The Samurais, The Ultimate Stoics
For seven centuries, the Samurai were Japan's warrior class. As a class of warriors and knights, they dominated society in feudal Japan. Their code or “
Way of the warrior”, bushido(History of the Samurai-www),called for a life of duty, discipline and self control, on and as well as off the battlefield
(History of the World-Houghton Mifflin Company- Boston288). His loyalty and bravery to his lord was much more important than his loyalty to his friends, family and even their emperor. Their philosophy was one of freedom from fear(World Surfari-www), and for these reasons, The Samurai were the ultimate stoic warriors.
The word samurai was derived from the Japanese word for service, saburau(Grolier Electronic Publishing, 1993), for they served their masters faithfully. They would die if necessary for them. The Daimyo or feudal landowners used the samurai to protect their land and to expand their rights to more land. The Samurai would transcend their fear of death, this made them the stoic warriors that they were.
As experts in fighting on horseback as well as on the ground they wore two swords. This was called Daisho(World Surfari-www). The long sword was called the daito-katena(Ibid.). It was more than twenty four inches long. The shorter sword was called shoto wakizashi. It was between twelve to twenty four inches(Ibid.). Their swords were the “soul's” of the worship. A good sword was tougher and sharper. The swords were tested before they were used by the samurai. The sword tester used the new blades to cut through corpses and bodies of condemned criminals.(World Surfari-www) The test results were put on the nakago, the small metal piece on the sword blade or handle(Ibid.). Another weapon, the nagita, was used by a foot soldier on a horseman. The foot soldier would cut. the tendons of the horse and disembowel them.
The samurai went from military retainers, to military aristocrats, to military rulers(Japan, Richard Storry18) The medieval samurai were often illiterate, rural, landowners who farmed in-between battles. They were assassins of the night and at the same time keepers of peace. The samurai would spend his life perfecting his military skills.
Honor was one of the most important things to a samurai. If a samurai felt dishonored in any way he would commit seppuku. Seppuku means ritual suicide (Japan, Cultures of the World- Rex Shelley104). It is also called hara-kiri which means belly-slitting. This method of self-disembowelment was the only honorable form of death for a disgraced noble or a samurai.
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.
Book Exploration State of War: The Violent Order of Fourteenth Century Japan by Thomas Donald Conlan tracks the events in Japan between 1336 and 1392. Conlan provides his wisdom on how state and society operated in the Nanbokucho period through various source documents portraying the warriors not by their romanticized “knights of the round table” ideal, but rather showing that while there were alliances of connivence, they could be broken just as easily as they were made, revealing that pragmatism was paramount above all else. The State of War comprises eight chapters. It begins with a characterization of a common warrior, Nomoto Tomoyuki, who pledged allegiance to Ashikaga Takauji. Extracting from a detailed petition for reward (gunchujo), Conlan recounts Tomoyuki’s conduct in battle and his death.
In also shows that the Japanese samurai were warriors of the shogun rulers during feudal times and they were fearsome in combat and were fast on horseback. In the movie the Samurai wore armor made of metal plates and leather, held together by cords and buckles, carrying their sword or bow. The movie shows Samurai were the only people in Japan who could carry swords and they wore their hair tied back at the top of their head in a knot. The brow and crown, at the top of the head, were shaved bare to represent that they were a
The Samurai is often confused with the ninja but they are not the same thing. To be a samurai you had to be born into a Samurai family and were trained highly. The Samurai’s job was to serve the shog...
"Explain the meanings and discuss the concepts and origins of Samurai and Bushido code, then relate these concepts towards the modern Japanese Soldier and Leader during World War 2 and show evidence to support that the Japanese soldier treated enemy prisoners exploiting Samurai and Bushido traditions."
One sword that was used in the revolutionary war was called “The Hanger”. The hanger was equipped with a blade that was very long, and the blade had a curve to it. The hanger had a short metal pommel which ...
The fudai daimyo, descended from members of the original tokugawa vassal band or men who had been made daimyo by Ieyasu and his successors, identified most closely with the interests of bakufu. Their territories frequently abutted Tokugawa lands, protecting their flanks, and the bakufu’s highest officials were drawn from their ranks.
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.
Foot soldiers have used many different weapons in history dating back to the beginning of time from clubs and spears to bow and arrows and muskets. Weapon evolution has always focused on a way to be able to kill your enemy from a farther distance than they are able to kill you. An example of this gun evolution is the club which is short but powerful to the spear which is long and able to be thrown to the bow and arrow and crossbow which can fire from a far distance with accuracy. Another evolution that shows closer range weaponry evolving into further range weaponry is the harquebus to the musket to the rifle. This evolution was embraced by the U.S. in the American Revolution and more abundantly in the Civil War. Early America was filled with wars and battles where weaponry was very important such as the American Revolution and the Civil War. The American soldiers that fought in the Revolutionary War showed us that you can win a war solely on passion and heart but the soldiers in other American wars...
The noblemen depended on the strength of the samurai. Since their power and wealth was directly related to how much land they owned, the noblemen kept small armies of samurai to protect their property from thieves and invaders. Eventually many noble families joined together to form clans that became more powerful than the emperor, who was the traditional head of the Japanese government (How Samurai Work 11). In the 12th century the two most powerful clans were the Minomoto and the Taira. The two came to battle in 1160 w...
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.
The Tokugawa period, also known as Edo period (1603-1867), was the final period of traditional Japan that lasted for more than 250 years (britannica.com,2013). The period was a time of internal peace, political stability, and economic growth under the Shogunate founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Tokugawa Shoguns maintained strict control over the structure of society by keeping a firm control over what they were allowed to do and what they were not allowed to do.
European accounts tell that soldiers in Indonesia were armed with a kris strapped to their waist or back and a spear in their hands, while the karambit was used as a last resort when the fighter's other weapons were lost in battle.
The Warrior Ethos, by Steven Pressfield depicts the warrior’s mentality from ancient times to the present through a variety of different aspects and stories. In The Warrior Ethos, Pressfield states that men are not born with the certain qualities that make a good warrior, but instead are inculcated through years of training and indoctrination, stating at an early age. He shows how different societies have been able to instill the same or very similar ideals throughout history while maintaining their own unique characteristics. Things have changed from ancient Sparta, where parents would be enthusiastic about their children going to war, and even more elated upon learning they died valorous in battle. These days, most parents are a lot
same sword that Claudius was killed with. Both men are able to accomplish what they set