甲賀衆 Koka ninja
Looking from Iga, Koka is situated on the other side of the mountain range away from Kyoto for 50 km in straight line.
Groups of small feudal lords or big farmers who do farming in the morning and ninja training in the afternoon, under unity of the blood origin relation called Domyochu ,formed a highly independent Sou (group of people without lord but having strong tie within the locals). One of the most prominent features of Koka society lies in their way of handling problems. They valued a discussion system among selected leaders from 53 family names, the system of such may not be found in any other areas during the Sengoku period(Warring State Period).
Koka Ninja won renown at Battle of Magari between 1487 and 1489. That is the war Ashikaga Yoshihisa, the ninth tycoon of Muromachi Shogun ate with 20,000 soldiers, tried to defeat Rokaku in Koka Region who was a lord of rural away from Kyoto.
The Koka Ninja groups had helped Rokaku successfully by drawing all battles into guerrilla fights in the mountains or performing night attacks, had won all battles as to that eventually defeated Ashikaga’s. Ashikaga Yoshihisa was said to have suffered a disease and then died out of a wound he had gotten in the previous battle. The war itself left an impression with folks from all over Japan that Ninjas were playing set rolls with brilliant work like less than 100 ninjas had well fought against 20,000 soldiers and defeated by taking advantage of mountain or night mist.
It was amazing battle that only 100ninjas harassed 20 thousand soldiers and defeated them. People in Japan recognized the existence and powerful talent of ninja.
Wazuma Japanese magic
Tomo group, one of the leading ninja groups from Koka’s 53 selected families, is the descendant of people from abroad and that they are knowledgeable enough on medication. So skills on medicine led to manufacturing of medicine being made of herbal plants in Koka and the products were distributed to other areas by Koka’s traveling sales. At the same time Koka’s ninja was good at performing magic of Japanese origin called wazuma. So it is quite natural that we would think wazuma’ art such as *illusion techniques, costuming tricks and instant magic had been applied to Ninjutsu. Uncle Nick would like to present you with an example of wazuma. the technique of a sorcery, a disguising and an instant trick.
Donba(ninja trick of swallowing horse or cow) was used by flying Kato (Katō Danzō : skilled Ninja in Sengoku period.) and Kashinkoji (illusionist at the end of Muromachi Age). Chojiro Shioya (wazuma master in Edo period) used the skill of swallowing illusion as well. If you check wazuma on YouTube, you get to see contemporary wazuma which has been revised from traditional one.
ninja thereafter…
In the Sengoku period Koka’s name spread to the other areas after they had started to sending soldiers to neighboring battles on hire basis, the decision of which had been solely made on council meeting among selected members. Apart from Iga family, Koka placing themselves under Nobunaga’s umbrella and not by supporting anti-Nobunaga groups, Koka subordinated themselves to successor Hideyoshi’s and their land was confiscated (Kaieki). After Kaieki almost all Koka Samurais turned themselves to Bushi status however a lot of ninjas spent rest of their life as farmers. One prominent Koka ninja called Takigawa with his superior gun skill climbed the ladder all the way up to the position of feudal lord.
In the Tokugawa period, Koka was used as a gun fighter for the shogunate.
Uncle Nick think of …condition for supporting Ninja art and Ninja skill
Uncle Nick would think of followings as being the condition for supporting Ninja art and Ninja skill to be a profession in Iga and Koka region during Sengoku period.
- Though Kii Peninsula is nearby Kyoto, feudal lords could not invade the region because its middle was divided by mountain ranges and the land in lower part had close ties with Emperor Family due to the existence of Buddhism temples and sacred place for Shugendo being there since Heian period.
- Speaking of political climate in Koka, an assembly was available and they governed by themselves which consists of Samurai group at power who could be classified as armed farmer got together to form a group decision system. For that reason, planning and tactics specific for guerrilla battle in the mountain, night attacks and intelligence activities were needed to protect their land. Therefore ancient swordsman’s skill and unique techniques were developed to form Ninjutsu (Marshall art of ninja).
- Securing revenue from works such as soldier on hire other than farming was crucial for economic reason. This might have further prompted the thriving of Ninjutsu.
- The area is also close to the trading port with abroad, opportunities to encounter foreign inventions and technologies were higher. For that reason people from Koka were fast in applying knowledge of medication and use of new weapons such as guns canons and explosive powder as to their usual utilities. Illusive Ninjutsu like a magic of body splitting must have been materialized on their idea that even small one could defeat a big shape.
