...What makes a Japanese Samurai? * The samurai (or bushi) were the warriors of premodern Japan. They later made up the ruling military class that eventually became the highest ranking social caste of the Edo Period (1603-1867). Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns, but their main weapon and symbol was the sword. * Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior. Many samurai were also drawn to the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism. * What are the roles/responsibilities/missions of a Samurai? * The samurai embraced self-discipline, mindfulness, ethics and intelligence. They were known for their katanas, or samurai swords, which symbolized the brave soul of a warrior. Not only were they skilled in war, but they also came into political power and protected the land. They promoted literacy in Japanese culture. They also promoted Zen Buddhism and meditation, which gave them philosophical strength in battle. Samurai art styles also impacted Japanese art as they often produced ink paintings, rock gardens and poetry, such as haikus. Some samurai even became monks. How it is considered as an Art? * Samurai is considered as an art because there’s a meaning behind every skill. For example, Taira Tadanori. A samurai who demonstrate...
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...l The History of the Japanese Samurai and Sword Brandon Stepka SOCI306 The history of the Japanese samurai and sword has always been an interesting topic to me. I will not only be discussing the correlations between the two, but also the evolution of each. Along with that, I will be expanding upon how the Japanese sword was created, how it became popular, and lastly, how it is link to Japanese culture. I would now like to start by giving you a background of the Japanese samurai. The Japanese warrior, also known as the samurai, appeared during the Heian Period (794-1185). They initially started out as warriors and protectors for wealthy landowners. This is partially where the name ‘samurai’ came about, meaning “those who serve”. The samurai truly began to grow during the Kamakura period, where the “establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, a hereditary military dictatorship, shifted all real political power in Japan to the samurai.” This power was forged by leader Minamoto Yoritomo, who pushed vigorously to establish a high social status for the samurai. Without the acknowledgement of Yoritomo, you would not be considered a samurai; he had the final say. Now that I have given you some basic history of the samurai, I would like to give you some interesting facts that I found to be very cool. First, the Japanese samurai’s would burn incense into their helmets before battle, because of the possibility their heads would be cut off it would not smell. This...
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...Between the 12th and 19th centuries, feudal Japan had an elaborate four tier class system. Unlike European feudal society, in which the peasants (or serfs) were at the bottom, the Japanese feudal class structure placed merchants on the lowest rung. Confucian ideals emphasized the importance of productive members of society, so farmers and fishermen had higher status than shop-keepers in Japan. At the top of the heap was the samurai class. The Samurai Class: Feudal Japanese society was dominated by the samurai warrior class. Although they made up only about 10% of the population, samurai and their daimyo lords wielded enormous power. When a samurai passed, members of the lower classes were required to bow and show respect. If a farmer or artisan refused to bow, the samurai was legally entitled to chop off the recalcitrant person's head. Samurai answered only to the daimyo for whom they worked. The daimyo, in turn, answered only to the shogun. There were about 260 daimyo by the end of the feudal era. Each daimyo controlled a broad area of land, and had an army of samurai. The Farmers / Peasants: Just below the samurai on the social ladder were the farmers or peasants. According to Confucian ideals, farmers were superior to artisans and merchants because they produced the food that all the other classes depended upon. Although technically they were considered an honored class, the farmers lived under a crushing tax burden for much of the feudal era. During the reign of...
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...Assignmen2: Samurai Culture in Japan GVPT 280 The Samurai culture of Japan The Samurai culture was seen for the first time during the 12th century during the first military dictatorship. They last until 1868 when they were disbanded. The word samurai translates to “those who serve”. In the beginning, samurai was armed guards for wealthy land owners. Over the years the samurai developed into what we know of them today. An elite military group. To become a samurai, it started at an early age. They was taught and lived by a code of honor, it was called bushido or “way of the warrior. There are 7 virtues of the bushido. The virtues were morality, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor and loyalty. They was taught in a very strict way. They was taught swordsmanship, horsemanship, archery and martial arts. They was taught to know suffering, not to want wealth or praise, taught it is better to die then dishonor one’s self and most of all obey his master or lord. The samurai was well educated in reading and writing. Some samurais became business men and politicians throughout their history. The samurai had their own religion which was called Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is coming to enlightenment through mediation. True Zen is coming face to face with one’s self. It was also tried into their teachings at early ages. The most iconic items of the samurai was their swords and their armor. A samurai carried...
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...was captured during a fight between the Americans and the Japanese, but instead of killing the American, the Samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Wantanobe) wanted him alive so that he could learn from his enemy's ways. The Captain was staying in Katsumoto's ex brother-in-law's house with the now widowed young lady and her children. The lady was very un-accepting of the war hero at first, because he was the man who killed her husband, but as the story grew, she, along with the rest of her Buddhist tribe grew to like the American. As the American got stronger and was given more rights by their tribe, he started to learn the art of Japanese language and symbolism. While he was learning the semantics of another culture, I noticed that he had completely forgotten his ways as an American soldier and instead, took on the way of the Samurai. As the ways of the Samurai embodied him, he grew emotionally and spiritually enough to the point of complete change of being. He was now willing to fight for the Samurais, and although they did not have all the weapons that the Americans possessed, they did have much more structure of discipline and self control. The clip ends with the American apologizing to the young lady for the slaying of her husband. She accepts, and then tells him in Japanese that they ware each doing their duty, and that it was only karma that took her husband. I would have to say that it was the semantics of this Japanese culture that he was learning that intrigued me the most...
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...April 20, 2010 Professor Ravina Legends of the Samurai The Faces of Bushido Bushido, however it is defined, has had a profound impact on Japanese society. Translated, Bushido means “Way of the Warrior” and so it can be defined as a type of code of conduct for samurai. Besides being simply a code applied to Japanese samurai alone, Bushido has also been said to be an integral element in the fabric of Japanese culture and society. Although there is no formalized official written document specifically stating what Bushido is, it remains an entity that has become the quintessential element of Japanese society. Of all the interpretations on what Bushido is, two of the most popular are the Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo and Bushido, the Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe. However, both of these writings are influenced by the time period in which they were written, and experiences of their respective authors. By evaluating certain influences on the interpretations of Bushido and the contradictions in them one is able to see how each is using their own version of Bushido to justify the author’s position or achieve a certain end. Bushido as a term itself was not used much later on, but the code itself, although unspoken, can be seen Japanese literature throughout the ages. Starting with the Shoku Nihongi the term “bushi” is used as well as the term “Saburau”, which was applied to those who accompanied nobility. One of the earliest forms of a type of written code of conduct that has Bushido...
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...Samurai and the “Oneness” of Kendo Marie Carpenter Grand Canyon University: ENG 105 4/28/2013 Samurai and the “Oneness” of Kendo The Japanese Samurai warriors came in to power after the Taika reforms of 646 A.D (Szczepanski,2013). The Samurai were created to protect the European lords with their riches. The Samurai were known to practice Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is the practice of calming the mind and accepting all things good or bad in life by using zen meditation (Bairan, 2006). Zen meditation aided the Samurai to focus completely on the present, eliminate all thoughts of life and death, and to be one with the sword (Kendo). Samurais live very peaceful lives with strict discipline of learning to be one with their sword (Kendo). They practice amongst each other every day to ensure that they are still one with their sword, along with meditating daily to ensure calmness. Samurai warriors are excellent marksman who use the “no mind” theory during battle. The “no mind” theory comes from zen meditation. The warriors meditate on a daily basis to help clear there minds and not focus on anything, but the breath. The breath is the essential part of meditation as when your mind starts to drift and focus on something else, you can calmly bring your mind back to the present and focus on the breath. The Samurai have been very successful in their battles due to not thinking about anything except the task at hand. The ultimate goal of the Samurai is to take...
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...early 1900s is the period known as imperialism. Imperialism is when a country uses another country’s resources for their own gain. Many examples can be found in The Last Samurai in the global level, local level, and personal level. Global is pertaining to the whole world. Local is pertaining to a city, town, or small district rather than an entire state or country. Personal is pertaining to own self-opinion and viewpoint. There are many ways that The Last Samurai offers lessons on a global level. At first, Nathan Algren thinks that Japanese are savages, because they have a strict policy that commanded you kill yourself if you break it. Also, he thinks that he is better than other people just because he is an American. For example, he aggressively killed several Samurai which leads to Katsumoto’s brother in law prepares to kill the wounded Nathan. But he seizes a spear from the ground and stabs Hirotaro through the throat....
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...Samurai Warrior Few countries have a warrior tradition as long and exciting as Japan. It is a tradition found in the Samurai, the loyal and self-sacrificing knight of ancient Japan. The Samurai is a valiant warrior who can both appreciate the beauty of nature in that of a rose blossom but will also kill or die for his master in an instant. This well-rounded warrior was the ruling class of Japan for almost seven hundred years. He fought for control of his country and to keep Japan free from outside influences. (Turnbull 1) This aristocratic warrior class arose during the 12th century wars between the Taira and Minamoto clans and was consolidated in the Tokugawa period. Samurai were privileged to wear two swords, and at one time had the right to cut down any commoner who offended them. They cultivated the martial virtues, indifference to pain or death, and unfailing loyalty to their overlords. Samurai were the dominant group in Japan. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the samurai were removed from direct control of the villages, moved into the domain castle towns, and given government stipends. They were encouraged to take up bureaucratic posts. The Hagakure, has been dubbed the book of the samurai. It was written after a century of peace around 1716. It came to be the guide of samurai ethics until the end of the feudal period. Its short passages reflect and outline the qualities that make a samurai. Yamamoto Tsunetomo expresses in the hagakure the framework and mindset of being...
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...William Prado Professor Solis HST 301 OL 11/19/2014 The Golden Age of Japanese Cinema The Golden age of Japanese cinema started in the mid-1940s and lasted approximately 30 years to the end of the 1960s. It was a period marked by the end of the war that saw the defeat of Japan by America and her allies. The destruction that Japan faced with the twin bombings had left the country shaken to the roots and the young men and women wanted to find something useful to keep them busy. They found the cinema. With the advancement in technology, film directors such as Akira Kurosawa took the center stage with films that tried to teach people about harmony and restoration. Most of the films in the golden age focused on the need to prevent war and bring people together as one unique society through the preaching of peaceful coexistence. This research, therefore, focuses on the Seven Samurai film that was directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1953. Through the film, we hope to understand the concepts of the golden age of Japanese Cinema, as well as its characteristics (Tezuka 47). Seven Samurai is a war film that depicts the struggle that human beings go through in search for freedom and emancipation. It also reveals the post war effects on the society and tries to persuade people to coexist peacefully without causing chaos (Fischer 1-65). The film directed by Akira Kurosawa and produced by Sojiro Motoki, stars Toshiro Mifume, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima and several other individuals who...
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...similarities, they also had their differences. European warriors were known as “knights”, while Japanese warriors were “samurai.” Both knights and samurai had a code of ethics they were to follow; the codes that the knights had to follow was chivalry, and the samurai were bound by bushido. Both European and Japanese warriors wore armor. However, their armor had very many differences. For example, knights typically...
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...Carolina Wilmington The Legend of the Goruku Chushingura: The Retellings Lorenzell Terry * This research paper will compare and contrast the two films based on the tale of the 47 Ronin. It will examine all aspects of the film based on the Japanese Culture such as everything from clothing to the ceremonies. It will show how foreigners see Japanese culture as being something dramatically else. The Legend of the Goruku Chushingura: The Retellings Lorenzell Terry * This research paper will compare and contrast the two films based on the tale of the 47 Ronin. It will examine all aspects of the film based on the Japanese Culture such as everything from clothing to the ceremonies. It will show how foreigners see Japanese culture as being something dramatically else. 08 Fall 08 Fall Lorenzell Terry William Hedberg JPN 211 17 April 2014 The Legend of the Goruku Chushingura: The Retellings Throughout Japanese history and most of the world, Samurai were seen as being the mightiest and loyalist warriors to have existed. Many years ago, started a story based on true events called the Goruku Chushingura or 47 Ronin. The story takes place in 1701 during the Edo period when most of the power was to the Shogun. Director by Japanese native; Kenji Mizoguchi made the first version of Goruku Chushingura in 1941. He has created credibility for himself by producing an arsenal of films before Goruku Chushingura, such films like The Woman of Osaka, Oyuki The Virgin, and The Downfall...
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...Bushido, essay #1 Marjorie S. G Have you ever wondered what it was like in medieval Japan? Do you have the answer to it? Well it doesn’t matter, i’ll tell you stuff such as the code of conduct, and what virtues are. Samurai followed a strict code of conduct, this is called bushido, this provides guidelines for all aspects of life. Bushido is a mixture of two Japanese words, bushi, which means ‘’warrior,’’ and do which means ‘’way’’ this means ‘’the way of the warrior.’’ The Asian religions of confucianism, Zen Buddhism, and Shinto had a strong influence on Bushido code. The virtues were courage, respect, honesty, honor, loyalty, rectitude or doing what is morally correct, and benevolence or desire to help others. Discipline...
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...By looking at Musui's Story by Katsu Kokichi, this paper explores the falling apart of the Japanese society during the late Tokugawa period due to the fluidity of the once immobile class system. As the era progressed, samurai took on other jobs and lived less than honorable lives while the merchants became more powerful than samurai but were unable to broadcast this due to the social hierarchy. Tensions grew between the two groups and Katsu's autobiography is able to showcase this period. At the beginning of the Tokugawa period, the population was split into four categories, samurai, peasants/farmers, artisans/craftsmen, and merchants. Samurai were at the top of the Edo society totem pole, while the rest were ordered in their effect on society....
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...In the Western world, the Japanese are well known for their intrepid knight-like warriors, the Samurai. During Japan’s feudal warring states period, Samurai first appeared as honorable and talented solders who faithfully served their lord. Since then, they have left a lasting legacy and impact all across the globe. Samurai have become the subjects of many movies, television series, and writings, becoming a massive culture icon. They’re skill with a sword is legendary and their code of Bushido, or the way, epitomizes the gentleman warrior. The impact of the samurai is so great that even in modern times, their practices are still carried out. One of the most notable instances of this is the suicide of Nogi Maresuke, a distinguished Japanese...
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