Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the situation in which ninja were used during the Shimabara Rebellion, and to discuss the actual status of their activities. I chose the ninja of the Kumamoto domain as my research subject because relatively many historical materials remain. In this study, in addition to information from historical sources, I used reconstructed sun and moon data from the time to analyze the time period in which ninja activities took place. As a result, it was discovered that ninja was used for intelligence-gathering, reconnaissance, and ambush activities during times including nights when there was no moonlight. Additionally, it was discovered that one of the most important abilities needed by a ninja is night vision.
On the other hand, it was newly discovered that the attack on Amakusa Shiro’s residence by Yoshida Juemon was carried out with the cooperation of two ninja, Maruyama Ichibei and Hattori Genzaemon. From this point of view, it becomes clear that ninja cooperated with each other when specialized skills and knowledge were required.
