyoshi’s castle and assassinate him. However, ninja. Mochizuki’s kunoichi gathered information
lines, capturing provisions and learning the guards were alerted to his presence when and acted as messengers, often travelling as miko
the enemy’s strength. During the he accidentally knocked a bell off a (priestesses) to avoid suspicion. Posing as geisha,
final assault on Hara, Kōga ninja table, and he was promptly captured. prostitutes and servants, the kunoichi could gain
acted as liaisons and runners Goemon was then executed by access to the most heavily guarded strongholds.
between the attacking forces. DID being boiled alive in an iron Like their male counterparts, they were also trained
The castle was quickly YOU KNOW? cauldron with his young son. assassins. The network grew to be several hundred
overrun, and the Kōga ninja Even today, Goemon remains a strong before Shingen’s death in 1573, after which
had played an essential Female ninja existed and folklore legend in Japan. Mochizuki vanishes from the historical record.
role in the suppression of were called ‘kunoichi’, Not all ninja were men. Following the Christian Shimabara Rebellion in
Christianity in Japan. The and were mainly The female onna-bugeisha 1638, Japan entered a long period of peace during
religion wouldn’t resurface used for espionage were warriors belonging to the Edo period. This was the last great battle fought
until the 19th century. purposes the Japanese nobility, and there by the ninja before they slowly faded into obscurity
While ninja from Iga and Kōga were also female ninja, or kunoichi. during the long peace. Fighting became confined to
are some of the most revered, there Women were well suited to the small skirmishes and short-lived rebellions, and the
were other active groups. One band, clandestine role of the ninja and were need for ninja diminished. During the 18th century,
led by Fuma Kotaro, served the Hojo clan, uniquely able to infiltrate enemy strongholds in the the ninja’s traditional role of spying and intelligence
but when their lord was defeated, they became guise of servants, dancers, concubines and geisha. gathering is thought to have been taken over by the
bandits. Ishikawa Goemon is another ninja who The kunoichi also sometimes acted as assassins. Oniwaban, who reported to the shogun Tokugawa
turned to banditry. He became a legendary Robin The most famous female ninja was Mochizuki Yoshimune, providing information on the feudal
Hood-like figure by stealing from the wealthy Chiyome, who was descended from Kōga ninja lords he ruled over. The traditions and skills of the
daimyo. He trained under Momochi Sandayu, an and the wife of a samurai lord. When her husband ninja continue, but only a shrinking handful can
Iga master of ninjutsu, before he became a nukenin, was killed in battle, she came under the protection now claim to be true shinobi.
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