Bansenshukai at Shinobi no sato PLALA, Koka city

''Bansenshūkai'' (, ''Ten Thousand Rivers Flowing Together to form an Ocean'') is a Japanese book containing a collection of knowledge from the clans in the Iga and Kōga regions that had been devoted to the training of

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

."The Book of Ninja: ''The first complete translation of the Bansenshukai''", 2013, Antony Cummins & Yoshie Minami ''Bansenshūkai'' summarizes the main points of the three volumes of the original Ninjutsu book ''Kanrinseiyō'' (間林清陽), and was written by selecting only those that fit the times. In the beginning of ''Bansenshūkai'', the existence of the original text ''Kanrinseiyō'' was mentioned, but its existence had not been confirmed for a long time. However, in June 2022, a manuscript of the second volume of ''Kanrinseiyō'' copied in 1748 was found. It was compiled by Fujibayashi Yasutake in 1676, in the early years of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

, to preserve the knowledge that had been developed during the near-constant military conflict from the

Ōnin War The , also known as the Upheaval of Ōnin and Ōnin-Bunmei war, was a civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, during the Muromachi period in Japan. ''Ōnin'' refers to the Japanese era during which the war started; the war ended during the Bunmei ...

until the end of the

Siege of Osaka The was a series of battles undertaken by the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages (winter campaign and summer campaign), and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege ...

almost 150 years later. As well as information on

military strategy Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek word '' strategos'', the term strategy, when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow s ...

and

weapons A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

, it has sections on the

astrological Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...

and

philosophical Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

beliefs of the times, and along with the

Shōninki The ''Shōninki'' ( Japanese 正忍記) is a medieval ninja document from Kishū province. Written by Natori Masatake in 1681 it describes the espionage strategies of the shinobi from Kishū. Together with the Bansenshukai and Ninpiden it is ...

of 1681 and the

Ninpiden The ''Ninpiden'' (a.k.a. ''Shinobi Hiden'', or ''Legends of Ninja Secrets'') is an authentic ninjutsu manual written by Hattori Hanzō in 1560. It is regarded as one of the three key historical texts of ninjutsu, along with the ''Shōninki The ''Sh ...

of 1560 make up the three major sources of direct information about this shadowy profession.

The books include: * Two volumes of thought and

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

* Four volumes on

leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...

* Three volumes on ''Yo-nin''—open disguise * Five volumes on ''In-nin''—hidden infiltration * Two volumes on

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of Celestial o ...

* Five volumes on tools and

Versions

There are two versions: # The

Koga KOGA is a Dutch bicycle manufacturer based in Heerenveen, Friesland. The company is known for its long time partnership with Japanese frame manufacturer Miyata, producing bicycles and sponsoring racing teams under the brand name Koga Miyata. As ...

Version has twenty-two chapters bound in ten volumes, with an additional one volume attached to it. # The Iga Version has twenty-two chapters bound in twelve volumes with an additional four chapters in four volumes attached to it.Bansenshukai
. Ninpo.org. Accessed March 8th, 2012.

Copies

After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, a limited number of handwritten copies were offered to the public. A few of these copies are in some major national and university libraries. It has recently been re-translated in various languages including English, French, German, and Japanese.

References

Bibliography

* Antony Cummins & Yoshie Minami, trans. ''The Book of Ninja: The first complete translation of the Bansenshukai''. London: Watkins, 2013. * ''Bansenshûkai: le traité des dix mille rivières'', Fujibayashi Yasutake, Axel Mazuer, Albin Michel, May 2013.

External links

{{Commonscat
Bansenshukai in FrenchDownloadable Bansenshukai
Edo-period works Ninjutsu artefacts Martial arts books

Contents

Versions

Copies

References

Bibliography

External links