The Shoninki

The Shoninki was a famous ninjutsu text written in the 17th century. The text has now been translated and published by Don Roley of the Colorado Springs Bujinkan Dojo. The original text has been included, as well as a translation and commentary. A sample is given below to give people a chance to see what the book is like.

For those interested in purchasing the full version, cost is 24.95 per book plus 3.50 shipping inside the US, 4 dollars for two copies. Canada is 10 dollars to ship one copy, 14.50 for two.  The paypal account is ColoradoBujinkan@me.com. Please make sure you ad your address to the payment. Shipping to Europe is 17.50 for one,  21 dollars for two two copies. Australia is 15.50 and 21 dollars respectfully. Yes, I agree it is a lot. There will be a digital version for Kindle and iBook coming out (hopefully) in May and you may wish to wait for that if you live overseas. I don’t have the rate for Canada yet.

The following is the section on disguises, reformatted a bit for the web page. All rights are reserved, and it is copyrighted by Don Roley.


七方出の事と云
一 こむ僧 是はあみ笠をきる法也

出家 男女是を近付ける故なり
一 山伏 男女是を近付ける、刀脇指をさす也 一 商人 人の能く近付けるもの也
一 放下師 是も人の近付けるもの也
一 さるがく 前に同じ
一 つねの形 其の品によりて是をつくる也

右のごとくに形を出立つに能くその形に似たる もの有り。おのれ得たる所 を学んで、心静かに忍 ぶべし。

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The Seven Disguises

Komuso- so you can use the amigusa.
Priest- so as to be able to approach both men and women. Yamabushi- so as to be able to approach both men and women and carrying a wakizashi.
Merchant- so as to be able to approach men and women in a skillful manner.
Wandering performer- for being able to approach both men and women as well as attend events.
Sarugakushi- same as above.
Normal guise- to be able to flow into any other guise.
The above seven have their own areas of study. You should study the things they would know to an extent that you are familiar, and without fear of playing the part.

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Disguises were a part of life for an intelligence gatherer. But as the last line of the Shoninki points out, these were not just costumes that were thrown on.

The first disguise mentioned is the Komuso (Below). This
was a member of the Fukke sect of Buddhism that wandered while playing a
flute and concealing their face. This and the next two disguises are members of
religious orders. During the Edo period when the Shoninki was written travel
by the people was highly regulated. It was rather difficult for most of the
population to get permission to travel to another area and stay there for any period of time. Religious figures were rather exempt from most of the need to get permission and other prescriptions on travel. The famous poet Matsuo Basho was known for taken the tonsure just before he went on one of his famous trips to make it easier to move around.

The use of religion as an escape from prohibitions from traveling and staying in an area was rather common in some situations. In order to prevent the lords under him from fomenting rebellion, the shogun required them to


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keep their families in the capital of Edo under his eye and only allowed the lord himself to spend half a year in his own province, bringing a retinue with him to Edo to live for the other half. Many of these samurai from the rural provinces became enamored of the big city life of Edo and did not want to return. Due to the restrictions, even if they left their lord's service they would not be allowed to stay in Edo. To get around this, a nearby training center for yamabushi would allow samurai to train there for a while, get certified as yamabushi and then the restrictions would not apply to them. The life of a Buddhist monk at the time was not an especially religious one. Like the clergy of Chaucer’s time when he wrote “Canterbury Tales”, much of the clergy had degraded to such an extent that they were held in open contempt. Ihara Saikaku openly made fun of them in his book “Life of an Amorous Woman” when he has the main character describe how she went out and bought meat for her priestly lover. The humor is from the fact that technically both meat and sex were forbidden to them, but the rule was broken so often and so openly that it was common knowledge.

Still, they were not all so despised and many folks would open up to a traveling Buddhist monk (Below) if he were to ask questions about the provence he was traveling as part of his duties. Even today religious figures are looked on with less suspicion than most folks, even knowing what we do about how some of them have abused that trust.



64 Shoninki-The True Records of the Shadow Warriors, Copyright Don Roley 2012were to ask questions about the provence he was traveling as part of his duties. Even today religious figures are looked on with less suspicion than most folks, even knowing what we do about how some of them have abused that trust. Yamabushi (left) are often associated with the ninja by the popular media. Even though the idea that the ninja came from yamabaushi is largely a myth, the disguise was a good one for someone on the road a lot with a need to carry a weapon. Before the Meiji government required the separation of religions into either Buddhism or Shinto it is believed that Shugendo, the

Yamabushi (Below) are often associated with the ninja by the popular media. Even though the idea that the ninja came from yamabaushi is largely a myth, the disguise was a good one for someone on the road a lot with a need to carry a weapon. Before the Meiji government required the separation of religions into either Buddhism or Shinto it is believed that Shugendo, the religion of the yamabushi might have been the most popular form among the common people.


The use of yamabushi, also known as shugenja, as a disguise was a fairly common one. It was used in at least one murder done by samurai and the most famous case is of Musashibo Benkei sneaking his lord past troops by having them all dress up and pretend to be yamabushi gathering funds for a temple.
Japanese Buddhism has a close relationship with Shinto but Shugendo is probably the best example of the two existing together in one faith. It believes that buddhism is the way


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to train yourself to become a higher being and escape the cycle of rebirth. At the same time, it believes that the Shinto gods exist and can give aid to those purifying themselves. Shugenja travel to areas holy according to Shinto belief to perform training and develop religious energy. They then distribute this energy (for a “donation”) to folks on their travels to other holy areas. Before the rise of modern society and its new forms of entertainment, the shows that the yamabushi put on to convince people of the religious power they had (and thus the wisdom of donating) was possibly as big as the circus was for many people in the early 20th century western countries. They would walk on fire, run up and down stairs made of swords and other tricks to impress the folks. But they were not always willing to stop that long.

Thus a ninja dressed as a yamabushi had a ready made excuse for being on
the road into other provinces. He also could carry a weapon on the road, which would look rather strange for any other Buddhist missionary. It was indeed a very popular disguise whose popularity was not limited to just the ninja.
A merchant (Below) was not only expected to be on


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the road with his wares, he was expected to chat up people he met. Under the guise of seeking to convince them to buy his products, he could draw them into conversations of what they did, what was the situation in the area and other topics and be totally without suspicion.

Sometimes they even set up in areas to give shows showing off their goods while
watching the roads and people.

This disguise was very popular with the Koga ninja, who traveled the land selling medicine carried on bundles hung from a stick on their shoulder. Wandering performers (Below) had excuses to travel, could talk to people without suspicion and were frequently invited to perform in places of interest. A ninja might normally have to sneak into a fortress to get the layout. A performer was frequently invited in.

Sarugakushi (Following picture, ) were related to performers, except that instead of singing and dancing, they were the performers of more traditional and high class entertainment. They were more likely to be invited to enter


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the lord’s stronghold and perform. The arts they studied were closely aligned with the aristocratic class who tended to call the shots. Aside from that, the advantages were pretty much the same as the wandering performer. When the Shoninki talks of normal guise it appears to be talking about being just the same as everyone around the ninja. (Below.)


The common folks had their own way of dressing, and this changed a bit from place to place. Several sources point out that a ninja could not afford to stand out. Too handsome, loud or other characteristics that drew attention to them were to be avoided. In order to get by when they were not in a more familiar guise, they tried to be plain vanilla to those around them. Their highest aim was to be so boring and part of the back ground that no one would notice them at all.