Iga-ryu
Encyclopedia
Iga-ryū 伊賀流 is a historical school
of ninjutsu
. It became one of the two most well-known ninja
schools in Japan
, along with the Kōga-ryū
. The Iga-ryū originated in the Iga Province
in the area around the towns of Iga and Ueno (modern Iga City
in Mie Prefecture
). Iga-mono is a synonym for Iga ninja.
, the Iga district had supplied lumber to jisha
(寺社, temple-shrines). But in the Kamakura period
, jisha declined in influence while shugo
(governors) and jito
(manor administrators) grew dominant. The power of these functionaries then waned in Iga while that of bushi
(warriors) rose instead. Iga was divided in to local jizamurai
regions locked in guerrilla war for which Iga warriors developed specialized skills and tactics. The Kōga-ryū
school began in a similar way.
During the early Muromachi period
, the people of Iga became independent of their feudal overlords and established a kind of republic--Iga Sokoku Ikki (伊賀惣国一揆) in Japanese. Iga-mono 伊賀者 (Iga men) first appear in historical records in 1487 when the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa
attacked Rokkaku Takayori, the daimyo
of southern Omi Province
from the Rokkaku clan
. Both Iga and Koga ninja fought on the side of Rokkaku, helping to successfully repel the shogun's attack. In 1579, warlord Oda Nobunaga
's son Oda Nobukatsu
launched an unsuccessful attack against the Iga Republic. In 1581, Oda Nobunaga himself attacked Iga from six directions with a force of 40 to 60 thousand men, about a ten to one advantage, and slaugtered many Iga ninja and their families. The Iga held only two castles when Nobunaga declared a ceasefire and allowed some of the ninja to escape.
In 1582, during the turmoil following Oda Nobunaga's death, Hattori Hanzo
(the Jonin from Iga) advised Tokugawa Ieyasu
to escape to Mikawa
through the Kōga
and Iga regions. Ieyasu, when he became the shogun, employed ninja to guard Edo Castle
--the headquarters of the Tokugawa shogunate
--and to supply intelligence. He settled 200 men from the Iga-ryū in the Yotsuya neighbourhood of Edo (Tokyo
). Hanzo's Gate in Edo Castle took its name from the nearby residence of the Hattori clan.
Hattori Hanzo’s son Hattori Masanari
commanded the castle's Iga guards but proved a less successful leader than his father. In 1606, the Iga men rebelled due to harsh treatment. They continued to serve the shogunate until Tokugawa Yoshimune
(ruled 1716-1745) dismissed all ninja from his intelligence network and replaced them with people from Kii province
.
).
The ninja of the Iga-ryū were divided into three classes: high ninjas (jonin), middle ninjas (chunin) and low ninjas (genin).
Ryu (school)
A Ryū , or ryūha , is a Japanese word referring to a school of thought in any discipline...
of ninjutsu
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
. It became one of the two most well-known ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
schools in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, along with the Kōga-ryū
Koga-ryu
Kōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...
. The Iga-ryū originated in the Iga Province
Iga Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today western Mie Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Iga bordered on Ise, Ōmi, Yamato, and Yamashiro Provinces.-Geography:...
in the area around the towns of Iga and Ueno (modern Iga City
Iga, Mie
was a town located in Ayama District, Mie Prefecture, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Iga absorbed the old city of Ueno, the towns of Ayama, the villages of Ōyamada and Shimagahara, all from Ayama District, and the town of Aoyama, from Naga District, to become the new city of Iga.-Geography:Located on...
in Mie Prefecture
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
). Iga-mono is a synonym for Iga ninja.
History
Since the Nara periodNara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
, the Iga district had supplied lumber to jisha
Chinjusha
In Japanese is a Shinto shrine which enshrines a , that is a spirit protecting a given area, village, building or Buddhist temple. The Imperial Palace has its own tutelary shrine dedicated to the 21 guardian gods of Ise Shrine. Tutelary shrines are usually very small, but can sometimes be very...
(寺社, temple-shrines). But in the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
, jisha declined in influence while shugo
Shugo
was a title, commonly translated as "Governor," given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan...
(governors) and jito
Jito
were medieval land stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi Shogunates. Appointed by the shogun, jitō managed manors including national holdings governed by the provincial governor ....
(manor administrators) grew dominant. The power of these functionaries then waned in Iga while that of bushi
Bushi
Bushi and similar can refer to:*Bushi, a term for samurai seen in the term Bushidō*Bushi , a genre of Japanese folk music*Bushi , a region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo*Bushi language, a language of Madagascar and Mayotte...
(warriors) rose instead. Iga was divided in to local jizamurai
Ji-samurai
The ', also known as ', were lords of smaller rural domains in feudal Japan. They often used their relatively small plots of land for intensive and diversified forms of agriculture; the kokujin sought to be as productive and self-sufficient as possible, hoping to gain wealth and power...
regions locked in guerrilla war for which Iga warriors developed specialized skills and tactics. The Kōga-ryū
Koga-ryu
Kōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...
school began in a similar way.
During the early Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
, the people of Iga became independent of their feudal overlords and established a kind of republic--Iga Sokoku Ikki (伊賀惣国一揆) in Japanese. Iga-mono 伊賀者 (Iga men) first appear in historical records in 1487 when the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa
Ashikaga Yoshihisa
was the 9th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1473 to 1489 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshihisa was the son of the eighth shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa....
attacked Rokkaku Takayori, the daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of southern Omi Province
Omi Province
is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...
from the Rokkaku clan
Rokkaku clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan which wielded considerable power in the Muromachi period under the Ashikaga shogunate.-Rise and Fall:Founded by Sasaki Yasutsuna of Ōmi province in the 13th century, the name Rokkaku was taken from their residence within Kyoto; however, many members of this family...
. Both Iga and Koga ninja fought on the side of Rokkaku, helping to successfully repel the shogun's attack. In 1579, warlord Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
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...
's son Oda Nobukatsu
Oda Nobukatsu
was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. He was the second son of Oda Nobunaga. He survived the decline of the Oda clan from political prominence, becoming a daimyo in the early Edo period.-Kitabatake clan:...
launched an unsuccessful attack against the Iga Republic. In 1581, Oda Nobunaga himself attacked Iga from six directions with a force of 40 to 60 thousand men, about a ten to one advantage, and slaugtered many Iga ninja and their families. The Iga held only two castles when Nobunaga declared a ceasefire and allowed some of the ninja to escape.
In 1582, during the turmoil following Oda Nobunaga's death, Hattori Hanzo
Hattori Hanzo
, also known as , 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 modern popular culture.-Biography:...
(the Jonin from Iga) advised Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
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...
to escape to Mikawa
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
through the Kōga
Koka, Shiga
is a city located in the southern part of Shiga Prefecture, Japan....
and Iga regions. Ieyasu, when he became the shogun, employed ninja to guard Edo Castle
Edo Castle
, also known as , 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...
--the headquarters of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
--and to supply intelligence. He settled 200 men from the Iga-ryū in the Yotsuya neighbourhood of Edo (Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
). Hanzo's Gate in Edo Castle took its name from the nearby residence of the Hattori clan.
Hattori Hanzo’s son Hattori Masanari
Hattori Masanari
was a retainer under the Tokugawa clan during the late Sengoku period of Japanese history. He was the eldest son of Hattori Hanzō.The eldest son of Hattori Hanzō, Masanari began to fight alongside his father by the mid 1590s, and succeeded him in 1596, when he was 31 years old...
commanded the castle's Iga guards but proved a less successful leader than his father. In 1606, the Iga men rebelled due to harsh treatment. They continued to serve the shogunate until Tokugawa Yoshimune
Tokugawa Yoshimune
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.-Lineage:...
(ruled 1716-1745) dismissed all ninja from his intelligence network and replaced them with people from Kii province
Kii Province
, or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Provinces. The Kii Peninsula takes its name from this province....
.
Organization
Iga ninja were trained in disguise, escape, concealment, explosives, medicines, poisons, unarmed combat, and a multitude of weaponry. They used scaling hooks for climbing and supposedly employed special water-walking shoes called Mizugumo (displayed at the Iga-ryu Ninja MuseumIga-ryu Ninja Museum
The located in Iga, Mie Prefecture, Japan, is a museum dedicated to the history of the ninja and ninjutsu. It is located near Iga Ueno Castle.The museum's collection includes ancient ninjutsu writings analyzed scientifically along with ancient ninjutsu weapons. The museum has audiovisuals, models...
).
The ninja of the Iga-ryū were divided into three classes: high ninjas (jonin), middle ninjas (chunin) and low ninjas (genin).