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History of the Ninja
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Black-clad figures with muffled faces skitter through a courtyard, swarming over walls like spiders and running lightly across rooftops, quick as cats.
An unsuspecting samurai sleeps peacefully as these shadows permanently silence his body guards. The bedroom door slides open without a sound, an up-raised blade glints in the moonlight, and...
This is the ninja of the movies and comic books, the stealthy assassin in black robes with magical abilities in the arts of concealment and murder.
This wraith-like being is very compelling, to be sure. But what is the historical reality behind the popular culture icon of the Ninja?
Origins of the Ninja:
It is difficult to pin down the emergence of the first ninja, more properly called shinobi. After all, people around the world have always used spies and assassins.
Japanese folklore states that the ninja descended from a demon that was half man and half crow. However, it seems more likely that the ninja slowly evolved as an opposing force to their upper-class contemporaries, the samurai, in early feudal Japan.
Most sources indicate that the skills that became ninjutsu, the ninja's art of stealth, began to develop between 600-900 A.D. Prince Shotoku, (574-622), is said to have employed Otomono Sahito as a shinobi spy.
Mainland Influences on the Early Ninja:
By the year 850, the Tang Dynasty in China was in decline. It would fall in 907, plunging China into 50 years of chaos; the collapse prompted some Tang generals to escape over the sea to Japan.
These commanders brought new battle tactics and philosophies of war with them.
Chinese monks also began to arrive in Japan in the 1020s, bringing new medicines and fighting philosophies of their own. Many of the ideas originated in India, and made their way across Tibet and China before turning up in Japan.
The monks taught their methods to Japan's warrior-monks, or yamabushi, as well as to members of the first ninja clans.
The First Known Ninja School:
For a century or more, the blend of Chinese and native tactics that would become ninjutsu developed as a counter-culture, without rules.
It was first formalized by Daisuke Togakure and Kain Doshi.
Daisuke had been a samurai, but he was on the losing side in a regional battle. He lost his lands and his samurai title.
In 1162, Daisuke was wandering the mountains of southwest Honshu when he met Kain Doshi, a Chinese warrior-monk. Daisuke renounced his bushido code, and together the two developed a new theory of guerrilla warfare called ninjutsu.
Daisuke's descendants created the first ninja ryu, or school, the Togakureryu.
Ninjutsu versus Bushido:
Ninjutsu developed as an opposing force to the samurai code of bushido.
Samurai valued loyalty and honor above all else.
Going into battle, a samurai would select a single opponent, announce his challenge, list his family pedigree, and then attack. Samurai wore bright colors on their armor to announce their clan identity.
Bushido was very noble, but it couldn't always get the job done.
That is where ninjutsu came in: the ninja code valued accomplishing a mission by whatever means necessary. Sneak attacks, poison, seduction and spying were all shameful to the samurai, but fair play by the rules of the ninja.
Who Were the Ninja?:
Some of the ninja leaders, or jonin, were disgraced samurai like Daisuke Togakure. They had lost in battle or had been renounced by their daimyo, but fled rather than committing seppuku.
Most ordinary ninja were not from the nobility, though. They were villagers and farmers, who learned to fight by any means necessary for their own self-preservation.
The most famous ninja strongholds were the Iga and Koga Provinces.
Women also served in ninja combat. Female ninja, or kunoichi, infiltrated enemy castles in the guise of dancers, concubines or servants. They were successful spies, and sometimes acted as assassins as well.
Samurai Use of the Ninja:
The samurai lords could not always prevail in open warfare, but they were constrained by bushido. So, they often hired ninja to do their dirty work.
Secrets could be spied out, opponents assassinated, or misinformation planted... without sullying a samurai's honor.
This system also transferred wealth to the lower classes, as ninja were paid handsomely for their work.
Of course, a samurai's enemies could also hire ninja. As a result, the samurai needed, despised, and feared the ninja, in equal measure.
The ninja "high man," or jonin, gave orders to the chunin, "middle man," who passed them on to the genin, ordinary ninja.
Ninja Clothing, Tools and Weapons:
In modern movies and comic books, ninjas are portrayed in all-black clothing, with only their eyes showing.
This costume, however, comes from the kabuki theater.
Actual ninjas wore navy blue for night operations. Usually, however, they dressed to blend in with their targets - as any sensible espionage agent would do.
Ninja tools and weapons included: shinobigatana, medium-length swords; the bo and naginata, war staves and pikes; and martial arts like karate.
Ninja also developed special equipment like the shuko, an iron hand-crampon used for climbing, and the tessen, a sharpened metal fan.
Ninja Techniques:
Ninjutsu is practical; if a tactic is effective, then it is acceptable.
The Eight Methods taught in many ryu were: Body skills, karate, spear fighting, staff fighting, blade-throwing, use of fire and water, fortification and strategy, and concealment.
Many ninja weapons were modified from farm sickles, saws for wood cutting, pruning shears, etc. If discovered, these items would not give away a ninja's identity.
Among the ninja were expert poisoners. Poison was added to food, or applied to a dart or blade.
Some ninja disguised themselves as flute-playing mystics. The sturdy flute could be used as a club or blow-dart tube.
The Rise and Fall of the Ninja:
The ninja came into their own during the tumultuous era between 1336 and 1600. In an atmosphere of constant war, ninja skills were essential for all sides.
The Nanbukucho Wars (1336-1392)
For more than 50 years in the 14th century, Japan had two separate imperial courts, which fought for control of the country.
The Northern Court was controlled by the shoguns. The Southern Court belonged to Emperor Go-Daigo, who wanted to rule in his own right.
Ninja played an important role on both sides in this struggle, infiltrating castles as spies, and even burning down the South's Hachiman-yama Fortress.
The Northern Court eventually won, and the puppet-Emperor system was retained.
The Onin War (1467-1477)
About 70 years later, the Onin War broke out. Ninja featured heavily in this conflict, as well.
The war began as a succession fight within the ruling Ashikaga clan, but soon devolved into a nation-wide civil war.
Although the Onin War ended after 10 years, it ushered in a century of turmoil called the Sengoku Jidai, or "Warring States Period" (though it was actually samurai clans fighting, rather than states).
Ninja served a number of purposes during the Sengoku Period (1467-1568). They acted as kancho (spies), koran (agitators), teisatsu (scouts), and kisho (surprise attackers). They were most effective in castle sieges, infiltrating and distracting the defenders inside while the main besieging army attacked from outside.
Destruction of the Ninja Bases (1581)
The ninja were an important tool during the Sengoku Period, but a destabilizing influence. When war-lord Oda Nobunaga emerged as the strongest daimyo and began to reunite Japan (1551-1582), he saw the ninja strongholds at Iga and Koga as a threat.
Nobunaga's lightning-quick attack on Iga forced the ninja to fight open battles; they were defeated and scattered to nearby provinces or the mountains of Kii.
While their power-base was destroyed, the ninja did not vanish entirely. Some went into the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who later became shogun in 1603.
The much-reduced ninja continued to serve both sides in struggles. In one famous incident from 1600, a ninja sneaked through a group of Tokugawa's defenders at Hataya castle, and planted the flag of the besieging army high on the front gate!
Edo and the End
The Edo Period (1603-1868) brought stability and peace to Japan, bringing the ninja story to a close. Ninja skills and legends survived, though, and were embellished to enliven the movies, games and comic books of today.
The Origin of the Samurai
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The Origin of the Samurai:
The samurai, a class of highly skilled warriors, gradually developed in Japan after the Taika reforms of 646 A.D. The reforms included land redistribution and heavy new taxes, meant to support an elaborate Chinese-style empire. As a result, many small farmers had to sell their land and work as tenant farmers.
Meanwhile, a few large landholders amassed power and wealth, creating a feudal system similar to medieval Europe's. This top-heavy system proved unwieldy, and crumbled within a few centuries . As in Europe, the new feudal lords needed warriors to defend their riches. Thus, the samurai warrior (or "bushi") was born.
Early Feudal Era Samurai:
Some samurai were relatives of the landowners, while others were simply hired swords. The samurai code emphasized loyalty to one's master, even over family loyalty. History shows that the most loyal samurai were usually family members or financial dependents of their lords.
In the 900s, the weak emperors of the Heian Dynasty (794-1185) lost control of rural Japan. The country was riven by revolt; the emperor soon wielded power only within the capital. Across the country, the warrior class moved in to fill the power vacuum.
By 1100, the samurai effectively held both military and political power over much of Japan.
End of the Heian Era / Rise of Samurai Rule:
The weak imperial line received a fatal blow to its power in 1156, when Emperor Toba died without a clear successor. His sons, Sutoku and Go-Shirakawa, fought for control in a civil war called the Hogen Rebellion.
In the end, both would-be emperors lost; the imperial office lost all its remaining power.
During this civil war, the Minamoto and Taira samurai clans rose to prominence. They fought one another in the Heiji Rebellion of 1160. After their victory, the Taira established the first samurai-led government, or shogunate, with the emperor as a figurehead.
The defeated Minamoto were banished from the capital at Kyoto.
Kamakura Period :
The two clans fought once more in the Genpei War (1180-1185), which ended in victory for the Minamoto.
Minamoto no Yoritomo established the Kamakura Shogunate, which ruled much of Japan until 1333. While the Kamakura were powerful, they never conquered northern and western areas of the country. The shoguns also faced periodic resistance from other samurai clans.
In 1268, an external threat appeared. Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of Yuan China, demanded tribute from Japan. Kyoto refused. The Mongols invaded in 1274 with 600 ships, but a typhoon destroyed their armada. A second invasion fleet in 1281 met the same fate.
Fall of the Kamakura / Early Muromachi (Ashikaga) Period:
Despite such incredible help from nature, the Mongol attacks cost the Kamakura dearly.
Unable to offer land or riches to the samurai leaders who rallied to Japan's defense, the weakened shogun faced a challenge from Emperor Go-Daigo in 1318. The emperor was exiled in 1331, but returned and overthrew the Shogunate in 1333.
This Kemmu Restoration of imperial power lasted only three years.
In 1336, the Ashikaga Shogunate under Ashikaga Takauji reasserted samurai rule, but it was weaker than the Kamakura had been. Regional constables called "daimyo" developed considerable power, meddling in the shogunate's succession.
Later Muromachi Period:
By 1460, the daimyo were ignoring orders from the shogun, and backing different successors to the imperial throne. When the shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, resigned in 1464, a dispute between backers of his younger brother and his son ignited even more intense bickering among the daimyo.
In 1467, this squabbling erupted into the decade-long Onin War. Thousands died, and Kyoto was burned to the ground.
The Onin War led directly to Japan's "Warring States Period," or Sengoku. Between 1467 and 1573, various daimyo led their clans in a fight for national dominance. Nearly all of the provinces were engulfed in the fighting.
Azuchi-Momoyama Period / Restoration of Order:
The Warring States Period began to draw to a close in 1568, when the warlord Oda Nobunaga defeated three other powerful daimyo, marched into Kyoto, and had his favorite, Yoshiaki, installed as shogun.
Nobunaga spent the next 14 years subduing other rival daimyo, and quelling rebellions by fractious Buddhist monks.
His grand Azuchi Castle, constructed between 1576 and 1579, became of symbol of Japanese reunification.
In 1582, Nobunaga was assassinated by one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide. Hideyoshi, another general, finished the unification and ruled as kampaku (regent).
Hideyoshi invaded Korea in 1592 and 1597.
Tokugawa Shogunate (Edo Period):
Hideyoshi had exiled the large Tokugawa clan from the area around Kyoto to the Kanto region in western Japan. The Taiko died in 1598, and by 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu had conquered the other western daimyo from his castle stronghold at Edo (the future Tokyo).
Ieyasu's son, Hidetada, became shogun of the unified country in 1605, ushering in about 250 years of relative peace and stability for Japan.
The strong Tokugawa shoguns domesticated the samurai, forcing them to either serve their lords in the cities, or give up their swords and farm. This transformed the warriors into a hereditary class of cultured bureaucrats.
Meiji Restoration and the Decline of the Samurai:
In 1868, the Meiji Restoration signaled the beginning of the end for the samurai.
The Meiji system of constitutional monarchy included such democratic reforms as term limits for public office and popular balloting. With public support, the Meiji Emperor did away with the samurai, reduced the power of the daimyo, and moved the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo.
The new government created a conscripted army in 1873; many of the officers were drawn from the ranks of former samurai.
In 1877, angry ex-samurai revolted against the Meiji in the Satsuma Rebellion; they lost the Battle of Shiroyama, and the era of the samurai was over.
The Culture and Myth of the Samurai:
Samurai Culture
The culture of the samurai was grounded in the concept of bushido - "the way of the warrior." The central tenets of bushido are honor and freedom from the fear of death. A samurai was legally entitled to cut down any commoner who failed to honor him (or her) properly. A warrior imbued with bushido spirit would fight fearlessly for his master, and die honorably rather than surrender in defeat.
Out of this disregard for death, the Japanese tradition of seppuku evolved: defeated warriors (and disgraced government officials) would commit suicide with honor by ritually disemboweling themselves with a short sword.
Samurai Weapons
Early samurai were archers, fighting on foot or horseback with extremely long bows (yumi). They used swords mainly for finishing off wounded enemies.
After the Mongol invasions of 1272 and 1281, the samurai began to make more use of swords, as well as poles topped by curved blades called naginata, and spears.
Samurai warriors wore two swords, together called daisho - "long and short." The katana, a curved blade over 24 inches long, was suitable for slashing, while the wakizashi, at 12-24 inches, was used for stabbing. In the late 16th century, non-samurai were forbidden to wear the daisho.
Samurai wore full body-armor in battle, often including a horned helmet.
The Samurai Myth
Modern Japanese honor the memory of the samurai, and bushido still infuses the culture. Today, however, the samurai code is invoked in corporate boardrooms rather than on the battlefield.
Even now, everyone knows the story of the 47 Ronin, Japan's "national legend."
In 1701, the daimyo Asano Naganori drew a dagger in the shogun's palace and tried to kill Kira, a government official. Asano was arrested, and forced to commit seppuku. Two years later, forty-seven of his samurai hunted down Kira and killed him, without knowing Asano's reasons for attacking the official. It was enough that he wanted Kira dead.
Since the ronin had followed bushido, the shogun allowed them to commit seppuku instead of being executed.
People still offer incense at the graves of the ronin, and the story has been made into a number of plays and films.
Japanese Swords History
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Japanese Swords: A History
The first swords known to appear were actually gifts sent to queen Himeko fromin 240 A.D. Approximately forty years after this event multiple iron swords were imported to from as well.
It wasn't until the fifth century that steel swords were manufactured in, probably from a process learned from Chinese or Korean immigrants. Unlike the common curved blades to come in the future, however, these iron blades were straight and single-edged in nature.
By the sixth century, Japanese swordsmiths had created the unique steel hardening technique that would become the trademark for future Japanese weaponry. But it wasn't until the eighth century that Japanese blades became curved as fighting moved largely from ground combat to warfare on horseback.
By the Heian Era (794-1184) Japanese smiths had devised the process of forging blades with a hard outer surface and soft inner core. They also began signing their blade typically with their name and date on the tang, a custom referred to as “tachi.”
The rise of the Samurai class came about in 1184-1333, starting when Minamoto no Yorimoto moved his shogunate to (for which this era is named). became something of a swordsmiths and other artisans to gather, encouraging experimentation in sword styles galvanized by Masamune, one of the most famous Japanese swordsmiths of all time. Swords of this era were wider than earlier predecessors, and although highly improved in nature still had deficiencies that were illuminated during battles with Mongol hordes in 1274 and 1281. Points of these swords were often broken fighting Kublai Khan's warriors and demonstrated a need for improved design.
Starting in 1334, wars raged for over sixty years between the splintered Northern and Southern courts of Emperor Godaiko and Emperor Komyo. It was during this era that ground warfare (versus fighting on horseback) came back into fashion and a demand for longer swords began. Called odachi, these blades were typically wielded with two hands and the direct forefather to the katana.
When the wars between the two courts finally ceased there was only a brief period of peace before the era known as Senkogu-“the time the country was at war.” It was during the beginning of this era that the tachi (longer blade) was shortened to make them easier to draw for foot soldiers. The curvature of the blade also moved forward to accommodate ground fighting.
It was during the second part of this era that swords were shortened even further for ground fighting and the modern katana was brought into widespread use. Carried with the cutting edge facing upwards to allow the sword to be drawn in one motion, the katana was thereby differentiated from the tachi that hung with the edge facing downwards.
In 1542 warfare changed dramatically when the Portuguese first introduced firearms to. Armor for Japanese soldiers became thicker to protect soldiers from bullets, and thicker and longer swords were created to cut through this heavier protection.
Fortunately this era of warfare did not last long, and under the rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu a feudal society was created that would remain unchanged for multiple generations (until 1867). Called the Edo Era, swords created from 1596 on (when the Era began) are often referred to as “new swords” versus “old swords” of earlier ages. During this long period of time, smiths were able to exchange ideas about forging and construction, and techniques for smelting were also improved. Swords in the earlier part of the era are referred to as Shinto “new swords” followed by shinshinto In 1876 swords were referred to as gendaito “contemporary swords” followed by shinshakuto “modern swords” beginning in 1953 to the present age.
After the Second World War, however, Americans forbade the manufacture of swords in. It was not until 1953 when the practice became legal again, resurrecting an ancient tradition that had almost become extinct. Fortunately there were still master smiths who could teach future generations about sword and katana production, a practice that continues until today.
Sword Display
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There are right ways and wrong ways by which a katana is displayed in your home or office. The Japanese katana cannot be displayed casually on the horizontal stand. The manner which it is displayed conveys your intentions, and somtimes the status of your nation. (not to mention there is a front/back side to each sword).
Order of placement for multiple swords:
If you own multiple swords and would like to display them on a multiple tiered stand, the order should be the Tanto (top tier), Wakizashi (middle tier), then the Katana (lower tier). This order directly corresponds to the order which the swords are worn on the samurais body as he dress and prepares himself each morning. The Katana is carried by hand to the entrance of the home and worn last, so it should go on the very bottom of the stand.
Displaying a sword in scabbard and out of scabbard:
Generally, the katana sword is kept within its scabbard when displaying it in your home. There are some circumstances when it is appropriate to display a katana out of its scabbard, one of these is if your nation is at war. When displaying in such a manner, you are conveying aggression and guarded attitude and the handle of your katana will be pointing to your right.
Cutting edge orientation:
EDGE UP - When not on horses, the samurai sword is worn with the blade side up on the left side of the body. This is also the popular style adopted in the more recent periods. A blade worn on the left side allows you to draw with your right hand. The upward facing edge allows you to cut downwards in front of you as you draw the sword from the sheath. Likewise, the sword on a stand should be displayed with the blade edge facing upwards. This also allows you to elimiate the pressure placed on the cutting edge.
Grip Orientation (as you face a displayed sword):
Grip pointing to the right - This conveys an aggressive or non-trusting intention. This is because you are able to draw the sword directly from the display stand with your right hand and respond to any immediate threat.
Grip pointing to the left - This conveys a non-hostile attitude and should be the way your swords are displayed on a regular basis. A left facing grip cannot be drawn with the right hand and has to be picked up, rotated (if grabbed with the left) or switch hands (if grabbed with the right) with before it can be drawn for use. By displaying your katana in this manner, you are stating that you feel no need threat nor harbor hostility that would require you to quickly reach for your sword. Additionally, a left facing grip with cutting edge upwards allows the front of your katana to face forward.
Vertical Stands:
Shogun Stands for Tachi - A Japanese sword can also be displayed vertically on a shogun stand. When using a verticle stand, the edge of your sword should be facing the stand and the handle side down.
Storing Katanas:
For long term storage of your katana, the proper way to do this is to store your blade separately within a shirasaya. A shirasaya is a naturally dried, unlacquered sheath designed to allow for your blade to breath. The functional, lacquered scabbard is believed to be bad for the sword if stored for prolonged periods of time because it doesn not allow for the blade to breath properly. Often times, valuable blades are stored separately and only the scabbard along with the fittings are displayed in public.
We do not provide nor sell shirasaya by itself as an aftermarket part. We do, however, apply a light coat of oil on all of our blades after use and re-oil our own swords on a regular basis whether it is used or not.
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