Health is a common topic of TV programs. Japanese life expectancy is increasing and the population aging, and interest in health matters is growing. Despite their harsh training and superhuman skills, ninja too were human and had to stay in shape. Consequently the ninja were extra careful about their health. Since the healthy eating habits of the ninja have already been described, this time we will focus on “doin-jutsu”, the method of healthy living of the ninja.

In Japanese, “indo o watasu” refers to the act of addressing the soul of the recently deceased. The characters and syllables of “doin” are the reverse of “indo”, and the word means the opposite, i.e. life giving.

Stimulating the tips of the body constitutes the basis of doin-jutsu. Stimulating the fingers, toes and ears, which are the tips of the body, is supposed to have the effect of improving the functioning of the internal organs.

Massage the first finger joint with a twisting motion. If this is painful, it indicates the presence of disease in some part of the body. Grip two walnuts in the palm of the hand and roll them around in order to stimulate the hand.

Having a young woman massage the palm of your hand also relieves fatigue and has the additional effect of restoring youth.

Warm your hands by rubbing them together, then massage your ears. Squeezing and pinching is also effective.

Twist the big toe vigorously. “Shiatsu” or acupressure (fingertip massage) and standing on a curved object such as a small piece of bamboo are good for the arch of the foot, and have the effect of relieving fatigue.

The abdomen is the center of the body, and this area was stimulated using needles inserted at special points.

Inserting too far or in the wrong place, however, could be fatal, and the fact that the ninja nevertheless used this form of therapy reflects how much knowledge and ability they had. The basis for these techniques was Chinese medicine.

Medicine is something you take once you are sick, but the ninja took constant care of their health by practicing doin-jutsu. The basic techniques of doin-jutsu are simple, so why not try them yourself.

Ninja always carried needles with them. This was because whilst they could be used to mend clothes, fine needles also served as deadly weapons if the ninja ran into trouble.

The martial arts of the ninja in which needles were used were called “fukibari-jutsu” and “fukumibari-jutsu”. The needles were triangular in cross-section, and were called “sanryoshin”.

In fukibari-jutsu (the technique of blowing needles), blowpipes were used to blow needles at enemies from a distance. In fukumihari-jutsu, needles were blown straight from the mouth at enemies at very close range. The ninja would aim at the enemy’s eyes when they moved in for combat, and when the enemy flinched the ninja would strike.

These techniques were apparently taught not only in ninjutsu but also in certain schools of jujutsu and kenjutsu (fencing) to the most advanced students. During the Edo period, the Anezaki school of dart blowing developed by Anezaki Shinanonokami was well known. Needle-blowing was thus a fully fledged martial art.

Fukibari-jutsu and fukumibari-jutsu were originally brought to Japan from China by the Kure Hattori and Aya Hattori clans. The Hattori clans are supposed to have brought with them weaving technology, and needles were used by the seamstresses for self-defense. One of the families descended from these clans, the Hattorito of Iga, was particularly skilled at this art.

The Hattorito could be found in Koga too (in Kosaicho in Shiga Prefecture), and there is a tradition that the Iga Hattori originated from there. Masters of the Ueshikyumon-ryu school of needle blowing are reputed to have had the frightening ability to mow down a row of opponents with a single needle.

Methods of curing sickness and disease with a single needle were also preserved. Needlework is tiring on the eyes and makes the shoulders ache, and these afflictions were cured by inserting a needle.

That is reputedly how the art of curing sicknesses with needles developed. From the perspective of the ninja, needles were tiny implements which served the three important roles of being suitable for mending clothes, self-defense and curing sickness.

In espionage work, watching and following movements is a common activity, and as the age in which the ninja operated was an age when there was no electricity, the strain on the eyes must have been considerable. For anyone who needed to maintain good eyesight, however, eyestrain was obviously something to be avoided at all costs. The ninja dealt with eyestrain by stimulating the meridians (acupoints). The three main acupoints used are Jingming (bright eyes), Tongziliao (pupillary bone cleft) and Zanzhu (covered with bamboo).

Tongziliao: Place your finger in the depression in the bone one finger-width lateral to the outer canthus of the eye and move it up and down. This sends a pain from the temple to the upper eyelid.

This is effective against declining eyesight, conjunctivitis and facial neuralgia.

Zanzhu: This point is found at the inside ends of the left and right eyelids. Gently press your forefinger there and move it up and down, and you will feel a thin vein. Press hard for three to four seconds for it to be effective.

Jingming: If you press the inner canthus of the eye you can feel a depression in the bone. Move your finger up and down and you will feel a dull pain deep inside your nose. That is where the point is. It is effective not only for curing eyestrain but also for curing convulsions and irascibility in children.

Stimulate here to cure general physical fatigue.

Have someone press the three acupoints in the back – Xinshu (transport point to the heart), Ganshu (transport point to the liver) and Pishu (transport point to the spleen) – in order to cure general accumulated fatigue. These acupoints can found in the following places.

Xinshu: The spinous process on the seventh thoracic vertebra can be found on a line joining the lower corners of the left and right shoulder blades. Two vertebra up from there is the fifth thoracic vertebra, and Xinshu is located on both sides two finger-widths lateral to a point directly under the spinous process on the fifth thoracic vertebra.

Ganshu: Found on both sides two finger-widths lateral to a point directly under the spinous process on the ninth thoracic vertebra.

Pishu: Located on both sides two finger-widths lateral to a point directly under the spinous process on the eleventh thoracic vertebra. The spinous process on the eleventh thoracic vertebra can be found on a line joining the tips of both elbows when both hands are stretched out against the body.

「天」TEN (Heaven)

Write this character when facing lords and persons of high rank.

This character will help you to state your opinions to teachers and superiors without feeling nervous.

「龍」TATSU (Dragon)

Write this character when crossing water by bridge or boat.This character will help you to cross rivers and oceans comfortably and safely, so it’s suitable for when traveling overseas.

「虎」TORA (Tiger)

Write this character when traveling through wild parts.

Use this character when you go into the mountains or the countryside. It’ll make sure you get home safely when going to places you’ve never been to before.

「王」OU (King)

Use when facing warriors and bandits by night.

Use the power of this character for exams and in business negotiations. It’ll give you drive and energy!

「命」INOCHI (Life)

Write this character when facing foods with apprehension.

Use this character when there’s no way of avoiding eating something you hate.

「勝」SHOU (Victory)

Write this character for transactions and contests.

You should try this character whenever you are in some kind of contest, such as a match, exam or lottery. You’ll be certain to succeed.

「是」ZE (Justice)

Use when visiting the home of an invalid.

Use this when you or a relative or friend gets sick. People are certain to get better more quickly.

「鬼」ONI (Demon)

Use when entering the abode of demons.

Use this when traveling dark streets at night or in scary places, and you’ll become full of courage.

「水」MIZU (Water)

Write to purge the spirit.

When you have wicked thoughts or feel envious of someone and you just can’t cheer up, wash those thoughts away and brighten up by writing this character.

「大」DAI (Great)

Use at times of supreme joy.

When something good happens, writing this character will double your joy. Something else good might come your way. Cheerfully enjoy the secrets of the ninja, and live boldly.

Cure-all Shikintan Pills

The ninja knew all there was to know about poisons and medicines.

They extracted poison from aconites and poison-nut trees, which they used in battle and for espionage, and this knowledge they applied to medicines.

To put it another way, medicines could have poisonous effects depending on how they were used and in what quantities.

Medicines the ninja commonly peddled in order to gather information included painkillers and medicines for worms and diarrhea. “Shikintan” pills and “daranisuke” were typical of these.

Shikintan Pills

Shikintan were pills made of dried and powdered sanjiko, gallnuts, takado daikon and musk (musk glands from musk deer). Sanjiko comes from the scaly bulbs of Tulipa edulis, and it has an invigorating effect. Gallnuts are the leaves of sumach. They are high in tannin and are effective for vomiting and purging. Takado daikon, which has a diuretic effect, and musk, which was used for perfume and as a cough medicine, are thought to have been common household medicines for treating everything from stomachache to fatigue. Selling these therefore provided an ideal way for the ninja to visit places on a regular basis in order to scout out the area and gather information without arousing any suspicion.

Daranisuke

Daranisuke was made by boiling down the bark of the Chinese cork tree in water, and it had an antibacterial action effective against the colon, dysentery and cholera bacilli and against staphylococcus. It is a well-known cure for stomach complaints and can still be bought by tourists in the Ominesan area. The ninja used this medicine in a slightly unusual way; a quick lick after days on a mission would make the ninja feel fully refreshed.

Roll up! Roll up! Buy your toad oil here!

Street performances are a common feature of samurai dramas on TV. On their travels around the country, the ninja would frequently disguise themselves as street performers and peddlers, of which peddlers of toad oil were some of the more famous. Toad oil may have been a highly implausible medicine, but the fact that it was adopted by the ninja suggests that there must have been some scientific basis.

The fluid secreted by toads contains a chemical that contracts the blood vessels. It would therefore have contracted the blood vessels at the site of a wound, and so toad oil could not be said to have been entirely without effect.

All About Dokudami
Dokudami – King of Folk Medicines

Dokudami is used to cure a whole variety of illnesses. The constituents that give it its unique smell help prevent the growth of mold and have an antibacterial effect against ringworm, and the liquid squeezed from fresh leaves would be applied to wounds, swellings and poisonous insect bites and stings. The leaves could also be applied directly to the affected areas. A brew made from the leaves had a diuretic effect and helped relieve constipation, and it was used to counteract poisons. As it can be found throughout Japan, it was a valuable plant for the ninja, who had to lie low outdoors much of the time.

Ginnan (Gingko)

Gingko trees can be found all over Japan, but they are quite outstanding plants. They have strong regenerative abilities, and have so much vitality that they if you put your ear against the tree you can actually hear the sound of water being sucked up. It was therefore planted in shrines and temples to help prevent the spread of fire. Placing the fresh leaves in books keeps away bookworms, and so they were used to help preserve books and documents. The ninja brewed the leaves to make an invigorating drink. The seeds were fried or boiled to eat, and helped clear phlegm, acted as a disinfectant and also cleared hangovers. In Germany, gingko nut extract is apparently used in pharmaceuticals.