Samurai Essays

Ancient Japan lasted for over 16,000 years and during that time a number of events have changed history and affected the people of today. Over that period of time, some people called the samurai had contributed in changing history. The samurai began in 1185 by the Japanese government in the Heian period. The very first samurai was known as Yasuke, the man was a warrior who reached the rank of the samurai under the rule of Oda Nounaga, who was...

Saigō was well known as ‘The Last Samurai’. He succeeded in the difficult task of overthrowing Tokugawa who led the Shogun’s and took control from the Emperor. Saigō returned all power to the Emperor and helped to establish the Meiji Restoration. However, being a new leader soon collided with his own values and beliefs as a firm follower of the code of conduct. Saigō Takamori is considered one of the many great heroes of Japanese history. He had led the...

The word ‘samurai’ is most often associated with skilful warriors dressed in heavy armour and fighting their battles with the famous Katana or possibly the ultimate battle of skill between the samurai and his brother-in-arms the ninja or simply the warrior one meets in mass-media. The above-mentioned associations may be true, but one rarely thinks of how this honoured expert of warfare originated and how their legacy has impacted not only Japan but continue to intrigue the West do to...

Introduction The Edo period was crucial in the shaping of Japanese gender roles and expectations, creating norms that continue to influence modern-day views of femininity and masculinity. Japan was once a matriarchal society where women were head of social organizations, families, and clans, however, the influx of Chinese philosophy and Confucian ideas in the modern period led to a decrease in female power (xx). The Confucian ideology emphasized hierarchy and male dominance, and as a result, women became subservient (xx)....

The Evaluation How did the Samurai’s lifestyle affect their personal lives? The Summary My research was about the Samurai lifestyle and how it affected their personal lives. Japanese history has always intrigued me, I have always loved learning about their civilization and culture, and I especially loved learning about the Samurai. The reason I chose this topic is that wanted to find out more about these noble warriors and their customs, they held an important part in Japan’s history. It...

The movie ‘The Last Samurai’ was useful to an extent for the education about the modernization of Japan. This movie is based on a historical event that unfolded in the modernization of Japan. ‘The Last Samurai’ is a 2003 American drama action movie co-produced and directed by Edward Zwick. It is set in 1876 in Japan, which at the time wasn’t modernized and there several different problems between the samurai. The movie ‘The Last Samurai’ shows some factual and nonfactual...

Bushido, a code of moral principles that dictate the samurai way of life, first came to the fore during the Edo period. Its origins were largely influenced by Shinto and Zen Buddhism, with many of its tenets being drawn from Neo-Confucian texts. Bushido was originally an informal code of conduct for samurai, encompassing a wide range of virtues and guides to behavior that were meant to temper the harsh lifestyle of the samurai. It acted as a training of the...

While it is an attractive view of these legendary warriors, it is nevertheless quite a misleading one. In this video, we shall do our best to correct this, and cover the even more fascinating roles and perceptions of the samurai in Japanese society from the earliest days all the way to the modern day. The geographical situation that spawned the Samurai where they did is a unique one in the world. The Japanese home islands are an archipelago just off...

Knights and Samurai By Oliver Dudley-smith • What were the roles of the knights and the samurai in their respective societies The knights started serving the king in the 9th century playing a massive role in society the main role being fighting and defending their king at war and betraying the chivalry. But during the times of piece, they participated in the feudal system living in an estate and had peasants working on the land. They were honored highly in...