Research Paper On Samurai

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

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.

While ongoing change became the status quo in late-Tokugawa era Japan the ideals of the samurai—and the respect they receive—endured. And, because samurai could still fall back on the prestige their class represented, members of society still

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 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 young warriors were taught to sacrifice everything for the emperor or lord. In Japan, the emperor represented the laws and the state and was considered divine. Loyalty was an ethical demand stemming from this political theory. A samurai was obligated to appeal to the wisdom of his lord by committing seppuku.

Samurai’s were next in the system, they are in the warrior class. Samurais’ were paid by daimyos, they were paid domains. The job of the samurai was to collect taxes and keep order between the peasants. The warrior class was called shi. Shi included daimyos and

The Japanese society was divided into four classes: samurai, peasants, artisans, and merchants. The samurai was a class of warriors, emerged from Japan during the constant

The purpose of samurai and knight is to protect their people. The knights and samurais each have different teachings. Loyalty towards the feudal lord in Japan was hereditary. Service of a feudal lord passed from father to son, so that the relations of lord and a samurai existed between many families for man generations. This arrangement was also a voluntary one, in that there was no legal contract between the two parties The European feudal contract, which was a legal document spelling out the obligations of lord and vassals respectively, never existed in Japan. However, it really began to develop around the 10th century in Europe. In a one-on-one battle, a samurai would win because of their training, armor, and beliefs about death. The first way that samurais were superior in battles trough

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

With the new dominance of the samurai, it faced many problems relating to any government. Rebellion and civil unrest were not uncommon, and throughout the superiority of the Samurai, there were many different periods of rule, each facing their own dilemmas. Attacks from external threats such as the Mongols among other things, weakened samurai rule and at a certain point, Japanese imperial rule regained power. As samurai rule continued, internal problems such as disloyalty among officials caused instability in their government. Regional officials called Daimyo’s were ignoring orders from the Shogun (head of government) and supported

One of the changes for the Bushi was that they were fortunate enough that they didn't have to worry about death through fighting and wars anymore, however they still had to uphold the same respect that they had for the daimyo. In some cases the samurai even managed to move up in hierarchy pyramid by becoming courtiers. Courtiers are the people who go with the emperor to court they also move up to become bureaucrats and administrators. (Oxford University Press, 2014) They still retained respect within the public of an honourable position in the feudal system. The samurai still had the right to use a range of weapons such as bows and arrows and spears but their main weapon and symbol was still the sword. (See Appendix 1) (Japan Guide, 2014) They also still had the rights to kill anyone to disrespect them as long as they were of a lower social status. This killing could still be done to keep the peace among the

Japanese society respected the samurai as those who had the power to resolve conflicts and “keep the peace”. They were therefore entitled to govern the country because of their superior military power and peace-keeping ability. They ruled because of their power, yet they had to also prove their entitlement to do so. This is why legitimation was needed. Becoming a samurai and learning the way of the warrior was dependant on lineal descent. Warriors who were not of direct line ancestry were allowed to be subservient samurai yet were tabooed by the imperial court at ever becoming a shogun, the Great general who ruled over government in feudal Japan. In this age, pedigree was an important factor- it lent an air of legitimacy to naked

For seven centuries, the samurai ruled Japan as the powerful warrior class. As a class of warriors and knights, they led society in feudal Japan. The loyalty to his lord was much more important than his allegiance to his friends, family and even the emperor. Their philosophy was one liberated him from fear, and for these reasons, the samurai came to be the dominate force throughout medieval Japan.