Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique (30 page)

I must say that this approach is a technique to destroy the enemy plans by pretending to accept that which cannot be accepted, and that if also something has been moved to ruin then you should use such a failure [in a positive way as to integrate it] into your plans. This is essential in skills of war.

夜討白出立ちを仕たる事

Youchi Shiroidetachi wo Tsukamatsuritaru Koto

Dress in white during night attacks

One lord-commander who had with him 300 men fought against another lord-commander who had 1,000 men. There was a small river that lay between the two. The commander of the smaller force advanced to the river but as the enemy was larger in number, he did not proceed to enter battle. The larger army saw the smaller army as insignificant and therefore they also did not take the opportunity to enter combat either. The commander of the smaller army sent shinobi to investigate the status of the enemy—and to find where the shallows of the river were. The shinobi investigated these points, returned, and made their report.

The shinobi said: “Generally I have found that this enemy, from the highest rank to the lowest, are content to rely on numerical advantage. This is because while there were watch fires, there were no men standing by them. It looks as if they are not well-guarded. Also, they are rumoring among themselves that even if we attack, our numbers are so small that it would not have an effect on such a larger number. As there is a small river positioned between our sides they have concluded that we will not attack. The rumors also say that our enemy general has the intention to fight as he has come to the river, but that he has yet to cross it. They continued and said that we are not so proficient and therefore they do not have to initiate combat. They say that if their lord forces our army back with his massive army, then we cannot hold out for long.”

At this the lord-commander of the smaller army said that this was indeed fortuitous. He had all ranks of his men wear white jackets, telling them that they would carry out a night raid that very night. No one should strike anyone wearing a white jacket, even if it is an enemy. After this they made a night attack on the enemy camp and won a victory, just as they planned.

敵の窃盗をかりたる事

Teki no Shinobi wo Karitaru Koto

To utilize enemy shinobi

In one battle of the past both lord-commanders were experienced men. They both moved with caution and the battle could not be concluded. One old retainer from one of the sides made his men prepare for night attacks for six or seven nights in a row. Those men did this in various ways but did not actually commit to the attacks. After this period, the leader of the attacks
pretended
to be ill and said:

“I am now extremely ill. If the enemy gets wind of this they will approach with a night attack. Therefore this force of 150 people before me should be split into two groups, taking turns to perform night duties with armor prepared.”

On that night he used 70 people to commit a night raid against the enemy (who numbered 200 people). He killed more than one hundred of them, including low-ranking soldiers, while only three people of the attacking side died. At this someone said:

“This is a technique of using the enemy shinobi and has been used since the days of [Kusunoki] Masashige. Beforehand he had his men prepared to night attack for six or seven nights. This was used as a threat to the enemy. These false “attacks” caused the enemy to become defensive, keeping their guard firm. This, in turn, tired the enemy out. At which point the commander pretended to be ill so that the enemy would relax—they were exhausted from suspense. Thinking that a night raid would not come allowed them to take off their armor. At this point the troops came and won their victory. These skills are used when you assume that shinobi have infiltrated your own men, and you wish to deceive them. If shinobi are blind-sighted and know nothing of this skill, then the enemy will be defeated without fail.”

Generals and retainers should understand this deeply. They should not rely on the judgment of monomi and shinobi alone, but should not dismiss them either. It can be said that the secret traditions of war are here.

眠薬の事

Neburi Gusuri no Koto

Sleeping powder

Supplementary—protection from sleeping powder

♦
Bat – 5 momme, charred

♦
The leaves of a Kiri tree – 8 momme, charred

♦
Centipede – 5 momme, dried in the shade

♦
White sandalwood – 5 momme in its natural state

♦
Cotton plant seeds
^*
– 2 momme in its natural state

♦
Cloves – 5 momme in their natural state

♦
Agar wood – 8 momme, in its natural state

♦
Kigyufun (yellow cattle dung)
^†
– 8 momme fully dried

♦
Suiginro – this is not mercury but is medicine made from “stone” called ginseki (silver stone) – 3 momme

Powder the above and use it when undertaking shinobi activity. Burn it around a guardhouse and if this smell enters the nostrils of even the most well-prepared warriors they will fall asleep and become unconscious—there are oral traditions for this.

When you burn the above powder, apply the following around your own eyes and nose:

♦
Sulphur – 5 momme in its natural state

♦
Borneal – in its natural state

♦
Bat droppings – 2 momme in its natural state

♦
Asiatic Ginseng – 3 momme in its natural state

♦
Cloves – 2 momme in their natural state

♦
Kunroku (an amber-like substance) – 3 momme in its natural state

♦
Benzoin resin – 5 momme, melt this in sake and then transfer it to water to solidify it and then powder it down

Powder the above ingredients, mix it with sesame seed oil and apply this oil around the eyes and nose; even if you smell the sleeping powder you will not sleep. There are oral traditions for this.

水防薬の事

Suibogusuri no Koto

Water sealing substance

This was recorded in the manual
Yoshitsune-ko Kakisute-monogatari
and is a tradition from Yoshimori.

♦
Oil of toad: On the night of the fifteenth day of the eighth month face the moon when it is not hidden by clouds and place toad(s) in a “red bowl;” erect chains around the four corners of the vessel and light candles in front of the chains. When the lights have gone out, the toad(s) will have secreted oil—there are more oral traditions.

♦
Camphor – 5 momme, place this in a pot and roast it seven times

♦
Frankincense – 3 momme, in its natural state

♦
Pine resin – 5 momme, hard, as it is in its natural state

♦
Mouse droppings – 8 momme, powder these mouse droppings just as they are

♦
Cedar resin – 2 momme, in its natural state

The toad oil should equal one third of the above ingredients—mix them together into an ointment and apply it when you swim. Place it around the eyes, mouth and nose—more in oral traditions.

If you apply this above to the rim of a barrel and put the barrel over your head you can move along a riverbed and water will not seep into the barrel—there are oral traditions.

火をとる薬の事

Hi wo Toru Kusuri no Koto

Ignition powder

Those people who are skilled in the way of the shinobi have transmitted this recipe for ignition powder.

♦
Moxa – 10 momme, soak in water and crumple well until it is soft

♦
Sulphur – 8 momme in its natural state

♦
Saltpeter – 5 momme in its natural state

♦
Kettle soot – 5 momme

♦
Camphor – 8 momme in its natural state

♦
Agar wood – 7 momme

♦
Jisseki
^*
– 10 momme in its natural state

Crumple the moxa until it is like cotton, powder the other ingredients and then mix them together. This ignites amazingly well, especially when you ignite it using the sunshine of a clear sky. Using a flawless crystal ball should ignite this. If shinobi do not carry embers upon them then they should use this ignition powder—this is a secret skill of the shinobi. The above can also be used as tinder or the wick of
tamagohi
—“egg fire.”

まき松明の事

Makitaimatsu no Koto

The rolled torch

Supplement to this the powder to be used.

The scatter torch: this is taken from the same tradition as the above ignition powder and is excellent at burning down camp quarters when on a night raid.

The rope that secures the torch should be thin and soft so that it will burn quickly.

Place the above small torches together as one, the more the better. As they burn the rope will snap open and they will scatter and separate. Make sure to apply the powder below to each section in order that the fire will spread quickly.

Recipe for the powder:

♦
Sulphur – 10 momme in its natural state

♦
Saltpeter – 8 momme in its natural state

♦
Camphor – 5 momme in its natural state

Dissolve the above in sesame oil and apply the oil to the torch. In addition to this, you can form a candle-like shape and solidify it, using it [as ignition] for the wick. There is more on this in oral traditions. Furthermore, this recipe will catch fire quickly and when it rains it will not go out when wet.

袖松明の事

Sodetaimatsu no Koto

The sleeve torch

This is used on night raids and shinobi missions:

♦
Sulphur – 8 momme

♦
Camphor – 5 momme

♦
Blue vitriol – 3 momme

♦
Jisseki
^*
– 8 momme

♦
White lead – 3 momme

Mix the above in sesame oil and apply it to a very old cloth. Then split cherry tree wood into thin sections and roll the cloth around it—this will make a torch of four or five sun in length. Carry this in your sleeve and know that it will catch fire very quickly when you need to use it. It will burn for one ri per one sun in length—more information in oral traditions.

たうの火の事

Donohi no Koto

The body warmer and ember container

The recipe for the
donohi
is a secret tradition of the shinobi:

♦
Blue vitriol – 5 momme

♦
Mouse droppings – 3 momme

♦
White lead – 5 momme

♦
Charred sugihara paper – 3 momme

♦
Jisseki
^†
– 5 momme

♦
Polygonum longisetum – 5 momme, use the root and the leaves together