In the past, most authoritative Japanese warriors of their time began a way of life that influenced the entire country on how one would have to behave, act, learn, ones dictated morals, and what one should strive to be. These warriors still remain a strong influence in their country of origin, but now one also influence other countries and other ethnicities even though the tradition is slowly fading away. The samurai was japans ultimate warrior, this warrior was not only an expert swordsman, but was also able to use a diversity of other weaponries as well. In addition, they were also very clever individuals that would save the use of deadly force as the last resort. Most samurai were very intellectual and their words of wisdom can still influence many of today’s society. The samurai like many other samurai armed forces had their beginning.
According to Kallie Szczepanski guide for about.com states in his article History of The Samurai the eldest ancestor to the samurai was around six hundred A.D.(1). They initiated to develop throughout the centuries first as local militia then close to the eleventh centuries they became private guards to the rich lord of Japan. Once they had combined enough power the samurai and spread throughout the country they established a government controlled and protected by samurai. Szczepanski also states that around the thirteenth century, Zen Buddhism originated and spread among the samurai. (18) Throughout this period it was also known as the feudal period and the country of Japan was in constant havoc and was pugnacious amongst each other. But thanks to the samurai’s high position in society their new developed code of ethics, the bushido code, was used to help control the nation. At the end of...
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5. Miyamoto Musashi (The Book of Five Rings: Miyamoto Musashi)
6.http://www.e-budokai.com/articles/weapons.htm
Don Cunningham
Samurai Women Warriors
Breaking Through Barriers
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Feb 20, 2008 Megan Winkler
Read more at Suite101: Samurai Women Warriors: Breaking Through Barriers http://japanese-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/samurai_women_warriors#ixzz0nbU24pJs
7. The History Of Female Samurai http://www.tokyo-top-guide.com/Samurai_Women.html 2008
8. Portraits of modern Japanese historical figures 1pg
Nayden Naydenov http://www.dochoinhua.com/worth/view/2627885/yamakawa-futaba-portraits-of-modern-japanese-historical-figures 9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24443965@N08/2383755421/
THE SAMURAI AND HIS ATTENDANT -- Life and Protocol in Old Japan
Okinawa Soba 2008
10/ Jeffery hays
Mass Suicide of 380 Samurai and the Battle of Sekigahara
In the book Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan, Karl Friday focuses on war in early medieval Japan. A central thesis could be the political primacy of the imperial court. (Lamers 2005) This is the tenth through fourteenth centuries, before the samurai became prominent in Japan and were trying to form themselves into more of what we think of them today. Friday focuses on five aspects of war in his book; they are the meaning of war, the organization of war, the tools of war, the science of war, and the culture of war.
In document B written by Catharina Blomberg, it says, “Loyalty toward the feudal lord in Japan was hereditary.” If becoming a samurai was hereditary, then some samurai weren’t chosen to be a samurai because of their abilities, but because they were the son of a samurai. That means that not all samurai are the best fighters. It also says in document E, written by the DBQ project, “To dishonour knighthood was the greatest disgrace.” Part of the code is to always obey your king, so a knight would want to fight harder and not back out.
Samurais or a knight? The question was, who would win the battle? A samurai - a samurai? Or a king of a knight? Of course they both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they also both have things in common that they can't do.
In The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, a young man is thrown from his established world, left in a new, confusing realm that holds more than meets the eye. In the midst of a violent and ferocious war between the Chinese and Japanese in mid 1937, this young man, Stephen, contracts tuberculosis, and is sent to his family’s summer house in Japan. There he meets the house’s caretaker, Matsu, a simple and reserved man who holds back all but the most necessary speech. This meeting will come to define many of Stephen’s interactions with others throughout the novel: reserved and limited. In this odd land filled with subtle secrets and unspoken uncomfortability, Stephen is prepared for a very quiet and restful period, marked with healing and growth.
In the ancient Japanese culture, one great aspect was on how they emphasized on the intrinsic themes of loyalty and honor. They had fierce warriors known as samurai’s. A samurai was a traditional warrior who would protect and be loyal to their masters no matter what. They were known to be skilled soldiers, benevolent men, self-sacrifice, sense of shame, along with other major characteristics that embodied them as a samurai. While this class of warrior no longer exist today, the remembrance of a samurai is present in the minds of the characters in the novel, The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. Tsukiyama does a fascinating piece of work by really elaborating and describing the great attributes that Matsu possess of a true samurai. In the
As learners of Europe and Japan, the question “ who would win a battle-a samurai or knight” is commonly kept in mind. A samurai and knight are similar in many ways. A samurai would mostly win the battle because they have better weapons, armor, and training. While knights and samurai have many similarities, in a one on one battle, the advantage would be to the samurai and this can be seen in weapons, armor, and training.
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.
This book explains the historic of Japan in a different era. Beginning from the Japan’s early developmental years what it is today; Japan in the 21st century. There are breakdowns in this book that tells the story of the different periods in Japan too. Tokugawa Era was considered a critical period in Japan’s history as it helped Japan evolved to pre-war period and Japan’s 21st century. The main highlight of the book was in regards to Tokugawa Era as the author mainly focused on this critical period and there was elaborate research on this topic. Tokugawa Era was brought about by Tokugawa Ieyasu who was a military dictatorship and he helped achieve hegemony and stability over the entire country after the control and ruling of Japan for over 200 years since the 1600. The author was an Asian history professor and knows what he is writing and many years of research and effort have been placed in this book which is apparent. In conclusion, this book does provide relevant and sufficient research on this topic of interest.
Japan lasted from 1185-1603. During that time Japan had emperors, shoguns, daimyos, samurai, and peasants who were all apart of a social class, and all together it was called the Samurai Society. The emperor was just a figurehead for the shogun. The shogun was a powerful military leader that ruled in the emperor’s name. Daimyo were powerful landlords. The daimyo often led armies of samurai. These samurai were trained professional warriors who served daimyo and shoguns. The samurai had to follow a certain code of rules for samurai called Bushido. One of their rules included to always have self-discipline to become a good samurai. The samurai warriors wore light armor, helmets (usually shaped like an animal), and had two swords around their waist. Their armor had a lot of detail and color to it, like their unique helmets. After the samurai comes the peasants, which included farmers and fishermen. They usually always work, then pay takes to the shogun. They usually gave the shogun what they earned from working like food or crops. What made their jobs a bit difficult was their topography. Japan’s topography included many mountains, undersea volcanoes, and barely any flat land to farm on. The Japanese didn’t only work they also practiced their religion. For example, they practiced Confucianism, Buddhism (...
The Japanese warrior, known as the samurai, has played a significant role in Japan's history and culture throughout the centuries. Their ancestors can be traced back to as far as can be remembered. Some stories have become mysterious legends handed down over the centuries. In this report you will learn who the samurai were, their origins as we know them, how they lived and fought and their evolution to today. It will be clear why the samurai stand out as one of the most famous group of warriors of all times.
The samurai have had a long time in Japan and stayed around for centuries. They led Japan and created many government systems that would be used through that time. They helped cities be destroyed and flourish. Their ways of life and honor have influenced and their spirits stay with Japan to this day.
Samurais take the #1 spot for their combat adroitness, they were the champions in the fields of battles. Samurais were not only skilled warriors of battle, moreover they were influential leaders for their armies. The only weapons and armor the samurais took into battle were only two swords, leather plated armor, a helmet, and bow with proper training. Unlike other nations, anyone could become a samurai, no one was obligated to stay with families or to continue jobs their parents did. One of the biggest things samurais followed was there code of conduct, called Bushido “the way of the warrior.” Along with other individuals with authority, samurais had much authority as well; They had to keep peasants in check, check up on the harvests, and most importantly, keep their Daimyo(Lord) save from invaders at all costs. When disrespecting or showing cowardness to their Daimyo, it lead to bringing great shame and dishonor to the samurais whole family. When samurais become dishonorable they often end up leaving and becoming a ronin. Ronin’s were mainly mercenaries that carried out assassinations, spy missions, and sabotage. Although samurais have already come to an end, many still worship their fallen ancestors, some still study the basic practices of samurais to always keep a basic understanding of the training they went through. Along with well skilled warriors, some showed their level of skill not on the battlefield, rather on a piece of
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.
Myths and Legends of Japan Japan has many myths believed to be true by the Japanese culture. Such as: "You can tell a person's character from their blood type". The Japanese creation myth starts off with brother and sister gods Izanagi and Izanani. They dipped a spear into the churning sea and when they pulled it out the drops that fell on the water surface became the islands of Japan. Next, the sun goddess Amaterasu, was created and was soon sent to heaven to rule over the world.
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...