The Power Of The Samurai

The Samurai’s Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard is about a boy named Taro, the protagonist in the story. The major characters in the story are Taro, Yoshitoki, Lord Takeda Katsuyori, Lord Akiyama Nobutomo, and Togan. The setting of the story is in Japan, in around the 16th century. In the beginning of the story he was presented as a gift by the great Lord Takeda Shingen to Lord Akiyama after his parents had been killed. By using his wits and suppressing his fierce pride, Taro slowly escalates the ranks of his lord’s household until he achieves his greatest goal—becoming a samurai like his father and Lord Akiyama, whom he has come to admire. The life of a samurai is not so easy, Taro finds himself sacrificing opportunities of love and friendship

Imagine, more than thousands of years ago a class of professional warriors arose, who swore oaths of loyalty to noble lords and fought to the death to defend them in battle. The time was about 1000-1400 CE (Doc. 1). Both Europe and Japan have feudalistic societies at this point in time (Doc. A).

The first way that samurais have an advantage is because of their armor. In document D written by Terry Bennett it says “The helmet bowl was made of 8-12 iron plates, and below it was a 5-piece neck guard”. The samurai armor had multiple layers to make sure that they are protected and not easily wounded or killed. Another piece of evidence that supports this claim in in document D written by Terry Bennett it says “The body of the armor had four parts”. Samurai didn’t have very heavy armor, letting them move easily while still being protected.

Nearly a thousand years ago, knights and samurai were the military forces in Europe and Japan. During the time period 1066 to 1868, knights and samurai formed the military society in both Japan and Europe (Doc. 2). Although it seems like they are similar, the differences between knights and samurai outweigh the similarities, such as the codes, armor, and their training.

From approximately 1000- 1600 CE, the knights and Samurai were the muscue and the soul of the warrior class. The warriors of Europe were called knight and the warriors of Japan were called samurai. Both of the groups were focus on the Codes , Armor and Feudalism. The Similarities between the knights and samurai were greater than the differences To begin, both the knights and samurai had armour to protect themselves in battle.

The samurai sword, first forged in Japan in the 7th century, is noted for its remarkable craftsmanship. Wielded by the formidable samurai warriors in Japan between warring clans, the samurai swords were so well made that they surpassed the craftsmanship and strength of those forged in Damascus.

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

They had a code for the way they lived their lives this code was called bushido which said: a true warrior must hold that loyalty, courage, veracity, compassion, and honour as important, above all else. The Samurai had arranged marriages from the daimyos (As most had few opportunities to meet women anyway). In the tokugawa period Samurai’s often became government officials because there wasn’t much warfare. Samurais carried two swords (not wielding them at the same time) these swords were called katanas it was curved and thin blade, which created a clean cut through foes.

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 class arose in Japan during the end of the Heian Era, which lasted from 794-1185 CE. The emperor of the time and his court had become detached from the needs of the country, and as a result were often referred to as “The Court in the Clouds.” A powerful clan known as the Fujiwara family took advantage of the emperor’s cluelessness, and gained power through tricks and manipulation. After the Fujiwara family’s rise to power, all the nobles and clans began to fight each other and compete over power. This lawlessness lead to the rise of the samurai, who the warlords hired to increase their armies, which would them increase their power. The samurai lived very disiplined and focused lives, where they “had to follow a strict code

The samurai were élite warriors in Japan during the 1200’s to the early 1700’s. Fifth century Japan saw conflicts with Korea and China, but Japan had a very untrained army, with a clumsy Calvary, and poor infantry men (Blumberg 1). The reason was that horses were seen as a burden and were never bred to be strong, fast, and large for war purposes (Blumberg 2). In the 6th and 9th centuries, a series of rebellions in Japan began from the Emishi people of the northern home islands; these country people were very well-trained in mounted archery. The nimble Emishi would defeat the Japanese riders with ease (Blumberg 2). But during the war against the Emishi, Japan learned to breed horses for fighting, adapted new fighting methods, and developed

Authors exaggerated the image of a samurai in this time period to make them seem more honorable and masculine. In reality, they were farmers, artisans, and common folk. It was not until after the Genpei war that samurai began to become a integral part of society. At first they were hired mercenaries, then a hired army, and then the warriors made known by writers standards, such as seen in the Tale of the Heike. With homosexuality, samurai were always the dominant in the relationship.

The samurai were the professional warriors that ruled Japan for about 700 years, from the end of the 12th century until the middle of the 19th century. “The term samurai originates from the verb saburau, meaning to serve as attendant to a person of nobility” (Mcgee 1). In the Heian era, (ca. 792-1192), samurai referred to the warriors guarding the Emperor and court nobles, but later the term started to be used to refer to all professional warriors. From the end of the Heian era, the samurai were men who transformed into local feudal lords and came to combine forces with the landlords.

A samurai was a member of the warrior class, and nowadays is typically associated with loyalty and respect. However, the way these ‘warriors’ are perceived in the field of entertainment is often grossly over exaggerated. Samurai served their Daimyo, or warrior lord below the shogun, who used them for their own personal gain. Samurai protected their Daimyo’s land, which then allowed for their power and amount of land expand. Though they were respected, they were simply servants to their Daimyo and were constantly ordered around.

Many people often see little similarity between the country of Japan and Europe. However, there are actually several similarities between these two countries. the knight of Europe and the samurai of Japan shared many common elements. This was a result of many similarities social and cultural influences experienced by the two unfriendly countries. Japan has a history that dates back thousands of years. As early as 4500 B.C. the Japanese islands were inhabited by fishermen, hunters and farmers. The early culture was known as Jomon named after the cord pattern pottery crafted by the people at the time. Major Japanese cultural changed occurred about 200 B.C. The people were known as Yayoi. The Yayoi were mostly farmers. Ancient Yayoi warriors developed weapons, Armor and a code during the succeeding centuries that became the centrepiece for the Japanese samurai. War played a central part in the history of Japan. One of the important dates in the history of the Japanese warring class is 660 B.C. That 's when, according to legend, Emperor Jimmu became head of a alliance. Emperor Jimmu was known as The Divine Warrior. He led his people from Kyushu to the Kinki region and conquered the people there. Eventually Emperor Jimmu settled in the area of Yamato. This eventually gave rise to the Yamato dynasty and state. The leaders of Yamato believed themselves to be of divine origin. Later, the Yamato clans shown many military campaigns on the Asian mainland. The targets included