Lecture No.6: "Impact of Shugendo seen in the Ninjutsu"
"Impact of Shugendo seen in the Ninjutsu" (summary)
Lecturer: Yuji Yamada
The contents of the tactics note such as "Chouryou ikkannosho","Heihouhijutu ikkansho", "Yositsune toranomaki""Heihoureitansho" etc., which can think it was edited in Nanboku-cho Muromachi period are different from Chinese tactics note, and it is being recorded about the way of fight individually and elements of esoteric Buddhism, Onmyoudou, and Shugendou are strongly included.
At this point, Samurai and ninja wasn't apart as far as presumed. A tactics note also involves a "shinobi" like element which recorded on "Yamiyomyougennohijutsu", "kakureminohijutsu", "heihoukujinodaiji" with certain manners of taking the field.
The Civil War period was a turning point of recognition to Shintoism and Buddhism, and there were people who devote themselves to the religion world in the politicians, too. Its typical figure is kanrei (shogun's deputy) Masamoto Hosokawa.
Masamoto received the technique of the magic called"Iizunanohou" and "Atagonohou" from mountain priest Shishido Matasirou Ietosi (Shisenin kousen), who went-up to Kyoto from Aki-province, and Masatomo seemed to be a mountain priest. Ietoshi prayed to God of protection against fire, made a vow, and was said to acquire the techniques to fly freely, then went to Kurama temple to mastered tactics. And such as a name of "Shougun jizou","Marishiten","Iizunamyoujin" was curved in a seal (stamp) and seclude self in a Bishamonten temple in a Kasugayama castle, prayed the "Shougun jizou", "Marishiten", "Iizunamyoujin" to do mystique of "Tekitaisan no hihou", from such a incident, Kenshin Uesugi was strongly influenced by Shugen religion. Thus a witchcraft-like element of Shugen religion included in the tactics in the Civil War period, and daimyos prayed a war victory using that.
That's because tactics from China will be introduced as learning in the 17th century, tactics was
to become one of learning as military science, and "shinobi" and witchcraft-like element in Japanese tactics note possessed, was cut off. On the other hand, the part separated from a nation is handed down to the countryside, and more various elements added, and might become ninjutsu.
