Ninja Mansion 1

We have explored a real Ninja mansion. And investigated the real role of the Ninja in Japanese history.


Koga Ninja

We think the Ninja was told so much biased and instilled the tremendous image. Where the real Ninja was born? And what kind of roles he actually played in Japanese history? If we are questioned 'what Ninja is like,' we will explain as belows:

Ninja mansion in Kouka city

Historically, he was a dark hero, and was not a white hat but a black hat, a cool black hat. But, he was strict with himself, and he focused on getting his job done at any risk of his life. Furthermore, Ninja group had strong solidarity. Then, did he play roles that we imagine today? We want to investigate it in this article. 

Our exploration begins with visiting a real Ninja mansion. It was a dwelling of a leader of a Koga Ninja group. Please notice many Ninja groups existed in old Japan but survived Ninja dwellings are rare. So, we could not easily find such kind of building. 

When people talk about Ninja, the Iga Ninja and the Koga Ninja were especially famous. The reason is, we suppose, that these two groups were active nearby the center of Japan, Kyoto then they played relatively important roles in many cases. As a result of this fact, they were described in many stories compered with other Ninja groups.

Territory was an important factor to play memorable roles in the history. The Koga Ninja lived in Konan town, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture today. The mansion we visited is there.

When you decide to visit there, go to Kusatsu JR station and transfer to JR Kusatsu line and get off at Konan station. The distance from this station to the mansion is approximately 30 minutes by walk. If you use a rental bicycle, you can reduce travel time. But we didn't find the shop, so, we cannot confirm it.  

Inside of Ninja mansion

The Ninja mansion was smaller than we expected. Because accessory buildings, surrounding walls and gates had been lost now. The width of the site was larger than a residence of Sho-ya, a headman of farming village, and smaller than a high-class retainer of Daimyo, the rural lords. 

In our opinion, Ninja's position was also higher than a headman of farmers, so, his dwelling was also larger than the leader. 

According to the explanation of the paper, we suppose it was a little exaggerated, there had been wide premise around the mansion and a big gate was in front of this building. However, the truth was in the mist. 

Drawings and documents of many historical buildings for example Japanese castles have been remained usually. Looking at them, we can imagine how big the lost premise or properties. However, this Ninja mansion has no drawings. 

Sorry to change the subject but, we were quite surprised at the inside of it. There were many tricks, hidden doors, pitfalls, underground passages, and hidden ladders and so on. So, we want to describe this kind of information a little more.  

Inside of Ninja mansion

In this mansion, many artifacts were displayed in showcases. These goods had been used by Ninja. Throwing stars, wears, goods for special tricks etc.

One of tricks: Rope ladder

Don't you think Ninja was a person to concentrate on the dark side duties, espionage and assassinations? It's not true in reality. Your view on Ninja may be destroyed by the next several paragraphs. However, we think Ninja's mysterious position won't be denied by our explanations. 

Reading a paper given at "Koga-ryu Ninjutsu-yashiki", it was a residence of "Koga 53-ke Hitto-kaku Koga-Mochizuki-shi Honke Kyutei."

"Koga-ryu" means the Ninja school of Koga
"Ninjyutsu" means the art of Ninja action
"Yashiki" means a residence 
"53-ke" means 53 families or 53 clans
"Hittou-kaku" means almost top 
"Mochizuki-shi" means Mochizuki family
"Honke" means the head family
"Kyutei" means a former residence

So, they say that "it was the Koga Mochizuki family's residence and this family was one of the top of 53 families in Koga district". And this residence was built at the Genroku period in Edo era. This fact affects later.

Koga-ryu Ninjutsu-yasiki
Koga 53-ke hitto-kaku Koga-Mochizuki-shi honke kyutei

Do you think that 53 families described in the first description stated the Ninja families? And the Koga Ninja group consisted with these 53 families? 

In truth, these 53 families were 53 "samurai" families in reality. Furthermore, these Koga 53 families were active at the latter half of the Muromachi era. So, at this time, Ninja wasn't in existence yet.

The incident that these 53 families involved happened in 1487. That was a war between the Rokkaku family's army and the Muromachi shogunate's amy. The Rokkaku family was the lord of this region called "Shugo" at that time. In this war, Koga Samurai families took the Rokkaku family's side.
 
As we already explained, when Koga 53 families were active, this residence wasn't existed. So, at least, the people of the Mochizuki family who were famous as Koga 53 families didn't use this residence. 

It is available there had been a former residence of the Mochizuki family and they reconstructed it in Edo era. But we think the more likely possibility is that Mochizuki family in Koga 53 families wasn't connected to this residence at all. We are afraid that the description of a paper we got at the entrance of this building aims to create our misunderstanding. 

Ninja is on the wall

Let's take a look at the actual history. Koga district is near Kyoto where the Muromachi shogunate headquarters was. For that reason, Koga samurai families were employed as the guards of the Shogun.

Looking back on the war at 1487, the Shogun expected they would become allies. And he would be unbelievably surprised that Koga families took the Rokkaku family's side. They played active role in this battle and became famous. However, we suppose, it was obviously because the Shogun became distressed by unbelievable betrayal.

One of secret books of Ninja

Almost a hundred years after that war, one of the Koga samurai families named "Wada" helped Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He made a furtive escape from Kofuku-ji temple where he had been confined. Taking this opportunity, Oda Nobunaga became an upstart, and apace of the rise of the Oda group, Koga samurai families became strong. Many of Koga families were taken into Oda army corps and became Oda's retainers and started to be active in the group.

However, when the ruler changed to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Koga samurai families who had been in important positions in a long time were deprived of their status. Because a new ruler disliked these groups who contributed the old political forces. 

Then, some families lost their rank as samurai and became "Yamabushi" or Shinto ascetics. And the encounter with "Japanese mountain asceticism" made them learn new martial art. People who became Shinto ascetics practiced their new martial art in mountains near their living place and after the practice they were supported to become the Koga Ninja.

Second floor: Medicine storeage?

Several years further on, and Tokugawa Ieyasu became the next ruler of Japan. When Oda Nobunaga died, Ieyasu experienced the dangerous escape called "Iga-goe" or an escape tour at Iga. At that very time, Iga and Koga samurai families helped him escape. Ieyasu gave important positions to them in his government to reward their support. 

However, given occupations were relatively dark side duties, so, we suppose that they might already have many high-quality members of Ninja duties before this time.

On the other hand, people who forced to choose a life of "Yamabushi" were treated as dangerous groups. They prohibited to move freely and were forced to enroll their name. So, Koga families separated into the ruined group and others who were taken into the authorities confidence.



Medicine chest

By an essay of a rural researcher, this "Koga-ryu Ninjutsu-yasiki" wasn't rich farmer's mansion but Yamabushi's. As mentioned above, Yamabushi were the ruined side among Koga families' descendants. 

To sum up what we've written, we suppose that the owner of this mansion was a leader of a Koga Yamabushi group. And one more thing, this mansion was a base for a Koga Yamabushi group but a former residence of a samurai family. If we think like that, it will make sence. So, they made many tricks such as hidden doors, pitfalls, underground passages, hidden ladders.

Koga Yamabushi people practiced in deep mountains, and they invented many medicines through their ascetic practices. Many manufacturing methods of medicines were collected in the secret books which were called the Ninja secret books. And one of the most famous books was named 'Mansen-syukai' and it became a source conveying an image of Ninja. 

Entrance of Ninja mansion : There is a sign board of medicine

On the other hand, Koga Yamabushi people made their living from peddling. They dealt in talismans of famous temples and medicines they made themselves from mountain plants of Koga district. Then there are many medicine companies in Koka city now.

Their business was connected with the Ninja group's situation. Peddling all over Japan, they caught many rural secret information which was important for authorities. So, the authorities hired Koga Yamabushi people eagerly. These people dedicated their lives to intelligence, and skilled at using medicines, and also were practicing mountainous training. They might become secretive to keep their information secret, medicine secret and so on. Consequently, somebody started to call them "Koga Ninja."