Hattori Hanzō

Hattori Hanzō was born the son of Hattori Yasunaga (服部 保長), the First Hanzō, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa) clan.^[7][2] His real name was Hattori Masanari (服部 正成). Despite being born in Mikawa Province (now Iga-chō, Okazaki, Aichi), he often pay visit to Iga Province, home of the Hattori clan. At the age of 15, his first battle was a nighttime attack during the siege of Uto castle in 1557.^[7][2]

Starting in 1561, Hanzō had a great contribution to Tokugawa Ieyasu's (who at the time was still called Matsudaira Motoyasu) rise to power, helping the future shogun bring down the Imagawa clan. After Imagawa Ujizane had held Tokugawa's wife and son as hostages, Hanzō made a successful hostage rescue of Tokugawa's family at Kaminogo castle in 1562,^[8] and went on to lay siege to Kakegawa castle in 1569 against the Imagawa clan.

Hanzō served with distinction at the battles of Anegawa in 1570 and Mikatagahara in 1573;^[7] it was through these deeds that his Oni no Hanzō epithet was earned. According to the Kansei Chōshū Shokafu, a genealogy of major samurai completed in 1812 by the Tokugawa shogunate, Hattori Hanzō rendered meritorious service during the Battle of Mikatagahara and became commander of an Iga unit consisting of one hundred fifty men. He captured a Takeda spy named Chikuan, and when Takeda's troops invaded Totomi, Hanzō counterattacked with only thirty warriors at the Tenryū River.^{[citation needed]}

In 1575, he married the daughter of fellow military commander Nagasaka Nobumasa.^[9] His son would be born around a year later.

After Nobuyasu was accused of treason and conspiracy by Oda Nobunaga and was ordered to commit seppuku by his father, Ieyasu, Hanzō was called in to act as the official second to end Nobuyasu's suffering, but he refused to take the sword on the blood of his own lord. Ieyasu valued his loyalty after hearing of Hanzō's ordeal and was noted to have said "Even a demon can shed tears".^[10][11]

In the middle of June 1582, after the Honnō-ji incident, Tokugawa Ieyasu escaped from Sakai to return into Mikawa, in order to prevent capture from Akechi Mitsuhide and his troops. Ieyasu had only 34 companions with him, including Hanzō. The journey in which they took was particularly dangerous due to the existence of Ochimusha-gari, or "samurai hunting" gangs^[a]. Ieyasu and his party, therefore, chose the shortest route back to the Mikawa Province by crossing through the Iga Province, which differed in many versions according to primary sources such as the records of Tokugawa Nikki or Mikawa Todai-Hon:

• The Tokugawa Nikki theory stated that Ieyasu took the roads to Shijonawate and Son'enji, then followed the Kizu stream until they spent a night in Yamaguchi castle. The next day, they reached a stronghold of the Kōka ikki clan of Tarao who allowed them to take refugee for the night. Then in the last day, Ieyasu's group used a ship from Shiroko to reach Okazaki Castle.^[15] However, The Tokugawa Nikki theory is doubted by modern historians, since it was not actually the shortest route for Ieyasu to reach Mikawa from his starting position at Sakai,^[16] while on the other hand, it was also considered a very risky path due to the existence of Iga ikki clans which were hostile to the Oda and Tokugawa clans.^[17][18]
• The Mikawa Toda-Hon stated that Ieyasu went north from Ogawadate, crossed Koka, and entered Seishu Seki from Shigaraki, passed through Aburahi and entered Tsuge in Iga.^[18] This theory was championed by modern Japanese historians such as Tatsuo Fujita from Mie University, who had expressed doubts about the credibility of the story regarding Hattori Hanzō's ninja helping Ieyasu, given that the story does not appear until the 18th century during the rule of Tokugawa Yoshimune.^[18] Some people claiming to be descendants of Kōka ikki clans also supported this route theory, and before they reached Kada pass where they could be escorted by the Kōka clan Jizamurai, Ieyasu mostly depended on his high-rank vassals for his protection, particularly the four Shitennō generals, rather than the popular theory about the help of "Iga ninja" clans.^[17]

Regardless of which theory is true, historians agreed that the trek ended at Kada (a mountain pass between Kameyama town and Iga). Tokugawa's group suffered a last attack by the 'ochimusha-gari outlaws at Kada pass where they reached the territory of the Kōka ikki clan of Jizamurai who were friendly to the Tokugawa clan. The Koka ikki samurai assisted Ieyasu to eliminate the threats of raiders and escorted them until they reached Iga Province, where they were further protected by other allied clans from Iga ikki which accompanied the Ieyasu group until they safely reached Mikawa.^[14]

Portuguese missionary Luís Fróis had recorded in his work History of Japan, that during this journey, Tokugawa retainers such as Sakai Tadatsugu, Ii Naomasa, Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and many others^{[19]: 314–315 [13][20]} fought their way out against the raids and harassments of ochimusha-gari outlaws during their march escorting Ieyasu, while sometimes also paying bribes of gold and silver to those which they could negotiate with.^[21] Matsudaira Ietada recorded in his journal, Ietada nikki (家忠日記), that the escorts of Ieyasu had killed around 200 outlaws during their journey from Osaka through Ida.^[22][23]

According to Iga's history book (伊賀者由緒書) compiled during the Edo period, the Iga clan ninja which Hanzō hailed from never missed a single battle which involved the Tokugawa clan, from the Battle of Izu Nirayama in 1582, to the Summer Siege of Osaka in 1615.^[24]

In late June 1582, a triangle conflict which was dubbed as the Tenshō-Jingo war broke out between the Tokugawa clan, Uesugi clan, and Hōjō clan.^[25][b] Hanzō participated in this conflict on the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu as he deployed his forces in various forts in the Kōfu basin against Ujinao, who camped his army in the area of present-day Hokuto city. Hanzō led the Iga clan warriors to Katsuyama castle (Kamisone-cho, Kofu city), Misakuchi castle, and Kotohirayama castle (Misakuchi-cho, Kofu city), where he monitored the Nakamichi road connecting Kai and Suruga.^[28] At the same time, a Tokugawa army detachment from the Iga Province commanded by Hanzō invaded Saku District, where they were also aided by Shinano local samurai warriors from the Tsugane clan led by Ōbi Sukemitsu. In early September, Hanzō and Sukemitsu launched a night attack on Egusuku castle (also known as Shishiku castle) and successfully captured it, under the cover of heavy rain.^[29][30]

In 1584, Hattori Hanzō continued to serve his lord at the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute with 100 warriors under his command.

In 1590, Hattori Hanzō served during the Odawara campaign and was awarded 8,000 koku. By the time Ieyasu entered Kantō, he was awarded an additional 8,000 koku and had 30 yoriki and 200 public officials for his services.

Hanzō died on 2 January 1597, succumbing to an unspecified illness.^[31][c]

Hanzō's reputation as a samurai leader who commanded a 200-men strong unit of Iga warriors has grown to legendary proportions. Tales of Hattori's exploits often attributed various supernatural abilities, such as teleportation, psychokinesis, and precognition.^[2][7]

After his death in 1597, Hattori Hanzō was succeeded by his son, whose name was also Masanari (third Hanzō), though written with different kanji (正就 instead of 正成). He was given the title Iwami no Kami (石見守)^[34] and his Iga men would act as guards of Edo Castle, the headquarters of the government of united Japan. "Hanzō" is actually a name passed down through the leaders of the Hattori family, meaning his father was also called Hanzō and so was his successor. Indeed, there were at least five people known as Hattori Hanzō throughout history.^[2]

To this day, artefacts of Hanzō's legacy remain. Tokyo Imperial Palace (formerly the shōgun's palace) still has a gate called Hanzō's Gate (Hanzōmon), and the Hanzōmon subway line which runs from Hanzōmon Station in central Tokyo to the southwestern suburbs is named after the gate, where his house was once located.^[35][36][37] The neighbourhood outside Hanzō's Gate is known as Wakaba, but before 1943 was named Iga-chō ("Iga Town").^[38] Hanzō's remains now rest in the Sainen-ji temple cemetery in Yotsuya, Tokyo. The temple also holds his favourite spear and ceremonial battle helmet. The spear, originally 14 shaku (424 cm) long, 7.5 kg in weight, and given to him by Ieyasu, was donated to the temple by Hanzō as a votive offering, but was damaged during the bombing of Tokyo in 1945.^[39] Some of his other belongings are still in relatively good condition and can be viewed, but most other weapons, armour, and letters of commendation were lost due to a fire in Edo castle in 1606 that burned down his former quarters, the removal of his son from military command, and the chaos of the Siege of Osaka.

• Fūma Kotarō

• Hirayama, Yū (2011), 武田遺領をめぐる動乱と秀吉の野望 [Takeda's Territory and Hideyoshi's Ambitions], 戎光祥出版, ISBN 978-4-86403-035-9
• Harada Kazutoshi (2009). Art of the Samurai Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868. Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). ISBN 9781588393456. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
• Sainenji, a buddhist temple that houses the spear of the famous samurai and ninja Hattori Hanzo also known as the “Demon Hanzo” Archived 2019-12-12 at the Wayback Machine

• Hattori Hanzô (Character) at the Internet Movie Database
• Hattori Hanzo – Vintage Ninja