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Truly Samurai 侍

Samurais of traditional Japan were among the most important characters of Japan’s history. These honorable warriors fought almost all of the major battles and wars in Japan’s history up until the end of traditional Japan in the 1800’s. The code of fighting and conduct used by the samurai, how battles were fought, and the famous samurai and daimyo have all been important times in the history of the samurai. Without the samurai, the struggles for power, and the numerous unifications brought about by the most powerful of the daimyo, Japan could not be what it is today. With the honor, dedication, and perseverance shown by these great warriors, the samurai have earned a place among the most admired warriors in the world.

The samurais developed a code, based on Confucianism and Zen Buddhist principles known as bushido. ‘Bushido’ means "Way of the Warrior." It was at the heart of the belief and conduct of the Samurai. The value of Bushido is "freedom from fear." It meant that the Samurai transcended his fear of death. That gave the Samurai peace and power to serve their masters faithfully and loyally, even under dire circumstances. "Duty" is a primary philosophy of the Samurai, being known as protectors of the many emperors.

As part of bushido and samurai tradition, all samurai had to wear a short sword for suicide and a longer sword for fighting. These two swords were often named, and were the "soul" of warriorship as well as making sword-smiths important. First the samurai used bows, arrows, and armor. Though as the type of battle changed, so did the armor. In 1543, swords were accompanied by a projectile weapon called an arquebus (matchlock rifle) which revolutionized warfare forever. In the armies, the samurai were supported by less trained peasantry and ashiguru. The ashiguru and different weaponry all helped make the samurai and the daimyo more powerful and deadly.

Samurai’s were known for much more than their stunning battle arts; being...