Jūnitoku

THE TWELVE TOOLS OF VIRTUE

There are twelve tools, each of which has multiple uses. These are considered fundamental for those of warrior families.⁷

Kaginawa shichitoku

THE SEVEN VIRTUES OF THE GRAPPLING HOOK⁸

In our school, the tool known as a kaginawa is used:

1to secure saddles

2as quick rope⁹

3to ascend and descend a wall

4to cook rice in a battle camp¹⁰

5to board or alight from a ship

6to secure luggage

7for doors, sliding doors and for carrying heads

Gantai gotoku¹¹

THE FIVE VIRTUES OF THE LONG CLOTH

Here this means a tenugui.¹² Its uses are:

1to tie over and hide the head¹³

2as a spare obi-belt

3to carry rations on the waist

4as an identifying mark at night time – use white

5as a headband

There is a specific place to keep this.¹⁴

Sageo shichitoku

THE SEVEN VIRTUES OF THE SWORD CORD

1to secure a sword in place

2to bind and capture someone alive

3when climbing up a wall [using the sword as a step], you can attach the cord to the obi-belt [so that the sword can be retrieved]

4to carry heads

5for ‘three-foot crossing’¹⁵

6when staying at an inn, tie the cords of your swords together¹⁶

7as an identifying mark between lords and retainers at important times

Kozuka santoku

THE THREE VIRTUES OF THE SCABBARD-KNIFE¹⁷

1to make notes on the back of the tasse¹⁸ – this can also be done on the scabbard of a spear

2to use as a divided marker

3to mark a place as evidence that you were there

Sensu gotoku

THE FIVE VIRTUES OF THE FOLDING FAN

1to use as a war baton

2for giving signals

3to present a head on: ancient tradition states that dappled snow is drawn on fans and is derived from this custom

4to receive a gift from the lord: during a period of war, heads were placed upon the back face and other items upon the front face of the fan

5to make notes upon

Yumizuru gotoku

THE FIVE VIRTUES OF THE BOWSTRING

1to use as a rope to hold when crossing a river

2to make a space in thick vegetation by tying up the grass

3to form a boundary rope by attaching many together

4to use as spare horse-reins, to secure a saddle and to secure a horse to grass

5to be used in any urgent situation as rope

Tsukagashira santoku

THE THREE VIRTUES OF THE POMMEL

1to ‘feel’ in a dark place

2as an identifying mark in connection with the shinobi amigasa – the hat that hides the face

3to stab at the eyes through a helmet

They should always be made of metal.

Shinobizashi gotoku

THE FIVE VIRTUES OF THE HIDDEN DAGGER¹⁹

1to use in combat²⁰

2for decapitating heads

3when in a place where swords are forbidden

4for the teaching of santō issho²¹

5it can stay out of sight because it has a smaller hilt²²

There are various types of the above.

Kōgaizashi gotoku²³

THE FIVE VIRTUES OF THE SPIKE

1for pushing the tongue of a decapitated head back in the mouth

2to mark a position

3to put a tag on a decapitated head; use the spike to pierce a hole in the earlobe

4on a night attack or similar situation; leave it as evidence, marking the fact that you were there

5to secure a decapitated head to a base to stop it from rolling off

Generally, the reason for making a spike with different features at seven points is so that it can be used as an identification mark.

Udenuki santoku

THE THREE VIRTUES OF THE SWORD WRIST-STRAP

1to stop you from dropping a katana long sword

2with this at your waist, your appearance as a warrior will be most excellent

3to enable you to hold the strap in your mouth when on horseback

Mochigusuri hachitoku

THE EIGHT VIRTUES OF CARRYING MEDICINE

1to treat people’s diseases

2to maintain health

3to give aid when falling ill while travelling

4to prevent suffering from poison²⁴

5to avoid illness caused by an epidemic

6to protect from the cold

7to prevent heat stroke

8to treat sword wounds (recipes and treatments are explained in detail in the scroll Gun’yaku Yōhō)

Nanten gotoku

THE FIVE VIRTUES OF THE NANDINA PLANT²⁵

1to clean the hands when water is not available

2to place a decapitated head on

3to clean the hands after a nightmare²⁶

4after leaving the toilet you may collapse, therefore place a leaf of this plant in your mouth before you enter the outhouse so that all will be fine

5if you do collapse in the toilet and receive an injury, crumple a leaf from this plant and apply it to the wound; it will heal

Also you can use it as a riding crop when you go to war.²⁷

The above are called jūnitoku – the twelve tools of virtue.

7 – those born to samurai families, also a reference to the title of the manuscript.

8Literally, ‘hook and rope’.

9 hayanawa – to quickly bind an enemy with cord or rope.

10The grappling hook is used to hang a pot over a fire.

11Possibly read as Fukumeobi gotoku.

12The tenugui is a section of cloth normally kept on the person for a variety of uses.

13 shinobi hōkaburi – to tie the cloth over the top of the head to hide the face.

14In Natori-Ryū the tenugui is kept around the neck and under the collar.

15To tie a cord to the man behind so that a team can cross a river or move in the dark.

16Both swords are tied together when going to sleep, the samurai would lie upon them.

17A small knife blade fitted to the side of a scabbard.

18A tasse is the upper-thigh protection on medieval armour which is secured in place at the waist of the cuirass. Messages were scratched on the underside if paper was not available.

19 shinobizashi – ‘hidden’ and ‘to wear’ in this context, a ‘hidden dagger’.

20 kumiuchi – an older term for grappling.

21Santō issho is an obscure practice, but it literally means ‘stabbing three times at one place’.

22 hamidashi-tsuba – a hilt that is only slightly larger than the scabbard.

23Possibly read as Kougaizashi gotoku.

24This includes natural poisons such as food poisoning.

25Nandina domestica, also known as sacred bamboo.

26Nandina was considered to be a protection from evil.

27Strip the leaves from a branch and use as a riding crop.