You have heard the term samurai used on television, in movies and during history class. You’re probably aware that samurai are Japanese warriors, but their purpose was much greater than mindless fighters. The word samurai originates from the Japanese word saburau, which means to serve. Samurai are characterized by their undying loyalty. They followed a code of ethics known as bushido which gave them this sense of loyalty along with fearlessness and integrity. If a samurai felt he (or she, as there were female samurai during certain periods) had broken the code of bushido, they would commit ritual suicide in the form of seppuku. This involved stabbing themselves through the stomach and twisting the blade.
Samurai used a number of weapons including swords, bows, spears and the naginata which is a polearm with a curved blade. The samurai who fought on foot usually used swords and carried more than one. They’re famous for their use of one sword in particular – the katana. This weapon has a gently curved blade and featured a hand guard known as the tsuba which was often engraved with imagery relating to a samurai ideal. Many Western weapons such as the rapier are not swung but poked forward in a stabbing motion. Katanas on the other hand were used in a cutting motion. In fact, samurai would actually draw their sword and cut their opponent in one swift movement. The samurai who rode horses were more likely to use spears and other polearms. They allowed the warriors to both reach a distance (which is useful when several feet off of the ground) and to charge at each other.
While weapons were certainly important, so too was the armor that a samurai adorned. A Heian samurai’s armor was called oyoroi and it covered the entire body. Armor could be made from a number of materials including leather, iron, lacquer, wood, bamboo, silk or even bear fur. Their helmet was known as a hachi and despite the composition of the other pieces of armor, it was made of metal plates. The helmet featured a wide neck guard known as the shikoro, a ventilation hole at the top known as the tehen and horns at the top called kuwagata. They also wore a mempo, which was a facemask. The mempo connected to the helmet via a cord and it also featured a nowada which protected the throat. Samurai wore shoulder guards known as o-sode and a full chest plate called a do. Their arms were protected by sleeve armor called the kote while tekko guards covered the hands. The area from their waist to their thighs was protected by a four-piece plated item known as a kusazuri, which looked not unlike a very rectangular skirt. Below the kusazuri was a haidate which further protected the thighs and suneate which were greaves that covered the shins. Foot soldiers wore less armor than the Heian samurai – outfits known as doumaru and haramaki.
The first samurai were appointed in the year 702 to serve as imperial guards. They were low-ranking. However, by the 900s, samurai had gained a lot of prestige. Samurai were always part of the military, however in the Twelfth Century, Japan experienced a time of unrest when two clans, the Minamoto and the Taira, were vying for power of the land. When the Taira won, the samurai were granted control over the government. However, the Taira’s power would not last long. The Minamoto regrouped and sparked the Gempei War where the samurai of both sides fought valiantly once more.
Perhaps the most interesting time in Japanese history is that of the Warring States Period which ran through the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This was the time the samurai became familiar with the katana swords they are best known for using. It was also a time where samurai mortality was becoming clear. Crude European firearms could pierce their armor. Japan had to develop its own weapons and began modernizing, albeit with a strong attachment to its own rich history. The samurai maintained their elite status until Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in 1853 and opened up greater trade relations with the United States.
Japan began rapid modernization due to increased trade with the Western world. The nation no longer had need for a warrior class, they had artillery. The Tokugawa Shogunate ended in 1868, and it would be the last to recognize samurai. In 1876, the samurai were ordered to give up their swords. However, the ethics instilled by the code of bushido live on today in many Japanese people.
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