Matsuo Basho is known as a Japanese poet, but there is a theory that he was actually a ninja. The evidence for this theory is that he had a relationship with a mysterious person named Hattori Hanzo, his amazing walking ability, and his birthplace in Iga city, which is a ninja village. In this article, we will explore the possibility that Matsuo Basho was a ninja from the following four points:
- Who was Hattori Hanzo?
- Matsuo Basho’s walking ability
- Matsuo Basho’s birthplace
- Matsuo Basho’s ninjutsu
Who was Hattori Hanzo?
The name Hattori Hanzo was used by the successive heads of the Hattori clan, a group of ninjas who served the Tokugawa family in the Edo period. However, it is unclear who the Hattori Hanzo that Matsuo Basho interacted with was. According to one theory, the person that Matsuo Basho called Hattori Hanzo was actually not related to the Hattori clan, but was Momochi Tanba, who was from the Momochi family of Iga ninjas.
Momochi Tanba is said to be the ancestor of the Iga ninjas, and he served Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. However, he fell from grace after he sided with Ishida Mitsunari, who rebelled against Tokugawa Ieyasu after the Battle of Sekigahara. After that, Momochi Tanba hid his identity and wandered around various places, where he met Matsuo Basho.
Matsuo Basho learned ninjutsu and martial arts from Momochi Tanba, and also exchanged ideas on literature and philosophy. Matsuo Basho called Momochi Tanba “Hanbei” with affection, which is speculated to be because Momochi Tanba used the name Hattori Hanbei (Hattori Hanzo).
Matsuo Basho’s walking ability
Matsuo Basho traveled many times in his life, and it is said that he walked about 10,000 kilometers in total. The most famous of his travels is “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”. In “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”, Matsuo Basho walked about 2,400 kilometers in about 150 days. This means that he walked about 16 kilometers per day, but in fact, he sometimes walked as much as 48 kilometers in a day.
This amazing walking ability is attributed to his being a ninja. Ninjas were able to walk long distances, and among them, Iga ninjas were especially good at walking. It is speculated that Matsuo Basho’s walking ability increased due to the influence of Momochi Tanba, who taught him ninjutsu.
Matsuo Basho’s birthplace
Matsuo Basho was born as the second son of the Matsuo family in Iga city, Mie prefecture. Iga city is famous as a ninja village, and it was the base of the Iga ninjas. The Iga ninjas were formed by local lords and peasants of Iga province who learned ninjutsu during the Sengoku period. They specialized in fire techniques and curse techniques.
Matsuo Basho’s birthplace being a ninja village is one of the reasons why he might have been a ninja. Also, Matsuo Basho lost his father at an early age and was raised by his mother, but there is a theory that his mother was also a ninja. It is speculated that Matsuo Basho learned ninjutsu and martial arts from his mother.
Matsuo Basho’s ninjutsu
Another evidence that supports the theory that Matsuo Basho was a ninja is the ninjutsu that he used. Matsuo Basho used various methods to avoid strict checkpoints and surveillance on his travels. These methods are the same as those used by ninjas.
For example, when Matsuo Basho entered Dewa province (now Yamagata prefecture) in “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”, he passed through a checkpoint by identifying himself as a “poet”. At that time, he showed his works to convince the checkpoint officer, but this is equivalent to disguise techniques and talk techniques of ninjutsu. Also, when Matsuo Basho entered Sendai castle town in “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”, he entered the castle by blending in with the townspeople. This is equivalent to infiltration techniques and stealth techniques of ninjutsu.
Furthermore, when Matsuo Basho entered Tsugaru province (now Aomori prefecture) in “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”, he obtained a permit from the Tsugaru family (Nanbu family) to pass through. At that time, he not only used his title as a “poet”, but also lied about his origin as a “descendant of Tokugawa Ieyasu”. This is equivalent to strategy and deception of ninjutsu.
As you can see, Matsuo Basho used various ninjutsu on his travels. These ninjutsu are thought to be those that he learned from Hattori Hanzo (Momochi Tanba) or that he acquired by being born and raised in the ninja village of Iga. Also, there is a theory that Matsuo Basho used the title of a poet to hide his activities as a ninja.
The theory that Matsuo Basho was a ninja is based on his works and various episodes in his life. However, this theory is only a hypothesis and there is no definite evidence. Whether Matsuo Basho was a ninja or not is still a mystery.
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