The Order of Musashi Shinobi Samurai is a Japanese shinobisamurai clan which served Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Tokugawa Shogunate. They served the Tokugawa Shogunate as intelligence operatives called onmitsu (undercover agents), and metsuke (inspectors), and in the 19th century, as diplomats. When the political system changed due to the restoration of the monarchy in 1868, it became independent. The order consists of a number of families and people who have built close relations of trust with the Shibata Clan of the Musashi Province.
The clan was closed for over 450 years and kept its arts hidden, but turned to open its door to the public in 2006. It has become an NPO and now engaged in introducing the ninja and samurai cultures of the Clan Shibata, as well as in the advocacy of its philosophy, now termed Ninshido which was developed by their ancestors under the shogunate.
The Definition of "Shinobi samurai" According to the First Chapter of Mansenshukai (Bansenshukai) authored by Fujibayashi Sabuji Yasutake in 1676, there were two types of shinobi, namely shinobisamurai and shinobinomono. The shinobisamurai were samurai who trained their servants, peasants and the locals to work as shinobinomono and contracted for shinobi services from feudal lords. The shinobinomono didn't have warrior backgrounds. The two Japanese characters used by the author for the term "shinobisamurai" (忍士) can be also read "ninshi".
In the order, the term "shinobisamurai" refers to the samurai who used to engage in shinobi activities during the Warring State Period. And after 1600, those who served the Shogunate are referred to as "ninshi".
The Shinobijutsu (ninjutsu) of the Order The case for the Musashi Shinobijutsu was made at the congress of the International Association of Ninja Research, 2020."NINJA KENKYU Journal of Ninja Studies No. 3, August 2020" The International Ninja Research Association The traditional understanding of shinobijutsu (ninjutsu) in the order is that it is not a martial art but a collection of strategic techniques to collect intelligence without being noticed. The shinobi arts handed down in the order are: the clan martial arts, weapon crafting, performing arts, equestrian arts, shinobi medicine, explosives and language education. Thus each member chooses his/her art(s) to focus on. As shinobi's missions are to gather information that shinobi do not need to be martial artists. There are variety of shinobi classes, namely, bugei(martial arts)-shinobi, gigei(performing arts)-shinobi, tokumu(special duty)-shinobi, etc. depending on the expertise of the shinobi.
The Ideology of the Order The Ideoaly of the Order was explained at International Ninja Research Association 2019.
The clan follows an ideology known as "Ninshido" (忍士道), the Way of Shinobi Samurai. It promotes the concept of 'Kyohmei Mizukagami' (共鳴水鏡), aiming for the state of Ku, or no-self, through training. When a Shinobi achieves inner peace, they harmonize with nature. The inner peace is called "Washin" (和心).
Understanding that everyone vibrates with energy, our training purpose is to attune ourselves to others' vibrations. We strive to act like water mirrors, reflecting others with compassion and aiming for mutual prosperity through this resonance.
The ninpo of the Order is called "Gorin Ninpo" (五輪忍法). Ninpo is a fundamental philosophy to indicate how shinobijutsu should be applied. The teamwork guideline is expressed by four characters: "Lin fuh lai in" (林風雷陰(隠) signifying "Act quietly and fast, get results instantly without being noticed."
The Ninshido provides guidelines, systems, and methods to help each Shinobi member gradually transition their expertise from mere jutsu (techniques) to a path based on Do (Way).
History The order has a shinobi samurai origin. The history of the order goes back to the mid-16th century.
On 4 June 1582, right after Honnō-ji Incident (), Nagamochi Tokuzo and his kins, escorted Tokugawa Ieyasu by the request from Ieyasu's retainer, Hattori Hanzo. Together with other Iga and Koka shinobi, they guarded Ieyasu to Ise where Ieyasu and his retainers boarded a ship and eventually arrived at the Okazaki Castle in Mie successfully. Since then the Igamono shinobi samurai started to serve Ieyasu, and the clan officially became retainers of Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1582. They moved to Edo (in Musashi region) in 1590 with Tokugawa Ieyasu and thereafter served the Tokugawa Shogunate till 1868.
During the Bakumatsu period, the two families reestablished themselves as a new clan in Musashi Region. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, declining the offer from the Meiji Government, it became a private organization to maintain its shinobi samurai traditions.
1582-1833: "Era of Edo Onmitsu Ninshi"
The definition of the Edo Ninshi
The ninshi are the samurai metsuke (inspectors) and samurai onmitsu (undercover agents) who engaged in covert operations for the Edo Tokugawa Shogunate, and those who became key to intelligence activities in Europe as envoys.
In 1582 Shibata Suwo and Nagamochi Tokuzo became retainers of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
In 1584 Nagamochi Tokuzo died in the Battle of Matsugashima Castle. Went to the Castle with Hattori Hanzo and other Igamonos to assist the Oda force, ally of the Tokugawas.
From 1590 the clan heads (Shibata Suwo and Nagamochi Judaiyu) in Edo served in the Edo Castle, as Hiroshikiban to guard the shogun's private quarters in addition to working as onmitsu (undercover agents).
In 1615 Shibata Suwo died in the Summer Seize of Osaka Castle. With two other Igamonos, Suwo was in charge of covert operations in and out of Osaka Castle.
In 1717, the 8th generation Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune, introduced a new intelligence system, the Oniwabanshu (gardeners), and some of Yoshimune's retainers joined the Hiroshiki Igamono. As a result, the clan became strengthened through marriages with Oniwaban members.
Rise of Meritocracy and the Scholar-Shinobi Lineage
In 1794 the shogunate introduced a meritocracy system based on Gakumon Gimmi (Recruitment examination) which started two years earlier and opened its offices to talent.御家人と昌平坂学問所・学問吟味 The shinobi samurai started to place importance on academic achievement.Hokkai Gakuen Academic Information Repository#156p 日本の人事政策の起源 : 江戸幕府後期御家人の人材 登用と昇進
In 1802, under the 11th shogun, the head of the Shibata family, Jinshiro, was transferred to work in the shogunate's Gakumonsho (shogunate university). Jinshiro's son, Junzo was promoted to belong to the Hasei Goemon Group for his academic excellence and served as metsuke.
1853-1868: "Era of Bakumatsu Ninshi"
The most noteworthy contributions to the society made by the members were done during the Bakumatsu period. There are two outstanding Edo ninshi personalities worthy of mention. One is Shibata Takenaka (also known as Shibata Sadataro Takenaka), and the other is Nagamochi Kohjiro Yoshiaki. They were brothers.
Shibata Sadataro Takenaka
He was one of the first Japanese samurai to visit Europe in 1862, then as the first emissary to station in France. (Shibata Mission/Japanese envoy to Europe in 1865).Nagoya University Library
In 1842 Shibata became metsuke (inspector), and the following year, awarded for his excellence in martial arts and the result in Gakumon Ginmi examination by the Tokugawa Shogunate.
In 1858 Shibata became chief of staff in the gaikoku bugyo dept. (foreign affairs department). Negotiated the matters regarding the opening of the Port of Yokohama, and finally managed to open the port to the world. Also assumed a leading position to negotiate with the delegations from the States and from Europe.
His first visit to Europe was in 1862 as one of the principal members of the First Japanese Embassy to Europe.
During the 1862 mission, Shibata was chief of staff and first secretary, and participated directly in the negotiations. Also, he was the key person for intelligence gathering in Europe. The newspapers of the time referred to him as "the shadow".
In 1863, he became gaikoku bugyo (commissioner of foreign affairs). His first assignment was to go to Hakodate to negotiate with a Russian consul general Joseph Antonovich Goskevich regarding the opening of Japanese ports.
In 1865, the Shibata Mission was dispatched to Europe. Shibata stationing in Paris for a year, requested that both the United Kingdom and France send a military mission for training the shogunate soldiers in Western warfare on behalf of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The UK declined, but the French accepted. This led to the first French military mission to Japan from 1867 to 1868, which Shibata organized. Shibata negotiated with the Rothchilds and European companies while conducting reconnaissance work.
Upon returning to Japan, he became in charge of the opening of the Port of Kobe, and had piers, residential areas for foreigners, and Tokugawa-do (Tokugawa Road) constructed. In 1868, he declared the Port of Kobe open to the world in front of foreign delegations.
Nagamochi Kohjiro Yoshiaki
"永持昭九 永持家家系図 1995年，私家版"
In 1844 Nagamochi passed the Gakumon Ginmmi of the Shogunate.Hokkaigakuen Academic Information Repository #156 p13, p15 Nagamochi's expertise was in the fields of languages and naval defence. In 1853 serving as metsuke (inspector) he made a reconnaissance, as a Russian frigate "Diana"Диана (фрегат, 1852) came in Nagasaki.Nagasaki University Library
In 1854, he was transferred to Nagasaki, as one of the candidates for the captain長崎海軍伝習所 伝習生名簿 of Kankohmaru presented by the government of the Netherlands to the Shogunate. Then in 1855, he was appointed as chief of staff at Nagasaki Bugyo Magistrate Office where he established the first language school to teach English in Kyushu.Waseda University Repository
In October, 1855, visited a Russian admiral, Putyatin, and negotiated on the additional terms of the Russo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce, and finalized a general agreement except for the attribution of Sakhalin and the handling of indigenous people at Gyokusenji Temple in Shimoda.150th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Russia The construction of Nagasaki Iron Mill started and Nagamochi was appointed to take charge of general affairs accounting.
In 1857, visited Janus Henricus Donker Curtius, the director of the Dutch trading house in Dejima, Nagasaki, and learned the details of the Opium War in China, and reported it to Nagasaki Bugyo Magistrate. In 1860, reconnaissance work in April, after a Russian Frigate "Posadnik" appeared in Tsushima. Investigating the occupation attempts by the Russian troop from the "Posadnik", Nagamochi negotiated with the Russian captain Nikolai Alekseevich Birilev Nikolai Birilev to withdraw from Tshushima.(Posadnik Incident)
In 1863, became president of foreign affairs delegation and commander of foot soldiers. In 1864, Transferred to Kyoto as metsuke to be under the direct command of the 15th Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, to guard the Imperial Palace leading 212 samurai.京都史蹟紹介,妙泉寺
On November 9, 1867, Taisei Hokan (大政奉還) (restoration of the government to the crown) took place and the clan became secluded.
After 1868: "Era of modern ninshi"
The Order of Shinobi Samurai has defined the modern ninshi as "a person with expertise, belongs to the organization, finds and assembles information, and works for a common goal while walking the path of Harmony (和)" The order is open to all who can abide by the order creed.
Learned Dutch and accompanied his uncle Shibata Sadataro Takenaka to visit Europe in 1862 as a member of the First Japanese Embassy to Europe. After returning to Japan he became a French teacher and Japanese Army lieutenant colonel. He was the Japanese father-in-law of a French captain Jules Brunet. In 1891 became the first president of Tokugawa Ikueikai Ikueigaku school, the predecessor of the present Tokyo University of Agriculture.