Hiden Ninjutsu no Hon (1963) – Fujita Seiko’s Ninja Booklet

Historical Context of This Edition

Published on March 1, 1963, Hiden Ninjutsu no Hon (Secret Book of Ninjutsu) was issued as the special 32-page furoku (supplement) to Bokura Magazine, Volume 9, Number 3, published by Kodansha. Produced during Japan’s postwar “ninja boom,” the booklet introduced traditional Kōga-ryū ninjutsu to a new generation of young readers through richly illustrated explanations of history, equipment, survival methods, and legendary ninja techniques.

Unlike many popular ninja publications of the period, this booklet prominently features Fujita Seiko (1898–1966), the 14th-generation headmaster of the Kōga-ryū Wada-ha tradition. His photograph appears in the opening pages, lending unusual authority to a children’s educational publication. During the early 1960s, Fujita was widely recognized throughout Japan as the country’s foremost public authority on historical ninjutsu, making his direct participation especially significant.

Contents and Highlights

The booklet presents ninjutsu in an educational format through twelve illustrated chapters covering:

• Origins and history of the Kōga and Iga ninja traditions.
• The organization and training of historical ninja.
• Traditional ninja equipment, concealed weapons, and climbing devices.
• Water-crossing equipment, flotation devices, underwater breathing aids, and survival tools.
• Ninja hand signs (Kuji-in) and traditional beliefs.
• Historical figures associated with the Iga and Kōga schools.
• Illustrated diagrams explaining the construction and use of specialized ninja equipment.

The colorful foldout illustrations and detailed equipment diagrams distinguish this publication from most contemporary children’s magazines, combining entertainment with historical material drawn from Fujita Seiko’s teachings.

Rare Features

One of the booklet’s most unusual features is its extensive visual documentation of ninja equipment. Large color illustrations depict climbing ladders, grappling hooks, concealed blades, shuriken, underwater devices, flotation equipment, and specialized tools rarely illustrated together in a single publication of this period.

The opening pages also include a portrait of Fujita Seiko, reinforcing that the booklet was presented as an educational work based upon the teachings of Japan’s best-known living authority on traditional Kōga-ryū ninjutsu.

Because these supplements were intended for children, most surviving copies were heavily used or discarded. Complete examples with the original cover and intact centerfolds are considerably scarcer than standard hardcover books published during the same period.

Historical Significance

Although created for younger readers, Hiden Ninjutsu no Hon represents one of the last illustrated publications produced during Fujita Seiko’s lifetime. Issued only three years before his death in 1966, it reflects the growing public fascination with ninjutsu that would eventually develop into the modern “ninja boom.”

Today the booklet serves as an important historical document, preserving how traditional Kōga-ryū ninjutsu was presented to the Japanese public during the early Showa period. Its combination of authentic historical material, colorful artwork, and Fujita Seiko’s direct association makes it one of the more desirable and historically interesting ninja magazine supplements of the 1960s.