Learning to shoot with an Arquebus (a type of a matchlock gun invented in the fifteenth century)
Although this is not related directly to Ninpo, and is not considered a Ninpo technique, it nevertheless illustrates the importance of firearms since the late sixteenth century. The common popular view of the Japanese warrior resisting Western technology is a gross inaccuracy, and this manual is just one evidence to indicate how seriously the Japanese treated the issue. |
The use of firearms became important since the latter part of the sixteenth century. Although the gun was first introduced much earlier through trade with the continent, it took some time before the Japanese, particularly Oda Nobunaga, realized the effect such a weapon could have on the battlefield. Once it was incorporated into the arsenal of the Nobunaga army, and its devastating effect on the enemy became apparent, it was adopted by other provincial armies. Warriors were assigned to units that specialized in operating and shooting these guns. The above manual from the early Tokugawa period shows and explains how to load, aim and fire the gun.