Sepuku's Influence On Japanese Culture

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.

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

The samurai had an unwritten code of honor called the bushido. Bushido means “way of the warrior” (History of the Samurai 3). This provided them with a code to help show them how to live and conduct themselves at home and in battle. One of the most important duties of the samurai was their loyalty to their lord. The samurai would defend their lord until the death. Revenge was also central in the samurai’s

Document A shows the feudal social structures in both Japan and Europe. When defining samurai and knights it read, “Warriors who owned loyalty and military service to daimyos or lord for land,” both samurai and knights were awarded for their pledged loyalty with land for them and their families. Document E states that “both samurai and knights were both expected to abide by a code of honor.” Although the honor code that Japanese warriors followed was different than the one of the European knights, they had the same general idea. A warrior had to be honest, loyal, and just and if they ever ignored or dishonored their duty as a warrior then it would bring shame, not only on them but their whole

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.

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.

Imagine seeing a man in Japan fighting with a katana. This man was a samurai. A samurai was a professionally trained warrior in feudal Japan.These samurais worked for their daimyo or the Shogun. They were hired to protect them, their family, and land. Samurais were hardworking and respectful to everyone. When samurais are in battle they win and do not lose.

The samurai, members of a very powerful military castle in feudal Japan began as provincial warriors before rising to power in the 12th century. Their job was to back up the authority of the shogun and gave him power over the emperor (Mikado). They would dominate Japanese government and society until the Meji restoration in 1868. Even though they were deprived of their privileges, many samurai's would enter the elite ranks of politics and industry of modern Japan. More importantly, the traditional code of the samurai was honor, discipline and morality which is known as Bushido meaning "the way of warrior".

The knights all fought for the king so they could have land and payment. The samurai did the same, just for anyone who could be their master. The higher up lords gave the lesser lords land so that they could lend their lives to the king. The samurai were anyone who needed land or payment and were willing to give their lives to anyone

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

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

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.

Integrity of the samurai were also challenged in times of war. Rewards could be granted for losses, such as losing a horse or a disciple (armor weapons) or getting injured. A samurai could gain status among his peers by killing a noble warrior and presenting this noble warrior’s head in proof of killing them. Both reward, such as land, money, or compensation, and status were important to samurai, more so to some than others, and thus challenged their honor and integrity. Many samurai abandoned their moral to attempt to cheat the system in order to gain. Embellishing a

There are several differences however, to how the knights and samurai worked. Both knights and samurai were allied with a noble or daimyo. They protected their land and fought for their lord. Samurai were guided by a code of honour called bushido, which they followed strictly. They were skilled at martial arts, horse riding, archery, military strategy and in later times used guns. The samurai also practiced a ritual suicide called seppuku, used to preserve their honour. Samurai were also expected to be educated so as to help their lord govern his land. Knights were guided by chivalry, but it was not as important to them. They fought on horseback with heavy metal armour and weapons. They would also joust to train for battle. The samurai were Shinto-Buddhists. They practiced special meditation so they would know what to do in battle and have complete control of their body and mind. Knights were Christian and were motivated to fight for the church. The church also provided momentary support for poorer Knights. The knights and samurai were skilled in fighting, followed a code of honour and religion affected how they

Have you ever seen a TV show or a movie about Samurai? Have you ever seen someone dressed up as a Samurai, or read a book with one in it? Maybe you just have a vague idea in the back of your head. Well, guess what? That definition or example, you may think is a Samurai is probably only a small taste of what the calm yet strong warriors were like. Samurai were not only the fearless fighters that we may think of at first, in fact, they were educated, controlled, loyal, and well prepared people. To create a broader picture and to ensure that we don’t create stereotypes about samurai and the people of Japan in general, this PSA was created. The purpose of the different gradation of the various illustrations was to emphasize the middle illustration