...Roach, Colin M. Japanese Swords: Cultural Icons of a Nation; The History, Metallurgy and Iconography of the Samurai Sword. Tuttle Publishing, 2014. The noble ideographic representation of the Japanese Samurai in western culture paints them as gentleman warriors that practiced ancient martial arts. One of the most known part of their uniforms is the weapon they carry, the Japanese sword. In the culture these pieces of steel were more than just weapons, they were social and religion icons, representing tradition and a way of life. Japanese Swords: Cultural Icons of a Nation; The History, Metallurgy and Iconography of the Samurai Sword makes an attempt to outline the different levels of this iconic tool. The book shows the readers the unique way the swords shaped the way an identity was formed. Using history, spiritual symbolism, and metallurgical techniques the text steers the reader into the world of the Japanese samurai. Colin M. Roach, M. ED. is the author of this outline. He is an educator that was always been an enthusiast of Japanese history and culture. Having been able to trace his family connections back to Japan he focusing on Martial arts, archetypal warrior cultural and sword-related symbolism in his studies. As a result he...
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...Assignmen2: Samurai Culture in Japan GVPT 280 The Samurai culture of Japan The Samurai culture was seen for the first time during the 12th century during the first military dictatorship. They last until 1868 when they were disbanded. The word samurai translates to “those who serve”. In the beginning, samurai was armed guards for wealthy land owners. Over the years the samurai developed into what we know of them today. An elite military group. To become a samurai, it started at an early age. They was taught and lived by a code of honor, it was called bushido or “way of the warrior. There are 7 virtues of the bushido. The virtues were morality, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor and loyalty. They was taught in a very strict way. They was taught swordsmanship, horsemanship, archery and martial arts. They was taught to know suffering, not to want wealth or praise, taught it is better to die then dishonor one’s self and most of all obey his master or lord. The samurai was well educated in reading and writing. Some samurais became business men and politicians throughout their history. The samurai had their own religion which was called Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is coming to enlightenment through mediation. True Zen is coming face to face with one’s self. It was also tried into their teachings at early ages. The most iconic items of the samurai was their swords and their armor. A samurai carried...
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...Samurai and the “Oneness” of Kendo Marie Carpenter Grand Canyon University: ENG 105 4/28/2013 Samurai and the “Oneness” of Kendo The Japanese Samurai warriors came in to power after the Taika reforms of 646 A.D (Szczepanski,2013). The Samurai were created to protect the European lords with their riches. The Samurai were known to practice Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is the practice of calming the mind and accepting all things good or bad in life by using zen meditation (Bairan, 2006). Zen meditation aided the Samurai to focus completely on the present, eliminate all thoughts of life and death, and to be one with the sword (Kendo). Samurais live very peaceful lives with strict discipline of learning to be one with their sword (Kendo). They practice amongst each other every day to ensure that they are still one with their sword, along with meditating daily to ensure calmness. Samurai warriors are excellent marksman who use the “no mind” theory during battle. The “no mind” theory comes from zen meditation. The warriors meditate on a daily basis to help clear there minds and not focus on anything, but the breath. The breath is the essential part of meditation as when your mind starts to drift and focus on something else, you can calmly bring your mind back to the present and focus on the breath. The Samurai have been very successful in their battles due to not thinking about anything except the task at hand. The ultimate goal of the Samurai is to take...
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...Catherine Rios 3-2-14 Asian Civilizations In the film, The Twilight Samurai, Yoji Yamada reconstructs an ancient Japanese village by the characters demonstration of the same values and customs of the samurai, two other factors that help pull off the illusion of the time period are the architecture and economy. Seibei is nicknamed ‘The Twilight Samurai’ because he is a samurai and every night he returns home from work at twilight he isn’t like the other people he works with who go out after work. The Twilight Samurai is the love story of a low ranked samurai, Seibei, who rises to defeat not only a traitor, but the person who Seibei may later become. Of the many themes in The Twilight Samurai is light. When Seibei is sent to a fight to the death with Tanaka you see Seibei in the light and Tanaka in the dark. Seibei is a good person he always puts his daughters needs before his own and is an honest man. Once Seibei’s wife dies he does all he can to make sure he is always there for his daughters by returning every night at twilight and this is how he acquires the name of ‘The Twilight Samurai.’ Tanaka is a man who has been running his whole life and this has literally driven him to insanity. After Seibei has entered the house Tanaka is hiding in they both sit down and drink tea and Tanaka tells Seibei about his life. He tells Seibei how he used to be just like Seibei and he tries to scare Seibei into letting him go by seeing what the people who give them their orders have made...
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...Samurai Warrior Few countries have a warrior tradition as long and exciting as Japan. It is a tradition found in the Samurai, the loyal and self-sacrificing knight of ancient Japan. The Samurai is a valiant warrior who can both appreciate the beauty of nature in that of a rose blossom but will also kill or die for his master in an instant. This well-rounded warrior was the ruling class of Japan for almost seven hundred years. He fought for control of his country and to keep Japan free from outside influences. (Turnbull 1) This aristocratic warrior class arose during the 12th century wars between the Taira and Minamoto clans and was consolidated in the Tokugawa period. Samurai were privileged to wear two swords, and at one time had the right to cut down any commoner who offended them. They cultivated the martial virtues, indifference to pain or death, and unfailing loyalty to their overlords. Samurai were the dominant group in Japan. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the samurai were removed from direct control of the villages, moved into the domain castle towns, and given government stipends. They were encouraged to take up bureaucratic posts. The Hagakure, has been dubbed the book of the samurai. It was written after a century of peace around 1716. It came to be the guide of samurai ethics until the end of the feudal period. Its short passages reflect and outline the qualities that make a samurai. Yamamoto Tsunetomo expresses in the hagakure the framework and mindset of being...
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...makes a Japanese Samurai? * The samurai (or bushi) were the warriors of premodern Japan. They later made up the ruling military class that 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. * 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 behavior. Many samurai were also drawn to the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism. * What are the roles/responsibilities/missions of a Samurai? * The samurai embraced self-discipline, mindfulness, ethics and intelligence. They were known for their katanas, or samurai swords, which symbolized the brave soul of a warrior. Not only were they skilled in war, but they also came into political power and protected the land. They promoted literacy in Japanese culture. They also promoted Zen Buddhism and meditation, which gave them philosophical strength in battle. Samurai art styles also impacted Japanese art as they often produced ink paintings, rock gardens and poetry, such as haikus. Some samurai even became monks. How it is considered as an Art? * Samurai is considered as an art because there’s a meaning behind every skill. For example, Taira Tadanori. A samurai who demonstrate that...
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...Bushido, essay #1 Marjorie S. G Have you ever wondered what it was like in medieval Japan? Do you have the answer to it? Well it doesn’t matter, i’ll tell you stuff such as the code of conduct, and what virtues are. Samurai followed a strict code of conduct, this is called bushido, this provides guidelines for all aspects of life. Bushido is a mixture of two Japanese words, bushi, which means ‘’warrior,’’ and do which means ‘’way’’ this means ‘’the way of the warrior.’’ The Asian religions of confucianism, Zen Buddhism, and Shinto had a strong influence on Bushido code. The virtues were courage, respect, honesty, honor, loyalty, rectitude or doing what is morally correct, and benevolence or desire to help others. Discipline...
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... feudal Japan had an elaborate four tier class system. Unlike European feudal society, in which the peasants (or serfs) were at the bottom, the Japanese feudal class structure placed merchants on the lowest rung. Confucian ideals emphasized the importance of productive members of society, so farmers and fishermen had higher status than shop-keepers in Japan. At the top of the heap was the samurai class. The Samurai Class: Feudal Japanese society was dominated by the samurai warrior class. Although they made up only about 10% of the population, samurai and their daimyo lords wielded enormous power. When a samurai passed, members of the lower classes were required to bow and show respect. If a farmer or artisan refused to bow, the samurai was legally entitled to chop off the recalcitrant person's head. Samurai answered only to the daimyo for whom they worked. The daimyo, in turn, answered only to the shogun. There were about 260 daimyo by the end of the feudal era. Each daimyo controlled a broad area of land, and had an army of samurai. The Farmers / Peasants: Just below the samurai on the social ladder were the farmers or peasants. According to Confucian ideals, farmers were superior to artisans and merchants because they produced the food that all the other classes depended upon. Although technically they were considered an honored class, the farmers lived under a crushing tax burden for much of the feudal era. During the reign of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu...
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...Two of the similarities was that both the warriors started their training at a young age and they trained with wooden weapons. In the first and second excerpt of Document C the author writes, “The rigorous training (of samurai)...began in childhood…[A] prospective knight’s training [began at age four or five] with learning to ride a pony.” Being a knight or a samurai must have been really serious because the warriors start training at a very young age. They spent so most time of their childhood training to fight for the ruler. Samurais and knights had similar training even though they were so far apart in the world. Both of these warriors started learning the basics of being a knight or samurai. There were both women knights and samurai, but...
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...The Last Samurai – Traditional and Modern Economies A traditional economy is an economic system that relies on a strong social network and is based on primitive methods and tools, whereas a modern economy relies on production, exchange, distribution, and consumption of goods. In the film, The Last Samurai, western Japan fights against the rebelling Samurai who do not wish to modernize and rid of their traditions. The vast differences between a traditional and modern economy are shown throughout the film as both civilizations express different means of production, military capabilities and cultural values. The reign of Emperor Meiji was one of the most revolutionary eras in Japanese history as Japan underwent dramatic changes in its government, economy, and culture. The nation opened its doors to the west and embraced a new world of cultural influences. Japan was transformed into an agrarian society with an industrialized economy and a strict military regime. Revolutionized Japan created modern weaponry such as guns and automatic weapons that were made in industrial factories. Instead of carrying goods using horses, Japan modernized using wagons and trains which made transportation of goods more rapid and efficient. In the film, we can see the paved streets and buildings of western Japan, the use of modern clothing, and advanced military technology. Conversely, the Samurai represent a traditional economy by their use of weapons, transportation, and cultural...
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...The Hagakure, also known as the samurai way and the knight medieval, were warrior communities, who used to have several similarities in the way they organized themselves. They however hand a handful of differences that distinguished them. The Hagakure were from japan while the knights were from Europe. In this essay, I analyze the comparisons of the the two warrior communities. Both the samurai and the Knight had set of rules and regulations that they followed as warrior communities. They took the oath of loyalty and honesty to their land in their duties to their leaders. The constitution for the samurai was called ‘Bushido' while that of the knight was called ‘Chivalry.' Warriors from both sides were taught almost similar lesions which included...
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...and living quarters of the Samurai warriors as Source 15 states that during the Edo period, the Samurai were required to reside in large castle-towns that were surrounded by more castles. The Imperial Emperor did insist that the Samurai rid themselves of their swords and armour but had not yet repossessed the homes of the Samurai (Source 17). However, the film depicts the Samurai’s living quarters as temporary and fragile as if the Samurai had been accustomed to a humble way of life (Source 2). This was completely misconstrued on behalf of the director and set designers of the film because in actuality, the Samurai class had been a class of vast wealth and were committed to the Daimyo as secret...
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...Seven Samurai For the review I watched one of my already favorite films, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. There are so many fantastic elements of this film. I will break down each element from Camera work, lighting, design, costumes, acting, and story and script. The most important samurai movie is Akira Kurosawa's 1954 feature, Seven Samurai, which not only impacted the way the genre was viewed, but elevated its status. Seven Samurai was influential not only in Japan and for foreign film enthusiasts, but it led to a popular and reasonably faithful remake, The Magnificent Seven. And, although Japanese critics during the '50s were dismissive of the picture, it has since achieved an almost mythical status and was recently selected by a group of '00 critics as the Best Japanese Movie of All-Time. Curiously, for a feature that is often viewed as the standard-bearer of the samurai movie, Seven Samurai is actually an atypical genre entry. An "average" samurai film focuses on a sword-wielding, superhero-type individual who battles his way through the story, often triumphing over a seemingly overwhelming host of foes. Seven Samurai offers us flawed protagonists, some of whom are not skilled fighters, and one of whom is often drunk, belligerent, and decidedly non-heroic in his approach. The odds are impressive, yet, in large part due to the melancholy tone adopted by Kurosawa during the closing scene, the victory is hollow, and almost feels like a defeat. (The lead samurai's final...
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...The loud clunk of swords was all you could hear from the mile away. Brutal screams are deafening as a small family watches from a distance. Although samurai and knights seem very different, they were mostly alike. Their armour and format in which they did tasks/practices was also indistinguishable from each other. Many individuals think that samurai and knights were very different, but this is simply not accurate. Two crucial similarities between the knights and samurai was that they made alluring paintings and poetry, along with promises that they arranged before their death. First of all, both samurai and knights made the beautiful poetry and splendid artwork that people today may see in museums currently. As located in Document F, Samurai Death Poem, is about how one samurai discussed how short a lifespan really is. Also found in the same document, A Knight’s Death, it talks about how they wish they could have more time on Earth. They both have made different points in their poetry, but they came up with the same message. Both samurai and knights wanted to send a signal through the paintings that they created. A majority of the art was about life and landscapes. Art was an escape away from the battlefield, they could just simply...
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...them in battle.” Before this, warlords would fight each other to claim land and had threatened to destroy your way of life. Knights and Samurai were the saviors of the nobles and people. Some may argue that Knights and Samurai were extremely different, although they are very much alike. The Samurai and Knights had similar training methods and had similar codes of honor. For Samurai and Knights, the training was very similar. First off, they both started their training at a young age. From the source of the PBS series tilted, “Warrior Challenge” it states that, “ [A] prospective knight’s training [began at the age of four or five] “ (Doc. C) and from the PBS series titled, “Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire” states that, “The rigorous training (of samurai)...began in childhood…” (Doc. C) These two pieces of evidence show that both the knights and samurai had started their training at a young age. This was probably because they could soak in all of the skills while they were young. Also, the warriors of Europe and Japan practiced with a...
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