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How did the samurai impact Japanese culture
The legacy of the samurai
The legacy of the samurai
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Samurai or “Bushi” were the greatest warriors of pre-modern Japan. They became the highest-ranking social class of the Edo period, 1603 – 1867 (Japan-Guide, 2015). Their main forms of weaponry were bows, spears and guns. Their most important and most common was a sword. Samurai lived by the Bushido code meaning they had a great loyalty to their master, the Daimyo. They presented themselves with self-discipline, respect and ethical behaviour. The Bushido code was so strict, that the Samurai were prepared to commit sepuku (suicide) if they broke any of the sacred rules. They are still considered as Historical Heroes and are still a monumental part of Japan’s history and identity.
Samurai were usually servers of the Emperor, and if not then they
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They battled each other over control of Japans military power and Minamoto Yoritomo emerged victorious. It was after this battle that the Emperor merely became a praised figured of Japan whilst the Shogun took control. The samurai ruled Japan for the next 700 years. There were a few samurai at the time called Ronin. Ronin were samurai but without a master or “daimyo” and they were know to cause trouble among Japanese cities. There is a well-known story called the 47 Ronin, also known as ‘Chushingura’ (47 Ronin, 2012). Described by Japanese historians as a ‘National Legend’, the revenge of the 47 Ronin took place in Japan and is the ultimate expression of the samurai code of …show more content…
Its tragic story is still spoken of today in modern Japan. Described by historians as a ‘National Legend’ (47 Ronin, 2011), the revenge of the 47 Ronin took place in Japan and it was considered the ultimate expression of the Samurai code of honour. Lord Asano Naganori, the Daimyo of the Ako domain was forced to commit ritual suicide for attacking Kira Yoshinaka in the Edo castle. Calling it a ritual suicide was not considered irregular, which raises a lot of question in both Australia’s and Japans new modern systems. The loyal 47 Ronin took over a year to plan the raid of Kira’s castle and when they did it took everyone by surprise. After successfully killing Kira, all 47 samurai turned themselves into the authorities. For committing such a crude vendetta, the 47 Ronin were requested by the Shogun to commit sepuku as an act of courage and respect. Today in Japan, the Japanese people regard the 47 Ronin as ‘Cultural Heores’ and they are honoured in traditional holidays. The Gishisai festival takes place ever year on December 14th in Ako city in memory of the 47 Ronin. On that day, schools and businesses close and the streets are decorated with banners and coloured lanterns (47 Ronin,
Samurai's core value is not humiliating myself. They would even rather end their own lives if they had to put up with humiliation. For example, if their daimyo died or if they lost a battle, they committed seppuku “stomach- or abdomen-cutting”, which is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. They did this to die in honor. Furthermore, Samurai had to follow some rules called “Bushido”,which means “The way of the warriors”. The rules include fidelity, politeness, virility, and simplicity. While, knight's core value is not to commit a sin. Knights often believe killing himself is a sin, this is because of influence of Christianity. They would rather suffer being alive than to commit suicide. Knights also had to follow a set of strict rules called Chivalry, which puts emphasis on justice, loyalty, defense, courage, faith, humility, and nobility.
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
Western Influence on Japan Japan, as a nation, is a continually changing society. Ever since Western nations became involved with Japan, its changes over recent times. have increased at a substantial rate. Japan now faces cultural, economic and economic challenges. and social differences as a result of the western involvement.
To begin, the Shogunate’s were vastly superior in weaponry as they had guns, metal swords, bows and metal tipped spears. This meant that the shogunate warriors could attack from long range or fight close up with devastating results. The shogunate’s warriors were Japan's lightning-fast dealer of death with their
The samurai are a type of warrior class in Japan similar to the European knights. They were not only used as soldiers for combat in war but they also replaced the court government in terms of managing the local government. They pledged to keep the peace and stay loyal to their master. This is how they were used for most of history until the end of the Tokugawa period. Their rise all begins in the Kamakura period.
Do you know someone in the military? A loved one, a friend, do you know what they go through? I may not, but I do know about the harsh training and war that occurred for the Samurais and Knights. In Europe and Japan the empires were falling and Clans were taking over Japan. The government came up with an idea to create feudalism. There was an agreement in both Europe and Japan that exchanged land for protection. The similarities between Samurai and Knights were greater than the differences. This can be shown by looking at the three most similar areas: social position, training and armor, and life, honor, and death. The Samurai and Knights has their differences, but were the similarities greater than those differences.
Two noticeable classes of warriors appeared during the time of feudalism in Europe and in Japan. These were classified as the Samurai's of Japan and the Knights of Medieval Europe. Both were great warriors known for their courage and sacrificed themselves for the protection of their lords. Both were affected by the growth in technology which ultimately guided to their demise. Although the historical documents depict Japanese samurai and medieval knights had the same concept of spending their entire lives preparing for war at a young age, in reality both differed in many ways. Due to the fact that they are in different places in the world they were traditionally and culturally different. The knights and samurai’s followed different religion and they also had different concept of ethical codes. Both samurai and knights were influenced by different code of honor, education, weapons, and armor. Similarity is often drawn between the samurai’s of Japan and European medieval knights, but both are not exactly identical.
Honor was used as evidence or a symbol of distinction in this culture. The people remained the right to preserve their good name. This code that they emphasize in their country is denominated as the bushido. An example of applying this system to their lives is in the manner of how they conform to their classes. Each person received and exalted title or rank. A samurai warrior, for instance, could not surpass the law by marrying "a [mere] peasant girl" without the permission of his daimyo. In contrast, the samurai would ask the parents for her hand in marriage and they would respond with gratitude. The warrior is "a person of too a degree for [them] to consider refusing the honor of [his] request."
Samurais, the ancient warriors of Japan, were present in Japan from 800 AD to 1800 AD. However,, they rose to power in the 12th century. Samurai roughly means “those who serve” (Samurai and Bushido, History.com). There was a long gap from when the samurai first appeared and when they rose to power.But however, Samurai disappeared when the Meji Restoration of 1868 occurred. The Meji Restoration abolished the feudal system which got rid of the samurais. However, the samurai did many things during their reign. Some of these things were protecting their lords, serving their lords, fighting battles with other warriors. They did a lot of things as you can see. Of course they did more than this, this is only a short list of what they did. Samurai’s accomplished a lot during their period of time. Sadly. there aren’t any samurais still living from the period in which they were present in Japan.
One of the most fundamental philosophies of the samurai is that of detachment from the self. This detachment allows for a freedom from fear, which is essential to the samurai warriors. In the opening of Hagakure, Tsunetomo states that “the Way of the Samurai is found in death”. These rank among the greatest and most well known phrases in Japanese history, and in fact in the history of the world. Death is not to be feared by the samurai, it is to be embraced. The relationship between the samurai and his master is of the utmost importance, and only through detachment can the samurai fully and properly serve his master. These are two core, fundamental philosophies of bushido, and both can are reminiscent of similar ideologies in Buddhism, and Confucianism.
47 Ronin is a graphic novel written by Mike Richardson. The story begins in Feudal Japan during the Tokugawa Period in 1701. One of the characters in the book, Lord Asano, is traveling to Edo or current day Tokyo. This is where the head of the Tokugawa government, the Shogun, lives. Lord Asano has to fulfill his Sankin Kotai, which is when all of the Japanese daimyos have to visit and report to the Shogun (Meissner). In Edo, Lord Asano quickly realizes the corruption in the bakufu, which is the name of the Shogun’s government. Lord Asano refuses to pay a bribe to a court official named Kira, which as a result leads to him being forced to commit Seppuku, which is a ritual suicide, to restore his honor. The rest of the novel follows
With the fall of the Aristocracies during the Heian period, the first establishment of a Shogunate system was created. The Kamakura Era of Japan “takes its name from the garrison town of Kamakura on Sagami Bay in central Honshu, not far from modern Tokyo.” (Colcutt). The Kamakura Era lasted from 1192 until 1333 C.E. and began what is referred to as Japan’s 700 year medieval period. This era defined the foundation of the hierarchical Shogunate system and the role of the legendary samurai warriors. Founded by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Samurai were part of the warrior government system known as Bakufu. This historically famous system was established after the Genpei War. “The war between [the] Minamoto... and Taira
There are many historical aspects of the Japanese, but the most interesting is the history of the Samurai. In Japans history war played a large role in the country. Controlling clans fought for parts of the land and overall control of the country. These clans were powerful families that resided in the country and who all wanted power and control of Japan for themselves. The families that would be in control were known as Shoguns. These shoguns would have warriors that fought for them if any of the other clan families would try to attack him in order to overthrow him and take his power from him. The Samurai followed a code that developed from Chinese beliefs when in battle. The Samurais code was known as the Bushido. This code was also known as “The Way of The Warrior” which was the main belief s...
In ancient Japan a ninja was like todays spies, they were considered mysterious assassins. The ninja was a special agent whose job was to commit assassinations, infiltrate organizations, spy on others, and sabotage enemies. Ninjas are believed to have started around the 15th century as farmers and low class citizens. Eventually they developed a reputation around the Sengoku period for getting things done with stealth and efficiency. Ninjas started out by trying to gain more rights and frustrate powerful and wealthy people in feudal Japan. Ninjas worked for pretty much anyone that was willing to pay them. On the other hand samurais were noble and served the wealthy in feudal Japan. They were considered “elite warriors” (Samurai) that fought for honor and dignity. Around the 15th century all the different parts of Japan were are war with each other, and that is when samurais began to emerge.
I believe we can all agree that Japanese samurais and European knights are two of the most skilled and famous forms of warriors in history, right? Well both warriors began their trade at a very young age, and went through multiple stages of training throughout their lives. They both had a code of honor basically, but they differed from one another in quite a few ways. The big question is, “Were the similarities greater than the differences?”. Right off the bat I began to ponder the technicalities of the answer to this question. Before I get too scrambled up in the technicalities, let’s discuss some these differences and the similarities and figure out how this plays out. Before we conduct this discussion, let’s review our key terms. A clan is a group of close-knit and interrelated families. Feudalism was a political and economic system that flourished in Europe from the 9th to the 15th century, based on higher classes giving random services and items in exchange for something else. Knights were men who served their lord as a mounted soldier in armor. Samurai’s were members of a powerful military social class in feudal Japan. A shogun was a hereditary commander-in-chief in feudal Japan. Chivalry was the medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code. Bushido was the code of honor and morals developed by the Japanese samurai.