Travel Papers

Tensions are high between the clans of Lion and Crane. As other clans seek to tug their strings, courtiers whisper of dark magic, of bloodspeaker activity far to the west. The Togashi Empire has slipped into a time of great unrest, and it’s up to a group of unlikely samurai to band together and help restore the balance.

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1. The lyrics fit

2. The song just carries those Character Vibes, often times inexplicably, regardless of lyrics

3. You really liked that song at the same time you liked the character

Hattori Hanzo’s weapon of choice is often times the needle. But, in truth, these needles are not needles as we traditionally think of them. They are actually a form of shuriken.  

Harigata Shuriken 針形手裏剣 or “needle-shaped shuriken” were as the name states; shuriken shaped as needles. Unlike the traditional ‘wheel-shaped’ shuriken (Shashuriken 車手裏剣) we are used to seeing and associating with shinobi, these belonged to the Bōshuriken 棒手裏剣 category of ‘stick shuriken’. 

Developed by Kadono Hirohide (1721-1795) who was nicknamed Shuriken no Kadono. He was employed in the Mito domain, same as his father and his relatives passed. He was a firm believer that there was never a need to fear a stronger opponent, so long as you could destroy their vision first. Thus, he began to develop the needle shuriken, starting with the thick kind of needle used to sew armor and horse-riding equipment. The first invention was called Fusatsuken 不殺剣 or “no-need-to-kill knife” and was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, perfect for concealment. 

Hirohide was said to never leave the house without shuriken, usually no less than 8. He would hide them in his hair, four on the left side and four on the right. This technique was called Zōhatsu no Jutsu (蔵髪之術 “the art of hiding [something] in the hair”). {perhaps this is why his character is designed with so much of it?} 

The method of attack with these weapons was referred to as a “strike,” never “throw.” The “striking” methods, called uchihō or dahō, depended on the distance to your opponent and the style of shuriken (straight vs. star, cross, or disc style). 

The movement of your arm was not the only component to perfecting your “striking” technique. Your posture (kamae), body movement (taisabaki), footwork (ashisabaki), hand movement (tesabaki), and breathing (kokyū) were all extremely important. All while maintaining an “unmoveable mind” – called Fudōshin 不動心 

Members of both the Date and Tokugawa families were said to have practiced or been quite skilled in the art of Shurikenjutsu.