The History of the Ninja or Shinobi

The ninja warriors that we see in the movies and in comics, assassins of the shadows, dressed entirely in black, with almost magical techniques that allow them to hide and carry out missions unnoticed, can be very attractive to the general imagination. But the historical reality of the ninja was different. During Japan’s feudal era, they were “lower class” warriors, recruited by great feudal lords and rulers to perform espionage missions.

The origin of the ninja

It is almost impossible to say exactly when the first ninja, or more correctly “shinobi”, arose, since the functions of spies and assassins are frequent throughout history and in all cultures of the world. Japanese legends say that shinobi are descendants of a demon that was part human and part raven. However, his origin is most likely less mythological, forging his presence as a counterpart to the ruling classes of his day, the samurai.

Most studies suggest that ninjutsu techniques, techniques developed and used by the shinobi, began to take shape between the years 600 and 900. It is believed that Prince Shotoku, who lived from 574 to 622, had his service to Otomono Sahito, a shinobi spy.

By 907, the Tang dynasty in China had fallen, leading the country into some 50 years of uncertainty and change, forcing many generals and rulers of the Tang dynasty to flee to Japan, bringing with them new fighting techniques and war philosophies.

The monks from China also arrived in Japan around the year 1020, introducing new medicines and fighting techniques of their own, with many of their ideas of Hindu origin, passing through Tibet and China, until reaching Japan. These in turn taught the Japanese warrior monks, yamabushi, and other early members of future ninja clans.

The First Known Shinobi School

For more than a century, the encounter between local tactics and those brought from China cemented the teachings of ninjutsu, developing as a counter culture, without formal rules. It was not until the 12th century, when Daisuke Togakure and Kain Doshi formalized the shinobi school.

Daisuke Togakure was a samurai, but having been on the losing side of a regional battle, he was forced to give up his lands and his samurai title. Traditionally, a samurai in these circumstances was expected to commit seppuku, but he did not. Instead, in 1162 he escaped to the mountains of southwestern Honshu, where he met Kain Doshi, a Chinese warrior monk, Daisuke Togakure renounced the bushido code, and together they developed a new theory of guerrilla warfare called ninjutsu. Descendants of Daisuke Togakure founded the first ninja ryu, or school, Togakureyu.

Who were the Shinobi

Some of the leading shinobi, or jonin, were disgraced samurai like Daisuke Togakure, however most shinobi did not come from the nobility. On the contrary, lower-ranking shinobi were usually peasants and common people of the town who learned to fight in order to defend themselves from the dangers of life, including the use of deception and the use of medicines and poisons. As a result, the most famous areas as shinobi strongholds were the Iga and Koga provinces, famous for their farms and small towns.

Women were also part of the shinobi corps. Ninja women, or kunoichi, infiltrated enemy castles disguised as dancers, concubines or servants, so they were often very successful as spies, and even as secret assassins.

The Shinobi under the service of the Samurai

For the samurai it was not always possible to prevail on the battlefield, but they were limited by the bushido code, so they used to hire shinobi to do their dirty work for them. They could steal secrets, assassinate opponents, spread lies, all without tarnishing their honor.

This system helped move some of the wealth to the lower classes, as shinobi were well paid for these questionable tasks. Obviously, the enemies of the samurai could also hire a shinobi, so the latter were used and feared in the same way.

The shinobi leader, or jonin, gave orders to the chunin, or mid-ranking shinobi, who in turn gave orders to the genin, who were normally the shinobi who performed the most daily tasks. This hierarchy was usually based on a person’s background and not necessarily their training or ability, but it was not uncommon for highly skilled shinobi to rise in rank beyond their original social class.

The Rise and Fall of the Shinobi

The rise of the ninja came between 1336 and 1600, in a society in constant war, their techniques were required by the various sides in battle. They played very important roles in the Nabukucho wars (1336–1392), the Onin wars (1460s), and practically throughout the Japanese unification struggle or Sengoku jidai.

The shinobi were a destabilizing force during the Sengoku period (1467-1568), so when Oda Nobunaga emerged victorious among the daimyo and sought to unite Japan under a single peaceful government in 1551–1582, he considered the shinobi strongholds of Iga and Koga like a threat. He quickly defeated the Koga Shinobi forces in a surprise and treacherous attack, but had more trouble with the Iga Shinobi.

In what would later be remembered as the Iga Revolt or Iga No Run, Nobunaga attacked the Iga shinobi with a vastly superior force of over 4,000 soldiers. His quick attack forced the Iga shinobi to fight direct battles, contrary to his guerilla technique, so they had no chance of victory. The survivors fled to neighboring provinces or took refuge in the Kii Mountains.

Although their base was destroyed, the ninja did not completely disappear. Some offered their services to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who would be shogun in 1603, although some others sought alliances on the various sides of the conflict.

During the Edo Period, under the Tokugawa shogunate from 1603 to 1868, Japan entered a time of stability and peace, which also closed the curtain on the world of the shinobi. The legends about the shinobi and their abilities survived time, growing in popularity and qualities, until reaching our days where they are a frequent theme in movies, video games and books.