Hudson Honeybone, '26
History:
Periods of Japan:
Heian Period (794 - 1185)
Kamakura Period (1185 - 1333)
Muromachi Period (1338 - 1573)
Azuchi Momoyama Period (1573 - 1600)
Edo Period (1603 - 1867)
Meiji Restoration (1868-1912)
Early History:
The samurai trace back to the medieval Heian Period, which spanned from 794-1185 AD. Around this time, the powerful Fujiwara clan usurped total control of the imperial court, stealing the authority of nascent Japanese lords within the court. Now wielding little power, Japanese officials belonging to rival clans abandoned the imperial court to pursue their own fortunes in the countryside. They established extensive farming estates, manned by armies of serfs and domestic servants. These landed lords enlisted the protection of samurai to oversee their possessions. In this early period, the samurai functioned more as bodyguards/mercenaries, rather than the master warriors they are hailed as today. Heian samurai received wages in the form of koku, a unit of currency equivalent to the amount of rice needed to feed a man for a year.
More skilled and reputable samurai received larger stipends of koku for their efforts; over time, koku came to define a samurai’s success and status.
Rise of the Samurai and the Kamakura Period:
Beginning in the mid-11th century, the power balance in Japan underwent a dramatic reshaping. The declining popularity of the emperor and his imperial court incited a shift in political power towards the wealthy clans of the countryside. Tensions between rival clans intensified as they contested for political dominance in the area, finally erupting with the Gempei War in 1180. The Taira and Minamoto clans, two of Japan’s most powerful families, vied for control of the state. A Minamoto victory in 1185 solidified them as the dominant presence in Japan and ushered in the Minamoto shogunate, a hereditary military dictatorship headed by Minamoto Yoritomo. Since his political authority rested on the protection of his samurai, he rewarded and appeased them with special social privileges and high station. Notably, he permitted samurai to execute any wayward peasants with total impunity. Under the shogunate, the post of emperor and his imperial court both still existed, but the emperor wielded insubstantial power, behaving more as a puppet for the more dominant shogun. During this era otherwise known as the Kamakura Period, samurai began developing distinct cultural identities and adopting the unique practices which designate them today. Most converted to Zen Buddhism, which had just arrived in Japan; the new religion reshaped the samurai’s warrior code and informed their ideology. Around this time, the katana also became a quintessential image of samurai culture, inheriting a symbolic meaning of honor.
An Era of Instability: The Ashigaka Era
In 1274, Mongol leader Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, mounted an invasion on the Japanese archipelago. Reinforced by the samurai, the Kamakura shogunate repelled the invasions, reclaiming sovereignty over the island. However, the Mongol invasions severely weakened the shogunate, leaving them vulnerable to internal rivals. In 1336, Ashigaka Takauji led a rebellion against the Kamakura and usurped power, initiating the Ashikaga shogunate.
The Ashikaga period was marked by territorial clan feuds and political instability. The Ashikaga shoguns became obsolete, leaving a gaping power vacuum in Japanese society. In the ensuing chaos, Japanese clans and their samurai contested for sovereignty. Lacking a centralized source of authority, samurai were responsible for maintaining law and order, often through de facto authority.
An Age of Peace:
The conclusion of the Sengoku-Jidai, or the “Period of the Country at War” in 1615 commenced a 250 year-long stretch of peace and stability in Japan. During this Age of Peace, the samurai became agents of civil order, governing the state through diplomatic means rather than military intervention. The emperor required that samurai not only train combat skills, but also study the fine arts of Confucianism, marking a divergence from their traditional combat roles. Confucianism refers to the ideology of 5th century B.C. Chinese thinker Confucious, who emphasized moral and civil virtue as the keys to a “good” life. As Confucianism stormed the country, many samurai converted from traditional Zen Buddhism to Confucianism. The mass-conversion of the samurai and the rising general popularity of Confucianism transformed samurai culture. The samurai code, Bushido, was grounded in Confuscist ideals and began to truly take form during the Age of Peace. However, Bushido still retained its core convictions of fearlessness, honor, and loyalty under Confucious influence.
Devoid of combat work, many samurai turned to the bureaucracy or learned an artisan trade to account for declining stipends. Despite this social transition, the samurai still retained the esteemed vision of themselves as “fighting men” and “defenders of Japan.”
Fall:
Nearing the 20th century, the shogunate defied centuries of isolationist precedent by opening trade with Western powers in order to stimulate Japan’s agricultural economy. The decision both upheld and infuriated the conservative Japanese public, deepening the shogunate’s unpopularity. Samurai, bureaucrats, and peasants alike began calling for a return to empirical supremacy. An alliance between the powerful Choshu and Satsuma clans toppled the shogunate, restoring the emperor as head of state. The new emperor's first order formally abolished the feudal system, and the post of samurai along with it. Following the collapse of the samurai order, many samurai used their existing influence and station to enter politics or business.
Culture / Ideology
Bushido - “The Way of The Warrior”
The Bushido code of conduct established the guidelines and principles on which samurai life was founded. Under Bushido, duty and honor superseded even imperial law. Samurai were taught to adhere to the Bushido code, even if it defied the wishes of the emperor or shogun. Being captured in battle was considered the greatest dishonor, far worse than admirably dying in combat. If captured, samurai were required to commit seppuku, a form of suicide in which a samurai thrusts his katana through his chest. Bushido emphasized the core virtues of Samurai life as frugality, kindness, honesty, courage, loyalty, honor, and piety. These core values remained central to Bushido for centuries, enduring political and social transformations, and even the infusion of Confucianism. The code persists today in the Japanese martial arts of karate, aikido, and jujitsu, all of which stress respect and honorable combat.
Combat:
The samurai developed almost personal relationships with their katanas. As such, the art of swordsmithing gained notoriety during their reign. Blacksmiths and craftsmen would work to create the most elaborate and furnished armaments, while also maximizing combat capabilities. Along with the katana, samurai carried a wakizashi (“short sword”) to be better equipped for all combat scenarios. Samurai excelled in 1v1 encounters, but could dispatch dozens of men on the battlefield with their superior combat skills and intuition. Their trademark katana featured a single-edged curved blade, outfitted with a spacious and comfortable handle. Samurai wore artistic, highly protective armor, featuring alternating layers of iron, brass, and leather. For the most valuable warriors could only use the most impressive gear. The samurai were also highly-skilled archers, an aspect often overshadowed by their elegant sword fighting. samurai were equipped with longbows, which required significantly more draw force than a standard bow, but offered unmatched range and precision. Standard longbows ranged from 7-10 feet long, towering high above the samurai himself. Samurai arrows were constructed of bamboo with metal tips and could travel up to 330 feet if released from a fully-drawn longbow. Samurai combat styles remain prevalent today in the Japanese martial art of kendo, a fighting style that seeks to imitate the fluidity of its progenitors.
Famous Figures
The 47 Ronin-
According to the Japanese legend of the 47 Ronin, a group of 47 masterless samurai avenged the death of their overlord, who was driven to suicide by his creditors. After 2 years of meticulous planning, the squadron of ronin executed their master’s killer, violating the shogun’s orders in the process. All 47 samurai, in an act of undying loyalty and retribution for their crime, committed seppuku after they fulfilled their master’s dying wish. The story, whether fact or fiction, came to define the honorable image of the samurai, and is perhaps the most emblematic Japanese legend of Bushido.
2. Miyamoto Musashi:
Notorious for his superior dueling skills, Musashi was untouchable in 1v1 combat, sporting an undefeated record of 61-0. In his most infamous duel, he executed the 3 heirs of the oppressive Yoshioka clan during the Edo period. Each son vowed to avenge their fallen brethren, only to fall to the blade of Musashi. Instead of a conventional single-sword combat style, Musashi mastered the double katana technique, wielding a sword in both his left and right hands. Although duels were his forte, Musashi was a destructive force on the battlefield as well, effortlessly slicing through crowds of rival clansmen. Musashi has starred in a number of Japanese media pieces, including Takehiko Inoue’s critically acclaimed manga Vagabond and the Japanese classic The Book of Five Rings.
Although today we consider samurai an ancient relic of the past, their influence is alive and active in modern Japan. The country’s moral backbone is built on the Bushido code, which championed values of loyalty and courage still vital to Japanese society. The undying honor embodied by the samurai ideology is an integral element of Japanese culture, which serves as the basis for their behavior and social structure.