Kuroda no Sho (a town in Nabari city) was an ancient and medieval manor that occupied most of southern Iga, beginning as a mountain forest to secure wood for repairs to the Todaiji domain. During the Kouan period (1278-1288), Kuroda no Sho was the base of a rebellious force against the Todaiji domain. They are called the “黒田の悪党 Kuroda no Akuto.
Akuto (usually 悪 Aku means bad in Japanese) doesn’t mean “bad” but “strong” in this one. The Kuroda no Akuto were the Ōe clan of Geshi rank. Together with the Akuto of North Iga, they grew up as a powerful alliance of local samurai who did not follow Todaiji and were organized as a tactical group, and the prototype of the ninja. They excelled at guerrilla warfare.
Todaiji repeatedly requested the Ashikaga Shogunate to suppress the Akuto but it didn’t succeed, and during the period of Nanbokucho, the Kuroda no Akuto took the side of the Southern side. Some of them were considered to be mercenaries called ninja, and the local people with their mercenaries formed the “Iga Sokoku Ikki” to oppose Oda Nobunaga.
