Japan: Under The Shoguns
Japanese swords were arguably the most innovative and technologically advanced swords of their time. Blades were often forged with different profiles, different blade thicknesses, and varying amounts of grind. The steel used is known as tamahagane or "jewel steel". Tamahagane is produced from iron sand, a source of iron ore.
The smelting process used is different from the modern process of making steel. A clay vessel about 1 m tall, 3.7 m long, and 1.2 m wide is constructed. This is known as a tatara. After the clay tub has set, it is heated until dry. A charcoal fire is started. The fire will need to reach the correct temperature. At this point you would add iron sand(satetsu). This will be layered in with more charcoal and more iron sand over the next 72
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Often ridden by higher ranked individuals in an army, horses were used by Samurai to break the enemy line by charging at them and breaking apart their front line.
Samurai armour was a masterpiece of craftsmanship and a status symbol in Shogun Japan. These suits were aesthetically designed to intimidate opponents and physically designed to protect against all manner of attacks. Samurai armour crafting was a meticulous process, overseen by an armourer who led a team of blacksmiths who worked with leather workers to create armour that would not only protect its wearer, but incorporated elements of Japanese myths and folklore, and Samurai spirituality
Japanese armour is thought to have evolved from the armour used in ancient China and Korea. At this time armour was primitive and was made of solid metals. It was around the 12th century when the pinnacle of Japanese armour was reached. It was also the most iconic samurai armour. This armour was called o-yoroi. The six major components are the dō (chest armour), kabuto (helmet), menpo (facial armour), kote (armoured sleeves), sune-ate (shin armour), and the hai-date (thigh
From approximately 1000 - 1600 CE, knights in Europe and samurai in Japan were the professional warrior class. In Europe, the knight wore obscenely heavy armor and used large swords. In Japan, they wore a little bit lighter armor and used the famed samurai sword. To start off, The similarities outweigh the differences between the samurai and the knights.
In document D written by The DBQ Project, it says “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm so they could easily draw their bow.” Even though their was no protection on the right arm, it was light and easy to move around. Another reason why Samurais use weapons and armor to the best of their abilities was in Document D written by The DBQ project, it stated, “A knight’s armor could weigh 40 to 60 pounds. This proves that a knight’s armor is heavy 24/7 while a samurai is heavy only when it rains. But how did they get such good
Samurai and knights similarities were greater than the differences because they started doing things like protecting the lord and training to become a samurai or knight around the same age and social order in the pyramids were about the same. When it came to how their armour was like they were very similar they. Samurai armor had small iron scales that were tied together,lacquered,and then they were pounded into armor plates with silk or they could also have leather cords on them there helmet blows were usually made out of 8 to 12 iron plates and then 5-piece neck guards the armor they wore had four parts, but samurai never wore armor on their right arm so that they could draw their weapons faster the only thing about the samurai armor was
Knights and Samurai are Far More Alike than They are Different Europe and Japan are 5,313 miles away from one another and their warriors at the time were very similar. The similarities between the two started out by both empires falling and then they both developed feudalism. I think it’s crazy that they two empires so far apart can be so similar, not only their empires but those who protect them. In this essay I will discuss the feudal system,military similarities, and their feelings about death.
Likewise, knights wore “complete suits of plate armor, constructed from metal...wore helmets, gloves, and shoes of steel...a knight’s armor could weigh 40 to 60 pounds.” (Document D) Both samurais and European knights were protected by a heavy armor out of metal in battle; it can be inferred that both Japan and Europe found importance in protecting their warriors looking from the stringency of armor and protection. The reason for protecting their warriors would be due to the myriad of battles feudal Japan and Europe would have had to carry out. To ensure success in battle, they would’ve made further technological advances such as protective armor, ensuring better performance when battling. By protecting the warriors using this effective armor, both Japan and Europe would’ve been able to attain more as a whole and advance as a civilization - a common achievement carried out as well. Despite the many differences between Japanese samurais and European knights, the similarities outweighed these differences due to the homologous elements in their position in hierarchy and the use of protective armor in battle, leading to the success in both Japan and
The samurai have been known to be very agile if compared to the knights, A quote that proves this is from Source 3 and it states that “A knight's armor could weigh approximately 100 pounds. ”(Yue 1) The armor weighing this much can prove to be a great disadvantage when the times comes for the fight on foot to occur. Source 3 also states that “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm…”(Yue 1 )
My first similarities about their armor comes from document C, “In samurai armor, small iron scales were tied together…” The knight’s armor are also linked together, but they use chanemail instead of iron scales. They both wear helmets ,yet the samurai helmet is much thicker. After the improvements on weapons the knights started using metal armor instead of chain. According to document C, “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm.”
My second reason is that the knights had very strong and effective armour, whereas the samurai’s armour was always changing and was never as good as the knight’s armour, as samurai depended more on their fighting skills instead of the armour. The samurai armour was made up of several sections. The main body is called a do or cuirass, and is made from plates or lamellae (small oblong-shaped pieces of steel linked by strips of leather and covered with layers of lacquer). The helmet has a crest and a hair pommel. There is also a face mask, which would have been decorated with ugly features intended to scare the enemy. Extra protection is provided by a coverage of the neck (made of jointed metal) and shoulder guards (made from small plates laced together, with silk allowing movement). Thigh and calf guards are made from a combination of chain mail and plates. Underneath the samurai’s armour, the samurai would wear a one-piece baggy garment with a special kimono (the kimono looks a bit like a dressing gown). This did mean that the samurai would be more likely to get injured, as the armour would only offer very little protection. Samurai armour was designed to help the Samurai move comfortably and efficiently when fighting, so if a knight stabbed the samurai then the samurai would get injured and this would affect the samurai while he is fighting (the samurai would be fighting worse), and possible depending on how bad the wound is, it could kill the
Samurai and knights are not identical, they do have a good amount of differences. For instance, after going through training, samurai were awarded their title and responsibilities at the age of fourteen while knights took on their full responsibilities at twenty-one. Document B points out that although loyalty was important to both Japanese and European warriors, “loyalty towards the feudal lord in Japan was hereditary” but it was not in Europe. This means that in Japan “service of a feudal lord went from father to son” so the relationship between the lord and his warrior lasted for generations. Along with that, although both groups wore full body armor, Document D states that “a knight’s armor could weigh forty
Both the medieval European knights and the Japanese samurai used horses as means of transport into battle. They also both wore armour and used swords. European armour was typically all-metal and was made or either chain mail or plate metal. Whilst this made them more protected, it also restricted their movement. In contrast, the Japanese samurais donned armour which comprised of lacquered leather or metal plates with silk or metal bindings. This light weight armour was advantageous in that it allowed the samurai to be quick and more agile. The drawback to this armour though was that it provided much less protection.
According to How to Be A Samurai Warrior by Fiona Macdonald, armor was made by metals, and other natural resources like leather, as stated in Samurai Rising. Moreover, samurai got dressed in the same order described in the novel. The samurai would start with the loincloth, then short kimono, baggy trousers, shin guards, etc. Like the novel, samurai wore a neck guard, shoulder guard, breastplate, armored kilt, hand armor, knee protectors, shin guards, and straw sandals. Furthermore, the text states that warriors wore colors corresponding to their leaders, however we may not know what the book states because Yoshistsune’s armor was the only described, and he is a leader himself.
In school, they learned of the Kendo, which is fencing with bamboo sticks, the moral code of the samurai, and their religion, Zen Buddhism. Their code of conduct, the Bushido, demanded that a samurai must hold his loyalty, courage, honesty, compassion, and honor. According to The Way of the Samurai by Yamaga Soko, “Within his [samurai] heart he keeps to the ways of peace, but without he keeps his weapons ready for use.” As stated before, samurais have a much lighter armor. This is mainly due to They have an opening on their right arm in order for them to draw their bows faster and
However, while they were not fighting, the samurai lived on their own lands. The armour of a samurai was highly artistic and took 4-8 months to make. It is made up of metal plates that were held together by colourful ropes. The helmet was constructed form up to 100 metal plates, wrapped up together. There suits were carefully arranged.
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.
Last but not least, the samurai carried a variety of weapons that displayed their culture, and helped them in battle. The weapons that they carried, such as the katana and the wakizashi, displayed their culture in the way that they looked and the way that they fought. As told by the Istanbul Technical University, the code Bushido taught the samurai that their soul was inside the katana they fought with. The code of Bushido also taught them to carry their wakizashi everywhere they went, even when they went to sleep! This means that the code of Bushido inspired them to show their culture throughout their weapons. Also, their weapons were their main source of victory in battle. Their main weapons were the katana and the wakizashi, but they also