Nihon Bugei Shōden (日本武芸小伝 / Short Biography of Japanese Martial Arts) is an authoritative reference anthology compiled and re-edited by the renowned 20th-century martial arts historian Watatani Kiyoshi (綿谷雪). Originally published by Jinbutsu Ōraisha (人物往来社) in Tokyo, this seminal compendium functions as a critical scholarly compilation of several rare, vanishing classical Edo-period martial arts manuscripts. At its core, the text heavily features and expands upon the 1714 foundational work Honchō Bugei Shōden by Hinatsu Shigetaka.

The volume serves as a vital genealogical and tactical blueprint of classic Japanese martial systems (koryū bujutsu). Spanning 596 pages in total length (with 465 pages of core text), it preserves detailed histories, intricate master-disciple pedigree charts (keizu), and technical tactical illustrations. Notable entries include the unique technical records and drawings of Masaki-ryū (正木流), detailing its founder Masaki Toshimitsu and his invention of the Manrikigusari (万力鎖) weight-and-chain system designed for non-lethal defense at Edo Castle’s gates.

Rather than a simple summary, Watatani’s work acts as a meticulous primary source salvage operation. He physically tracked down family heirlooms, scrolls, and private collections across post-war Japan to piece together the lineages of prominent samurai schools encompassing swordsmanship (kenjutsu), halberd combat (naginata), archery, and battlefield strategy.

Edition Variations & Rarity

The book exists in two distinct historical configurations:

• The Popular First Edition (普及版 初版 – This Copy): Published on June 10, 1962. This softcover release was priced at 490 Yen and distributed broadly without individual serial numbering to meet the widespread demands of general martial arts researchers, historians, and practitioners across Japan.
• The Limited First Printing: Published earlier on November 30, 1961. This version was issued as a premium hardcover volume protected by a dedicated cardboard slipcase and wrapped with a decorative paper belly band (obi). It was limited to an extremely rare, strictly numbered run of only 1,500 copies worldwide, featuring an individually stamped serial number on the colophon.

Rare & Unusual Facts

The Myth-Buster Philosophy: This background as a satirical critic directly informed his academic work. Watatani became legendary for aggressively cross-examining, exposing, and debunking fictional legends, exaggerated family scrolls, and invented histories created by Edo-period schools to inflate their prestige.

Peering Through the “Martial Peephole”: In his introduction, Watatani explicitly notes that he did not publish this book out of a desire to revive ancient martial arts in modern times. Instead, he viewed bujutsu as a historical “peephole”. He argued that because martial arts closely permeated the daily survival of the samurai, studying them provides an unfiltered look into an era when people viewed the weight of life with profound, absolute seriousness.

The Encyclopedia Bridge: This book served as the direct structural foundation and data testing ground for Watatani’s ultimate life work: the massive, definitive Bugei Ryūha Daijiten (武芸流派大事典 / Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Schools) released later in the 1960s.

The Author’s Double Life: While “Watatani Kiyoshi” is famous as a dry, precise military academic, it was actually a pen name for Minamoto Kiyoshi. Long before establishing himself as a martial arts historian, he was a prominent, sharp-witted underground poet under a separate pseudonym, writing Senryū (川柳)—deeply satirical, humorous poems targeting modern society.