{"id":1427,"date":"2025-03-24T20:26:58","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T20:26:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/japan\/?page_id=1427"},"modified":"2025-03-24T20:27:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T20:27:00","slug":"samurai","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/japan\/samurai\/","title":{"rendered":"Samurai"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns alignfull stk-block-columns stk-block stk-cf247fd stk-block-background stk--has-background-overlay\" data-block-id=\"cf247fd\"><style>.stk-cf247fd .stk--block-align-cf247fd{align-items:flex-start !important;}.stk-cf247fd {background-color:var(u002du002dtheme-palette-color-4, #000000) !important;background-image:url(https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Samurai-Armour-Kusakabe-Kimbei.webp) !important;background-attachment:fixed !important;background-position:center center !important;background-repeat:no-repeat 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!important;font-size:70px !important;color:#fcb900 !important;line-height:1em !important;font-weight:800 !important;}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-436ce8b {margin-top:49px !important;margin-right:108px !important;top:17px !important;bottom:1px !important;left:65px !important;}.stk-436ce8b .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:50px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:689px){.stk-436ce8b {margin-top:18px !important;top:42px !important;}.stk-436ce8b .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:38px !important;}}<\/style><h2 class=\"stk-block-heading__text has-text-color has-palette-color-8-color has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Samurai\"><\/span>Samurai<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-ad51fb0\" data-block-id=\"ad51fb0\"><style>.stk-ad51fb0 {max-width:55% !important;min-width:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-left:auto !important;right:3px !important;left:-100px !important;}.stk-ad51fb0 .stk-block-text__text{text-shadow:4px 4px 0px #000000ff !important;font-size:38px !important;color:#fcb900 !important;}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-ad51fb0 {min-height:0px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-width:auto !important;bottom:-29px !important;left:70px !important;}.stk-ad51fb0 .stk-block-text__text{font-size:38px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:689px){.stk-ad51fb0 {margin-top:-33px !important;margin-bottom:33px !important;top:57px !important;left:8px !important;}.stk-ad51fb0 .stk-block-text__text{font-size:33px !important;}}<\/style><p class=\"stk-block-text__text has-text-color has-palette-color-8-color has-text-align-left has-text-align-center-mobile\">Warriers<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-6a8268d\" data-block-id=\"6a8268d\"><style>.stk-6a8268d {height:31px !important;}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-6a8268d {height:33px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:689px){.stk-6a8268d {height:32px !important;}}<\/style><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Japanese_Samurai\"><\/span>Japanese Samurai<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>samurai<\/em> (or <em>bushi<\/em>) were the warriors of premodern Japan. They later made up the ruling military class which 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Samurai<\/em> were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of <em>bushido<\/em> (&#8220;the way of the warrior&#8221;). Strongly Confucian in nature, <em>bushido<\/em> stressed concepts such as loyalty to one&#8217;s master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior. Many <em>samurai<\/em> were also drawn to the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"History\"><\/span>History<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The samurai trace their origins to the <em>Heian Period<\/em> campaigns to subdue the native <em>Emishi<\/em> people in the <em>Tohoku<\/em> Region. Around the same time, warriors were increasingly hired by wealthy landowners that had grown independent of the central government and built armies for their own protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two most powerful of these landowning clans, the <em>Minamoto<\/em> and <em>Taira<\/em>, eventually challenged the central government and battled each other for supremacy over the entire country. <em>Minamoto Yoritomo<\/em> emerged victorious and set up a new military government in 1192, led by the <em>shogun<\/em> or supreme military commander. The <em>samurai<\/em> would rule over Japan for most of the next 700 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the chaotic <em>era of warring states<\/em> in the 15th and 16th centuries, Japan splintered into dozens of independent states constantly at war with one another. Consequently, warriors were in high demand. It was also the era when <em>ninja<\/em>, warriors specialized in unconventional warfare, were most active. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The country was eventually reunited in the late 1500s, and a rigid social caste system was established during the <em>Edo<a href=\"https:\/\/www.japan-guide.com\/e\/e2128.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <\/a>Period<\/em> that placed the <em>samurai<\/em> at the top, followed by the farmers, artisans and merchants respectively. During this time, the <em>samurai<\/em> were forced to live in castle towns, were the only ones allowed to own and carry swords and were paid in rice by their <em>daimyo<\/em> or feudal lords. Masterless samurai were called <em>ronin<\/em> and caused minor troubles during the 1600s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Relative peace prevailed during the roughly 250 years of the <em>Edo Period<\/em>. As a result, the importance of martial skills declined, and many <em>samurai<\/em> became bureaucrats, teachers or artists. Japan&#8217;s feudal era eventually came to an end in 1868, and the <em>samurai<\/em> class was abolished a few years afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-3310603\" data-block-id=\"3310603\"><style>.stk-3310603 {height:50px !important;}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-3310603 {height:90px !important;}}<\/style><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Samurai Warriers Japanese Samurai The samurai (or bushi) were the warriors of premodern Japan. They later made up the ruling military class which 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 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