Tateoka Doshun was an intermediate-ranking Iga

Iga-ryu

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...

 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...

 during the Sengoku Period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

. He is also known as Igasaki Doshun or Igasaki Dojun.

In 1558, during the Siege of Sawayama

Siege of Sawayama

The Siege of Sawayama was a battle of the Sengoku Period in Japan. The daimyo Rokkaku Yoshikata besieged the treacherous prince Dōdō at his stronghold in Sawayama Castle. An Iga ninja named Tateoka Doshun was employed to infiltrate the castle after several attacks on the castle failed...

, Tateoka Doshun and his 48 men (including four Koga

Koga-ryu

Kōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...

 ninja) entered the Sawayama Castle

Sawayama Castle

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...

 by the use of bakemono-jutsu (ghost technique) of making paper lantern

Paper lantern

Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. In their simplest form, they are simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops covered with tough paper.-In Asian...

s displaying the enemy's badge. Dressed as a samurai and carrying the lanterns, they walked in unchallenged, then set fire to the castle, allowing Rokkaku Yoshikata

Rokkaku Yoshikata

was a samurai head of the Rokkaku clan during Japan's Sengoku period. He was shugo and later daimyō of an area of southern Ōmi province, he served as castellan of Kannonji Castle...

 to make a successful assault. The same technique was also used by Matsudaira clan

Matsudaira clan

The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province . Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province...

 during the Siege of Kaminojo

Siege of Kaminojo

The siege of Kaminojo the Siege of Kaminojo was a battle during the Sengoku period of Japan.With the help of his ninja vassal Hattori Hanzo, Tokugawa Ieyasu, after a well fought battle, ended up capturing the castle of Kaminojo from its keeper, Udono Nagamochi, a general of the Imagawa...

 in 1662.There is a popular rumour concerning the death of Tateoka Doshun that 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...

 had Doshun assassinated by Ninja leader and Samurai 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:...

 during the battle of Komaki and Nagakute

Battle of Komaki and Nagakute

The consisted of two battles in 1584 between the forces of Hashiba Hideyoshi and the forces of Oda Nobukatsu and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hideyoshi and Ieyasu had both served Oda Nobunaga and had not previously come into conflict; this would in fact be their only period of enmity...

 for giving infomation to the Toyotomi.