Database: Momochi Tamba

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Momochi Tamba stands as one of the three legendary figures of the Iga ninjas, alongside Hattori Hanzō and Fujibayashi Nagato-no-Kami. The Iranki chronicle, which recounts the fall of Iga to Nobunaga's armies, offers only a fleeting mention of Momochi Tamba, who is said to have fought valiantly to the end at Kashiwara Castle. His name is conspicuously absent from the lists of those executed by Nobunaga's forces, hinting at a possible escape. Yet, this chronicle, penned in 1679, more than a century after the events, is steeped in romanticism and lacks historical reliability.

Often, Momochi Tamba is conflated with Momochi Sandayu, reputed to have founded the Iga ninja schools, though his existence remains shrouded in mystery. An 18th-century novel [sic] claims that the infamous bandit Ishikawa Goemon learned the art of ninjutsu from Sandayu, but this is mere fiction. It is likely that this Sandayu was inspired by Momochi Tamba, whose existence seems more plausible, though details about him are scarce.

The name Momochi does not appear in 16th-century records and first emerges in an 1783 survey of Iga families, mentioning a Momochi Sannojō residing in the village of Hōjirō, now part of the city of Iga. This village was once fortified. The Tamon-in Nikki, a relatively reliable source, notes that Momochi Tamba collected dues from monastery lands, acting as a local administrator for Kōfuku-ji. This suggests that Momochi Tamba was a minor local warrior. Nevertheless, he vanishes from historical records.

Our understanding of this enigmatic figure remains limited, with much of what is known veiled in the mists of fiction and legend.