How Did The Samurai Affect Japan's Military Society

It took the Treaty of Kanagawa and unfair treatment by the US to weaken the shogunate and make way for the nationalist movements of the Meiji Restoration. The sweeping reforms put into place by the new constitutional monarchy put Japan back into the game - with rapid industrialization. military expansion, and advanced education. The landscape itself was useful for Japan's industrial age, as it consisted of mountains, valleys, and open plains, with bays, peninsulas, and small islands off the coast. (Doc. 6) The harbors formed along this coast made fishing the most viable trade, bringing in food for the country's citizens and forming a successful Japanese industry. Fishing also provided a segue into the market for naval development, meaning that in a short period of time, Japan had created one of the most sophisticated and powerful navies in all of the world. Because of the layout

The Warrior class were part of the social class in Japan that included Shoguns, Daimyos and Samurais. The Shoguns would rule the Daimyos, who had control over the Samurais. Japan’s warrior class led to a lasting effect, enhanced weapons and effect on the social class which led to the alteration of the warrior class’ roles.

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 warriors were great warriors that is why they were revered or were greatly respected. To become a samurai they had to go through rigorous training that began in their childhood. During samurai school they learned about many things like physical training, chinese studies, poetry, and spiritual discipline. Young warriors studied Kendo, moral code of samurais. The samurai also studied Zen Buddhism.

As Claus von Clausewitz wrote, “Courage, over all things, is the first quality of a warrior”. In both Western Europe and Japan, an unstable government led to the development of Feudalism, a social system in which lords grant land to nobles in exchange of loyalty and military service. It also introduced a stronger army which was made up of samurai, the Japanese warrior, or knights, the European warrior. The chivalry, or code of conduct of the knights, was made up of Christian beliefs. However, the samurai’s code of conduct, the bushido, was inspired by Confucian and Buddhist thought. Not only did religious beliefs influence the codes of behavior of a warrior, but Christianity influenced Europe, while Confucianism and Buddhism affected the religion in Japan. The differences between the Samurai and the Knights were greater than the similarities because of their armor, the bond to their mastor, and their view of death.

The samurai were a powerful warrior class in Japan, and were very skilled with a sword. Samurai used swords and were trained very well to do many things such as fire a bow while on horseback. The samurai practiced Buddhism, which is a religion that taught people to respect the world to reach enlightenment. When the samurai disobeyed The Bushido Code, they committed Seppuku, which is ritual suicide for the samurai. Japanese culture was influenced by the samurai warrior class.

During the post classical period, 650 C.E to 1450 C.E, Japanese leaders were confronted with several issues that threatened political order in Japan. The problems that arose during that time included a lack of respect for Buddhism, for example, monks were not taking their vows seriously. Another problem included the division between classes in the social structure, one instance was when the lady-in-waiting in the temple showed disdain for the peasants in a lower class than her. Ultimately, one last problem was the lack of overall respect for the government. Samurais were not being properly trained and the Daimyo were fighting among themselves simply for power. The issues that presented themselves during this time period can be solved in many ways. Buddhism, a unified religion, reestablishing Confucian values and relationships, and properly training the Samurai are just

The samurai, or bushi (warrior), are well-trained cavalrymen that serve a particular lord. The first recorded history of the samurai was about the 9th century A.D. At that time the capitol of Japan was Kamakura, a military installation. Japan was ruled by an emperor who controlled his empire through the use of shoguns. Shoguns were generals that ruled over

Under the daimyos, warfare changed from heroic combat to a more modern conflict. The constant state of war damaged the Japanese economy and because of that, some peasants engaged in futile rebellions against

Japan was a very nationalistic country in which the purpose of the civilians was to fight until death for their emperor. This was evident in the fact that they had practiced an extremely nationalistic concept of Bushido. This concept made surrender unacceptable for all Japanese people and they lived to die for the emperor. There nationalism was fueled by the fact that they won 2 large battles (Sino Japanese War and Russo Japanese war) against larger countries. Along with this, the Japanese also had Kamikaze pilots who suicide by deliberately crashing planes into American warship as a tactic of fighting. This extreme nationalism shows that they could not be fought with regular weapons and so posed a threat for the whole world.

Although Japan changed in many ways from 1853 to 1941, there were also many factors that remained the same throughout the history of Japan. One such continuity was the maintained existence of a figurehead ruler controlled by other political authorities. The feudalistic emperor of Japan was the supposed “highest, most powerful authority” in the land, but was actually controlled by the military leaders- the shogun. Similarly, the militaristic emperor of Japan decades later continued to remain a figurehead ruler controlled by military and government officials. In addition, Japan continued to remain reliant on exports in order to maintain its economy. As a result of Japan’s small geographical size, the island nation had few natural resources and was forced to rely on exports to survive economically. The nation also grew increasingly reliant on other nations to provide materials and supplies that it could not provide for itself. This complete reliance on other nations was seen illustrated when the Japanese military was provoked to attacking another superpower- the United States, in response to the 1940 United States embargo

The first way that samurais were superior in battles was through there strong tools. In the video “Samurai Showdown” by Terry Schappert it states, “no other weapon was more commonly associated with the samurai than the katana which was considered the soul of the warrior”. This quote shows that the katana was the most common tool among the samurai warriors. An additional piece of evidence that supports the claim is in document d written by Terry Bennett says “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm so they could easily draw their bow”.This quote proves that samurais had bows and could snipe a knight from a distance rather than being in close-up combat.

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

Even after the samurai were deprived of their position as military leaders and their privileges were revoked, elements of the samurai’s warrior culture and principles of Bushido continue to influence Japanese and even U.S. culture. The samurai played important role in Japan since the 10th century. Their main role was to protect Japan as warriors. Feudal Japan had eight social classes.

The growth of Japanese military was proved by their victory in Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War