''Bansenshūkai'' (, ''Ten Thousand Rivers Flowing Together to form an Ocean'') (Also pronounced Mansenshukai) is a 1676 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 spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...

."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.

Compilation

The book was compiled by Fujibayashi Yasutake in 1676, in the early years of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, 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 name, Japanese era during which the war started; the war ende ...

until the end of the

Siege of Osaka A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

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 goal (military), strategic goals. Derived from the Greek language, Greek word ''strategos'', the term strategy, when first used during the 18th ...

and

weapons A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is 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 (e.g., murder), law ...

, it has sections on the

astrological Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions of celesti ...

and

philosophical Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

beliefs of the times, and along with the Shōninki of 1681 and the Ninpiden of 1560 make up the three major sources of direct information about this shadowy profession. There is debate on whether it was written in Iga or Koga. Both regions used copies. But the consensus seems to be it was written in Iga based on the references to "a person in our region" being a person from Iga.

The books include: * Two volumes of thought and

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

* Four volumes on

leadership Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

* 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 propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

* Five volumes on tools and

Versions

There are two versions: # The Koga 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

Toward the end of the 18th century, representatives from Koga petitioned the shogunate for a

stipend A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work pe ...

. Among the documents they provided to the government to make their case was a copy of the Bansenshukai. This copy is still in the

National Diet Library The is the national library of Japan and among the largest libraries in the world. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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

* Don Roley, trans. ''Bansenshukai And Shoninki: The Ancient Tomes of Ninjutsu''. Amazon, 2020 * 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