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

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, or bushi (warrior), are well-trained cavalrymen that serve a particular lord. The first recorded history of the samurai was about the 9th century A.D. At that time the capitol of Japan was Kamakura, a military installation. Japan was ruled by an emperor who controlled his empire through the use of shoguns. Shoguns were generals that ruled over

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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

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 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.

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.

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.

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