The Most Famous Ninja of Feudal Japan

There are two types of warriors from the Japanese feudal era who have captured the interest of people around the world, creating a world of stories, myths and fantasy that embellish books and movies: the samurai warrior, knights who fought under a strict code of conduct based on in honor; and the ninja or shinobi, normally considered lower class, who carried out espionage and assassination missions from the shadows. To some extent, right arm (samurai) and left arm (shinobi) of the great feudal lords and the emperor.

There were also female ninjas! (You can see in the following video)

Since shinobi were agents who operated from the shadows, where secrecy and mystery were esteemed, their names and achievements were not usually written in history books or official records, as was the case with samurai. This does not prevent us from knowing that the most powerful and renowned clans were those based on Iga and Koga.

Despite so much secrecy, some names survived time, and today they continue to resonate as superlative examples of this warrior class. Among them are the following.

Fujibayashi Nagato

Fujibayashi Nagato was the leader of the Iga ninja during the 16th century, when his followers used to serve the daimyo of Oomi during his fight against Oda Nobunaga. This led to Nobunaga considering them a great threat, invading Iga and Koga to try and wipe out the ninja clans forever, although many of them escaped, hid and preserved the shinobi culture.

The Fujibayashi family actively worked to uphold the teachings and techniques of the shinobi. Fujibayashi Yasutake made what would come to be considered the Ninja Encyclopedia, the Bansenshukai.

Momochi Sandayu

Momochi Sandayu was the leader of the Iga ninja during the second half of the 16th century, and is believed to have died during Oda Nobunaga’s invasion of Iga. However, legend has it that he managed to escape and spent his days as a farmer in Kii Province, leaving behind his life as a warrior for a quieter one in the countryside.

Momochi was famous for his philosophical teachings tied to ninjutsu, stating that these techniques should only be used as a “last resort” to save his life or that of another shinobi, serve his clan, or his lord.

Ishikawa Goemon

In old local tales, Ishikawa Goemon is very similar to a Japanese Robin Hood, although there is a belief that he was a real person in Japanese history. Descendant of a samurai family that served under the Miyoshi clan of Iga, and was supposedly trained as a shinobi under Momochi Sandayu.

Probably, Goemon escaped from Iga during Nobunaga’s invasion, although there are stories that say he had a romantic relationship with Momochi’s wife, so he had to escape his master’s fury. In this same story it is said that Goemon took Momochi’s favorite sword with him when he escaped.

The fugitive ninja spent the next 15 years robbing daimyo, wealthy merchants, and lavish temples. And it is said that he shared his spoils with the most needy people, in the style of Robin Hood.

In 1594, Goemon tried to assassinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi, supposedly to avenge his wife, was captured and executed, being boiled alive in a cauldron at the gates of Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto. In some versions of the story it is said that his 5-year-old son was also sentenced to the same fate, but Goemon held him above his head, out of the water, until Hideyoshi took pity on seeing his delivery, so who decided to rescue the boy and spare his life.

Hattori Hanzō

Hattori Hanzo came from a samurai family from Iga, but lived in the Mikawa domain, and served as a shinobi during the Japanese unification period (Sengoku Period). Like Fujibayashi and Momochi, he was a leader of the Iga shinobi.

Immortalized in history for helping Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the future Tokugawa Shogunate, escape to safety after the treacherous death of Oda Nobunaga in 1582.

Hattori led Tokugawa through Iga and Koga, enlisting the help of the surviving ninja in the area. Hattori is also believed to have helped rescue Ieyasu’s family, who had been captured by a rival clan.

Hattori died at the age of 55 in 1596, but his legend continued. He is usually depicted in many manga and movies, where his character possesses abilities that cross over into the world of magic.

Mochizuki Chiyome

Mochizuki Chiyome was the wife of the samurai Mochizuki Nobumasa of Shinano, who died in the battle of Nagashino in the year 1575. Chiyome belonged to the Koga clan, so it is understood that she had shinobi roots.

After the death of her husband, Chiyome stayed with her uncle, Takeda Shingen daimyo of Shinano, who entrusted her to create a group of kunoichi or ninja warriors, who could fulfill espionage, communication and assassination missions.

Chiyome recruited girls who were orphans, refugees, or had been sold into prostitution, and trained them in the secret arts of the ninja.

These kunoichi were disguised as Shinto priestesses who traveled from town to town. The disguise of actresses, prostitutes, geisha, was also frequent, in order to infiltrate castles and temples in search of their victims.

At its peak, Chiyome’s group numbered some 200 to 300 women, giving the Takeda clan a decisive advantage in dealing with their neighbors.

Kotaro smokes

Fuma Kotaro was a great military leader and ninja jonin (highest shinobi rank) of the Hojo clan, based in the province of Sagami. Although he was not from Iga or Koga, he used techniques similar to the latter in his combat. His troops engaged in guerrilla-type combat and espionage when fighting the Takeda clan.

The Hojo clan fell in battle against Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590, after the siege of Odawara Castle, forcing Kotaro and his shinobi to lead a life as bandits.

Legends say that Kotaro caused the death of Hattori Hanzo, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is believed that Kotaro lured Hattori to a narrow passage on the shore, waited for the tide to rise, spilled oil on the water, and burned the boats of Hattori’s troops.

Regardless of the truth of this legend, Fuma Kotaro died in 1603, when Tokugawa Ieyasu, already appointed Shogun, sentenced Kotaro to be beheaded.

Jinichi Kawakami

Jinichi Kawakami of Iga is known as the last ninja, although he insisted numerous times that “real ninjas no longer exist.”

He began studying ninjutsu at the age of six, learning techniques of combat, espionage, chemistry, and medicine, which were passed down to him in direct line from the Sengoku period.

However, Kawakami decided not to teach these ancient techniques to the shinobi. He commented that even if modern people learn ninjutsu, they cannot put their skills into practice: “we cannot test the techniques of assassination or poisoning.”

For this reason, he chose not to continue these teachings to a new generation, and this ancient art probably died with him, at least in the most traditional sense.