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Samurai Ethos Essay

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Samurai Ethos in the Nineteenth Century Reflected in 13 Assassins

In the movie 13 Assassins, Miike develops a critical voice of the changing society of Japan. The elements of the samurai ethos appeals directly to the humanitarian issues caused personally by the hands evil Lord Naritsugu. Shinzaemon Shimada, the protagonist is given a giant task to defeat Lord Naritsugu and to come up with a plan that will allow him to win his “gamble.” The team is 12 well-trained samurai to devise a plan to end the peace-period and to stop the arrogant brother of the shogun. For all of these men, failure is not an option because all of them embody the giri (duty, obligation, or responsibility.) In this paper it will discuss the directors portrayal of the …show more content…

During the nineteenth century, “ the Constitution (1889) manifests the peculiar authoritarian nature of the pre-war Japanese State dictating a state religion as well as other obligations on the lower social classes.” (Asian Review, 1) The social classes in Japan have been distinct for centuries. The samurai class comprised of samurai warriors, daimyos, and shoguns. The lower class was made up of merchants and farmers living in Japan. In the movie it is set in the nineteenth century, a period of peace. Samurai culture was influx because there were no wars to fight. It was a time of when death couldn’t just be determined by rank. Power was held in Edo a consolidated power ran by the Shogun. The infrastructure of Japan rested on the lower class merchants who entertained Samurai and the peasant farmers who paid high taxes in rice. In the movie it shows three instances of the lower class being taken advantage of by Naritsugu. In the movie there is a distinct behavioral differences between the workers and Naritsugu. It is enough dramatic evidence in the movie for the viewer to conclude a change needs to happen within the social

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