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- Amakusa Shirō
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Azuchi Castle
Azuchi Castle (安土城, Azuchi-jō?) was one of the primary castles of Oda Nobunaga. It was built from 1576 to 1579, on the shores of Lake Biwa, in Ōmi Province. Nobunaga intentionally built it close enough to Kyoto that he could watch over and guard the approaches to the capital, but, being outside the city, his fortress would be immune to the fires and conflicts that occasionally consumed the capital. This location was also quite strategically advantageous, in managing the communications and transportation routes between his greatest foes - the Uesugi clan to the north, Takeda clan in the east, and Mōri clan to the west.
Unlike earlier castles and fortresses, Azuchi was not intended to be solely a military structure, cold, dark, and foreboding. Nobunaga intended it as a lavish mansion, which would impress and intimidate his rivals, not only with its defenses, but with its lavish apartments and decorations, and flourishing town and religious life. The keep, called tenshukaku (or tenshu) , rather than being the center of the castle's defences, was a seven-story building containing audience halls, private chambers, offices, and a treasury, as though it were a royal palace. In addition to being one of the first Japanese castles with a tower keep, Azuchi was unique in that its uppermost story was octagonal. In addition, the facade of Azuchi, unlike the solid white or black of other castles, was colorfully decorated with tigers and dragons.
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Battle of Okehazama
The Battle of Okehazama (桶狭間の戦い, Okehazama-no-tatakai?) took place in June 1560. In this battle, Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period.[citation needed]
In May or June 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto, with an army of perhaps 35,000 men, set forth on a march to Kyoto. Entering the Oda territories in Owari Province, he first took the border fortresses of Washizu and Marune before setting up camp in a wooded gorge known as Dengaku-hazama. This was all reported to Oda Nobunaga by his scouts and, in response, Nobunaga then led his own forces into position at a temple called Zenshōji, a short distance away, on the other side of the Tōkaidō.
Had Nobunaga decided on a frontal assault, the battle would have been deceptively easy to predict; his army was outnumbered ten to one by the Imagawa forces. A frontal assault would be suicidal and an attempt to hold out at Zenshō-ji would only last a few days. Because of the odds against their side, some of Nobunaga's advisers even suggested a surrender. Nobunaga, however, decided to launch a surprise attack on the Imagawa camp. When he made his decision, he gave this speech:
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China
China (
i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Edo Castle
Edo Castle (江戸城, Edo-jō?), also known as Chiyoda Castle (千代田城, Chiyoda-jō?), is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan. It is located in Chiyoda in Tokyo, then known as Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate here. It was the residence of the shogun and location of the shogunate, and also functioned as the military capital during the Edo period of Japanese history. After the vacation of the shogun and the Meiji Restoration, it became the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Some moats, walls and ramparts of the castle survive to this day. However, the grounds were more extensive during the Edo period, with Tokyo Station and the Marunouchi section of the city lying within the outermost moat. It also encompassed Kitanomaru Park, the Nippon Budokan Hall and other landmarks of the surrounding area.
The warrior Edo Shigetsugu built his residence in what is now the Honmaru and Ninomaru part of Edo Castle, around the end of the Heian or the beginning of the Kamakura period. The Edo clan perished in the 15th century as a result of uprisings in the Kantō region, and Ōta Dōkan, a retainer of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi family, built Edo Castle in 1457.
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Fushimi Castle
Fushimi Castle (伏見城, Fushimi-jō?), also known as Momoyama Castle (桃山城 Momoyama-jō) or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a castle in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward. The current structure is a 1964 replica of the original built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The construction of the original castle was begun in 1592, the year after Hideyoshi's retirement from the regency, and completed in 1594. Twenty provinces furnished workers for the construction, which numbered between 20,000 and 30,000.
Though bearing the external martial appearance of a castle, the structure was intended as a retirement palace for Hideyoshi, and was furnished and decorated as such. It is particularly famous for its tea ceremony room in which both the walls and the implements were covered in gold leaf. The castle was intended to be the site for Hideyoshi's peace talks with Chinese diplomats seeking an end to the Seven-Year War in Korea, but an earthquake destroyed the castle entirely only two years after its completion.
It was rebuilt soon afterwards, and came to be controlled by Torii Mototada, a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1600, the castle fell in a famous and significant siege by Ishida Mitsunari. Torii Mototada, in a celebrated act of honor and bravery, defended the castle for eleven days, delaying Ishida's forces and allowing his lord Tokugawa time to build his own army. This had a profound effect on the Battle of Sekigahara, which came soon afterwards, and which marked the final victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu over all his rivals.
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Hara Castle
Hara Castle (原城, Hara jō?) is a castle in Hizen Province. During the Shimabara Rebellion (1637–1638), the rebellious peasants were besieged there.
As a result of the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637, the Shogunate decided to expel the Portuguese from Japan. The Dutch, meanwhile, gained the trust of the Japanese authorities by bombarding Hara Castle (where Japanese insurgents took refuge during the Shimabara Rebellion) and thus gained a monopoly on European trade with Japan.
This article incorporates text from OpenHistory.
Coordinates: 32°38′00″N 130°15′22″E / 32.6333°N 130.256°E / 32.6333; 130.256
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Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō?) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex located in Himeji, in the Hyōgo Prefecture. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 buildings with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō ("White Egret Castle") or Shirasagi-jō ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.
Himeji Castle dates to 1333, when Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill. The fort was dismantled and rebuilt as Himeyama Castle in 1346, and then remodeled into Himeji Castle two centuries later. Himeji Castle was then significantly remodeled in 1581 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who added a three-story castle keep. In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for his help in the Battle of Sekigahara, and Ikeda completely rebuilt the castle from 1601 to 1609, expanding it into a large castle complex. Several buildings were later added to the castle complex by Honda Tadamasa from 1617 to 1618. For over 400 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji in World War II, and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake.
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Iwakuni Castle
Iwakuni Castle (岩国城, Itamijō?) is a castle in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan.
This castle was constructed by Kikkawa Hiroie from 1601 to 1608 as his own castle.
Kikkawa was a retainer of a vassal of the Shogun under the Mōri clan. However, this castle was dismantled as per the Ikkoku-ichijo (一国一城, literally, "One Castle Per Province") order established by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1615.
The famous Kintai Bridge was originally a bridge to the main gate of the castle.
After the destruction of the castle, Kikkawa used a part of the old castle as his residential office.
A replica of the castle tower stands high on a hill above the Nishiki River and the Kintai Bridge in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The Kikkawa clan held this castle and Iwakuni Han, which was assessed at 30 000 (later 60 000) koku.
Media related to Iwakuni Castle at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 34°10′30.92″N 132°10′27.23″E / 34.1752556°N 132.1742306°E / 34.1752556; 132.1742306
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Kyoto
Kyoto (京都市, Kyōto-shi?, "Capital City") (Japanese pronunciation: [kʲoːto] (
listen)) is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area.
Although archaeological evidence places the first human settlement on the islands of Japan to approximately 10,000 BC, relatively little is known about human activity in the area before the 6th century AD, around which time the Shimogamo Shrine is believed to have been established. During the 8th century, when powerful Buddhist clergy became involved in the affairs of the Imperial government, the Emperor chose to relocate the capital to a region far from the Buddhist influence. Emperor Kammu selected the village of Uda, at the time in the Kadono district of Yamashiro Province, for this honor.
The new city, Heian-kyō (平安京, "tranquility and peace capital"), a scaled replica of the then Tang capital Chang'an, became the seat of Japan's imperial court in 794, beginning the Heian period of Japanese history. Although military rulers established their governments either in Kyoto (Muromachi shogunate) or in other cities such as Kamakura (Kamakura shogunate) and Edo (Tokugawa shogunate), Kyoto remained Japan's capital until the transfer of the imperial court to Tokyo in 1869 at the time of the Imperial Restoration. (Some believe that it is still a legal capital: see Capital of Japan.)
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Mie Prefecture
Mie Prefecture (三重県, Mie-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.
Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province, Shima Province, Iga Province and Kii Province.
Evidence of human habitation in Mie dates back more than 10,000 years. During the Jōmon and Yayoi periods, agricultural communities began to form along the river and coastal areas of the region. Ise Shrine is said to have been established during the Yayoi period, and in the 7th century the Saikū Imperial Residence was built in what is now Meiwa Town to serve as both a residence and administrative centre for the Saiō, an Imperial Princess who served as High Priestess of Ise Shrine.
During the Edo period, the area now known as Mie Prefecture consisted of several feudal domains, each ruled by an appointed lord. Transport networks, including the Tokaido and Ise Roads, were built. Port towns such as Ohminato, Kuwana and Anōtsu, posting stations and castle towns flourished. Pilgrimages to Ise Shrine also became very popular.
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Nijō Castle
Nijō Castle (二条城, Nijō-jō?) is a flatland castle located in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square meters, of which 8000 square meters is occupied by buildings.
In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, ordered all the feudal lords in Western Japan to contribute to the construction of Nijō Castle, which was completed during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. Parts of Fushimi Castle, such as the main tower and the karamon, were moved here in 1625-26. It was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns. The Tokugawa Shogunate used Edo as the capital city, but Kyoto continued to be the home of the Imperial Court. Kyoto Imperial Palace is located north-east of Nijo Castle.
The central keep, or donjon, was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1750.
In 1788, the Inner Palace was destroyed by a city-wide fire. The site remained empty until it was replaced by a prince's residence transferred from the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1893.
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Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle (大坂城 or 大阪城,, Ōsaka-jō?) is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan.
Originally called Ozakajō[citation needed], it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
The main tower of Osaka Castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one kilometer square. It is built on two raised platforms of landfill supported by sheer walls of cut rock, using a technique called Burdock piling, each overlooking a moat. The central castle building is five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and built atop a tall stone foundation to protect its occupants from sword-bearing attackers.
The Castle grounds, which cover approximately 60,000 square meters (15 acres) contain thirteen structures which have been designated as Important Cultural Assets by the Japanese government, including:
In 1583 Toyotomi Hideyoshi commenced construction on the site of the Ikkō-ikki temple of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. The basic plan was modeled after Azuchi Castle, the headquarters of Oda Nobunaga. Toyotomi wanted to build a castle that mirrored Oda's, but surpassed it in every way: the plan featured a five-story main tower, with three extra stories underground, and gold leaf on the sides of the tower to impress visitors. In 1585 the Inner donjon was completed. Toyotomi continued to extend and expand the castle, making it more and more formidable to attackers. In 1597 construction was completed and Hideyoshi died. Osaka Castle passed to his son, Toyotomi Hideyori.
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Sawayama Castle
Sawayama Castle (佐和山城, Sawayama-jō?) is a castle in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
This castle was an important military stronghold of Ōmi Province. The Azai clan held this castle in the Sengoku Period. Ishida Mitsunari held it at the end of the 16th century after the ruin of the Azai clan. This castle was attacked by Kobayakawa Hideaki after the Battle of Sekigahara. The castle surrendered at half a day though the brother of Mitsunari, Ishida Masazumi, defended it. Afterwards, Ii Naomasa occupied Sawayama Castle. However, he destroyed it, and moved to Hikone Castle.
Coordinates: 35°16′46.2″N 136°16′8.13″E / 35.2795°N 136.268925°E / 35.2795; 136.268925
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Shiga Prefecture
Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県, Shiga-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.
Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established. Omi was a neighbor of Nara and Kyoto, and junction of western and eastern Japan, so Omi was developed as the hinterland of capitals, the traffic important point and sometimes political center. In the years 667 to 672, Emperor Tenji founded a palace in Otsu. In 742, Emperor Shōmu founded a palace in Shigaraki. In the early Heian Period, Saichō was born in north of Otsu and founded Enryaku-ji, the center of Tendai and one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Monuments of Ancient Kyoto now.
In the Medieval Period, Sasaki clan ruled Omi, and afterward Rokkaku clan, Kyōgoku clan and Azai clan ruled Omi. In 1570s, Oda Nobunaga subjugated Omi and built Azuchi Castle on the eastern shores of Lake Biwa in 1579. Tōdō Takatora, Gamō Ujisato, Oichi, Yodo-dono, Ohatsu and Oeyo were important persons from Omi in Sengoku Period. In this times, Ninja was active in Kōka (See also Kōga-ryū).
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Amakusa Shirō
Amakusa Shirō (天草 四郎?, 1621? – April 12, 1638) also known as Amakusa Shirō Tokisada (天草四郎時貞?) was the teenage leader of the Shimabara Rebellion.
The son of former Konishi clan retainer Masuda Jinbei (益田 甚兵衛?) (according to some sources, Shirō may have been the illegitimate son of Toyotomi Hideyori), Shirō was born in modern-day Kami-Amakusa, Kumamoto in a Catholic family. The charismatic 15-year-old was known to his followers as "heaven's messenger." Miraculous powers were attributed to him.
Shiro led the defence of Hara Castle and defeated strongest of Shogunate attackers. But because rebel had no logistical support, their moral was seriously weakened. Shiro put posters in the castle in order to enhance the moral of rebel force, saying "Now, those who accompany me in being besieged in this castle, will be my friends unto the next world." But a rebel soldier Yamada Uemonsaku betrayed rebel and notified Shogunate the truth that rebel's food is running low. Shogunate performed last merciless strike, and Hara castle had been fallen at last. Shogunate massacred Almost 40,000 rebel(including woman and child) in process. Records saying Yamada, who betrayed rebel was only survivor.
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Fabio Rambelli
Fabio Rambelli (June 15, 1963– ) is an Italian academic, author and editor. He is a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).
Fabio Rambelli was born in Ravenna, Italy. He earned a BA in Japanese language and culture from the University of Venice. In 1992, he was awarded his PH.D. in East Asian Studies from University of Venice and the Italian Ministry of Scientific Research. He also studied at the Oriental Institute in Naples and at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
In 2001, Rambelli was a professor of religious studies, cultural studies, and Japanese religions at Sapporo University in Japan.
His scholarly perspective construes
At present, Rambelli holds the International Shinto Foundation Chair in Shinto Studies at UCSB.
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Fabio Rambelli, OCLC/WorldCat encompasses roughly 9 works in 20+ publications in 2 languages and 700+ library holdings.
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Fūma Kotarō
Fūma Kotarō (風魔 小太郎?, ?? – 1603) was the name adopted by the leader of the ninja Fūma clan (風魔一党, Fūma-ittō?) during the Sengoku era of Japan. According to some records, his name was originally Kazama (風間).
The clan was based in Kanagawa Prefecture, specializing in horseback guerrilla warfare and naval espionage. According to some sources, the family has roots in the 10th century when they served Taira no Masakado in his revolt against the Kyoto government. The use of the name started with the first leader (jonin) of the clan: originally surnamed "風間" (Fūma), with a different kanji, it was later changed to homophone 風魔. Each subsequent leader of the school adopted the same name as its founder, making it difficult to identify them individually. This school was in the service of the Hōjō clan of Odawara.
Fūma Kotarō was the fifth and the best known of the Fūma clan leaders. Born in Sagami Province (modern Kanagawa Prefecture) on an unknown date, he became notorious as the leader of a band of 200 Rappa "battle disrupters", divided into four groups: brigands, pirates, burglars and thieves. Kotarō served under Hōjō Ujimasa and Hōjō Ujinao. His biggest achievement came in 1580, when the Fūma ninja covertly infiltrated and attacked a camp of the Takeda clan forces under Takeda Katsuyori at night, succeeding in causing severe chaos in the camp, which resulted in mass fratricide among the disoriented enemies. In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi laid siege to Odawara Castle, which eventually fell, and the Hōjō clan was forced to surrender.
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Giovanni Niccolo
Giovanni Niccolo (also Giovanni Nicolao) was a Jesuit Italian painter who in 1583 was sent to found a seminary of painting, named the Seminary of Painters in Portuguese Japan. This seminary, founded in 1590 and exiled from the Japanese archipelago fewer than three decades later, would become the largest school of western painting in Asia. While there, Niccolo also created devotional objects for use by Japanese Catholic churches and converts. His preferred images were primarily the Salvator Mundi and Madonna.
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Hatano Hideharu
Hatano Hideharu (波多野 秀治 Hatano Hideharu, 1541-June 25, 1579) is the eldest son of Hatano Harumichi and the head of Hatano clan.
He was a son of Harumichi but for some unknown reason, he was adopted as a son by Hatano Motohide. Hatano clan had, from Hideharu's grandfather Hatano Tanemichi, a retainer of the powerful Miyoshi clan and Miyoshi Nagayoshi and Hideharu had been Miyoshi's retainer as well. The reason that such a minor clan as his had attended the Emperor Ogimachi's coronation was believed to be because he had been under Nagayoshi.
Hideharu became independent on 1565 after Nagayoshi died capturing Yagami Castle which he took as the place of residence.
The Hatano clan, however, was situated in the pass of Oda Nobunaga to Kyoto and after several battles, Hideharu surrendered to Akechi Mitsuhide. On 1576, Hideharu declared independence and turned against Nobunaga. Infuriated Nobunaga again ordered Mitsuhide to invade Tamba Province but Hideharu took stand in the castle and held together for three years.
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Hattori Hanzō
Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵?, ~1542 – December 23, 1596), also known as Hattori Masanari (服部 正成?), was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of varied portrayal in modern popular culture.
Hanzō was born as the son of Hattori Yasunaga, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa) clan. He would later earn the nickname Oni no Hanzō (鬼の半蔵, Devil Hanzō?) because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations; this is to distinguish him from Watanabe Hanzo (Watanabe Moritsuna), who is nicknamed Yari no Hanzō (槍の半蔵, Spear Hanzō?).
Though Hanzō was born and raised in Mikawa Province, he often returned to Iga Province, home of the Hattori family. He fought his first battle at the age of 16 (a night-time attack on Udo castle) and went on to serve with distinction at the battles of Anegawa (1570) and Mikatagahara (1572). His most valuable contribution came in 1582 following Oda Nobunaga's death, when he led the future shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to safety in Mikawa Province across Iga territory with the help of remnants of the local Iga ninja clans as well as their one-time rivals in Koga. According to some sources, Hanzō also helped in rescuing the captured family of Ieyasu.
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Hokusai
Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎?, September 23, 1760 – May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景, Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei?, c. 1831) which includes the internationally recognized print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created during the 1820s.
Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fuji in Clear Weather, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas. As historian Richard Lane concludes, "Indeed, if there is one work that made Hokusai's name, both in Japan and abroad, it must be this monumental print-series...". While Hokusai's work prior to this series is certainly important, it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition and left a lasting impact on the art world. It was also The Great Wave print that initially received, and continues to receive, acclaim and popularity in the Western world.
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Ii Naomasa
Ii Naomasa (井伊 直政?, March 4, 1561 – March 24, 1602) was a general under the Sengoku period Daimyo, and later Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. He is regarded as one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa along with Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Sakai Tadatsugu.
Ii Naomasa was born in Hōda Village of Tōtōmi Province. His family, like Tokugawa's, had originally been retainers of the Imagawa clan, but following the death of the clan's leader, Imagawa Yoshimoto, in the Battle of Okehazama (1560), confusion and general chaos ensued. Naomasa's father, Naochika, was falsely convicted of treason by Yoshimoto's paranoid successor, Imagawa Ujizane, and was subsequently killed. Naomasa, then a very small child, was personally lucky to escape his father's fate and was later taken in by the Tokugawa.
Ii Naomasa joined the ranks of the Tokugawa clan in the mid-1570s, rising swiftly through the ranks to eventually become the master of a sizable holding in Ōmi Province, following the Battle of Sekigahara (1600). His court title was Hyōbu-dayū.
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Ishikawa Goemon
Ishikawa Goemon (石川 五右衛門?, 1558 - October 8, 1594) was a semi-legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor. Goemon is notable for being boiled alive along with his son in public after a failed assassination attempt on the civil war-era warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A large iron kettle-shaped bathtub is now called a goemonburo ("Goemon bath").
His legend continues to live on, often with greatly exaggerated ninja skills, in contemporary Japanese popular culture.
There is little historical information on Goemon's life, and as he has become a folk hero, his background and origins have been widely speculated upon. In his first appearance in the historical annals, in the 1642 biography of Hideyoshi, Goemon was referred to simply as a thief. As his legend became popular, various anti-authoritarian exploits were attributed to him, including a supposed assassination attempt against the Oda clan warlord Oda Nobunaga.
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John Whitney Hall
John Whitney Hall (September 13, 1916 – October 21, 1997), the Tokyo-born son of missionaries in Japan, grew up to become a pioneer in the field of Japanese studies and one of the most respected historians of Japan of his generation. His life work was recognized by the Japanese government. At the time he was honored with Japan's Order of the Sacred Treasure, he was one of only a very small number of Americans to have been singled out in this way.
John Whitney Hall became an authority on pre-modern Japan; and he helped transform the way Western scholars view the period immediately preceding Japan's modernization as well as the thousand years before that. Professor Jeffrey Mass, a one-time student and later colleague of Hall's on the Yale faculty, described him as a quiet, self-contained man—and a master punster. Hall was a great admirer of Japanese culture and he amassed a large collection of prints, folk art and pottery; but in addition to being a dedicated academic, he was also an experienced mountain climber who had climbed extensively in the Japanese Alps.
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Kizawa Nagamasa
Kizawa Nagamasa (木沢長政) was a daimyo of the Sengoku Period in Japan.
Nagamasa built Shigisan Castle for the Hatakeyama clan in 1536, an accomplishment that earned him the title of shugo of Yamato Province. In 1561 he expanded into Shiga Prefecture when he defeated the Rokkaku clan at the Battle of Maibara using ninja from Iga to launch a fire attack. The castle once was his, but the Rokkaku took it only recently before his costly victory.
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Kunisada
Utagawa Kunisada (1786 – January 12, 1865) (Japanese: 歌川 国貞, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III 三代歌川豊国 ) was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi.
At the end of the Edo Period (1600 – 1867), Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi and Kunisada were the three best representatives of the Japanese color woodcut in Edo (capital city of Japan, now Tokyo). However, among European and American collectors of Japanese prints, beginning in the late 19th and early 20th century, all three of these artists were actually regarded as rather inferior to the greats of classical ukiyo-e, and therefore as having contributed considerably to the downfall of their art. For this reason, some referred to their works as “decadent”.
Beginning in the 1930’s and 1970’s, respectively, the works of Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi were submitted to a re-evaluation, and these two are now counted among the masters of their art. Thus, from Kunisada alone was withheld, for a long time, the acknowledgment which is due to him. With a few exceptions, such as actor portraits (yakusha-e) and portraits of beautiful women (bijinga), at the beginning of his career, and some series of large-size actor head-portraits near the end, it was thought that he had produced only inferior works. It was not until the early 1990’s, with the appearance of Jan van Doesburg’s overview of the artistic development of Kunisada, and Sebastian Izzard’s extensive study of his work, that this picture began to change, with Kunisada more clearly revealed as one of the “giants” of the Japanese print that he was.
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Kusunoki Masashige
Kusunoki Masashige (楠木 正成?, 1294 - July 4, 1336) was a 14th century samurai who fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in his attempt to wrest rulership of Japan away from the Kamakura shogunate and is remembered as the ideal of samurai loyalty.
A brilliant tactician and strategist, Kusunoki's cunning defense of two key Loyalist fortresses at Akasaka and Chihaya helped allow Go-Daigo to briefly return to power. However, one of the loyalist generals, Ashikaga Takauji, betrayed Go-Daigo and led an army against Kusunoki and the remaining loyalists. Kusunoki suggested to the Emperor that they take refuge on sacred Mount Hiei and allow Takauji to take Kyoto, only to swoop down from the mountain, and with the help of the monks of Mount Hiei, trap Takauji in the city and destroy him.
Go-Daigo was unwilling to leave the capital however, and insisted that Kusunoki meet Takauji's superior forces in the field in a pitched battle. Kusunoki, in what would later be viewed as the ultimate act of samurai loyalty, obediently accepted his Emperor's foolish command, left his death poem with his young son Masatsura and knowingly marched his army into almost certain death. The battle, which took place at Minatogawa in modern-day Chūō-ku, Kobe, was a tactical disaster. Kusunoki, his army completely surrounded, down to only 73 of the original 700 horsemen, committed suicide along with his brother Masasue, 11 close clan members, and 60 others. According to legend, his brother's last words were Shichisei Hōkoku! (七生報國; "Would that I had seven lives to give for my country!") and Kusunoki Masashige agreed. There are two accounts of arguments that Kusunoki Masashige made to emperor Go-Daigo. One was that they regroup and attack from two sides, the other was that they bring back general Takauji to their side thus balancing the scales. Both arguments were ignored.
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Mark Teeuwen
Mark J. Teeuwen (born February 9, 1966) is a Dutch academic and Japanologist. He is an expert in Japanese religious practices, and he is a Professor at the University of Oslo. In a 2002 essay called From Jindō to Shinto: A Concept Takes Shape, he traced the evolution of the term "Shinto" from the reconstructed pronunciation Jindō at the time of the Nihon Shoki until today, describing the changes its meaning has gone through.
Teeuwen was awarded his MA at the University of Leiden in 1989. His earned a Ph.D. at Leiden in 1996.
From 1994 through 1999, Teeuwen was a Lecturer at the Japanese Studies Centre, University of Wales in Cardiff. Since 1999, he has been Professor of Japanese at the University of Oslo.
Teeuwen's critical examination of religious practices in Japan is considered ground-breaking. His published work has been informed by his historical research. Historicity is construed as a fundamental component of Teeuwen's view of Shinto.
Teeuwen's work is influenced by the writings of Toshio Kuroda.
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Masaaki Hatsumi
Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭 Hatsumi Masaaki, (born December 2, 1931) refers to himself (and is generally recognised)[by whom?] as the 34th Togakure-ryū Soke (Grandmaster), and is the founder of the Bujinkan Organization. He currently resides and teaches in the city of Noda, Chiba, Japan.
Beginning in childhood, Masaaki Hatsumi studied several popular martial arts. After teaching martial arts to the U.S. soldiers stationed in Japan he noticed that the larger and stronger Americans had an advantage in bouts when using the same techniques. He began to question the legitimacy of modern martial arts training and started to search for an art where persons of equal skill truly were equals, even if the other one was more muscular. It was after this time, while studying the ancient Japanese weaponry of the Masaki Ryu under Yumio Nawa, that he learned of ninjutsu and a martial artist named Toshitsugu Takamatsu who claimed to be proficient in this art. In 1957 he and Fukumoto Yoshio began making regular trips to train with his new teacher (who resided at the time in Kashiwabara, in Nara), taking a 15-hour train ride from his hometown of Noda in Chiba. This training continued for 15 years until the passing of Toshitsugu Takamatsu in 1972.
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Matsudaira Nobutsuna
Matsudaira Nobutsuna (松平 信綱?, December 19, 1596 – May 4, 1662) was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period, who ruled the Kawagoe Domain. First serving Tokugawa Iemitsu as a page, Nobutsuna was renowned for his sagacity. He was named a rōjū in 1633. Nobutsuna led the shogunal forces to their final victory over the rebellion at Shimabara. His court title was Izu no Kami, which was the origin of his nickname, "Izu the Wise" (Chie Izu 知恵伊豆).
Nobutsuna was born in 1596, the son of Ōkōchi Hisatsuna, a senior retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was adopted as the heir of his uncle, Matsudaira Masatsuna, in 1601. After being introduced to Hidetada and Ieyasu, he was appointed as page to Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu. He was greatly admired by Iemitsu, and renowned within the Tokugawa administration for his sagacity.
In the early years of his service, he was a hatamoto; he later became a daimyo. In 1623, he received the court title of Izu no Kami. He became daimyo in 1633, receiving the Oshi Domain as his fief.
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Mochizuki Chiyome
Mochizuki Chiyome (望月 千代女), also known as Mochizuki Chiyojo, was a Japanese noblewoman of the 16th century who was credited with creating an all-female group of ninja.
Mochizuki Chiyome, rumoured to be originally from the Kōga clan, was the wife of Mochizuki Nobumasa, a samurai warlord from Shinano and lord of the Mochizuki Castle (he was killed in the Battle of Nagashino in 1575). While Nobumasa was off in battle, she was often left in the care of the daimyo Takeda Shingen, who also was the uncle of her husband. It was then when Shingen approached her and gave her an important mission to recruit women and create an underground network of kunoichi (female ninja) agents. Takeda’s plan was to have fully trained female operatives who could act as subversive agents used to gather information and deliver coded messages to his allies; Chiyome was the best candidate for this, since she came from a long line of Kōga ninja. She accepted the task, set up her operation in the village of Nazu in the Shinshu region, and began her search for potential candidates for training.
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Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm (0.4–4 in) tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems. At certain times mosses produce spore capsules which may appear as beak-like capsules borne aloft on thin stalks.
There are approximately 12,000 species of moss classified in the Bryophyta. The division Bryophyta formerly included not only mosses, but also liverworts and hornworts. These other two groups of bryophytes now are often placed in their own divisions.
Botanically, mosses are bryophytes, or non-vascular plants. They differ from 'higher' plants by not having internal water-bearing vessels or veins, and no flowers and therefore no fruits, cones or seeds. They are small (a few centimeters tall) and herbaceous (nonwoody) and absorb water and nutrients through their leaves. Mosses have stems which may be simple or branched and upright or lax, simple leaves that often have midribs, roots (rhizoids) that anchor them to their substrate, and spore-bearing capsules on long stems. They harvest sunlight to create food through photosynthesis. Mosses do not absorb water or nutrients from their substrate through their roots, so while mosses often grow on trees, they are never parasitic on the tree.
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Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長,
Oda Nobunaga (help·info)?, June 23, 1534 – June 21, 1582) was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy shugo (military governor) with land holdings in Owari Province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering a third of Japan before his death in 1582. His successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a loyal Oda supporter, would become the first man to unify all of Japan, and was thus the first ruler of all Japan since the Ōnin War.
Oda Nobunaga was born on June 23, 1534, and was given the childhood name of Kippōshi (吉法師?). He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide. Through his childhood and early teenage years, he was well known for his bizarre behavior and received the name of Owari no Ōutsuke (尾張の大うつけ?, The Fool of Owari). With the introduction of firearms into Japan, though, he became known for his fondness of Tanegashima firearms. He was also known to run around with other youths from the area, without any regard to his own rank in society. He is said to be born in Nagoya Castle, although this is subject to debate. It is however certain that he was born in the Owari domain. In 1574 Nobunaga accepted the title of Kuge (or Court Noble), then in 1577 he was given the title of Udaijin (or Minister of the Right), the third highest position in the Imperial court.
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Prince Shōtoku
Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子, Shōtoku Taishi?, February 7, 572 – April 8, 622), also known as Prince Umayado (厩戸皇子, Umayado no ōji?) or Prince Kamitsumiya (上宮皇子, Kamitsumiya no ōji?), was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was a son of Emperor Yōmei and his younger half-sister Princess Anahobe no Hashihito. His parents were relatives of the ruling Soga clan, and was involved in the defeat of the rival Mononobe Clan. The primary source of the life and accomplishments of Prince Shōtoku comes from the Nihon Shoki.
Over successive generations, a devotional cult arose around the figure of Prince Shōtoku for the protection of Japan, the Imperial Family, and for Buddhism. Key religious figures such as Saicho, Shinran and others claimed inspiration or visions attributed to Prince Shōtoku.
Shōtoku was appointed as regent (Sesshō) in 593 by Empress Suiko, his aunt. Shōtoku, inspired by Buddha's teachings, succeeded in establishing a centralized government during his reign. In 603, he established the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System at the court. He is credited with promulgating a Seventeen-article constitution.
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Sarutobi Sasuke
Sarutobi Sasuke (猿飛佐助, Sarutobi Sasuke?) is a fictional ninja who appears in kōdan narrative art and fictional writings. The nickname is generally believed to have been concocted from Meiji to the Taisho period. Some argue he is based on real live personages, such as Kōzuki Sasuke (上月佐助, Kōzuki Sasuke?).
Sarutobi, meaning 'monkey jump', is written with two kanji; saru (猿) is the character for 'monkey', and tobi (飛) is the character for 'jump'. He was known for his monkey-like agility and quickness, especially in trees. Many depictions portray him as having been orphaned and raised by a band of monkeys, therefore giving rise to the monkey-like abilities.
Sasuke is commonly listed as the member/leader of Sanada Ten Braves, a fictional group of ten ninja that supposedly assisted the warlord Sanada Yukimura at the battles of Osaka Castle during the final phases of the Japanese civil war, and he is by far the best known and most popular among them. When appearing with Kirigakure Saizō, one of his fellow Ten Braves, he is often thus contrasted with his best friend/arch-rival, who usually has an elegant, or at least clean-cut, appearance and magic-like ability. Sasuke is generally said to be a Kōga ninja, whereas Saizō is an Iga ninja. As such, when the two appear together, they are almost always depicted as arch-rivals and later, after being recruited to the Sanada cause, best friends. (This rivalry parallels the Iga-Kōga rivalry and the Hattori-Fūma rivalries in ninja fiction.) It is said he fell in battle against the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Siege of Osaka in the summer of 1615; but there is no historical record of this. In another version, Sasuke infiltrated Tokugawa Ieyasu's stronghold during 1615 and, having caught his foot in a bear trap while escaping the enemy, cut it off at the ankle to escape and then took his own life rather than be captured.
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Sun Tzu
Sun Wu (simplified Chinese: 孙武; traditional Chinese: 孫武; pinyin: Sūn Wǔ), style name Changqing (長卿), better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi (simplified Chinese: 孙子; traditional Chinese: 孫子; pinyin: Sūnzǐ; pronounced [swə́n tsɨ̀]), was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed to be the author of The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy. Sun Tzu has had a significant impact on Chinese and Asian history and culture, both as an author of The Art of War and through legend.
Sun Tzu, also known as Sun Tze or Sun Wu in other translations, was a historical figure whose authenticity is questioned by historians. Traditional accounts place him in the Spring and Autumn Period of China (722–481 BC) as a military general serving under King Helü of Wu, who lived c. 544–496 BC. Modern scholars accepting his historicity place the completion of The Art of War in the Warring States Period (476–221 BC), based on the descriptions of warfare in the text, and on the similarity of text's prose to other works completed in the early Warring States period.
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Taira no Masakado
Taira no Masakado (平 将門?, died in the second lunar month of 940) was a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led a rebellion against the central government of Kyoto.
Masakado was born into a prominent noble lineage, the Kammu Heishi Taira of Japan. He served the imperial court in the capital as a youth, and then settled down to the life of a country gentleman in the provinces of eastern Japan, to the northeast of modern day Tokyo.
His career is detailed in Shōmonki (“The Masakado Chronicle”), a literary account of his life believed to have been completed as early as the 940s (although the earliest surviving copy dates from 1099) by an anonymous author.
The Taira Masakado Insurrection of 939-940 (known in Japanese as Jōhei - Tengyo no ran, after the calendar eras in which it occurred) ranks among the most dramatic episodes in the early history of the samurai. Coinciding with earthquakes, rainbows and lunar eclipses in the capital; uprisings in the north; and pirate disturbances in the west; it threw the court and the capital into a panic, and climaxed, according to most versions of the story, with the protagonist’s claiming for himself the title, “New Emperor.” Many historians have perceived the incident as an early harbinger of the late twelfth-, thirteenth- and fourteenth-century events that, step by step, ushered in the medieval era of warrior rule.
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Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen (武田 信玄?, December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573), of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.
Shingen was called "Tarō" (a commonly used pet name for the eldest son of a Japanese family) or "Katsuchiyo" (勝千代) during his childhood. When he celebrated his coming of age, he was given a formal name of "Harunobu" (晴信), which included a character from the name of Ashikaga Yoshiharu (足利義晴), the 12th Ashikaga Shogun. It was a common practice in feudal Japan for a higher-ranked warrior to bestow a character from his own name to his inferiors as a symbol of recognition. From the local warlord's perspective, it was glorious to receive a character from the shogunate, although the authority of the latter had greatly degenerated in the mid-16th century.
Both the Ashikaga and the Takeda clans descended from the noble Minamoto (源) clan. Technically, Harunobu, as well as his forefathers, had borne the surname of Minamoto. Therefore, Harunobu would be referred to as "Minamoto-no Harunobu" (源晴信) in official records kept by the Imperial Court when he was conferred the official title of "Daizen Dayu" (大膳大夫). The Imperial Court had maintained a system of ritsuryō (律令) that was parallel to the shogunate apparatus.
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Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光 August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.
Tokugawa Iemitsu was born around 1604 (his exact birthdate is unknown). He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada and grandson of the last great unifier of Japan, the first Tokugawa Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the first member of the Tokugawa family born after Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun.
Not much is known of Iemitsu's early life; his childhood name was Takechiyo (竹千代). He had two sisters, Senhime and Masako, and a brother, who would become a rival, Tadanaga. Tadanaga was his parents' favorite. However, Ieyasu made it clear that Iemitsu would be next in line as shogun after Hidetada.
An obsolete spelling of his given name is Iyemitsu.
Iemitsu came of age in 1617 and dropped his childhood name in favor of Tokugawa Iemitsu. He also was installed officially as the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate. The only person to contest this position was his younger brother Tokugawa Tadanaga. A fierce rivalry began to develop between the brothers.
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Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康?, January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616. His given name is sometimes spelled Iyeyasu, according to the historical pronunciation of we. Ieyasu was posthumously enshrined at Nikkō Tōshō-gū with the name Tōshō Daigongen (東照大権現?).
Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in Okazaki Castle in Mikawa on the 26th day of the twelfth month of the eleventh year of Tenbun, according to the Japanese calendar. Originally named Matsudaira Takechiyo (松平 竹千代), he was the son of Matsudaira Hirotada (松平 広忠), the daimyo of Mikawa of the Matsudaira clan, and Odainokata (於大の方), the daughter of a neighboring samurai lord Mizuno Tadamasa (水野 忠政). His mother and father were step-siblings. They were just 17 and 15 years old, respectively, when Ieyasu was born. Two years later, Odainokata was sent back to her family and the couple never lived together again. As both husband and wife remarried and both went on to have further children, Ieyasu in the end had 11 half-brothers and sisters.
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Tokugawa Yoshimune
Tokugawa Yoshimune (徳川 吉宗?, November 27, 1684 – July 12, 1751) was the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Yoshimune was not the son of any former shogun. Rather, he was a member of a cadet branch of the Tokugawa clan. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, well aware of the extinction of the Minamoto line in 1219, had realized that his direct descendants might die out, leaving the Tokugawa family at risk of extinction. Thus, while his son Tokugawa Hidetada was the second shogun, he selected three other sons to establish the gosanke, hereditary houses which would provide a shogun if there were no male heir. The three gosanke were the Owari, Kii, and Mito branches.
Yoshimune was from the branch of Kii. The founder of the Kii house was one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's sons, Tokugawa Yorinobu. Ieyasu appointed him daimyo of Kii. Yorinobu's son, Tokugawa Mitsusada, succeeded him. Two of Mitsusada's sons succeeded him, and when they died, Tokugawa Yoshimune, Mitsusada's fourth son, became daimyo of Kii in 1705. Later, he became shogun.
wn.com/Tokugawa_Yoshimune -
Torii Mototada
Torii Mototada (鳥居 元忠?, 1539 – September 8, 1600) was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through late Azuchi-Momoyama Period, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Torii died at the siege of Fushimi where his garrison was greatly outnumbered and destroyed by the army of Ishida Mitsunari. Torii's refusal to surrender changed the course of Japanese history; the fall of Fushimi bought Ieyasu some time to regroup and eventually win the Battle at Sekigahara.
Torii was born in Okazaki, the son of Torii Tadayoshi. As a boy, he was sent as hostage to the Imagawa clan, together with the future Tokugawa Ieyasu. The young Mototada served the then-Matsudaira Takechiyo as a page. After Ieyasu's return from the Imagawa clan, and his unification of Mikawa Province, Mototada served as one of his chief generals.
In 1572, Mototada succeeded the Torii family headship, following the death of his father. He fought at the Battle of Mikata-ga-hara and Battle of Suwahara Castle the following year and was wounded in the legs, which rendered walking difficult for him from then on.
wn.com/Torii_Mototada -
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉?, February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537 – September 18, 1598) was a daimyo, warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms. Hideyoshi is regarded as Japan's second "great unifier".
Very little is known for certain about Hideyoshi before 1570, when he begins to appear in surviving documents and letters. His autobiography starts in 1577 but in it Hideyoshi spoke very little about his past. By tradition, he was born in what is now Nakamura-ku, Nagoya (situated in contemporary Aichi District, Owari Province), the home of the Oda clan. He was born of no traceable samurai lineage, being the son of a peasant-ashigaru (foot soldier) named Yaemon. He had no surname, and his childhood given name was Hiyoshi-maru (日吉丸?) ("Bounty of the Sun") although variations exist.
wn.com/Toyotomi_Hideyoshi -
Uesugi Kenshin
Uesugi Kenshin (上杉 謙信?, February 18, 1530 – April 19, 1578) was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.
He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries and trade; his rule saw a marked rise in the standard of living of Echigo. Kenshin is famed for his honourable conduct, his military expertise, a long-standing rivalry with Takeda Shingen, his numerous campaigns to restore order in the Kanto region as the Kanto Kanrei, and his belief in the Buddhist god of war — Bishamonten. In fact, many of his followers and others believed him to be the Avatar of Bishamonten, and called Kenshin god of war.
His original name was Nagao Kagetora (長尾景虎). He changed his name to Uesugi Masatora (上杉政虎) when he inherited the Uesugi family name in order to accept the official title of Kantō Kanrei (関東管領). Later he changed his name again to Uesugi Terutora (上杉輝虎) to honor the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru (足利義輝), and finally to Kenshin (上杉謙信) after he became a Buddhist monk; in particular, he would become renowned for being a devotee of Bishamonten. For the majority of this description, the name of Kenshin will be used.
wn.com/Uesugi_Kenshin -
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川 国芳?, January 1, 1797 - April 14, 1862) was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting. He is associated with the Utagawa school.
The range of Kuniyoshi's preferred subjects included many genres: landscapes, beautiful women, Kabuki actors, cats, and mythical animals. He is known for depictions of the battles of samurai and legendary heroes. His artwork was affected by Western influences in landscape painting and caricature.
He was born on January 1, 1798, the son of a silk-dyer, Yanagiya Kichiyemon, originally named Yoshisaburō. Apparently he assisted his father's business as a pattern designer, and some have suggested that this experience influenced his rich use of color and textile patterns in prints. It is said that Kuniyoshi was impressed, at an early age of seven or eight, by ukiyo-e warrior prints, and by pictures of artisans and commoners (as depicted in craftsmen manuals), and it is possible these influenced his own later prints.
wn.com/Utagawa_Kuniyoshi -
Yamato Takeru
Prince Yamatotakeru (日本武尊, やまとたける?) (also known as Yamato-dakeru), originally Prince Ousu (小碓命, おうすのみこと) was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Tennō or Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. One of his sons later became Chūai, traditionally counted as the 14th Emperor of Japan.
His historical existence is uncertain but those books date his life to the 4th century AD. Details are different between the two books and the version in Kojiki is assumed to be loyal to the older form of this legend.
Prince Ousu slew his elder brother Ōusu. (大碓命, おおうすのみこと) His father, the emperor Keikō, feared his brutal temperament. The father plotted to have his son die in battle and sent him to Izumo Province, today the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture and then the land of Kumaso, today Kumamoto Prefecture. But Ousu succeeded in defeating his enemies, in the latter case by cross-dressing as a maid servant attendant at a drinking party (see image left). One of the enemies he defeated praised him and gave him the title Yamatotakeru, meaning The Brave of Yamato. But Emperor Keikō's mind was unchanged.
wn.com/Yamato_Takeru
Ninja Assassin (2009)
Actors
- Rain
- Naomie Harris
- Ben Miles
- Rick Yune
- Naomie Harris
- Ben Miles
- Sho Kosugi
- Sung Kang
- Randall Duk-Kim
- Jonathan Chan-pensley
- Linh Dan Pham (ii)
- Adriana Altaras
- Eleonore Weisgerber
- Thorston Manderlay
Director
Ninja Filmography
- More Spanish Lessons: Hard Study 1 (2000)
- More Spice Boyz (1999)
- The Best of the Best (1999)
- Papis in Paris (1998)
- The Spice Boyz (1998)
Ninja Filmography
Ninja Filmography
- Ninja - Insane Clown Posse
- Ninja - ICP (Insane Clown Posse)
- Ninja - I.C.P.
- Ninja - Machinae Supremacy
- Ninja - Europe
- Ninja - Pixikill
What the hell's a ninja?
(ninja's posess a superior skills of ninjitsu, mu'afucka')
It is a branch os a Japanese samurai, a very old organization
Its origins are hundreds of years old, much of its history is being lost
not many ninja's exist today, yet they all have indomitable fighting skills
as a part of ninjitsu
(ninja's of the indomitable fighting skills, of a ninja, a ninjer, a
mutha'fuckin' ninja)
no matter what weapons you use, a ninja will never die!
Damn I wish I could be a Shokon Samurai
so I could swing a sword and make necks fly
I'd go to school and ninja-crawl through tha halls
n' then I'd jump out n' stab bitches in the balls
'cause I remember these kids from tha playground
everybody'd hang around, we were all down
but then we grew up, n' everybody turned away
n' now they dissin' me, yellin', "fuck Nerdy-J"
I sit n' think at how it changed as I got olda'
as I think I draw a ninja on my folda', Ugh
what I would do if I only had a ninja sword
you'd see blood start flingin' on tha chalkboard
I'd tell tha whole class, "nobody move a jiggle,
first one that do I'll make yer fuckin' neck wiggle."
everyone wold start jockin', tha news would take my picta'
DAMN I wish I could be a ninja
(chorus)
Damn I wish I could be a ninja, ninja(X3)
Damn It'd feel good ta see people applaudin'(allX2)
After I was done killin' all tha yuppie fucks
all tha poor kids would come n' swing from my nuts
and I would walk home feelin' like a Samurai
I'd walk in tha house, and see my momma cry
I's ask why, she'd point to my drunkin' pops
he tried ta hit her again, but that shit STOPS
I kick him in his throat, you hear his neck break
I throw a roundhose and knock his beard off his face
I tell him, "Dad, now look at all your broken glass,
why don'tcha pick it all-up n' stick it in yer ass."
I watch him do it, "Now hurry up ya take fo'eva'."
when he was done I'd squeeze his butt-cheeks togetha'
"Now get tha FUCK out my house, neva' come back!"
I throw a chinese star, stick him in his ass-crack(Ahhhh)
I turn to my mudda, "I'm sorry that he hit'cha!"
DAMN I wish I could be a ninja
(repeat chorus)
If I could be a ninja, my daddy'd be dead, but
I still gotta go ta work, n' pay tha rent
I flip frenchfries for $2.25
Mr. Donny works here he's fuckin' 45
but he'd think he "da' shit" 'cause he's da' boss
I guess he don't know that his life is a loss
I walk in....about 5 minutes late...
'cause I was tryin' ta clean tha blood off my ninja blade
so, Mr. Donny wanna try n' get up in my face
screamin' at me, sweatin' ova' this place
mad 'cause I'm late, he's no betta' than me
just another bitch workin' for next ta' free
I thought him out, takin' money, just steal
n' cuttin' up his body, n' fry him on tha grill
but he's too fuckin' wack, n' I could kill dis bitch
n' I don't even need ta be a ninja
(repeat chorusX7)
Yeah, Yeah I'm a ninja, Yeah
What the hell's a ninja?
(ninja's posess a superior skills of ninjitsu, mu'afucka')
It is a branch os a Japanese samurai, a very old organization
Its origins are hundreds of years old, much of its history is being lost
not many ninja's exist today, yet they all have indomitable fighting skills
as a part of ninjitsu
(ninja's of the indomitable fighting skills, of a ninja, a ninjer, a
mutha'fuckin' ninja)
no matter what weapons you use, a ninja will never die!
Damn I wish I could be a Shokon Samurai
so I could swing a sword and make necks fly
I'd go to school and ninja-crawl through tha halls
n' then I'd jump out n' stab bitches in the balls
cuz I remember these kids from tha playground
everybody'd hang around, we were all down
but then we grew up, n' everybody turned away
n' now they dissin' me, yellin', "fuck Nerdy-J"
I sit n' think at how it changed as I got olda'
as I think I draw a ninja on my folda', Ugh
what I would do if I only had a ninja sword
you'd see blood start flingin' on tha chalkboard
I'd tell tha whole class, "nobody move a jiggle,
first one that do I'll make yer fuckin' neck wiggle."
everyone wold start jockin', tha news would take my picta'
DAMN I wish I could be a ninja
[chorus]
Damn I wish I could be a ninja, ninja [X3]
Damn It'd feel good ta see people applaudin' [all X2]
After I was done killin' all tha yuppie fucks
all tha poor kids would come n' swing from my nuts
and I would walk home feelin' like a Samurai
I'd walk in tha house, and see my momma cry
I's ask why, she'd point to my drunkin' pops
he tried ta hit her again, but that shit STOPS
I kick him in his throat, you hear his neck break
I throw a roundhose and knock his beard off his face
I tell him, "Dad, now look at all your broken glass,
why don'tcha pick it all-up n' stick it in yer ass."
I watch him do it, "Now hurry up ya take fo'eva'."
when he was done I'd squeeze his butt-cheeks togetha'
"Now get tha FUCK out my house, neva' come back!"
I throw a chinese star, stick him in his ass-crack (Ahhhh)
I turn to my mudda, "I'm sorry that he hit'cha!"
DAMN I wish I could be a ninja
[repeat chorus]
If I could be a ninja, my daddy'd be dead, but
I still gotta go ta work, n' pay tha rent
I flip frenchfries for $2.25
Mr. Donny works here he's fuckin' 45
but he'd think he "da' shit" cuz he's da' boss
I guess he don't know that his life is a loss
I walk in....about 5 minutes late...
cuz I was tryin' ta clean tha blood off my ninja blade
so, Mr. Donny wanna try n' get up in my face
screamin' at me, sweatin' ova' this place
mad cuz I'm late, he's no betta' than me
just another bitch workin' for next ta' free
I thought him out, takin' money, just steal
n' cuttin' up his body, n' fry him on tha grill
but he's too fuckin' wack, n' I could kill dis bitch
n' I don't even need ta be a ninja
[repeat chorus X7]
Yeah, Yeah I'm a ninja, Yeah
FUCK that, I'm a Wicked Klown BITCH, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
What the hell's a ninja?
(ninja's posess a superior skills of ninjitsu, mu'afucka')
It is a branch os a Japanese samurai, a very old organization
Its origins are hundreds of years old, much of its history is being lost
not many ninja's exist today, yet they all have indomitable fighting skills
as a part of ninjitsu
(ninja's of the indomitable fighting skills, of a ninja, a ninjer, a
mutha'fuckin' ninja)
no matter what weapons you use, a ninja will never die!
Damn I wish I could be a Shogun Samurai
so I could swing a sword and make necks fly
I'd go to school and ninja-crawl through tha halls
n' then I'd jump out n' stab bitches in the balls
cuz I remember these kids from tha playground
everybody'd hang around, we were all down
but then we grew up, n' everybody turned away
n' now they dissin' me, yellin', "fuck Nerdy-J"
I sit n' think at how it changed as I got olda'
as I think I draw a ninja on my folda', (Ugh)
what I would do if I only had a ninja sword
you'd see blood start flingin' on tha chalkboard
I'd tell tha whole class, "nobody move a jiggle,
first one that do I'll make yer fuckin' neck wiggle."
everyone wold start jockin', tha news would take my pictcha'
DAMN I wish I could be a ninja
[chorus]
Damn I wish I could be a ninja, (ninja( [X3]
Damn It'd feel good ta see people up on it [all X2]
After I was done killin' all tha yuppie fucks
all tha poor kids would come n' swing from my nuts
and I would walk home feelin' like a Samurai
I'd walk in tha house, and see my momma cry
I's ask why, she'd point to my drunkin' pops
he tried ta hit her again, but that shit STOPS
I kick him in his throat, you hear his neck break
I throw a roundhose and knock his beard off his face
I tell him, "Dad, now look at all your broken glass,
why don'tcha pick it all-up n' stick it in yer ass."
I watch him do it, "Now hurry up ya take fo'eva'."
when he was done I'd squeeze his butt-cheeks togetha'
"Now get tha FUCK out my house, neva' come back!"
I throw a chinese star, stick him in his ass-crack (Ahhhh)
I turn to my mudda, "I'm sorry that he hit'cha!"
DAMN I wish I could be a ninja
[repeat chorus]
If I could be a ninja, my daddy'd be dead, but
I still gotta go ta work, n' pay tha rent
I flip frenchfries for $2.25
Mr. Donny works here he's fuckin' 45
but he'd think he "da' shit" cuz he's da' boss
I guess he don't know that his life is a loss
I walk in....about 5 minutes late...
cuz I was tryin' ta clean tha blood off my ninja blade
so, Mr. Donny wanna try n' get up in my face
screamin' at me, sweatin' ova' this place
mad cuz I'm late, he's no betta' than me
just another bitch workin' for next ta' free
I thought him out, takin' money, just steal
n' cuttin' up his body, n' fry him on tha grill
but he's too fuckin' wack, n' I could kill dis bitch
n' I don't even need ta be a ninja
[repeat chorus X7]
Yeah, Yeah I'm a ninja, Yeah
Caught in the wind
are the voices of the damned
They harbinger the coming fray
You will be wise to heed as best you can
or Death embraces you as prey
You could sing the song of truth,
the silent dirge of honor
or meet your judgment in dismay
I could take you anytime
anywhere my presence is sublime
Or I'll just kill you in your sleep
Just another pointless life sold cheap
A light that fades away
turning to night from day
and leaving here to drift away
I bring forth the end to you
teh ph34r as I come into view
the last thing you will ever see is me
Tell me the story, tell me the legend
Tell me the tales of war
Tell me just one time,
What it was like before
Bring me the feeling, right in that moment
When a heart for battle cries
Find me the treasure where the legend lies.
If I were a noble ancient knight
I'd stand by jour side to rule and fight
It will always feel the same
When I call out your name.
Ninja survive, in dreams I walk by your side
Ninja survive, with you there's no need to hide.
A handful of sayings are more than a reason
For me to feel this way
I'd like to be near you
Maybe for just one day
Here we stand, face to face
Is this a trap, is this a game
You think I’m young, think you’re insane
I guess it’s good you are the one for me
You’re really good, I can’t complain
You get me back again and again
Yeah this could hurt, this could be wrong
But if it was we wouldn’t get along
Why do I feel like a ninja every time I fight my way through
One, two, three, love, love, love, love
I was overtaken by you
Why do I feel like I’m failing every time I step into
My want to be love, love, love, loved
By you
You held my hand, thought it was sweet
It was well played- done innocently
Thought we were cool, getting away
You said everything I loved to hear you say
What’s on your mind, when you’re with me
You have no clue how I wish you could see
Yeah, we get on, like it’s all fine
But here’s the truth, I just wanna call you mine
Why do I feel like a ninja every time I fight my way through
One, two, three, love, love, love, love
I was overtaken by you
Why do I feel like I’m failing every time I step into
My want to be love, love, love, loved
By you
Why do I feel like a ninja every time I fight my way through
One, two, three, love, love, love, love
I was overtaken by you
Why do I feel like I’m failing every time I step into
My want to be love, love, love, loved
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How to be Ninja
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:35
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
This is a dvd that shows you how to be an excellent ninja. Songs Used: Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting Mortal Kombat Theme Song Pink Panther Theme Song Fergie - Clumsy
http://wn.com/How_to_be_Ninja
This is a dvd that shows you how to be an excellent ninja. Songs Used: Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting Mortal Kombat Theme Song Pink Panther Theme Song Fergie - Clumsy
Urban Ninja
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:07
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
Urban Ninja These are not my movies. They are part of www.emcmonkeys.com. Please give them a visit.
http://wn.com/Urban_Ninja
Urban Ninja These are not my movies. They are part of www.emcmonkeys.com. Please give them a visit.
- published: 02 Sep 2005
- views: 40273053
- author: mrWoot
Die Antwoord - Enter The Ninja (Explicit Version)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:13
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
Music video by Die Antwoord performing Enter The Ninja. (C) 2010 Interscope Records
http://wn.com/Die_Antwoord_Enter_The_Ninja_Explicit_Version
Music video by Die Antwoord performing Enter The Ninja. (C) 2010 Interscope Records
- published: 03 Aug 2010
- views: 14376494
- author: DieAntwoordVEVO
Scott Adkins - Ninja [2009] - Teaser Trailer
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:22
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
Scott Adkins Official Facebook page www.facebook.com www.scottadkinsfanz.co.uk Scott Adkins - Ninja [2009] Teaser Trailer
http://wn.com/Scott_Adkins_Ninja_2009_Teaser_Trailer
Scott Adkins Official Facebook page www.facebook.com www.scottadkinsfanz.co.uk Scott Adkins - Ninja [2009] Teaser Trailer
- published: 06 May 2009
- views: 1287548
- author: ScottAdkinsFanz
Jedi Ninjas Ft. Team2X
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:08
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
Facebook it: on.fb.me | Tweet it: bit.ly 'Jedi Ninjas' a Team2X production. Produced by James Mark and Yung Lee (GakAttack). Directed by James Mark and Justin Lovell. Action Designed by and Featuring Team2x. Visual FX by Yung Lee (GakAttack) Jedi Ninjas was developed as a passion project to recreate the current style of Star Wars action seen in video games into live action. This style often combines elements of Force powers with the use lightsaber combat. As there are no upcoming live action Star Wars movies to this date, this was a project to make many of the fans' dreams into a reality. Team 2X is a professional martial arts performance consisting of members with experience in Hollywood films and television. With their unique talent in creating mind blowing fight sequences and GakAttack's passion for combining Visual FX with Martial Arts action. Jedi Ninjas became the result of this collaboration. Team2X's Channel: www.youtube.com GakAttack's Channel: www.youtube.com Special thanks to Lucas Arts for creating something so special in a galaxy far far away. Thanks also goes to IGN for helping figure out what to name this vid and helping it get out there: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Jedi_Ninjas_Ft_Team2X
Facebook it: on.fb.me | Tweet it: bit.ly 'Jedi Ninjas' a Team2X production. Produced by James Mark and Yung Lee (GakAttack). Directed by James Mark and Justin Lovell. Action Designed by and Featuring Team2x. Visual FX by Yung Lee (GakAttack) Jedi Ninjas was developed as a passion project to recreate the current style of Star Wars action seen in video games into live action. This style often combines elements of Force powers with the use lightsaber combat. As there are no upcoming live action Star Wars movies to this date, this was a project to make many of the fans' dreams into a reality. Team 2X is a professional martial arts performance consisting of members with experience in Hollywood films and television. With their unique talent in creating mind blowing fight sequences and GakAttack's passion for combining Visual FX with Martial Arts action. Jedi Ninjas became the result of this collaboration. Team2X's Channel: www.youtube.com GakAttack's Channel: www.youtube.com Special thanks to Lucas Arts for creating something so special in a galaxy far far away. Thanks also goes to IGN for helping figure out what to name this vid and helping it get out there: www.youtube.com
- published: 16 Dec 2011
- views: 1827850
- author: GakAttack
Ninja man!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:37
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
Crazy acrobat/kickboxing skills.
http://wn.com/Ninja_man!
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 - Kurama Mode Tailed Beasts Unleashed Extended Trailer
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:42
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations Walkthrough Part 1 Hatake Kakashi Let's Play PS3 XBOX 360 Let's Play (Gameplay / Commentary) www.youtube.com Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is set to come out in Spring 2013. Everyone seemed to like my Ninja Strom Generations walkthrough so I will be doing this one as well. My Twitter Page: twitter.com My Facebook Fan Page: on.fb.me
http://wn.com/Naruto_Shippuden_Ultimate_Ninja_Storm_3_Kurama_Mode_Tailed_Beasts_Unleashed_Extended_Trailer
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations Walkthrough Part 1 Hatake Kakashi Let's Play PS3 XBOX 360 Let's Play (Gameplay / Commentary) www.youtube.com Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is set to come out in Spring 2013. Everyone seemed to like my Ninja Strom Generations walkthrough so I will be doing this one as well. My Twitter Page: twitter.com My Facebook Fan Page: on.fb.me
- published: 21 Jan 2013
- views: 46030
- author: tetraninja
NINJA'S UNBOXING
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:37
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
When it comes to "unboxing", ninjas know how to handle things...
http://wn.com/NINJA'S_UNBOXING
When it comes to "unboxing", ninjas know how to handle things...
- published: 18 Jan 2010
- views: 3208109
- author: PatrickBoivin
Ninja Terminator (1985)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 87:11
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
Classic ninja spectacle directed by Godfrey Ho Chi Keung and starring Richard Harrison, Hwang Jang Lee, Philip Ko Fei, Chan Sing among others. One of the many micro-budget ninja films directed by Godfrey Ho in the 1980's. www.baufos.blogspot.com
http://wn.com/Ninja_Terminator_1985
Classic ninja spectacle directed by Godfrey Ho Chi Keung and starring Richard Harrison, Hwang Jang Lee, Philip Ko Fei, Chan Sing among others. One of the many micro-budget ninja films directed by Godfrey Ho in the 1980's. www.baufos.blogspot.com
- published: 26 Nov 2011
- views: 102431
- author: lifejuice1
だるまさんが転んにゃ - Stalking Cat -
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:14
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
ブログ・モア＊モアレmoire.lowdope.com
http://wn.com/だるまさんが転んにゃ_Stalking_Cat_-
Alien vs Ninja Trailer - English Subs
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:08
- Updated: 26 Jan 2013
www.japansociety.org World Premiere Saturday, July 3, 6 PM @ Japan Society 333 East 47th Street NY NY 2010, 81 min., color, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Seiji Chiba. With Mika Hijii, Shuuji Kashiwabara, Ben Hiura. Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival McTiernan's "Predator" meets Kitamura's "Versus." - Beyond Hollywood www.japansociety.org www.japansociety.org
http://wn.com/Alien_vs_Ninja_Trailer_English_Subs
www.japansociety.org World Premiere Saturday, July 3, 6 PM @ Japan Society 333 East 47th Street NY NY 2010, 81 min., color, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Seiji Chiba. With Mika Hijii, Shuuji Kashiwabara, Ben Hiura. Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival McTiernan's "Predator" meets Kitamura's "Versus." - Beyond Hollywood www.japansociety.org www.japansociety.org
- published: 15 Jun 2010
- views: 1775036
- author: JapanSocietyNYC
DANCING ASSASSIN SCARE PRANK
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:36
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
URBAN NINJA T-SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE! www.punchrobert.com/gear Follow me :) @HOFFMANROBERT This is a video from my new episodes coming soon that will end with the premiere of Urban Ninja 3. This was featured on the Ellen show 2/21/11. One of her producers saw it at a showing I did of it at Carnival and I couldn't refuse when they asked me to feature it on their show so this video is getting released early ;) Written, performed, and edited by Robert James Hoffman III. Shot by Tyson Wheeler Persall. He sucks at hockey. To stay updated on the release of the episodes Subscribe to this channel and follow @HoffmanRobert and like facebook.com/roberthoffmanfans TAGS: Dance Assassin Attack PunchRobert punch robert James Rob Hoffman III hidden camera funny scare public prank sketch surprise Urban Ninja 3 Step Up 2 Chase Ellen Urban Ninja Shxt
http://wn.com/DANCING_ASSASSIN_SCARE_PRANK
URBAN NINJA T-SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE! www.punchrobert.com/gear Follow me :) @HOFFMANROBERT This is a video from my new episodes coming soon that will end with the premiere of Urban Ninja 3. This was featured on the Ellen show 2/21/11. One of her producers saw it at a showing I did of it at Carnival and I couldn't refuse when they asked me to feature it on their show so this video is getting released early ;) Written, performed, and edited by Robert James Hoffman III. Shot by Tyson Wheeler Persall. He sucks at hockey. To stay updated on the release of the episodes Subscribe to this channel and follow @HoffmanRobert and like facebook.com/roberthoffmanfans TAGS: Dance Assassin Attack PunchRobert punch robert James Rob Hoffman III hidden camera funny scare public prank sketch surprise Urban Ninja 3 Step Up 2 Chase Ellen Urban Ninja Shxt
- published: 21 Feb 2011
- views: 2879138
- author: punchrobert
Ninja Baby
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:57
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
Wilkinson Sword Ninja Baby Commercial
http://wn.com/Ninja_Baby
Ninja Say What?!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:49
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
To all my ninjas in the world! Foreign Image+Cherry Sky Films www.cherryskyfilms.com Written by Viet Nguyen www.youtube.com Produced by Christopher Dinh www.twitter.com FEATURING Jerry Ying www.jerryying.com Tim Chiou http Leonard Wu www.leonardwu.com Grace Su http Arden Cho www.ardencho.com Grace + Arden http Charles Chu Brendon Williams Neil Sehgal
http://wn.com/Ninja_Say_What?!
To all my ninjas in the world! Foreign Image+Cherry Sky Films www.cherryskyfilms.com Written by Viet Nguyen www.youtube.com Produced by Christopher Dinh www.twitter.com FEATURING Jerry Ying www.jerryying.com Tim Chiou http Leonard Wu www.leonardwu.com Grace Su http Arden Cho www.ardencho.com Grace + Arden http Charles Chu Brendon Williams Neil Sehgal
- published: 24 Jun 2010
- views: 2020663
- author: foreignimage
Iranian Ninjas-Iran-01-29-2012
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:32
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
Martial arts have gained popularity in Iran over the past 20 years and c have not miss out on the excitement. In the first section of Iran, Gisoo Misha Ahmadi will be meeting with a group of Iranian young ladies who have mastered the techniques of ninjutsu, and are commonly referred to as "Ninjas".
http://wn.com/Iranian_Ninjas-Iran-01-29-2012
Martial arts have gained popularity in Iran over the past 20 years and c have not miss out on the excitement. In the first section of Iran, Gisoo Misha Ahmadi will be meeting with a group of Iranian young ladies who have mastered the techniques of ninjutsu, and are commonly referred to as "Ninjas".
- published: 02 Feb 2012
- views: 1034987
- author: PressTVGlobalNews
Ask A Ninja - Question 10 "Ninja Metal"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:42
- Updated: 26 Jan 2013
Matt asks the Ninja if ninjas are metal. Visit AskANinja.com for more ninja goodness. And add the Ninja as your friend http
http://wn.com/Ask_A_Ninja_Question_10_Ninja_Metal
Matt asks the Ninja if ninjas are metal. Visit AskANinja.com for more ninja goodness. And add the Ninja as your friend http
- published: 09 Feb 2006
- views: 888554
- author: digitalfilmmaker
Alien Vs. Ninja
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 81:11
- Updated: 24 Oct 2012
Once upon a time in Japan, there was a band of great Iga Ninja warriors, led by Yamata. One day, they witness a flash in the sky, and a roaring giant ball of fire crashing into the distant forest. There they find never-seen-before creatures with claws and fangs; ALIENS! The hungry brutal aliens starts to savage and feast on the Ninja warriors, leaving only few to survive. Yamata and his warriors swear to avenge their comrades' deaths, risking their lives to challenge the aliens. However, none of their Ninja weapons, neither the swords nor the throwing stars, have any affect on the aliens. Now, the Japanese greatest Iga Ninja face the biggest challenge ever! A Revolver Entertainment Release 2011
http://wn.com/Alien_Vs_Ninja
Once upon a time in Japan, there was a band of great Iga Ninja warriors, led by Yamata. One day, they witness a flash in the sky, and a roaring giant ball of fire crashing into the distant forest. There they find never-seen-before creatures with claws and fangs; ALIENS! The hungry brutal aliens starts to savage and feast on the Ninja warriors, leaving only few to survive. Yamata and his warriors swear to avenge their comrades' deaths, risking their lives to challenge the aliens. However, none of their Ninja weapons, neither the swords nor the throwing stars, have any affect on the aliens. Now, the Japanese greatest Iga Ninja face the biggest challenge ever! A Revolver Entertainment Release 2011
- published: 25 Jan 2012
- author: RevolverOnDemand
Ask A Ninja - Special Delivery 1 "What is Podcasting?"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:50
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
The Ninja explains podcasting to people over the age of 12. You can subscribe to the podcast askaninja.com. And please go DIGG us! http And add us at myspace at myspace.com
http://wn.com/Ask_A_Ninja_Special_Delivery_1_What_is_Podcasting?
The Ninja explains podcasting to people over the age of 12. You can subscribe to the podcast askaninja.com. And please go DIGG us! http And add us at myspace at myspace.com
- published: 24 Feb 2006
- views: 5061167
- author: digitalfilmmaker
Daily Life of NinjaHinja
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:14
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
This is a documentary about your average Ninja. Subscribe to: Kat! (girl who gets pwned) www.youtube.com JRA (kung fu dude) www.youtube.com www.higatv.com
http://wn.com/Daily_Life_of_NinjaHinja
This is a documentary about your average Ninja. Subscribe to: Kat! (girl who gets pwned) www.youtube.com JRA (kung fu dude) www.youtube.com www.higatv.com
- published: 08 Apr 2011
- views: 15601834
- author: nigahiga
Urban Ninja II - Urban Ninja 2
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:11
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
URBAN NINJA T SHIRTS AVAILABLE NOW!!! www.punchrobert.com URBAN NINJA 3 - all footage has been shot. Editing is next. Preview coming soon... Music: "This Time" by Janet Jackson and "Baboon Music" by Twelve Tribes The second in a series of short mockumentary / films about Kinetsu Hayabusa, the Urban Ninja. URBAN NINJA II. Please turn it up and listen with good speakers. Brought to you by PUNCHROBERT.com Created, Directed, and Edited by Robert James Hoffman III. Played by Robert James Hoffman III, Maya Hazen, and Oscar Orosco. Tags: Urban Ninja II PunchRobert punch robert James rob Hoffman III hidden camera funny comedy scare public prank sketch surprise Wild 'N Out
http://wn.com/Urban_Ninja_II_Urban_Ninja_2
URBAN NINJA T SHIRTS AVAILABLE NOW!!! www.punchrobert.com URBAN NINJA 3 - all footage has been shot. Editing is next. Preview coming soon... Music: "This Time" by Janet Jackson and "Baboon Music" by Twelve Tribes The second in a series of short mockumentary / films about Kinetsu Hayabusa, the Urban Ninja. URBAN NINJA II. Please turn it up and listen with good speakers. Brought to you by PUNCHROBERT.com Created, Directed, and Edited by Robert James Hoffman III. Played by Robert James Hoffman III, Maya Hazen, and Oscar Orosco. Tags: Urban Ninja II PunchRobert punch robert James rob Hoffman III hidden camera funny comedy scare public prank sketch surprise Wild 'N Out
- published: 07 Jul 2006
- views: 8682452
- author: punchrobert
Kawasaki Ninja Record Nürburgring 7'50": BEST RACE MOTORCYCLE EVER
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:36
- Updated: 27 Jan 2013
You LIKE THIS VIDEO??? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE HERE - www.youtube.com Visit Our Web Site: www.gommeblog.it Follow us on facebook www.facebook.com On Board Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R 2011 Nurburgring 7.50 - gomme Bridgestone Tire Battlax R10. Extreme Amazing Race (Real: No Game No Simulator). Racing Xtreme Power
http://wn.com/Kawasaki_Ninja_Record_Nürburgring_7'50_BEST_RACE_MOTORCYCLE_EVER
You LIKE THIS VIDEO??? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE HERE - www.youtube.com Visit Our Web Site: www.gommeblog.it Follow us on facebook www.facebook.com On Board Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R 2011 Nurburgring 7.50 - gomme Bridgestone Tire Battlax R10. Extreme Amazing Race (Real: No Game No Simulator). Racing Xtreme Power
- published: 09 Nov 2011
- views: 3385540
- author: GommeBlog
photo: AP / Ronald Mendes-Agencia RBS
27 Jan 2013
Tweet. Police say at least 232 people have died in a fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil. Around 117 others were injured after the blaze broke out while a band was performing at the Kiss club in the southern city of Santa Maria at about 2am (local time). Police earlier said more than 245 people had died in the fire. It is thought pyrotechnics being used for the concert may have caused the blaze ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)
photo: AP / Hossam Ali
26 Jan 2013
An Egyptian court has handed down 21 death sentences in connection with the deadly riot last year at a football stadium in Port Said located along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The defendants sentenced on Saturday are mostly members of the "Ultras," die-hard football fans who support Port Said's al-Masry squad ... Al-Masry fans stormed the pitch after their team won, throwing stones, bottles and fireworks at al-Ahly supporters....(size: 17.2Kb)
photo: UN / Martine Perret
25 Jan 2013
At least one in five people, including half of schoolchildren, were infected with swine flu during the first year of the pandemic in 2009, according to data from 19 countries. It is thought the virus killed 200,000 people around the world. A World Health Organization-led study looked for evidence of the body's immune system fighting the virus ... Anti-bodies ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)
photo: AP / Mohammad Hannon
25 Jan 2013
Republicans wanted nothing more than to summon Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Capitol Hill and grill her about the tragic fiasco in Benghazi. Sadly for them, they got their wish. Clinton’s smooth and confident performance at Wednesday’s Senate and House committee hearings was fun to watch. When her would-be inquisitors asked serious questions, she gave serious answers. But when Sen ... Fat chance ... Benghazi ... Perhaps not ... ....(size: 4.8Kb)
New Straits/Business Times
28 Jan 2013
If you think you have had enough of stealth games, you haven’t played Mark Of The Ninja yet, writes Bruno-Dieter Chan. GETTING bored of first-person-shooter games which seems to be abundant nowadays? How about a nice ninja platformer game in the style of good old Ninja Gaiden? Then Mark Of The Ninja might just hit the spot for you ... This is where Mark Of The Ninja differs greatly from action platformers ... Mark Of The Ninja....(size: 4.7Kb)
Kansas City Star
28 Jan 2013
Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy move on, "The Americans" move in and, wait - I do believe some sort of popular sporting contest takes place. Here's what to watch and what to avoid on television this week.. -Monday.. "Dallas" 8 p.m., TNT ... -Tuesday.. "Raising Hope" 7 p.m., Fox ... "Southie Rules" 9 p.m., A&;E ... "yuppies." ... -Friday. ... "American Ninja Warrior" 7 p.m., NBC ... And when a ninja says "footage," it's probably going to wind up in your face-age....(size: 2.7Kb)
Sacramento Bee
28 Jan 2013
Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy move on, "The Americans" move in and, wait - I do believe some sort of popular sporting contest takes place. Here's what to watch and what to avoid on television this week.. -Monday.. "Dallas" 8 p.m., TNT ... -Tuesday.. "Raising Hope" 7 p.m., Fox ... "Southie Rules" 9 p.m., A&;E ... "yuppies." ... -Friday. ... "American Ninja Warrior" 7 p.m., NBC ... And when a ninja says "footage," it's probably going to wind up in your face-age....(size: 2.7Kb)
Joystiq
28 Jan 2013
The Microsoft 5-Game Arcade Pack includes Steam versions of Deadlight, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Iron Brigade, Mark of the Ninja and Toy Soldiers, all for $10 ... The Settlers, The Settlers 7 ... ....(size: 1.0Kb)
Digital Spy
28 Jan 2013
A British man is set to enter the Guinness Book of Records for visiting every country in the world without flying. Graham Hughes from Liverpool will visit Russia on Monday to complete his mission and set the record, Sky News reports,. Hughes, 33, began the challenge to visit all 193 UN recognised nations in January 2009 ... More. Odd. Previous ... 0 comments ... Dallas Police sorry for Fruit Ninja tweet 1 ... Dallas Police sorry for Fruit Ninja tweet 1....(size: 8.2Kb)
noodls
28 Jan 2013
(Source. CEA - Consumer Electronics Association) ... Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of Dish Networks ("Dish") ... CEA believes that the Dish Hopper DVR is fully covered by the Supreme Court's ruling inSony Corp ... In reality, the VCR, the DVR, the SlingBox and other innovative consumer technology products have expanded the market for content and presented ninja content innovators with new business opportunities....(size: 4.4Kb)
The Verge
28 Jan 2013
Windows 8/RT App Spotlight, Part 8. Posted by Lettershort on January 28, 2013 03.53 am 0. Over the course of doing these app spotlights, I’ve attempted to avoid providing apps in the spotlight that perform the same functions as those previously included on these spotlights ... YouTube RT ... Feed Reader ... Multimedia 8 ... DropBox ... Audiobook 8 Pro, Shuriken Ninja, FlashQuiz, LINX, Wikipedia, Epicurious, Piano Time Pro, Periodic Table, ARMED! ... ....(size: 4.7Kb)
The Examiner
28 Jan 2013
Flu continues to spread throughout the country, and 29 children so far have died from complications from this widespread virus. Dr. Tom Frieden, the National CDC Director, stated this year as a "worse than average season, particularly for the elderly." ... And we're only half way through! ... Even if you've already been hit with a cold, or the dreaded flu, Ultra D3 will act like a ninja warrior and knock out the virus virtually overnight ... AADP....(size: 7.7Kb)
IMDb
27 Jan 2013
The Examiner
27 Jan 2013
Revengeance will also get a free DLC code that unlocks a custom Cyborg Ninja skin for Raiden. The outfit is based off the design of Gray Fox from the original Metal Gear Solid. Not only will this allow Raiden to look like Gray Fox's Cyborg Ninja, but it will also allow him to wield and upgrade the powerful "FOX BLADE." ... Check out some screenshots of the Cyborg Ninja in the slide show above.View slideshow. Cyborg Ninja screenshots ... Tweet ... ....(size: 6.1Kb)
Toronto Sun
27 Jan 2013
Canadian rapper Classified has definitely discovered his Inner Ninja ... native Luke Boyd, 37, whose self-titled new album, featuring the Top 10 single Inner Ninja, just debuted at No ... ...(Inner Ninja) just went gold this week, in like seven weeks ... That, with the Juno stuff, with the foundation of the last album and then just the radio play helped Inner Ninja too 'cause radio's been killing it....(size: 4.7Kb)
Denver Post
27 Jan 2013
"Ninja Innovation. The Ten Killer Strategies of the World's Most Successful Businesses" by Gary Shapiro (The Denver Post . n/a). HARDCOVER ... "Ninja Innovation," Gary Shapiro, Harper Collins; $25.99 ... ....(size: 1.0Kb)
Sydney Morning Herald
27 Jan 2013
"Shinobi" redirects here. For the video game series, see Shinobi (series). For other uses, see Shinobi (disambiguation).
For other uses, see Ninja (disambiguation).
A ninja (忍者?) or shinobi (忍び?) was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan who specialized in unorthodox warfare. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, and open combat in certain situations.[1] Their covert methods of waging war contrasted the ninja with the samurai, who observed strict rules about honor and combat.[2] The shinobi proper, a specially trained group of spies and mercenaries, appeared in the Sengoku or "warring states" period, in the 15th century,[3] but antecedents may have existed in the 14th century,[4] and possibly even in the 12th century (Heian or early Kamakura era).[5][6]
In the unrest of the Sengoku period (15th–17th centuries), mercenaries and spies for hire became active in the Iga Province and the adjacent area around the village of Kōga, and it is from their ninja clans that much of our knowledge of the ninja is drawn. Following the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate (17th century), the ninja faded into obscurity, being replaced by the Oniwabanshū body of secret agents.[7] A number of shinobi manuals, often centered around Chinese military philosophy, were written in the 17th and 18th centuries, most notably the Bansenshukai (1676).[8]
By the time of the Meiji Restoration (1868), the tradition of the shinobi had become a topic of popular imagination and mystery in Japan. Ninja figured prominently in folklore and legend, and as a result it is often difficult to separate historical fact from myth. Some legendary abilities purported to be in the province of ninja training include invisibility, walking on water, and control over the natural elements. As a consequence, their perception in western popular culture in the 20th century was based more on such legend and folklore than on the historical spies of the Sengoku period.
Contents |
Etymology[link]
Ninja is an on'yomi (Early Middle Chinese-influenced) reading of the two kanji "忍者". In the native kun'yomi kanji reading, it is pronounced shinobi, a shortened form of the transcription shinobi-no-mono (忍の者). These two systems of pronouncing kanji create words (ninja/ninsha or shinobi-no-mono) with similar meanings.[9]
The word shinobi appears in the written record as far back as the late 8th century in poems in the Man'yōshū.[10][11] The underlying connotation of shinobi (忍) means "to steal away" and — by extension — "to forbear", hence its association with stealth and invisibility. Mono (者) means "a person".
Historically, the word ninja was not in common use, and a variety of regional colloquialisms evolved to describe what would later be dubbed ninja. Along with shinobi, some examples include monomi ("one who sees"), nokizaru ("macaque on the roof"), rappa ("ruffian"), kusa ("grass") and Iga-mono ("one from Iga").[7] In historical documents, shinobi is almost always used.
Kunoichi, meaning a female ninja,[12] supposedly came from the characters くノ一 (pronounced ku, no and ichi), which make up the three strokes that form the kanji for "woman" (女).
In the West, the word ninja became more prevalent than shinobi in the post-World War II culture, possibly because it was more comfortable for Western speakers.[13] In English, the plural of ninja can be either unchanged as ninja, reflecting the Japanese language's lack of grammatical number, or the regular English plural ninjas.[14]
History[link]
Despite many popular folktales, historical accounts of the ninja are scarce. Historian Stephen Turnbull asserts that the ninja were mostly recruited from the lower class, and therefore little literary interest was taken in them.[15] Instead, war epics such as the Tale of Hōgen (Hōgen Monogatari) and the Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari) focus mainly on the aristocratic samurai, whose deeds were apparently more appealing to the audience.[13] Historian Kiyoshi Watatani states that the ninja were trained to be particularly secretive about their actions and existence:
Predecessors[link]
The title ninja has sometimes been attributed retrospectively to the semi-legendary 4th century prince Yamato Takeru.[17] In the Kojiki, the young Yamato Takeru disguised himself as a charming maiden, and assassinated two chiefs of the Kumaso people.[18] However, these records take place at a very early stage of Japanese history, and they are unlikely to be connected to the shinobi of later accounts. The first recorded use of espionage was under the employment of Prince Shōtoku in the 6th century.[1] Such tactics were considered unsavory even in early times, when, according to the 10th century Shōmonki, the boy spy Koharumaru was killed for spying against the insurgent Taira no Masakado.[19] Later, the 14th century war chronicle Taiheiki contained many references to shinobi,[17] and credited the destruction of a castle by fire to an unnamed but "highly skilled shinobi".[20]
Early history[link]
It was not until the 15th century that spies were specially trained for their purpose.[15] It was around this time that the word shinobi appeared to define and clearly identify ninja as a secretive group of agents. Evidence for this can be seen in historical documents, which began to refer to stealthy soldiers as shinobi during the Sengoku period.[21] Later manuals regarding espionage are often grounded in Chinese military strategy, quoting works such as The Art of War (Sunzi Bingfa) by Sun Tzu.[22]
The ninja emerged as mercenaries in the 15th century, where they were recruited as spies, raiders, arsonists and even terrorists. Amongst the samurai, a sense of ritual and decorum was observed, where one was expected to fight or duel openly. Combined with the unrest of the Sengoku era, these factors created a demand for men willing to commit deeds considered not respectable for conventional warriors.[1][2] By the Sengoku period, the shinobi had several roles, including spy (kanchō), scout (teisatsu), surprise attacker (kishu), and agitator (konran).[21] The ninja families were organized into larger guilds, each with their own territories.[23] A system of rank existed. A jōnin ("upper man") was the highest rank, representing the group and hiring out mercenaries. This is followed by the chūnin ("middle man"), assistants to the jōnin. At the bottom was the genin ("lower man"), field agents drawn from the lower class and assigned to carry out actual missions.[24]
Iga and Kōga clans[link]
The Iga and Kōga clans have come to describe families living in the province of Iga (modern Mie Prefecture) and the adjacent region of Kōka (later written as Kōga), named after a village in what is now Shiga Prefecture. From these regions, villages devoted to the training of ninja first appeared.[25] The remoteness and inaccessibility of the surrounding mountains may have had a role in the ninja's secretive development.[24] Historical documents regarding the ninja's origins in these mountainous regions are considered generally correct.[26] The chronicle Go Kagami Furoku writes, of the two clans' origins:
There was a retainer of the family of Kawai Aki-no-kami of Iga, of pre-eminent skill in shinobi, and consequently for generations the name of people from Iga became established. Another tradition grew in Kōga.[26]
Likewise, a supplement to the Nochi Kagami, a record of the Ashikaga shogunate, confirms the same Iga origin:
Inside the camp at Magari of the Shogun [Ashikaga] Yoshihisa there were shinobi whose names were famous throughout the land. When Yoshihisa attacked Rokkaku Takayori, the family of Kawai Aki-no-kami of Iga, who served him at Magari, earned considerable merit as shinobi in front of the great army of the Shogun. Since then successive generations of Iga men have been admired. This is the origin of the fame of the men of Iga.[27]
A distinction is to be made between the ninja from these areas, and commoners or samurai hired as spies or mercenaries. Unlike their counterparts, the Iga and Kōga clans produced professional ninja, specifically trained for their roles.[21] These professional ninja were actively hired by daimyos between 1485 and 1581,[21] until Oda Nobunaga invaded Iga province and wiped out the organized clans.[28] Survivors were forced to flee, some to the mountains of Kii, but others arrived before Tokugawa Ieyasu, where they were well treated.[29] Some former Iga clan members, including Hattori Hanzō, would later serve as Tokugawa's bodyguards.[30]
Following the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, Tokugawa employed a group of eighty Kōga ninja, led by Tomo Sukesada. They were tasked to raid an outpost of the Imagawa clan. The account of this assault is given in the Mikawa Go Fudoki, where it was written that Kōga ninja infiltrated the castle, set fire to its towers, and killed the castellan along with 200 of the garrison.[31] The Kōga ninja are said to have played a role in the later Battle of Sekigahara (1600), where several hundred Kōga assisted soldiers under Torii Mototada in the defence of Fushimi Castle.[32] After Tokugawa's victory at Sekigahara, the Iga acted as guards for the inner compounds of Edo Castle, while the Kōga acted as a police force and assisted in guarding the outer gate.[30] In 1614, the initial "winter campaign" at the Siege of Osaka saw the ninja in use once again. Miura Yoemon, a ninja in Tokugawa's service, recruited shinobi from the Iga region, and sent 10 ninja into Osaka Castle in an effort to foster antagonism between enemy commanders.[33] During the later "summer campaign", these hired ninja fought alongside regular troops at the Battle of Tennōji.[33]
Shimabara rebellion[link]
A final but detailed record of ninja employed in open warfare occurred during the Shimabara Rebellion (1637–1638).[34] The Kōga ninja were recruited by shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu against Christian rebels led by Amakusa Shirō, who made a final stand at Hara Castle, in Hizen Province. A diary kept by a member of the Matsudaira clan, the Amakusa Gunki, relates: "Men from Kōga in Omi Province who concealed their appearance would steal up to the castle every night and go inside as they pleased."[35]
The Ukai diary, written by a descendant of Ukai Kanemon, has several entries describing the reconnaissance actions taken by the Kōga.
They [the Kōga] were ordered to reconnoitre the plan of construction of Hara Castle, and surveyed the distance from the defensive moat to the ni-no-maru (second bailey), the depth of the moat, the conditions of roads, the height of the wall, and the shape of the loopholes.[35] — Entry: 6th day of the 1st month
Suspecting that the castle's supplies may be running low, the siege commander Matsudaira Nobutsuna ordered a raid on the castle's provisions. Here, the Kōga captured bags of enemy provisions, and infiltrated the castle by night, obtaining secret passwords.[36] Days later, Nobutsuna ordered an intelligence gathering mission to determine the castle's supplies. Several Kōga ninja — some apparently descended from those involved in the 1562 assault on an Imagawa clan castle — volunteered despite being warned that chances of survival were slim.[37] A volley of shots were fired into the sky, causing the defenders to extinguish the castle lights in preparation. Under the cloak of darkness, ninja disguised as defenders infiltrated the castle, capturing a banner of the Christian cross.[37] The Ukai diary writes,
We dispersed spies who were prepared to die inside Hara castle. ...those who went on the reconnaissance in force captured an enemy flag; both Arakawa Shichirobei and Mochizuki Yo'emon met extreme resistance and suffered from their serious wounds for 40 days.[37] — Entry: 27th day of the 1st month
As the siege went on, the extreme shortage of food later reduced the defenders to eating moss and grass.[38] This desperation would mount to futile charges by the rebels, where they were eventually defeated by the shogunate army. The Kōga would later take part in conquering the castle:
More and more general raids were begun, the Kōga ninja band under the direct control of Matsudaira Nobutsuna captured the ni-no-maru and the san-no-maru (outer bailey)...[39] — Entry: 24th day of the 2nd month
With the fall of Hara Castle, the Shimabara Rebellion came to an end, and Christianity in Japan was forced underground.[40] These written accounts are the last mention of ninja in war.[41]
Oniwaban[link]
In the early 18th century, shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune founded the oniwaban, an intelligence agency and secret service. Members of this office, the oniwabanshū ("garden keeper"), were agents involved in collecting information on daimyos and government officials.[42] The secretive nature of the oniwaban – along with the earlier tradition of using Iga and Kōga clan members as palace guards – have led some sources to define the oniwabanshū as "ninja".[43] This portrayal is also common in later novels and jidaigeki. However, there is no written link between the earlier shinobi and the later oniwabanshū.
Roles[link]
In his Buke Myōmokushō, military historian Hanawa Hokinoichi writes of the ninja:
They travelled in disguise to other territories to judge the situation of the enemy, they would inveigle their way into the midst of the enemy to discover gaps, and enter enemy castles to set them on fire, and carried out assassinations, arriving in secret.[44]
The ninja were stealth soldiers and mercenaries hired mostly by daimyos.[45] Their primary roles were those of espionage and sabotage, although assassinations were also attributed to ninja. In battle, the ninja could also be used to cause confusion amongst the enemy.[46] A degree of psychological warfare in the capturing of enemy banners can be seen illustrated in the Ōu Eikei Gunki, composed between the 16th and 17th centuries:
Within Hataya castle there was a glorious shinobi whose skill was renowned, and one night he entered the enemy camp secretly. He took the flag from Naoe Kanetsugu's guard ...and returned and stood it on a high place on the front gate of the castle.[47]
Espionage[link]
Espionage was the chief role of the ninja. With the aid of disguises, the ninja gathered information on enemy terrain, building specifications, as well as obtaining passwords and communiques. The aforementioned supplement to the Nochi Kagami briefly describes the ninja's role in espionage:
Concerning ninja, they were said to be from Iga and Kōga, and went freely into enemy castles in secret. They observed hidden things, and were taken as being friends.[27]
Later in history, the Kōga ninja would become regarded as agents of the Tokugawa bakufu, at a time when the bakufu used the ninja in an intelligence network to monitor regional daimyos as well as the Imperial court.[23]
Sabotage[link]
Arson was the primary form of sabotage practiced by the ninja, who targeted castles and camps.
The 16th century diary of abbot Eishun (Tamon-in Nikki) at Tamon-in monastery in Kōfuku-ji describes an arson attack on a castle by men of the Iga clans.
This morning, the sixth day of the 11th month of Tembun 10, the Iga-shu entered Kasagi castle in secret and set fire to a few of the priests' quarters. They also set fire to outbuildings in various places inside the San-no-maru. They captured the Ichi-no-maru (inner bailey) and the Ni-no-maru.[48]—Entry: 26th day of the 11th month of the 10th Year of Tenbun (1541)
In 1558, Rokkaku Yoshitaka employed a team of ninja to set fire to Sawayama Castle. A chunin captain led a force of 48 ninja into the castle by means of deception. In a technique dubbed bakemono-jutsu ("ghost technique"), his men stole a lantern bearing the enemy's family crest (mon), and proceeded to make replicas with the same mon. By wielding these lanterns, they were allowed to enter the castle without a fight. Once inside, the ninja set fire to the castle, and Yoshitaka's army would later emerge victorious.[49] The mercenary nature of the shinobi is demonstrated in another arson attack soon after the burning of Sawayama Castle. In 1561, commanders acting under Kizawa Nagamasa hired three Iga ninja of genin rank to assist the conquest of a fortress in Maibara. Rokakku Yoshitaka, the same man who had hired Iga ninja just years earlier, was the fortress holder – and target of attack. The Asai Sandaiki writes of their plans: "We employed shinobi-no-mono of Iga. ...They were contracted to set fire to the castle".[50] However, the mercenary shinobi were unwilling to take commands. When the fire attack did not begin as scheduled, the Iga men told the commanders, who were not from the region, that they could not possibly understand the tactics of the shinobi. They then threatened to abandon the operation if they were not allowed to act on their own strategy. The fire was eventually set, allowing Nagamasa's army to capture the fortress in a chaotic rush.[50]
Assassination[link]
The most well-known cases of assassination attempts involve famous historical figures. Deaths of famous persons have sometimes been attributed to assassination by ninja, but the secretive nature of these scenarios have been difficult to prove.[15] Assassins were often identified as ninja later on, but there is no evidence to prove whether some were specially trained for the task or simply a hired thug.
The warlord Oda Nobunaga's notorious reputation led to several attempts on his life. In 1571, a Kōga ninja and sharpshooter by the name of Sugitani Zenjubō was hired to assassinate Nobunaga. Using two arquebuses, he fired two consecutive shots at Nobunaga, but was unable to inflict mortal injury through Nobunaga's armor.[51] Sugitani managed to escape, but was caught four years later and put to death by torture.[51] In 1573, Manabe Rokurō, a vassal of daimyo Hatano Hideharu, attempted to infiltrate Azuchi Castle and assassinate a sleeping Nobunaga. However, this also ended in failure, and Manabe was forced to commit suicide, after which his body was openly displayed in public.[51] According to a document, the Iranki, when Nobunaga was inspecting Iga province — which his army had devastated — a group of three ninja shot at him with large-caliber firearms. The shots flew wide of Nobunaga, however, and instead killed seven of his surrounding companions.[52]
The ninja Hachisuka Tenzō was sent by Nobunaga to assassinate the powerful daimyo Takeda Shingen, but ultimately failed in his attempts. Hiding in the shadow of a tree, he avoided being seen under the moonlight, and later concealed himself in a hole he had prepared beforehand, thus escaping capture.[53]
An assassination attempt on Toyotomi Hideyoshi was also thwarted. A ninja named Kirigakure Saizō (possibly Kirigakure Shikaemon) thrust a spear through the floorboards to kill Hideyoshi, but was unsuccessful. He was "smoked out" of his hiding place by another ninja working for Hideyoshi, who apparently used a sort of primitive "flamethrower".[54] Unfortunately, the veracity of this account has been clouded by later fictional publications depicting Saizō as one of the legendary Sanada Ten Braves.
Uesugi Kenshin, the famous daimyo of Echigo province was rumored to have been killed by a ninja. The legend credits his death to an assassin who is said to have hid in Kenshin's lavatory, and gravely injured Kenshin by thrusting a blade or spear into his anus.[55] While historical records showed that Kenshin suffered abdominal problems, modern historians have usually attributed his death to stomach cancer, esophageal cancer or cerebrovascular disease.[56]
Countermeasures[link]
A variety of countermeasures were taken to prevent the activities of the ninja. Precautions were often taken against assassinations, such as weapons concealed in the lavatory, or under a removable floorboard.[57] Buildings were constructed with traps and trip wires attached to alarm bells.[58]
Japanese castles were designed to be difficult to navigate, with winding routes leading to the inner compound. Blind spots and holes in walls provided constant surveillance of these labyrinthine paths, as exemplified in Himeji Castle. Nijō Castle in Kyoto is constructed with long "nightingale" floors, which rested on metal hinges (uguisu-bari) specifically designed to squeak loudly when walked over.[59] Grounds covered with gravel also provided early notice of unwanted intruders, and segregated buildings allowed fires to be better contained.[60]
Training[link]
The skills required of the ninja has come to be known in modern times[year needed] as ninjutsu (忍術?) , but it is unlikely they were previously named under a single discipline, but were rather distributed among a variety of covered espionage and survival skills.
The first specialized training began in the mid-15th century, when certain samurai families started to focus on covert warfare, including espionage and assassination.[61] Like the samurai, ninja were born into the profession, where traditions were kept in, and passed down through the family.[23] According to Turnbull, the ninja was trained from childhood, as was also common in samurai families. Outside the expected martial art disciplines, a youth studied survival and scouting techniques, as well as information regarding poisons and explosives.[62] Physical training was also important, which involved long distance runs, climbing, stealth methods of walking[63] and swimming.[64] A certain degree of knowledge regarding common professions was also required if one was expected to take their form in disguise.[62] Some evidence of medical training can be derived from one account, where an Iga ninja provided first-aid to Ii Naomasa, who was injured by gunfire in the Battle of Sekigahara. Here the ninja reportedly gave Naomasa a "black medicine" meant to stop bleeding.[65]
With the fall of the Iga and Kōga clans, daimyos could no longer recruit professional ninja, and were forced to train their own shinobi. The shinobi was considered a real profession, as demonstrated in the bakufu's 1649 law on military service, which declared that only daimyos with an income of over 10,000 koku were allowed to retain shinobi.[66] In the two centuries that followed, a number of ninjutsu manuals were written by descendants of Hattori Hanzō as well as members of the Fujibayashi clan, an offshoot of the Hattori. Major examples include the Ninpiden (1655), the Bansenshukai (1675), and the Shōninki (1681).[8]
Tactics[link]
The ninja did not always work alone. Teamwork techniques exist: for example, in order to scale a wall, a group of ninja may carry each other on their backs, or provide a human platform to assist an individual in reaching greater heights.[67] The Mikawa Go Fudoki gives an account where a coordinated team of attackers used passwords to communicate. The account also gives a case of deception, where the attackers dressed in the same clothes as the defenders, causing much confusion.[31] When a retreat was needed during the Siege of Osaka, ninja were commanded to fire upon friendly troops from behind, causing the troops to charge backwards in order to attack a perceived enemy. This tactic was used again later on as a method of crowd dispersal.[33]
Most ninjutsu techniques recorded in scrolls and manuals revolve around ways to avoid detection, and methods of escape.[8] These techniques were loosely grouped under corresponding natural elements. Some examples are:
- Hitsuke – The practice of distracting guards by starting a fire away from the ninja's planned point of entry. Falls under "fire techniques" (katon-no-jutsu).[68]
- Tanuki-gakure – The practice of climbing a tree and camouflaging oneself within the foliage. Falls under "wood techniques" (mokuton-no-jutsu).[68]
- Ukigusa-gakure – The practice of throwing duckweed over water in order to conceal underwater movement. Falls under "water techniques" (suiton-no-jutsu).[68]
- Uzura-gakure – The practice of curling into a ball and remaining motionless in order to appear like a stone. Falls under "earth techniques" (doton-no-jutsu).[68]
Disguises[link]
The use of disguises is common and well documented. Disguises came in the form of priests, entertainers, fortune tellers, merchants, rōnin, and monks.[69] The Buke Myōmokushō states,
Shinobi-monomi were people used in secret ways, and their duties were to go into the mountains and disguise themselves as firewood gatherers to discover and acquire the news about an enemy's territory... they were particularly expert at travelling in disguise.[27]
A mountain ascetic (yamabushi) attire facilitated travel, as they were common and could travel freely between political boundaries. The loose robes of Buddhist priests also allowed concealed weapons, such as the tantō.[70] Minstrel or sarugaku outfits could have allowed the ninja to spy in enemy buildings without rousing suspicion. Disguises as a komusō, a mendicant monk known for playing the shakuhachi, were also effective, as the large "basket" hats traditionally worn by them concealed the head completely.[71]
Equipment[link]
Ninja utilized a large variety of tools and weaponry, some of which were commonly known, but others were more specialized. Most were tools used in the infiltration of castles. A wide range of specialized equipment is described and illustrated in the 17th century Bansenshukai,[72] including climbing equipment, extending spears,[65] rocket-propelled arrows,[73] and small collapsible boats.[74]
Outerwear[link]
While the image of a ninja clad in black garb (shinobi shōzoku) is prevalent in popular media, there is no written evidence for such a costume.[75] Instead, it was much more common for the ninja to be disguised as civilians. The popular notion of black clothing is likely rooted in artistic convention. Early drawings of ninja were shown to be dressed in black in order to portray a sense of invisibility.[44] This convention was an idea borrowed from the puppet handlers of bunraku theater, who dressed in total black in an effort to simulate props moving independently of their controls.[76] Despite the lack of hard evidence, it has been put forward by some authorities that black robes, perhaps slightly tainted with red to hide bloodstains, was indeed the sensible garment of choice for infiltration.[44]
Clothing used was similar to that of the samurai, but loose garments (such as leggings) were tucked into trousers or secured with belts. The tenugui, a piece of cloth also used in martial arts, had many functions. It could be used to cover the face, form a belt, or assist in climbing.
The historicity of armor specifically made for ninja cannot be ascertained. While pieces of light armor purportedly worn by ninja exist and date to the right time, there is no hard evidence of their use in ninja operations. Depictions of famous persons later deemed ninja often show them in samurai armor. There were lightweight concealable types of armour made with kusari (chain armour) and small armor plates such as karuta that could have been worn by ninja including katabira (jackets) made with armour hidden between layers of cloth. Shin and arm guards, along with metal-reinforced hoods are also speculated to make up the ninja's armor.[44]
Tools[link]
Tools used for infiltration and espionage are some of the most abundant artifacts related to the ninja. Ropes and grappling hooks were common, and were tied to the belt.[72] A collapsible ladder is illustrated in the Bansenshukai, featuring spikes at both ends to anchor the ladder.[77] Spiked or hooked climbing gear worn on the hands and feet also doubled as weapons.[78] Other implements include chisels, hammers, drills, picks and so forth.
The kunai was a heavy pointed tool, possibly derived from the Japanese masonry trowel, to which it closely resembles. Although it is often portrayed in popular culture as a weapon, the kunai was primarily used for gouging holes in walls.[79] Knives and small saws (hamagari) were also used to create holes in buildings, where they served as a foothold or a passage of entry.[80] A portable listening device (saoto hikigane) was used to eavesdrop on conversations and detect sounds.[81]
The mizugumo was a set of wooden shoes supposedly allowing the ninja to walk on water.[74] They were meant to work by distributing the wearer's weight over the shoes' wide bottom surface. The word mizugumo is derived from the native name for the Japanese water spider (Argyroneta aquatica japonica). The mizugumo was featured on the show Mythbusters, where it was demonstrated unfit for walking on water. The ukidari, a similar footwear for walking on water, also existed in the form of a round bucket, but was probably quite unstable.[82] Inflatable skins and breathing tubes allowed the ninja to stay underwater for longer periods of time.[83]
Despite the large array of tools available to the ninja, the Bansenshukai warns one not to be overburdened with equipment, stating "...a successful ninja is one who uses but one tool for multiple tasks".[84]
Weaponry[link]
Although shorter swords and daggers were used, the katana was probably the ninja's weapon of choice, and was sometimes carried on the back.[71] The katana had several uses beyond normal combat. In dark places, the scabbard could be extended out of the sword, and used as a long probing device.[85] The sword could also be laid against the wall, where the ninja could use the sword guard (tsuba) to gain a higher foothold.[86] The katana could even be used as a device to stun enemies before attacking them, by putting a combination of red pepper, dirt or dust, and iron filings into the area near the top of the scabbard, so that as the sword was drawn the concoction would fly into the enemy's eyes, stunning him until a lethal blow could be made. While straight swords were used before the invention of the katana,[87] the straight ninjatō has no historical precedent and is likely a modern invention.
An array of darts, spikes, knives, and sharp, star-shaped discs were known collectively as shuriken. While not exclusive to the ninja,[88] they were an important part of the arsenal, where they could be thrown in any direction.[89] Bows were used for sharpshooting, and some ninja's bows were intentionally made smaller than the traditional yumi (longbow).[90] The chain and sickle (kusarigama) was also used by the ninja.[91] This weapon consisted of a weight on one end of a chain, and a sickle (kama) on the other. The weight was swung to injure or disable an opponent, and the sickle used to kill at close range. Simple gardening tools such as kunai and sickles were used as weaponry so that, if discovered, a ninja could claim they are his tools and not weapons, despite their ability to be used in battle.
Explosives introduced from China were known in Japan by the time of the Mongol Invasions in the 13th century.[92] Later, explosives such as hand-held bombs and grenades were adopted by the ninja.[83] Soft-cased bombs were designed to release smoke or poison gas, along with fragmentation explosives packed with iron or pottery shrapnel.[67]
Along with common weapons, a large assortment of miscellaneous arms were associated with the ninja. Some examples include poison,[72] makibishi,[93] cane swords (shikomizue),[94] land mines,[95] fukiya (blowguns), poisoned darts, acid-spurting tubes, and firearms.[83] The happō, a small eggshell filled with blinding powder (metsubushi), was also used to facilitate escape.[96]
Legendary abilities[link]
Superhuman or supernatural powers were often associated with the ninja. Some legends include flight, invisibility, shapeshifting, the ability to "split" into multiple bodies, the summoning of animals, and control over the five classical elements. These fabulous notions have stemmed from popular imagination regarding the ninja's mysterious status, as well as romantic ideas found in later Japanese art of the Edo period. Magical powers were sometimes rooted in the ninja's own efforts to disseminate fanciful information. For example, Nakagawa Shoshujin, the 17th century founder of Nakagawa-ryū, claimed in his own writings (Okufuji Monogatari) that he had the ability to transform into birds and animals.[66]
Perceived control over the elements may be grounded in real tactics, which were categorized by association with forces of nature. For example, the practice of starting fires in order to cover a ninja's trail falls under katon-no-jutsu ("fire techniques").[93]
The ninja's adaption of kites in espionage and warfare is another subject of legends. Accounts exist of ninja being lifted into the air by kites, where they flew over hostile terrain and descended into, or dropped bombs on enemy territory.[74] Kites were indeed used in Japanese warfare, but mostly for the purpose of sending messages and relaying signals.[97] Turnbull suggests that kites lifting a man into midair might have been technically feasible, but states that the use of kites to form a human "hang glider" falls squarely in the realm of fantasy.[98] However, references to man-lifting kites do exist in works dating to the relevant era and before, including Sun Tzu's The Art of War.
Kuji-kiri[link]
Kuji-kiri is an esoteric practice which, when performed with an array of hand "seals" (kuji-in), was meant to allow the ninja to enact superhuman feats.
The kuji ("nine characters") is a concept originating from Taoism, where it was a string of nine words used in charms and incantations.[99] In China, this tradition mixed with Buddhist beliefs, assigning each of the nine words to a Buddhist deity. The kuji may have arrived in Japan via Buddhism,[100] where it flourished within Shugendō.[101] Here too, each word in the kuji was associated with Buddhist deities, animals from Taoist mythology, and later, Shinto kami.[102] The mudrā, a series of hand symbols representing different Buddhas, was applied to the kuji by Buddhists, possibly through the esoteric Mikkyō teachings.[103] The yamabushi ascetics of Shugendō adopted this practice, using the hand gestures in spiritual, healing, and exorcism rituals.[104] Later, the use of kuji passed onto certain bujutsu (martial arts) and ninjutsu schools, where it was said to have many purposes.[105] The application of kuji to produce a desired effect was called "cutting" (kiri) the kuji. Intended effects range from physical and mental concentration, to more incredible claims about rendering an opponent immobile, or even the casting of magical spells.[106] These legends were captured in popular culture, which interpreted the kuji-kiri as a precursor to magical acts.
Famous people[link]
Many famous people in Japanese history have been associated or identified as ninja, but their status as ninja are difficult to prove and may be the product of later imagination. Rumors surrounding famous warriors, such as Kusunoki Masashige or Minamoto no Yoshitsune sometimes describe them as ninja, but there is little evidence for these claims. Some well known examples include:
- Kumawakamaru (13th–14th centuries) – A youth whose exiled father was ordered to death by the monk Homma Saburō. Kumakawa took his revenge by sneaking into Homma's room while he was asleep, and assassinating him with his own sword.[108]
- Yagyū Muneyoshi (1529–1606) – A renowned swordsman of the Shinkage-ryū school. Muneyoshi's grandson, Jubei Muneyoshi, told tales of his grandfather's status as a ninja.[45]
- Hattori Hanzō (1542–1596) – A samurai serving under Tokugawa Ieyasu. His ancestry in Iga province, along with ninjutsu manuals published by his descendants have led some sources to define him as a ninja.[109] This depiction is also common in popular culture.
- Ishikawa Goemon (1558–1594) – Goemon reputedly tried to drip poison from a thread into Oda Nobunaga's mouth through a hiding spot in the ceiling,[110] but many fanciful tales exist about Goemon, and this story cannot be confirmed.
- Fūma Kotarō (d. 1603) – A ninja rumored to have killed Hattori Hanzō, with whom he was supposedly rivals. The fictional weapon Fūma shuriken is named after him.
- Mochizuki Chiyome (16th century) – The wife of Mochizuke Moritoki. Chiyome created a school for girls, which taught skills required of geisha, as well as espionage skills.[111]
- Momochi Sandayū (16th century) – A leader of the Iga ninja clans, who supposedly perished during Oda Nobunaga's attack on Iga province. There is some belief that he escaped death and lived as a farmer in Kii Province.[112] Momochi is also a branch of the Hattori clan.
- Fujibayashi Nagato (16th century) – Considered to be one of three "greatest" Iga jōnin, the other two being Hattori Hanzō and Momochi Sandayū. Fujibayashi's descendents wrote and edited the Bansenshukai.
In popular culture[link]
Main article: Ninja in popular culture
The image of the ninja entered popular culture in the Edo period, when folktales and plays about ninja were conceived. Stories about the ninja are usually based on historical figures. For instance, many similar tales exist about a daimyo challenging a ninja to prove his worth, usually by stealing his pillow or weapon while he slept.[113] Novels were written about the ninja, such as Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari, which was also made into a kabuki play. Fictional figures such as Sarutobi Sasuke would eventually make way into comics and television, where they have come to enjoy a culture hero status outside of their original mediums.
Ninja appear in many forms of Japanese and Western popular media, including books (Kōga Ninpōchō), television (Ninja Warrior), movies (You Only Live Twice, Ninja Assassin, The Last Samurai), Satire (REAL Ultimate Power: The Official Ninja Book) video games (Tenchu, Shinobi), anime (Naruto), manga (Basilisk) and Western comic books (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero). Depictions range from realistic to the fantastically exaggerated, both fundamentally and aesthetically, and often portray ninja in non-factual, sometimes incredibly flamboyant ways for humor or entertainment.
Modern schools that claim to train ninjutsu arose from the 1970s, among others those of Masaaki Hatsumi (Bujinkan) and Stephen K. Hayes (To-Shin Do).
Gallery[link]
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Japanese iron climbing cleats ashiko.
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Japanese sword cane shikomizue.
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Japanese concealable weapons (ninja type)
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Japanese iron caltrop makibishi.
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Japanese iron climbing hook kaginawa.
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Japanese concealed weapon shuriken.
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Japanese sickle and chain weapon kusarigama.
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Japanese chain weapon manriki
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Japanese bo shuriken. Iron throwing darts.
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Japanese chainmail shirt kusari katabira.
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Japanese Chigriki, chain and weight weapons.
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Antique iron ashiko climbing cleats.
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Tekko-kagi (hand claws).
See also[link]
Footnotes[link]
- ^ a b c Ratti & Westbrook 1991, p. 325
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, pp. 5–6
- ^ Stephen Turnbull (19 February 2003). Ninja Ad 1460-1650. Osprey Publishing. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-84176-525-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=3MnrpQRV-7wC&pg=PA5. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ Crowdy 2006, p. 50
- ^ Frederic, p. 715
- ^ Moriyama, p. 103
- ^ a b Green 2001, p. 355
- ^ a b c Green 2001, p. 358; based on different readings, Ninpiden is also known as Shinobi Hiden, and Bansenshukai can also be Mansenshukai.
- ^ Origin of word Ninja.
- ^ Takagi, Gomi & Ōno 1962, p. 191; the full poem is "Yorozu yo ni / Kokoro ha tokete / Waga seko ga / Tsumishi te mitsutsu / Shinobi kanetsumo".
- ^ Satake et al. 2003, p. 108; the Man'yōgana used for "shinobi" is 志乃備, its meaning and characters are unrelated to the later mercenary shinobi.
- ^ Perkins 1991, p. 241
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, p. 6
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed.; American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed.; Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1).
- ^ a b c Turnbull 2003, p. 5
- ^ Turnbull 2007, p. 144.
- ^ a b Waterhouse 1996, pp. 34
- ^ Chamberlain 2005, pp. 249–253; Volume 2, section 80
- ^ Friday 2007, pp. 58–60
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 7
- ^ a b c d Turnbull 2003, p. 9
- ^ Ratti & Westbrook 1991, p. 324
- ^ a b c Ratti & Westbrook 1991, p. 327
- ^ a b Draeger & Smith 1981, p. 121
- ^ Deal 2007, p. 165
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, p. 23
- ^ a b c Turnbull 2003, p. 27
- ^ Green 2001, p. 357
- ^ Turnbull 2003, pp. 9–10
- ^ a b Adams 1970, p. 43
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, pp. 44–46
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 47
- ^ a b c Turnbull 2003, p. 50
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 55
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, p. 51
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 52
- ^ a b c Turnbull 2003, p. 53
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 54
- ^ Turnbull 2003, pp. 54–55
- ^ Morton & Olenik 2004, p. 122
- ^ Crowdy 2006, p. 52
- ^ Tatsuya 1991, p. 443
- ^ Kawaguchi 2008, p. 215
- ^ a b c d Turnbull 2003, p. 17; Turnbull uses the name Buke Meimokushō, an alternate reading for the same title. The Buke Myōmokushō cited here is a much more common reading.
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, p. 29
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 42
- ^ Turnbull 2007, p. 149
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 28
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 43
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, pp. 43–44
- ^ a b c Turnbull 2003, p. 31
- ^ Turnbull 2003, pp. 31–32
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 30
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 32
- ^ Nihon Hakugaku Kurabu 2006, p. 36
- ^ Nihon Hakugaku Kurabu 2004, pp. 51–53; Turnbull 2003, p. 32
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 26
- ^ Draeger & Smith 1981, pp. 128–129
- ^ Turnbull 2003, pp. 29–30
- ^ Fiévé & Waley 2003, p. 116
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 12
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, pp. 14–15
- ^ Green 2001, pp. 359–360
- ^ Deal 2007, p. 156
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, p. 48
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, p. 13
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, p. 22
- ^ a b c d Draeger & Smith 1981, p. 125
- ^ Crowdy 2006, p. 51
- ^ Deal 2007, p. 161
- ^ a b Turnbull 2003, p. 18
- ^ a b c Turnbull 2003, p. 19
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 60
- ^ a b c Draeger & Smith 1981, p. 128
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 16
- ^ Howell 1999, p. 211
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 20
- ^ Mol 2003, p. 121
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 61
- ^ Turnbull 2003, pp. 20–21
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 21
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 62
- ^ a b c Ratti & Westbrook 1991, p. 329
- ^ Green 2001, p. 359
- ^ Adams 1970, p. 52
- ^ Adams 1970, p. 49
- ^ Reed 1880, pp. 269–270
- ^ Mol 2003, p. 119
- ^ Ratti & Westbrook 1991, pp. 328–329
- ^ Ratti & Westbrook 1991, p. 328
- ^ Adams 1970, p. 55
- ^ Bunch & Hellemans 2004, p. 161
- ^ a b Mol 2003, p. 176
- ^ Mol 2003, p. 195
- ^ Draeger & Smith 1981, p. 127
- ^ Mol 2003, p. 124
- ^ Buckley 2002, p. 257
- ^ Turnbull 2003, pp. 22–23
- ^ Waterhouse 1996, pp. 2–3
- ^ Waterhouse 1996, pp. 8–11
- ^ Waterhouse 1996, p. 13
- ^ Waterhouse 1996, pp. 24–27
- ^ Waterhouse 1996, pp. 24–25
- ^ Teeuwen & Rambelli 2002, p. 327
- ^ Waterhouse 1996, pp. 31–33
- ^ Adams 1970, p. 29; Waterhouse 1996, p. 31
- ^ McCullough 2004, p. 49
- ^ McCullough 2004, p. 48
- ^ Adams 1970, p. 34
- ^ Adams 1970, p. 160
- ^ Green 2001, p. 671
- ^ Adams 1970, p. 42
- ^ Turnbull 2003, p. 14
References[link]
- Adams, Andrew (1970), Ninja: The Invisible Assassins, Black Belt Communications, ISBN 978-0-89750-030-2
- Buckley, Sandra (2002), Encyclopedia of contemporary Japanese culture, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 978-0-415-14344-8
- Bunch, Bryan H.; Hellemans, Alexander (2004), The history of science and technology: a browser's guide to the great discoveries, inventions, and the people who made them, from the dawn of time to today, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 978-0-618-22123-3
- Chamberlain, Basil Hall (2005), The Kojiki: records of ancient matters, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8048-3675-3
- Crowdy, Terry (2006), The enemy within: a history of espionage, Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84176-933-2
- Deal (2007)
- Draeger, Donn F.; Smith, Robert W. (1981), Comprehensive Asian fighting arts, Kodansha, ISBN 978-0-87011-436-6
- Fiévé, Nicolas; Waley, Paul (2003), Japanese capitals in historical perspective: place, power and memory in Kyoto, Edo and Tokyo, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-7007-1409-4
- Friday, Karl F. (2007), The first samurai: the life and legend of the warrior rebel, Taira Masakado, Wiley, ISBN 978-0-471-76082-5
- Howell, Anthony (1999), The analysis of performance art: a guide to its theory and practice, Routledge, ISBN 978-90-5755-085-0
- Green, Thomas A. (2001), Martial arts of the world: an encyclopedia, Volume 2: Ninjutsu, ABC-CLIO, ISBN 978-1-57607-150-2
- Kawaguchi, Sunao (2008), Super Ninja Retsuden, PHP Research Institute, ISBN 978-4-569-67073-7
- McCullough, Helen Craig (2004), The Taiheiki: A Chronicle of Medieval Japan, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8048-3538-1
- Mol, Serge (2003), Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha, ISBN 978-4-7700-2941-6
- Morton, William Scott; Olenik, J. Kenneth (2004), Japan: its history and culture, fourth edition, McGraw-Hill Professional, ISBN 978-0-07-141280-3
- Nihon Hakugaku Kurabu (2006), Unsolved Mysteries of Japanese History, PHP Research Institute, ISBN 978-4-569-65652-6
- Nihon Hakugaku Kurabu (2004), Zuketsu Rekishi no Igai na Ketsumatsu, PHP Research Institute, ISBN 978-4-569-64061-7
- Perkins, Dorothy (1991), Encyclopedia of Japan: Japanese History and Culture, from Abacus to Zori, Facts on File, ISBN 978-0-8160-1934-2
- Ratti, Oscar; Westbrook, Adele (1991), Secrets of the samurai: a survey of the martial arts of feudal Japan, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8048-1684-7
- Reed, Edward James (1880), Japan: its history, traditions, and religions: With the narrative of a visit in 1879, Volume 2, John Murray, OCLC 1309476
- Satake, Akihiro; Yasumada, Hideo; Kudō, Rikio; Ōtani, Masao; Yamazaki, Yoshiyuki (2003), Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei: Man'yōshū Volume 4, Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 4-00-240004-2
- Takagi, Ichinosuke; Gomi, Tomohide; Ōno, Susumu (1962), Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei: Man'yōshū Volume 4, Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 4-00-060007-9
- Tatsuya, Tsuji (1991), The Cambridge history of Japan Volume 4: Early Modern Japan: Chapter 9, translated by Harold Bolitho, edited by John Whitney Hall, New York: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-22355-3
- Teeuwen, Mark; Rambelli, Fabio (2002), Buddhas and kami in Japan: honji suijaku as a combinatory paradigm, RoutledgeCurzon, ISBN 978-0-415-29747-9
- Turnbull, Stephen (2003), Ninja AD 1460–1650, Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84176-525-9
- Turnbull, Stephen (2007), Warriors of Medieval Japan, Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84603-220-2
- Waterhouse, David (1996), Religion in Japan: arrows to heaven and earth, article 1: Notes on the kuji, edited by Peter F. Kornicki and James McMullen, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-55028-4
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- Frederic, L. (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia," Belknap Harvard, ISBN 0-674-01753-6
Further reading[link]
- Fujibayashi, Masatake; Nakajima, Atsumi. (1996). Shōninki: Ninjutsu densho. Tokyo: Shinjinbutsu Ōraisha. OCLC 222455224.
- Fujita, Seiko. (2004). Saigo no Ninja Dorondoron. Tokyo: Shinpūsha. ISBN 978-4-7974-9488-4.
- Fukai, Masaumi. (1992). Edojō oniwaban : Tokugawa Shōgun no mimi to me. Tokyo: Chūō Kōronsha. ISBN 978-4-12-101073-5.
- Hokinoichi, Hanawa. (1923–1933). Buke Myōmokushō. Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kōbunkan. OCLC 42921561.
- Ishikawa, Masatomo. (1982). Shinobi no sato no kiroku. Tokyo: Suiyōsha. ISBN 978-4-88066-110-0.
- Nawa, Yumio. (1972). Hisshō no heihō ninjutsu no kenkyū: gendai o ikinuku michi. Tokyo: Nichibō Shuppansha. OCLC 122985441.
- Nawa. Yumio. (1967). Shinobi no buki. Tokyo: Jinbutsu Ōraisha. OCLC 22358689.
- Okuse, Heishichirō. (1967). Ninjutsu: sono rekishi to ninja. Tokyo: Jinbutsu Ōraisha. OCLC 22727254.
- Okuse, Heishichirō. (1964). Ninpō: sono hiden to jitsurei. Tokyo: Jinbutsu Ōraisha. OCLC 51008989.
- Watatani, Kiyoshi. (1972). Bugei ryūha hyakusen. Tokyo: Akita Shoten. OCLC 66598671.
- Yamaguchi, Masayuki. (1968). Ninja no seikatsu. Tokyo: Yūzankaku. OCLC 20045825.
External links[link]
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| Scott Adkins | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Scott Edward Adkins (1976-06-17) 17 June 1976 (age 36) |
| Occupation | Actor, martial artist |
| Years active | 2001-present |
| Website | |
| www.scottadkins.com | |
Scott Adkins (born 17 June 1976) is a martial artist and actor who is best known for playing Yuri Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Undisputed III: Redemption, Bradley Hume in Holby City and Ed Russell in Mile High. Adkins has also appeared in Dangerfield, Hollyoaks, The Tournament and many other TV series as well as many films.
Contents |
Personal life[link]
Adkins was born in Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England, into a family that for generations were butchers. He has an older brother, Craig. A natural athlete, Scott enjoyed a variety of sports as he grew up, but when he was ten years old, he accompanied his father and brother to the local Judo club, thus beginning an extensive association with various martial arts. Scott's great great grandmother was of Spanish descent.[1]
Martial arts career[link]
At the age of fourteen, Scott went on to train in Tae Kwon Do under the instruction of Ron Sergiew with the T.A.G.B. After a few years he moved on to kickboxing under Anthony Jones. He is now a fully trained kickboxing Instructor for the P.K.A.. Adkins holds several black belts in Judo, Jujutsu and Wushu and has also trained in Karate, Ninjutsu and Muay Thai. He was also trained by Sharieff Muhammad, whom many say made him what he is today.
Acting career[link]
Scott enrolled in a drama class at Sutton Coldfield College. At the age of twenty-one, Scott was offered a place at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, however due to lack of funding Adkins was unable to complete the course.
His first professional break came when he was offered a role in a Hong Kong martial arts film called Extreme Challenge and found himself in the East for the first time. Scott got the chance to work with some of Hong Kong cinema’s leading action directors including Yeun Wo Ping, Cory Yeun, Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan. Acting roles started to come in and he was offered a guest role in the BBC’s medical soap opera Doctors. Roles followed in the BBC’s EastEnders and City Central series, the Sky One comedy drama Mile High and a regular role in the BBC’s Holby City as Bradley Hume. Scott's first film leading role was in Isaac Florentine's Ninja released in 2009.
Filmography[link]
Television[link]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Dangerfield | ||
| 1999 | Central City | Jake Clanton | One Episode |
| 2000 | Doctors | Ross | Three Episodes |
| 2001 | The Big Breakfast | Himself | One Episode |
| 2002 | Mutant X | Marko | One Episode, Uncredited |
| 2003 | EastEnders | Joel | Six Episodes |
| 2005 | Mile High | Ed Russel | Twelve Episodes |
| 2005 | Hollyoaks: Let Loose | Ryan | Two Episodes |
| 2006 | Holby City | Bradley Hume | Nine Episodes |
| 2011 | Metal Hurlant Chronicles | Guillame | One Episode |
References[link]
- ^ Scott Adkins at the Internet Movie Database
External links[link]
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Adkins, Scott |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Actor and martial artist |
| Date of birth | 17 June 1976 |
| Place of birth | Sutton Coldfield |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Scott_Adkins
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Adkins
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Born | Dennis Avner (1958-08-27) August 27, 1958 (age 53) Flint, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | extensive body modifications to look like a tiger |
| Home town | Tonopah, Nevada |
Dennis Avner (born in Flint, Michigan August 27, 1958) of Tonopah, Nevada, United States, is widely known as "Cat Man",[1] though he prefers his Native American name, Stalking Cat. Avner has spent considerable resources to surgically modify his body to resemble that of a tiger. He holds the world record for the most body modifications.[2][3][4]
Contents |
Description of modifications[link]
- extensive tattooing, including facial tattooing
- hairline modification
- saline breast implants
- piercing of his upper lip and transdermal implants on his forehead to facilitate the wearing of whiskers
- facial subdermal implants to change the shape of the brow, forehead and the bridge of the nose (a planned future implant on the top of his head for mounting tiger-like ears)
- flattening of his nose via septum relocation
- filing and capping of his teeth to have a more feline appearance
- wearing green contact lenses with slit irides
- having his ears pointed and the earlobes elongated
- silicone injection in his lips, cheeks, chin and other parts of his face
- bifurcated upper lip
Avner himself claims not to keep track of the money he has spent on body modification[citation needed], although some sources do state a total. Avner, whose parents were of Huron and Lakota heritage, states that altering oneself to resemble one's own totem is an ancient Huron tradition. The former Navy sonar technician who currently works as a computer programmer took on the name Stalking Cat and began his modifications after a discussion with a Native chief who reportedly inspired him to 'follow the ways of the tiger'.
As a result of his unusual appearance, Stalking Cat has attained local celebrity status and frequently travels to attend interviews and photo sessions. He has appeared and been interviewed on such television and radio shows as Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Larry King Live, VH1's Totally Obsessed, Kerrang! Radio's The Night Before, BBC Choice's Anna in Wonderland (Episode 6), and Animal Planet's Weird, True & Freaky (2008 episode "Humanimals").
Many of Stalking Cat's body modifications were performed by Arizona based artist Steve Haworth. The first artist to begin the extensive tattoo work on Dennis's face was Larry Hanks of San Diego in 1985. He also tattooed scales on him and at this time Stalking Cat was referred to as "Cat Fish" although not by choice.
Medical ethics concerns[link]
Glenn McGee, director of the Center for Bioethics at Albany Medical College in New York, says of Avner, "Cosmetic surgery is a practice based on informed consent that needs to balance the risks with the benefits. It is possible to have a coherent view that is nonetheless detrimental to one's well-being. This is a patient who's being harmed by medicine in the interest of his tradition."[5]
See also[link]
References[link]
- ^ Cat Man – the human 'tiger' who enjoys climbing trees and eats raw meat every day | Mail Online. Dailymail.co.uk (2008-09-06). Retrieved on 2012-05-28.
- ^ Take the 'Guinness World Records 2009' pop-culture quiz! | PopWatch | EW.com. Popwatch.ew.com. Retrieved on 2012-05-28.
- ^ The World's... and Me – Series 3 – Episode 1 – The World's Strangest Plastic Surgery and Me. Channel 4. Retrieved on 2012-05-28.
- ^ It's a weird world of world records. The Courier-Mail (2008-09-21). Retrieved on 2012-05-28.
- ^ Casavant, Vanessa (Tuesday, August 16, 2005). Catman's transformation raises concerns over extreme surgery. The Seattle Times.
External links[link]
- Dennis Avner's LiveJournal
- Cat Man – the human 'tiger' who enjoys climbing trees and eats raw meat every day – an article dated 2008-09-06 from The Daily Mail, which features a photograph of Stalking Cat
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Stalking Cat |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Has surgically modify his body to resemble that of a tiger |
| Date of birth | August 27, 1958 |
| Place of birth | Flint, Michigan |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Stalking_Cat
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
