Samurai

The samurai (or bushi) were the members of the military class, the Japanese warriors.
Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns; but their most
famous weapon and their symbol was the sword.
Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the
warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's
master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behaviour.
After a defeat, some samurai chose to commit ritual suicide (seppuku) by cutting their abdomen
rather than being captured or dying a dishonourable death.

Heian Period (794-1185)
The samurai's importance and influence grew during the Heian Period, when powerful landowners
hired private warriors for the protection of their properties. Towards the end of the Heian Period, two
military clans, the Minamoto and Taira, had grown so powerful that they seized control over the
country and fought wars for supremacy against each other.

Kamakura Period (1192-1333)
In 1185, the Minamoto defeated the Taira, and Minamoto Yoritomo established a new military
government in Kamakura in 1192. As shogun, the highest military officer, he became the ruler of
Japan.

Muromachi Period (1333 - 1573)
During the chaotic Era of Warring States (sengoku jidai, 1467-1573), Japan consisted of dozens of
independent states which fought each other constantly. Consequently, the demand for samurai
was very high. Between the wars, many samurai worked on farms. Many of the famous samurai
movies by Kurosawa take place during this era.

Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573 - 1603)
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi reunited Japan, he started to introduce a rigid social caste system
which was later completed by Tokugawa Ieyasu and his successors. Hideyoshi forced all samurai
to decide between a life on the farm and a warrior life in castle towns. Furthermore, he forbade
anyone but the samurai from arming themselves with a sword.

Edo Period (1603 - 1868)
According to the Edo Period's official hierarchy of social castes, the samurai stood at the top,
followed by the farmers, artisans and merchants. Furthermore, there were hierarchies within each
caste. All samurai were forced to live in castle towns and received income from their lords in form of
rice. Masterless samurai were called ronin and caused minor troubles during the early Edo Period.
With the fall of Osaka Castle in 1615, the Tokugawa's last potential rival was eliminated, and
relative peace prevailed in Japan for about 250 years. As a result, the importance of martial skills
declined, and most samurai became bureaucrats, teachers or artists.

In 1868, Japan's feudal era came to an end, and the samurai class was abolished.