Ninjutsu Hiden: Sono Rekishi to Ninja-tachi
The Vanguard of Modern Ninja History
Long before the global “ninja boom” of the 1970s and 80s, this scarce 1959 volume laid the serious academic foundation for all modern ninjutsu historical research. Written at a time when the Western world knew virtually nothing of the art, and Japanese pop culture viewed it purely as fictional wizardry, Ninjutsu Hiden was a groundbreaking attempt to separate myth from historical reality.
The publisher, Bonbonsha, ran a highly restricted first edition printing. Unlike the author’s mass-market paperbacks from the mid-1960s, this original cloth-bound hardcover contains specialized, high-resolution photographic plates detailing authentic shinobi artifacts, regional geography, and structural blueprints directly translated from the classical triad of ninjutsu texts (Bansenshukai, Shoninki, and Ninpiden).
Unusual & Rare Details of the Author
- The Ninja Mayor of Iga Ueno: The author, Heishichiro Okuse (1911–1997), was not merely an armchair historian; he was a native of Iga and served as the actual, sitting Mayor of Ueno City (modern-day Iga Ueno) at the exact time this book was published in 1959. He used his unique administrative authority to gain access to deeply guarded private family archives, temple ledgers, and historic estates across the Iga and Koga regions that had been closed to the public for centuries.
- Lineage Connection to Seiko Fujita: Okuse was a dedicated, direct disciple of the legendary Seiko Fujita (1898–1956), who is widely regarded by martial arts historians as the 14th Headmaster of Koga-ryū Ninjutsu and the “Last True Ninja.” This book represents the culmination of Okuse’s fieldwork following his master’s sudden death three years prior, aiming to preserve the historical records of the shadow arts before they faded from postwar memory.
The “Incurable” Slipcase Spine Defect
For the discerning bibliophile, this title carries a notorious manufacturing anomaly. Nearly 100% of all surviving original 1959 copies suffer from a missing or heavily damaged slipcase spine. This universal flaw stems from Bonbonsha’s regional postwar engineering choices: they used a highly acidic, brittle groundwood pulp pasteboard combined with a rigid, moisture-dependent animal hide glue (nikawa). Over nearly seven decades, these materials oxidized and crystallized completely. Because Japanese collectors traditionally shelved books vertically and pulled them out by the top edge of the slipcase, the seams universally sheared away under standard shelf tension. Finding a copy with its original panels mostly intact is a textbook rarity.
Exemplary Provenance: The Saito Sensei Association Copy
This specific volume is an extraordinary piece of living martial arts history, boasting an ironclad provenance trace. It is a verified association copy straight from the personal research library of Satoshi Saito (斎藤聡), the revered 5th-generation Sōke (Headmaster) of Negishi-ryū Shurikenjutsu.
The lower margin of the inner title page features two crisp, official red vermilion ex-libris library ownership seals (蔵書印 – zōshoin), hand-stamped into the fibers:
- The Institutional Mark (Top): Stamped “根岸流” (Negishi-ryū), registering the text inside the official repository files of the school.
- The Sovereign Mark (Bottom): Stamped “荒波 術家秘伝” (Aranami Jutsuka Hiden), showcasing Saito Sensei’s personal, poetic martial moniker (Aranami / Stormy Waves) to certify individual ownership.
This incredible association copy provides an undeniable historical link, proving how the mid-century grandmasters of traditional classical weapon arts (koryū) actively monitored, preserved, and researched the emerging historical truths of the historical shinobi arts.