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Watkins Publishing

The Book of Ninja: The Bansenshukai - Japan's Premier Ninja Manual

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Description

This first complete translation of the Bansenshuka—the ‘bible’ of the ninja arts! Like The Art of War, the tenets of Japanese military strategy and tactics offer valuable lessons for success in everyday life. In 1676, a ninja named Fujibayashi collected and combined information from the ninja clans of Iga—regarded to be the homeland of the ninja—and compiled it into an authoritative book. Known as The Bansenhukai, Fujibayashi’s book has now been translated into English by the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team and is widely considered to be the ‘bible’ of ninjutsu, the arts of the ninja. The Book of Ninja begins with an in-depth introduction to the history of Fujibayashi’s scripture. Its teachings take into the secrets of guerrilla warfare and espionage—and reveals how the ninjas mastered: • Spycraft—including nighttime steal and concealment tactics • Weapon and tool building skills • Mission planning and warfare • Adopting the right mindset for tackling inner and outer demons • Capturing criminals and executing night raids • Making secret codes and signs • Predicting weather through an esoteric Buddhist divination An exciting and engaging tome of lost knowledge, The Book of Ninja is the final say in the world of the ninja and the ultimate classic for samurai and ninja enthusiasts alike. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Watkins Publishing


Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 5, 2013


Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 544 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1780284934


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 34


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.91 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.2 x 1.78 x 9.4 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #178,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #67 in Intelligence & Espionage History #74 in Japanese History (Books) #223 in Martial Arts (Books)


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Ninja book.
Great reading material for anyone who is interested in this area of the martial arts.
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2025 by Mark D.
    • Banseshukai with value for Ninjutsu practitioners
I like this book. It has common sense information in it where in which the practitioner of Ninjutsu can and will find a lot of value. I do not know if the book is entirely correctly translated, but it encourages me to learn more. Congratulations to the author for this production of the Bansenshukai.
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2025 by PROF WILLIAM THORPE
    • Amazing book!
This is a pretty impressive, big book. I never thought English version of Bansenshukai would be ever become available. The original text (PDF) is available online but it's in old Japanese and parts are written in some kind of simple codes and also requires historical and cultural knowledge so it's hard to understand the real meaning without proper interpretation even for native Japanese speakers. The fact that the first complete modern Japanese translation was just published this year (2015) in Japan, it's not an easy task to interpret the old Japanese text. And this English translation even came out two years ahead of that. I haven't really took time to compare how accurate the author's English translations from the original, but the sheer effort and the enthusiasm the author had to have to tackle this project itself is impressive. The contents wise, it's a very interesting read as a historical reference. Many methods the book describes are ruthless and ninjas were indeed not messing around. There are some outright ridiculous / Medieval superstitions mixed in but a lot of the principles seems to be still applicable for modern day espionage and I am sure those intelligence agencies are still operating under similar principals. The author's intro to the book and the history of ninja is also very good. The main section that interest me the most is ninja tools. This section has original drawings and it will be fun to try to replicate what is described here. I only wish if they came up with better English title for the book and cover art. At least they didn't put cliche images of samurai and ninja. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2015 by greenT
    • Well edited translation of 17th century martial traditions.
This is exactly what it purports to be. It's an historical journey through some extreme martial arts traditions from hundreds of years ago. Major respect!
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024 by Glenn H.
    • Book of the ninja
Awesome
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2025 by Levon
    • Fascinating book with tons of content!
I have been waiting for this translation to emerge from SOMEWHERE for the last 15 years and thanks to the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team, I finally have it. If you are a practitioner of any form of ninjutsu or a history buff, this book will not disappoint. The sheer volume of information is impressive to say the least, though keep in mind what you are receiving was never intended to be read like novel, so you can pretty much start anywhere in the book and be captivated by the information that's presented. If you are looking for information to support your Hollywood style ninja fantasies, you won't find it here. You also will not find support for Bujinkan, Genbukan or any other ninjutsu combat systems. Clearly, shinobi of the senguko period were skilled in unarmed combat, but it wasn't until Edo era, that we began to see organized "ninja combat system." Instead what you fill find is fascinating battlefield strategy, ninja tools, fire devices, communication methods, astrology and more. There is no fluff, no candy coating...this IS ninjutsu. What's particularly fascinating are the fairly obvious Chinese origins. There are many references to Sun Tzus Art of War throughout the text and the shinobi clearly implemented these strategies. The Ninjutsu Rearch Team's devotion to preserving historical accuracy is impressive. Perhaps not as entertaining as the shuriken hurling, straight blade wielding, bullet dodging, black costumed ninjas of the 1980's, the ninja of the 17th century were people just like us. If you are seeking historical truth about the ninja, than this book is definitely for you...and if you are really inspired, you may even try one of the many ninja fire recipes. Surprisingly, many of the recipes require the use of mouse dung. Enjoy! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2013 by erwabo
    • good book
good
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2025 by Steven Coto
    • IF YOUR A FAN OF THE NIJA THIS SHOULD BE ON YOUR SELF
This book is one of the three jewels on the subject of ninjutsu. I have been hoping for years that this work would be translated into english and finally someone has taken on the task to bring this amazing work to the public. Mr. Cummins and his team should be applauded for their fine work. The Bansenshukai is known as th bible of ninjutsu and is a collection of works covering everything from tactics and strategy to philosophy, espionage and even divination. It is truly a mass of information written by a true warrior and the additional content helps to shine a light of understanding on this rich and ancient text. Society has had the wrong view of the ninja for decades, but now thanks to Mr. Cummins and his team we can get a close up look at the real thing from the writings of a real ninja. What more could you ask for. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2015 by James Sewing

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