Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique (39 page)

*
There is an old poem on which this version is based. To complete this English translation, the alternative version has been used.

†
A chain of cut white cotton or paper suspended from the straw rope marking off a sacred area of a Shinto shrine.

*
This section contains words that act as memory hooks at the end of each title; in this translation the Kuden (oral tradition) has been recorded and the reason for the use of these memory hooks can be seen in each of the annotations.

†
2 am

‡
2 pm

*
Presumably
hozo
, the belly button, a recurring practice in shinobi literature.

*
This one is written as
通達
meaning “notification.” However, every other equivalent one is
通道
, so it is presumed as a transcription error of
通道
torimichi.

†
This can be seen as either milking snake venom onto a stone, or opening the snake’s mouth around an inkstone and having it bite down upon the stone.

‡
The manual has no instruction on training and only discusses tools. The tool probably allows for a very limited number of extra breaths, which will allow a skilled diver to stay underwater longer.

*
Oestrus ovis.

†
Imported cinnabar from China.

*
Presumably baleen or other whale products.

*
The wrong ideogram is used but is presumably a transcription error and means “night.”

†
For waterproofing.

*
A form of sleeping gas.

†
Non-existent ideogram, possibly whale or shark.

‡
Presumably
Orobanche coerulescens Steph
. This plant grows on the roots of
Artemisia capillaris
as a parasite.

§
Albino snake; there is also a form of Chinese medicine called “white snake” but the grammar here makes it a “snake that is white in color.”

*
That is, fold it three times.

†
This is also known as “Yoshitune’s Everlasting Torch,” sometimes translated as “Yoshitune’s Immortal Torch.”

*
The ideogram used in the text is not extant. Presumably a transcription error of
汞
, meaning mercury.

†
This tool is ambiguous and is lacking further explanation.

*
The five constant factors are the concepts from the
Art of War
: (1) Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and Discipline.

†
上勇
.

‡
血気之勇
.

§
The Japanese word in the text for this is
Kayoimichi
, which literally means “the road that people walk.”

¶
空之理
.

*
This was added by Fujita Seiko—his claims to a ninjutsu lineage have, to date, not been substantiated.

*
The same brothers and torch are mentioned in the
Giyoshu
manual presented earlier.

†
Charred and powdered mole is called
Doryuso
, was well-known and was used for multiple reasons.

*
I.e., take the weather and environment into account.

Part IV

THE RESURRECTION

The Return of the Samurai

H
aving
now torn apart the myths of the samurai and shinobi into basic building blocks, we have illuminated the core elements of both the identity and function of the medieval warrior. Having reconnected and rebuilt a truer image of both the Japanese knight and the commando-spy the question remains, what to do next? The central goal of my work is to allow the truth of Japanese medieval warfare to break through into the twenty-first century. This is to put to rest all the mistruths and fantasy, so as to give it the educated and serious respect that it deserves, as a comprehensive art of war. This goal is achieved through the various translations of both samurai and shinobi scrolls, specifically through historical analysis of those translations. The main aim is for all people who have any interest in warfare, history or martial arts, to move past the clichéd idea of the samurai (which was propagated in the 1980s and 1990s), to truly understand just how dangerous and sophisticated—and even cruel—samurai life was. The best way to achieve this goal is to translate, publish, and reestablish a historical samurai war school. It is a method that will fully display the internal workings of the social and military structure of the warriors themselves. In short—
let them tell their own story
. Therefore, to truly set this movement in motion and to develop the understanding of a full samurai school of war, I have sought out permission from a samurai family to reconstruct such a school. I, with this permission, have resurrected the samurai and shinobi school known as Natori-Ryu.

Natori-Ryu

Natori-Ryu was already established in the Sengoku Period when one branch of the family served the Takeda clan in the second half of the sixteenth century. The country then was at war. After the fall of the Takeda family, the Natori warriors, along with many others who served the Takeda clan, moved to serve the future shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. From here the Natori clan separated into further sub-branches and served in places such as the capital, Edo, and in Kishu—present-day Wakayama. In or around the 1640s, Natori Sanjuro Masazumi was most likely born and later started to serve the clan, becoming an instructor of
gungaku
—military study. He revolutionized the school system and was a prolific writer, capturing the then declining military skills of the last generation. (The last generation being those who had seen active service in the wars, or who had studied directly under them.) His aim was to amass and accumulate the teachings, the valuable skills of the samurai, and to allow his school to flourish. He became known as a
Chuko no So
—“a grandmaster of rejuvenation”—and was known by the name
Issui sensei
. Issui sensei would write on a wide and comprehensive range of subjects, all of which were dedicated to the arts of war. He went on to write one of the most important shinobi scrolls in history, the now famous Shoninki, which has been published in English under the title
True Path of the Ninja
. The school was eventually abolished during the Meiji Restoration and closed its doors under the tide of a new form of warfare. However, in libraries and collections across Japan his writings and teachings have lain on shelves in darkened rooms. For the first time in over 150 years they have been brought back together with renewed life.

To fully immerse into the samurai mind, and the details of samurai warfare, a student of military arts must have an understanding of a samurai school in full. This understanding is
not
just a liking for swordplay or hand-to-hand combat—a usual outlet for samurai enthusiasts. Therefore I set about the task of resurrecting Natori-Ryu and have succeeded in collecting the works of Natori Sanjuro Masazumi. Because of these things, we now have the full opportunity of that understanding before us.

Antony Cummins at the grave of Natori Masazumi

In 2012, my translation partner Minami Yoshie and I discovered the lost grave of the shinobi-samurai Natori Sanjuro Masazumi. We gained a connection with the grave keeper, the monk Yamamoto Jyuho. He was at that time unaware of Natori Masazumi but is now extremely involved in the preservation and promotion of the history of the Natori clan.

The monk Yamamoto Jyuho—keeper of Natori Masazumi’s grave.

From here a bond with the last remaining members of the Natori clan was established. On the May 5, 2013 the family and monk signed both an agreement and blessing to allow me to publish Natori-Ryu, reestablishing it as a working military school. This reestablishment allows the English-speaking world to study a complete samurai school of war for the first time. This new opportunity has created an exciting movement in the world of martial arts and Japanese historical research. Members across the globe have actively participated in the reestablishment. I would like to invite you, the reader, to become a part of this movement and to become fully involved with the correct interpretation of these once lost skills. This worldwide community is open to everyone, and is founded on the principles of communal study and mutual benefit to all students. The skills of Natori-Ryu include all the military learning needed in samurai tactics and military campaigns, including a full shinobi curriculum. To contribute in adding life to this authentic samurai school, see the author’s website along with other social media for more information—these sites will provide guidance on becoming involved.

The Natori-Ryu logo, with family crest and name in Japanese.

The blessing for the reopening of Natori-Ryu by the last members of the Natori family.