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71:(1684–1751). They were under the direct command of the shōgun and were in charge of undercover intelligence operations. In actuality, their work consisted more often of reporting any news about the city of Edo to the shōgun or remaining incognito to inspect and report on the states of affairs in the countryside. Their activities were comparable to those of the inspectors and general inspectors of the shogunate albeit under the direct orders from the shōgun.
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Kōka mono were tasked less with intelligence gathering, and more with guard work and criminal capture. When
Yoshimune arrived from Kii, he had given his niwaban guards the same rank as the Iga mono guards. While relatively low in ranking, they could directly communicate with the shōgun. As such, some among their ranks were able to become close advisors or sent as diplomatic envoys.
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Most historical plays and novels of the era depicted them as spies or ninjas, a tradition that continues to this time in popular culture. Oniwaban were male servers in the inner palace of the shōgun during the Edo shogunate where they served under the command of junior elders. They were the guards of
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Intelligence gathering was originally conducted by the Iga and Kōka mono guards, who arrived to Edo years after
Tokugawa Ieyasu's escape through the Iga and Kōka regions in 1582, where they were placed under the command of Hattori Hanzo Masanari. However, as the Edo period progressed, the Iga and
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the Edo castle who kept the security and checked every single thing for the sake of the Shogun's safety. There were restrictions placed on them regarding their contact with outsiders. They could only marry within their profession.
179:(being the spies and bodyguards for Yoshimune, including Akane, Ayame, Gorōta, Hayate, Osono, Jūmonji Hayato, Koyuki, Kaede, Nagisa, Ōtsuki Hanzō, Saizō, Satsuki and Sukehachi), as well as in the manga/anime series
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TV series has
Oniwaban existing under Tokugawa Ietsuna, the fourth Tokugawa Shogun, but they are Kouga Ninja working against the Iga Ninja. The Oniwaban also appears in
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ninja supervisors. The oniwaban followed a strict set of regulations, which, in some cases, forbade them from socializing with the general public.
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Tokugawa
Yoshimune established the Oniwaban as an elite cadre of originally about 20 handpicked onmitsu, providing him with information about
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The character "niwa" in their name, meaning garden or yard, refers to the rumor that they were quartered in the garden of Edo Castle.
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Some depictions feature the oniwaban in a time period following end of the shogunate, like the manga/anime series
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officials, while also protecting high-ranking officials of the government and acting as security guards in the
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155:(an undercover group of secret agents, including Isaka Jūzō, Jūmonji Koyata, Konami and others) and
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260:(Hayato); others take place in an altogether fictional alternative worlds, even in the futuristic
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Oniwabandana (renamed
Ninjana in the English version) is also an obvious pun on the oniwaban.
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185:(Hattori Naizou, a member of the Judgement Day brigade, was an Oniwaban in life),
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The
Oniwaban have been depicted as the main characters in the television series
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functions, mainly intelligence and information gathering, sometimes with aid of
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161:(the group of Kanō Ametarō: Miki, Otojirō and Inokichi, brought together by
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246:(featuring the now-unemployed Oniwaban group including
315:"Ninja History: Frequently Asked Questions from Japan"
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was a group of government-employed undercover agents (
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343:The Cambridge History of Japan: Early modern Japan
280:(Oniwaban leader Kenji), and the miniatures game
250:, Beshimi, Han'nya, Hyottoko, Okina, Shikijō and
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191:(Ayame Sarutobi, Zenzo Hattori and Jiraia),
173:). They were also featured in the TV series
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313:Japan Ninja Council (2 February 2017).
237:where they work for the Shogun Orochi.
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345:, Cambridge University Press (p. 443)
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267:Chou SD Sengokuden Bushin Kirahagane
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400:. Soul-hunter.com. Archived from
398:"the oracle :: Oniwabandana"
377:"Oniwabanshu (comic book team)"
219:(the oniwaban monk Tenkai) and
158:Shōgun no Onmitsu! Kage Jūhachi
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102:) acted as secret agents in
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58:), established by the 8th
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439:Law enforcement in Japan
207:member Yamazaki Ayumu),
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286:. In the anime series
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169:(known in English as
143:Further information:
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100:undercover detective
294:villain of the week
216:The Dagger of Kamui
213:(Kariya Kagetoki),
454:18th-century spies
449:17th-century spies
274:), the video game
165:) and in the film
139:In popular culture
69:Tokugawa Yoshimune
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22:Tokugawa Yoshimune
339:John Whitney Hall
194:Lone Wolf and Cub
163:Tokugawa Munetada
127:feudal lords and
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252:Makimachi Misao
248:Aoshi Shinomori
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176:Abarenbō Shōgun
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289:Sailor Moon
205:Shinsengumi
200:Peace Maker
171:Demon Spies
152:Ōedo Sōsamō
112:kobushikata
90:During the
429:Edo period
423:Categories
408:2014-02-19
383:2014-02-19
362:2014-02-19
300:References
133:Edo Castle
92:Edo period
319:Nick Gray
277:Red Earth
234:One Piece
222:Yoshimune
129:shogunate
108:espionage
283:Infinity
270:(Jyuuha
188:Gin Tama
167:Oniwaban
104:security
60:Tokugawa
29:Oniwaban
324:11 July
86:History
56:onmitsu
43:niwaban
272:Gundam
254:) and
182:Ga-rei
124:daimyō
98:or an
64:shōgun
326:2020
106:and
26:The
116:Iga
96:spy
41:or
36:御庭番
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