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Evolution in Rank
Throughout many periods different samurai positions and ranks were impacted. In the years after the Kamakura period samurai had great power in the feudalism system where they were in the upper half. But this all changed with the newfound peace during the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Evolution in child samurai
While adult samurai and their weaponry had evolved so had their children's traditions, treatment, and physical traits. With these traditions these children had originally participated in the Hakamaki ceremony where they wore a Hakama for the first time. But a new tradition had been adapted during the Edo period where they had added a 7-5-3 ceremony where children of this age participated in a celebration. Over the course of time their hair style had changed as well as their outfit style. This outfit style change had occurred during the Edo period where in the 7-5-3 celebration girls wore obi and boys wore hakama.
Evolution in Equipment
Throughout the course of many years samurai had not only developed new battle skills and techniques but had risen among the ranks. Back then samurai had mostly been fighting on horseback but over time they had developed the idea of fighting on foot. With this change in their warfare techniques they eventually lessened bow and arrow use and started “to use their sword more and also made more use of spears and naginata” (McGee). While their battle techniques and technology changed so did their protection where eventually metal chest protection came into play when gun use was introduced.
Timeline
1180-85 A.D. --- Minamoto Yoritomo takes up arms against the Taira clan in The Gempei War.
1192 A.D. --- Yoritomo became first permanent shogun of Japan and set up his Samurai government in Kamakura.
Late 1200's A.D. --- Mongols invade Japan. The Samurai defeat the Mongols after many years of fierce fighting. The Samurai developed a style of formation combat and depended more on the sword as a primary weapon in battle.
1318 A.D. --- Go-Daigo became the 96th Emperor of Japan. He attempted to overthrow the Hojo regents, but gave rise instead to a new dynasty of Shoguns, the Ashikaga family, who set up their government in the capital city of Kyoto.
1400 A.D. --- Master swordsmen established schools to teach their style of kenjutsu.
1467-77 A.D. --- The Onin War saw the decline of the Shogun's power and began the Sengoku Jidai ("The Age of the Country at War") which lasted 150 years.
1542 A.D. --- Portuguese guns were introduced into Japan.
1560 A.D. --- Oda Nobunaga began the process of unifying Japan. Toyotomi Hideyoshi continued the quest after Nobunaga's death.
1592 A.D. --- Hideyoshi invaded Korea on his way to invading China, but died in 1598 before succeeding.
1603 A.D. --- The Tokugawa family began ruling Japan. The regime lasted more than 200 years.
1605 A.D. --- Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's most famous Samurai, began his musha-shugyo (warrior pilgrimage). Musashi fought and won more than 60 sword fights before the age of 30. He founded the Individual School of Two Skies and taught for many years. At the age of 60, Musashi wrote Gorin No Sho ("The Book of Five Spheres"), the most famous writing about the Japanese Sword Arts. He also wrote "The 35 Articles on the Art of Swordsmanship."
1615 A.D. --- Tokugawa Ieyasu drew up the "Buke Sho Hatto" (Rules for Martial Families) before his death. It gave Samurai 13 guides to living as a warrior during peacetime.
1630 A.D. --- Japan cut its ties with the outside world.
Timeline taken from Brief History of the Samurai by Mark McGill
Done by : Bryson R
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