1975 Seishūdō Bansenshūkai (萬川集海)

The Definitive “Katsui Manuscript” Facsimile Set

This is a museum-grade, archival reproduction of the world’s most famous ninjutsu manual. Published in 1975 (Showa 50) by Seishūdō, this edition was a landmark effort to preserve the authentic history of the Iga and Koka regions.

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Core Edition Details

• Main Title: Bansenshūkai (萬川集海) – “Ten Thousand Rivers Meeting in the Sea.”
• Original Author: Fujibayashi Yasutake (1676).
• Edition Type: Gensho Fukkokuban (原書復刻版) – A full-scale, high-fidelity reproduction of the Katsui Keiichi family manuscript.
• Publication Date: Issued December 20, 1975.
• Original Price: ¥85,000 (An immense premium in 1975, signaling a very small, specialist print run for scholars and high-level collectors).
• Publisher: Seishūdō (誠秀堂), based in Kōka-chō, Shiga—the actual ancestral heartland of the Koga ninja.

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Physical Set Composition

This set is unique for its 12-volume structure, meticulously organized and strictly not for individual sale (Bun-uri Fuka):

• 10 Primary Volumes: Bound in traditional Wahon (thread-bound) style with brown paper covers and vertical title slips. These replicate the original 17th-century calligraphy and diagrams.
• Supplement 1: The Bessatsu containing the Gun-yō-bikī (Military Essentials).
• Supplement 2 (The Commentary): The red-spined book titled Edo Jidai no Kōka Bushi (Kōka Warriors of the Edo Period) by historian Ishida Yoshito.

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Rare & Archival Features of This Specific Set

What elevates this particular set to top-tier collector status are the “ephemeral” elements that have survived with it:

1. The Original Cardboard Slipcase: Having the original publisher’s slipcase is exceptionally rare. It has served as the primary protection for the delicate thread bindings for 50 years, preventing the fading and wear common in sets where the box was lost.
2. The “Not-for-Sale” Restricted Volume: The red-bound commentary book was an exclusive “Reader’s Gift” (Hibaihin / 非売品) that was never sold as a standalone item. It was only granted to scholars who purchased the complete ¥85,000 deluxe set—an immense financial commitment in 1975 equivalent to approximately $290 USD at the time, or over $1,600 USD today when adjusted for inflation.
3. The Loose Errata Sheet (Seigohyo): This set retains the original, loose correction sheet. In rare book collecting, these slips are almost always lost. Its presence confirms this is a complete, uninterrupted first-printing that has been curated with extreme care.
4. Academic Integrity: Unlike modern mass-market versions, this set was produced in Koka-gun by local historians using private family records. It represents a serious effort to document the ninja as a legitimate political and military class (Bushi).

Summary for Collectors

This is an archival-grade, “complete survivor” set. Within classical espionage literature, the Bansenshūkai is universally revered alongside the Shōninki and Ninpiden as one of the three definitive “Ninja Bibles” (Three Great Ninja Manuals / 三大忍術伝書). This 1975 Seishūdō edition stands as the most prestigious and authoritative modern version of the text ever produced, engineered specifically to offer scholars the exact tactical, visual, and tactile experience of handling the 350-year-old original scrolls. Retaining its native protective slipcase, the highly restricted commentary supplement, and the easily lost original errata sheet, this set represents the absolute highest possible state of historic preservation available to institutions and premium collectors.

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