"About Issui Fuji = Masazumi Sanjyuro Natori, the author of "Shonin-ki" "(summary)
Lecturer: Jyuhou Yamamoto
There are lots of "Ninjutsu-densho"- books of Ninjutsu. Due to its rich resource, one of them named "Shonin-ki" has been researched quite often by many people. But there is only a little information about its author Masazumi Sanjyuro Natori (Issui Fuji = Masatake Natori). In April 2012, the Keiunji in Fukiage/Wakayama was recognized as the family temple for the Natori Family. At this lecture, we explained about the circumstances of this discovery and some new findings about the Natori Family and their situation at that time, in relation with the information from "Nanki Tokugawa shi (The history of Nanki Tokugawa clan)" and "Kii no Kuni Meisho Zue" (Illustrated collection of famous places of the Kii Province).
For a long time, the theory has been going around that Masazumi Natori could belong to the Fujibayashi Family because of his pseudonym "Fuji Issui shi Masatake". We also could create a stir in this theory based on our consideration of "Shonin-ki (Seiryukenpon)" (kept at the National Diet Library), "Kishu Kachu Keifu Narabini Shinrui Kakiage" and some new facts which only the family temple could know of.
At the lecture, we examined the "Shinrui Kakiage ( List of their kith and kin)" again and found that Masazumi had a child. Through this examination we were able to share interests to think about the lives of Natori Family, including Masazumi's child mentioned above through their relationship with the Kishu-Tokugawa Family at that time.
We hope that this lecture will help you gain access to how to research history in a fun way.