Why is samurai important

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An InsideJapan trip always will. Tokugawa art in Nagoya. See the art treasures of the Tokugawa Shogun and beautiful gardens in Nagoya. Home Japanese Culture Samurai. Samurai and "the way of the warrior" For those interested in Japanese history, samurai culture and the role this military class played in shaping Japan is a fascinating one. Highly literate men of war and leadership Not only were the samurai skilful warriors, but they were also expected to be highly cultured and literate; to be skilled in the harmony of fighting and learning.

The calm mind of a warrior From the thirteenth century, samurai conduct became heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism. Samurai and the sword Synonymous with samurai bravery is the katana, or samurai sword, and bushido dictated that this curved, slender blade was the soul of a warrior. Decline of the warrior The decline of the samurai came in the late nineteenth century as Japan opened its borders to the US navy and the power was given back to the imperial family in the Meiji Restoration in Samurai heritage Japan is proud of its warriors of the past and the way of the warrior can be found all over this beautiful country, be it visiting one the great castles that bore witness to many a bloody battle, experiencing a festival with its origins in samurai culture; visiting the grounds of great samurai battles in history or a pilgrimage to the small cave where Musashi wrote The Book of Five Rings.

The first kills were made and enemy heads were taken, the two sides would burst into each other, while the foot soldiers and archers flanked and lent aid, and the commander-in-chief sat with his command group relaying orders through flags and drums. Eventually the lines blurred and it would become difficult to keep the forces coherent. If the samurai were victorious, light skirmishes would ensue as teams of samurai hunted down those hiding.

Finally the signal was given for all to return to the command group. Care was taken lest he incorrectly recorded who took the first head, so candidates who claimed this honour were interviewed and their stories checked, with times of travel and start times for separate conflicts taken into consideration.

Heads were identified if possible, as rewards in the form of land allowances were greater the higher the class of soldier killed, and some devious samurai may use stolen helmets to pass off the heads of ordinary soldiers as those of higher-ranking samurai. Those who had not made a kill may have been tempted to slay women and monks in the nearby area to use their heads instead, and for this reason, when the order came to only take noses instead of heads as proof, the protocol was to skin the face to include the moustache or facial hair as evidence that it was a warrior that has been killed.

Finally, the ceremony of the head inspection was performed: the commander-in-chief inspected a certain number of heads, under the spiritual protection of archers and tacticians to ensure that vengeful ghosts did not attack.

When the war was over, the army returned home. Promises kept were rewarded, wealth gained was distributed, promotions were given, new land was settled, wives and children were greeted, the dead were mourned and celebrations and ceremonies were had by all. The gods were praised, for victory had been achieved. His incredibly detailed military study manuals, written around the s and until very recently lost on library shelves, have only recently come to light but offer a wealth of information on the strategies of the age of war.

In life he was a military teacher to the samurai of Kii domain and a personal retainer of one of the most powerful men in Japan, Tokugawa Yorinobu, son of the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu, the famous unifier of Japan. Sign in. Back to Main menu Virtual events Masterclasses. Home Period Medieval A brief history of samurai warfare.

In context: Who were the Samurai? The occupants who are leaving the castle must form orderly lines as they move out through the gate shown on the left in the image, while the occupying samurai move in on the right. The two black circles show where the two leaders bow to each other as they exchange the fortress. Read more: How to build a medieval castle exclusive to The Library How to survive a siege The top 10 military blunders in history.

The parts of samurai armour. Helmets were a useful way of identifying higher-ranking samurai killed in battle. Photo of a samurai with his katana , c. Unlike the clunky armour worn by European knights, the samurai armour was designed for mobility.

A samurai armour had to be sturdy, yet flexible enough to allow free movement in the battlefield. Made of lacquered plates of either metal or leather, the armour would be carefully bound together by laces of leather or silk. The arms would be protected by large, rectangular shoulder shields and light, armoured sleeves. The right hand would sometimes be left without a sleeve, to allow for maximum movement. The samurai helmet, called a kabuto , was made of riveted metal plates, while the face and brow were protected by a piece of armour that tied around behind the head and under the helmet.

The kabuko often featured ornaments and attachable pieces, such as demonic masks that protected the face and would be used to intimidate the enemy. The samurai were far more than just warriors. As the essential nobility of their era, the majority of samurai were extremely well-educated. Samurai were generally highly-literate and skilled in mathematics.

The samurai culture produced a great number of uniquely Japanese arts, such as the tea ceremony, rock gardens and flower arranging. They studied calligraphy and literature, wrote poetry and produced ink paintings. Although samurai was strictly a masculine term, the Japanese bushi class did include women who received the same training in martial arts and strategy as samurai. Samurai women were referred to as Onna-Bugeisha , and fought in combat alongside male samurai.

The weapon of choice of the onna-bugeisha was the naginata, a spear with a curved, sword-like blade that was versatile and relatively light. Recent archaeological evidence indicates that Japanese women participated frequently in battles.

DNA tests conducted at the site of the Battle of Senbon Matsubaru showed that 35 out of bodies were female. Under special circumstances, an individual from outside Japan could fight alongside the samurai.

In some rare cases, they could even become one. This special honour could only be bestowed by powerful leaders, such as the shogun or daimyos a territorial lord.