" V " - Ninja Mission Equipment

Mission equipment ¤ I ¤

Weapons (Ningu)
The ninja mastered many tools and weapons. Each of these implements had various applications.

Shuriken : Throwing star or ninja star
A shuriken is a typical weapon made from wrought iron and has hardened, sharp-tipped blades. The forms of shuriken are 40 to 50 that are reflected various different schools of ninja. The shuriken alone does not have the power to kill, but if poison, such as that from monkshood was applied, even a mere scratch could surely put an enemy down. If an enemy had been wounded, a ninja would smear mud or horse manure in his wounds, leading to incapacitation or possible death from tetanus or other diseases. Throwing a burning shuriken was occasionally used for lighting or arson.

Shinobi-gatana: Ninja sword
The swords used by ninja were called ninja-gatana or ninto, and were shorter than samurai swords, which were about one meter in length. The cord attached to the square-shaped sheath, the saego, or "sword knot", was especially long. The shinobi-gatana were used not only as weapons, but also as footholds when climbing a wall (and later pulled up using the sageo); inserted into the mouth, the sheath could also be used to breathe underwater. It could also be used as kikizutsu, or listening device.

Blowgun and darts
Blowguns with long shafts could hit targets more accurately and shoot greater distances, but they were inconvenient and conspicuous to carry, so ninja used a shakuhachi or bamboo flute as blowgun at times. Poison darts had fletchings to give them accuracy. Messages could also be rolled up and sent this way. Ninja could gain information concerning the layout of a room by firing darts into it.
Darts were often convenient because they were small, easy to hide, and could be used in many ways. Ninja sometimes kept a few darts in their mouth, using them to attack an enemy who was close by. When the eyes grew tired, or a shoulder grew stiff, a dart could be used as an acupuncture needle, and help a ninja regain his energy.

Shikomizue : Sword cane
Shikomizue were swords, spears, or sickles that were hidden in a length of bamboo or wooden stick. Ninja always hid their weapons, even if they were iron balls with chains, sharp iron sticks, or a mixture to blind enemy eyes. When fighting, the shikomizue was used as a bamboo sword. Furthermore, at checkpoints, a ninja could pretend to be an elderly person using the shikomizue as a cane.

Kusarigama
Kusarigama was a heavy weight connected to a sickle, a common farming tool, by a lenght of a chain. To use it, one threw it at an enemy, and the weight would wrap around the enemy's body, striking him down. The sickle was then used to kill him. This weapon could also aid a ninja scaling an earthen wall by using it as a grappling hook.

Makibishi
Makibishi were small three-pointed pyramids that were scattered on the ground to injure the feet of a pursuer. They were made of bamboo, wood, iron, or water chestnuts. Kurumabishi were a type of makibishi used against horses.

Bow and arrow
Besides the standard bow, ninja developed and used half-bows, short bows, and a specialized bow. Though not good for long distance, the velocity of a short bow was strong, so it had power over short distances, and was easy to carry. Short bows could be made half their size by using a hinge. Sometimes bows were hidden outside, ready to fire if tripped, these were called tabiyumi. Arrows could be arranged radially inside a sugegasa or amigasa (sedge hat or braided hat). Ninja utilized bows and arrows in a variety of ways; they were not simply weapons for shooting enemies.
Hiya-no-ho (fire arrow): A method for arson or special communication using a burning arrow and gunpowder.
Itoya-no-ho (string arrow): A method to measure distance, to find out the width of a castle moat or river, by typing a length of string to the arrow beforehand.
Yabumi: A special arrow that carried communiques when shot.

Ningu - tools for climbing
the touki was used to get over the high walls of castles or residences in enemy territory. Ninja used a great variety of ladders: musubibashigo, tobibashigo,kumobashigo, makibashigo, kagibashigo, and takabashigo. All of them could be easily be assembled on the spot. Other climbing equipment employed kasugai, uchikagi, and kaginawa (grappling hooks). When climbing stonewalls and the like, thick nails were also used.
Ningu for infiltration
A kunai was a tool for making a hole in a wall, but if a rope was attached to it then it could be used for climbing.
The tsubokiri was indispensable for infiltrating an enemy castle, fort, or residence, for it was used to poke peepholes in walls, allowing ninja to get a good look into interior spaces.
Shikoro was a double-edged saw, one side was used to cut bamboo, the other to cut trees.
Tataminomi was a foldable file that was used to cut through doorposts and door locks.

Ningu to pass over water (suiki)
Moats surrended castles as a defensive measure against enemy invasion. Suiki reffered to equipent that was used by ninja to cross moats, marshes, and ponds.
Ukibashi was like a ladder made from cut bamboo and two ropes; it could float on water and ninja could walk across it.
Kame-ikada was a kind a raft that was constructed by placing a water jar between eight bamboo poles or spears. The jar could be substituted by a pot, tub, or other vessel.
Tsuzura-ikada was a raft that was essentially an emptied tsuzura, a storage box for kimono made from bamboo.
Mizugumo was equipment that enabled ninja to walk onn water, but there have been various opinions disputing its existence since it seems so impossible. Reliable sources indicate that the mizugumo were perhaps small round floats that were strapped to the feet and with the aid of a pole enabled the user to "walk" accross a marsh.

Mission equipment ¤ II ¤

The Six Tools (Shinobi Rokugu)
Ninja used many kinds of equipment, but when traveling they took as little as possible so as not to raise suspicion at borders and checkpoints. The necessities that ninja are said to have taken with them are called shinobi rokugu or the "six tools".
Kaginawa - a tool to scale heights; a grappling hook
Uchitake - items for survival, for making fires
Medicine - salves, insect repellents, and hypnoticor poison potions
Amigasa - an umbrella for rain. It was also useful to hide the face.
Sekihitsu - writing materials made of clay. Used to record information.
Tenugui - a cotton towel for hiding the face, as a headband, or belt. Muddy water could be filtered through a tenugui and drunk.

Mission equipment ¤ 3 ¤

Kajutsu - The Art of Fire
Ninja were skilled at kajutsu, the art of fire. In Iga and Koka, plants were used as an ingredient for making gunpowder, and this technology was highly developed. Gunpowder was made of moxa(a caustic burning herb), champhor, and horse manure. The ingredients were made into a fine powder using a grinder or yakugen and then preserved.
The weapons and equipment ninja used for kajutsu were called kaki, and included teppo (guns), hiya (burning arrows that were fired into enemy camps to create commotion), uzumebi (bombs similar to land mines), taimatsu (torches for lighting), noroshi (for the transmission of intelligence), and so on. Two hundred different kinds of kajutsu could be drawn upon depending on the situation.