Miamoto Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings Essay

Imagine a knight, jousting in an arena in Europe during the Middle Ages. Surprisingly, across the world during approximately the same time period, samurai warriors fought in Japan. During the time period, 1000 to 1600 CE, the samurai and knights fought in battle in many different ways. Many differences between the samurai and knights included codes, armor, training, and religions. Without a doubt, the differences between the samurai and the knight overshadow the similarities.

Looking back in time, the first Japanese battles recorded are in the first few centuries AD. At this time Japanese warriors went across the sea to Korea to help one kingdom battling two rival kingdoms. Four

According to Document D, “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm so they could easily draw their bow”. This shows that because the samurai had different fighting techniques, their armor had to fit appropriately and had to only cover the body parts, that weren’t in the way during a battle. In contrast, Document D also states, “Not only was the entire body covered, but knights also wore helmets, gloves, and shoes out of steel”. This shows that the knight was completely covered from head to toe because he used different weapons like swords, axes, and lances. Furthermore, when a knight fell of his horse, it would be harder for him to get up to his feet while fighting because of the heaviness of his armor. In conclusion, the knight's armor was different from the samurai’s, as well their relationship between their lord and

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.

The samurai were the feudal warriors of ancient Japan. For thousands of years they upheld the code of bushido, the way of the warrior. Samurai were around for thousands of years, but when did they disappear? Does the code of bushido still exist to this day? Exploring the history of the samurai will give an explanation to what has happened to these formidable warriors.

The peaceful Tokugawa period presented problem to many samurai, and Musui 's life is just one of the many examples of lives that those samurai lived. Samurai had no battles to fight. Many had low income or jobless

Lord Acton once said, "Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely." He was probably referring to the powerful kings and queens who held power over many people. But, we could see how power is something many of the characters in Tolkien's story are trying to have and hold onto in some form or another. In The Fellowship of the Ring J.R.R. Tolkien tells us a story about Frodo Baggins who is ordered by Gandalf to destroy the powerful ring discovered accidentally by his older cousin, Bilbo. Like the rest of the hobbits, Frodo has lived quite peacefully and well, not having to worry about how dark and dreary the rest of Middle Earth was becoming under Sauron's growing power. Now, Frodo,

Samurai were the warriors of japan who were known for their skills as warriors . The samurai date all the way back to the heian period.The samurai were the protectors of the emperors in japan and the land around it.

Katsu Kokichi’s autobiography, “Musui’s Story,” documents the life of a samurai in Japan’s late Tokugawa period who adopted the name Musui in his retirement. Katsu is something of a black sheep within his family, being largely uneducated and deemed unfit for the bureaucratic office 's samurai of his standing were expected to hold. As such, he typifies in many ways the lower ronin, or masterless samurai, many of whom famously led roaming, directionless lives and wreaked havoc among the urban poor and merchant classes. The novel addresses the decaying power of samurai throughout the Tokugawa period and depicts their struggle to find purpose. Throughout the story, Katsu is impacted by three interconnected systems of power that impact his life

After delivering the message about the disloyal ronins who had harassed him, Taro became Akiyama's messenger and befriended Yoshitoki, a young samurai. At age 15, he was sent with Yoshitoki to carry a message to Tsutsujigasaki Castle. On the way, they escaped from two bandits disguised as monks. A strange old man invited them into his hut and predicted that neither Lord Oda Nobunaga nor Lord Takeda Shingen would rule Japan. On their return from the castle, Yoshitoki and Taro found the hut of the strange man empty and decided that the man had been a ghost. Lord Akiyama gave Taro back his family name- Murakami- and presented him with a sword.

The samurai were a warrior class in feudal Japan who served the lords of clans in Japanese feudal society. They were highly respected elite warriors in both grand military strategy and individual martial arts. The warrior code that they embodied and the myth of the samurai warrior are still alive in modern Japan today. In his book American Samurai: Myth and Imagination in the Conduct of Battle in the First Marine Division 1941-1951, Craig Cameron draws parallels between the United States Marine Corps and the feudal Japanese samurai. Writing from a post-Vietnam view, Cameron

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

When the samurai were about to engage in battle, most of them would state their rank, family name, and accomplishments. If the samurai was a high-ranked officer, the winner of the duel would have to send the head of the defeated to the capital city where the city officials and the people could see it (Clark 4). However, if the samurai was not killed by his opponent, he had to commit seppuku. Seppuku, also known as harakiri, is when a samurai must commit suicide by stabbing a knife into his abdomen and disemboweling himself. A kinsmen or friend would then cut off their heads. Seppuku was seen as more honorable than getting captured in battle or being forgiven from dishonor by an upper rank (Clark 5). It was also seen as more honorable to commit seppuku than dishonor the Bushido Code.

Yuzan Daidoji, Oscar Ratti, and Thomas Cleary. The Code of the Samurai. Boston: Tuttle, 1999. 10-44.

Justice has continued to remain one of the greatest significant moral and political conceptions. The word that originates from the Latin word "jus" implying a right or a lawful act has been defined by many philosophers to expound on its use in different cultural and political backgrounds. Philosophers have gone beyond the dictionary level that simply defines it as an act of giving everyone their dues without interfering with their rights. The definitions have gone beyond the etymology definitions as set indifferent dictionaries and therefore, the word has been considered to mean a moral value of character and a desirable quality of political society among others. Justice has been considered by many philosophers to be a significant tool in ethical and social decision-making. Plato, a philosopher provides a story about a mythical magical artifact, the ring of Gyges, in his book known as the “Republic” In the book, Plato narrates that