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samurai, member of the Japanese warrior caste. The term samurai was originally used to denote the aristocratic warriors (bushi), but it came to apply to all the members of the warrior class that rose to power in the 12th century and dominated the Japanese government until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Emerging from provincial warrior bands ...
- Bushido
Bushido, the code of conduct of the samurai of premodern...
- Kids
By the mid-1860s many samurai were unhappy with the...
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- Urban Culture
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- Rōnin
In the mid-19th century many impoverished samurai were...
- Students
By the mid-19th century lower-ranking samurai were eager for...
- Honour
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- Tea Ceremony
The ceremony takes place in a tea house (), which ideally is...
- Bushido
A samurai in his armour in the 1860s. Hand-colored photograph by Felice Beato. Samurai or bushi (武士, [bɯ.ɕi]) were members of the warrior class in Japan.Originally provincial warriors who served the kuge and imperial court in the late 12th century, they eventually came to play a major political role until their abolition in the late 1870s during the Meiji era.
- Development & Status
- Samurai Weapons
- Samurai Armour
- Bushido
- Seppuku
- Samurai as Heroes: Yoshitsune
- The 47 Ronin
- Decline & Subsequent Mythologising
The government system of conscription in Japan was ended in 792, and so in the following Heian Period (794-1185), private armies were formed in order to protect the landed interests (shoen) of nobles who spent most of their time away at the imperial court. This was the beginning of the samurai, a name meaning 'attendant' while the verb samuraumeans...
Trained from aged 10 or even earlier in martial skills, samurai rode and fought on horseback in the early medieval period, primarily using a bow but also a curved long sword when necessary. They had a second, shorter sword, and a decree by the ruler Hideyoshi in 1588 stated that only full samurai could wear two swords, and this became an important ...
Cuirasses made of metal plates stitched together and protected by lacquer date back to the Kofun period (c. 250-538). A more flexible armour was then made using narrow strips of bronze or iron which were held together with cord or leather ties. Leather plating was another common material for armour throughout the medieval period as it was both ligh...
Thebushido or shido, meaning the 'way of the warrior,' is the famous warrior code of conduct the samurai followed, but it was only compiled in the late 17th century by the scholar Yamago Soko (1622-1685), by which time the samurai were no longer active militarily but functioned more as moral guides and advisors. It is, therefore, difficult to ascer...
Those in the top echelons of the samurai were expected to fight to the death, even if this meant killing oneself to avoid capture. The honourable method was seppuku (aka hara-kiri) or self-disembowelment as the stomach was considered to contain the spirit, not the heart. The warrior first donned a white robe, symbol of purity, and then cut his abdo...
Many heroes in Japanese mythology are samurai warriors and none is more famous than the legendary Yoshitsune (1159-1189). Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune, born Ushiwakamaru, was the younger brother of the shogun and a successful general in the Gempei War (1180-1185). His legendary status springs from his standing as the epitome of the loyal, honourable, and...
Perhaps the most famous real-life samurai, episode of mass-seppuku, and example par excellence of maintaining honour through death is the story of the 47 Ronin (Shijushichishi) which occurred in January 1703 (although commemorated today every December 14). The lord of Ako, Asano Naganori (1665-1701) was at the castle of the shogun in Edo one day wh...
The importance of samurai and local armies was greatly reduced following the stabilising policies of the Tokugawa Shogunate which brought relative peace across Japan. This continued the process begun half a century earlier when the rural populace was disarmed. In addition, many samurai, faced with becoming either peaceful farmers or retainers to lo...
- Mark Cartwright
- Early Samurai. Samurai and Bushido. During the Heian Period (794-1185), the samurai were the armed supporters of wealthy landowners–many of whom left the imperial court to seek their own fortunes after being shut out of power by the powerful Fujiwara clan.
- Rise of the Samurai & Kamakura Period. The triumphant leader Minamoto Yoritomo–half-brother of Yoshitsune, whom he drove into exile–established the center of government at Kamakura.
- Japan in Chaos: the Ashikaga Shogunate. The strain of defeating two Mongol invasions at the end of the 13th century weakened the Kamakura Shogunate, which fell to a rebellion led by Ashikaga Takauji.
- Samurai under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Sengoku-Jidai, or Period of the Country at War finally ended in 1615 with the unification of Japan under Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Learn about the history, culture and lifestyle of the samurai, the warriors of premodern Japan. Explore samurai-related attractions such as castles, districts, mansions, museums and experiences.
Feb 10, 2020 · The Samurai were the warriors of premodern Japan, who later evolved to become the ruling military class of the Edo Period (1603-1867). Their origins can be traced back to the campaigns of the early Heian period of the late 8th and early 9th century to subdue the native Emishi people in the Tohoku Region.
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Jan 31, 2023 · Learn about the origins, culture, and legacy of the samurai, Japan’s feudal elite who lived by a strict code of honor. Discover their distinctive attire, weapons, battles, and sites related to their history.
