Samurai and Weapons
By: Matthew Krause, Noah Edgar, and Bryson Rieper
By: Matthew Krause, Noah Edgar, and Bryson Rieper
Background: (Noah)
Samurai were the warrior class who eventually became the ruling class. Samurai means "attendant" and the verb samarau means "to serve". Samurai originally came from the Kanto plain on the island of Honshu and the first early feuds were between the Emishi and Ainu clans. In battle they used swords (considered their soul), bow and arrows, and leather armor that was protective and light. In their battles sonae or regimens of 300-800 people with kumis or groups that had 20-30 men. The whole sonae was led by a daimyo and each kumi by a respected samurai. They were the front lines with spearmen and archers in the back. Although these groups did exist, samurai battles were typically fought 1 on 1. Samurai were very loyal and honest to their daimyo (the people who hired and payed them), serving them with great honor while protecting their lord, and the lord's family's honor. "A samurais wealth was measured in terms of koku" (HISTORY). That was the amount of rice a man needed to survive for a year (the currency for the majority of early Japan). They were also described as frugal, as they would win their battle when their opponent's head was cut off. To become a samurai you typically had to be of lineage or marry into a family. "About 5% of the current Japanese population can trace their ancestry back to samurai" (Okamoto). They would commit seppuku to avoid dishonoring them or their lord, and followed the code of bushido which means “way of the warrior” and samurai were known as the “bushi”. These famous fighters flourished all over Japan in government and culture for around 700 years, and were eventually put to an end after the Tokugawa Shogunate era. These bolded terms are further detailed as you move through the webpage.