Home Back. Plan a Trip. The samurai district in the small town of Kakunodate in northeastern Japan is one of the most pleasant, preserved samurai districts in Japan with numerous former residences open to the public. Cherry trees planted in the district make a spectacular seasonal sight around late April and early May.
Kitsuki is unique for having two samurai districts on hills sandwiching a merchant district in the valley in between. They are among the most pleasantly preserved samurai districts in Japan. Kanazawa 's samurai district is named Nagamachi and preserves several lanes with earthen walls, large entrance gates and a few residences and museums that are open to the public.
Hagi 's former castle town preserves several lanes, lined by the white walls and wooden gates of former samurai mansions. Some of the residences are open to the public.
Satsuma Peninsula. This samurai district on the rural Satsuma Peninsula is beautifully maintained with rock walls and hedges. The gardens of seven former samurai mansions can be viewed by toruists, however, the buildings cannot be entered. The old town of Bitchu-Takahashi at the base of Matsuyama Castle preserves several old buildings, including a few samurai mansions that can be entered by tourists.
Matsue preserves a small samurai district along the moat of the local castle. One of the former samurai mansions is open to the public, while another building served as Lafcadio Hearn's former residence.
This residence stands not far from Kumamoto Castle and served as the home of a branch family of the ruling Hosokawa Clan. It is a beautiful example of a high-ranked samurai mansion.
The two-storied Seisonkaku Villa adjacent to Kenrokuen Garden was built by the local lord for his mother towards the end of the feudal era.
It is one of the most elegant preserved samurai villas in Japan. The Aizu Bukeyashiki is the large former mansion complex of a high ranked local samurai family. Mannequins displayed in typical scenes of daily life make this mansion a particularly good place to get an idea about samurai lifestyle.
Noto Peninsula. This residence on the rural Noto Peninsula served as the home of the Kita family who administered local villages on behalf of the feudal lord.
It includes a spacious main residence, a unique entrance gate and a museum. See the Nikko Edomura page for admission details. Located in Kinugawa , Nikko Edomura is the best among Japan's history theme parks. The park consists of a recreated Edo Period town populated by townspeople, samurai and ninja in period costumes. The park offers a variety of traditional stage performance, comedy and ninja shows, as well as museums, shops and restaurants.
Shima Peninsula. The role of the samurai in peacetime declined gradually over this period, but two factors led to the end of samurai: the urbanization of Japan, and the end of isolationism. As more and more Japanese moved to the cities, there were fewer farmers producing the rice needed to feed the growing population. The luxurious living enjoyed by the shoguns and many daimyos started to wear away at the economic system. Many Japanese, including lower class samurai, grew dissatisfied with the shogunate because of the worsening economic conditions.
Then, in , U. Commodore Matthew Perry had arrived to deliver a message from President Millard Fillmore to the emperor who still existed as a figurehead, even though the shogun really ruled the country.
Fillmore wanted to open trade relations with Japan, wanted shipwrecked U. Perry delivered his message, told the Japanese he would return after a few months, and left. In Perry's wake, a split grew in Japan. Some wanted to deny the American offer, maintain isolationism, and stay with their ancient traditions.
Others, however, realized that Japan could never stand up to the better technology of the westerners. They proposed opening up Japan to learn everything they could from the Americans, ending isolationism and becoming a world power. Ultimately, the bakufu decided to open Japanese ports for American resupply, and later to trade. The emperor refused to agree to the treaty.
Because he was just a figurehead, the bakufu went ahead with the treaty anyway. Several groups of rebellious samurai, who wanted Japan to stay the same, supported the emperor and began a civil war against the bakufu. Surprisingly, they overthrew the shogun, ending the Tokugawa period and restoring the emperor to power. Lower class samurai took positions of leadership, controlling the government from behind the new emperor, a young boy who was called Emperor Meiji.
This event is known as the Meiji Restoration. The power of the daimyos was taken away as the government seized their land. With no one to pay the many samurai, the government decided to pay them with bonds based on their rank. This affected low- and high-ranking samurai differently, but had the same result -- each class either used the bond to invest in land or start a business, or realized they didn't have enough income to support themselves, and returned to the land as farmers or to the cities as workers.
The samurai no longer had a role in Japan. Finally, in , the emperor banned samurai from wearing their swords, leading to the creation of a drafted standing army. The final bell had tolled for the samurai -- they no longer existed. Though there were some rebellions as samurai in outlying provinces resisted, all the samurai eventually adopted new roles in Japanese society, as their nation moved into the Industrial Age. Although the samurai no longer exist, their spirit of honor and discipline has found a home in modern times.
From the kamikaze pilots of Japan in World War II, to martial artists and even modern businessman who look to Bushido as a guide to living an honorable life, samurai continue to influence Japan today. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots.
Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. How Samurai Work. This full-sized battle helmet is an actual reproduction of the one worn by the famous daimyo Date Masamune Photo courtesy Japanese-Armor. Contents What is a Samurai? What is a Samurai?
The samurai is a well-trained, highly skilled warrior. The samurai serves his daimyo , or master, with absolute loyalty, even to the death. In fact, the word samurai means, "those who serve. The samurai's life is ruled by Bushido , a strict warrior code emphasizing honor. Training for Life and War " ". For the first few centuries of their existence, samurai were better known as horse-riding archers.
Armor " ". Yoroi - Worn by mounted samurai, this heavy armor included heavy helmets and imposing shoulder guards. Do-Maru - Worn by foot soldiers, this armor was more closely-fitted and lighter in weight. Weapons " ". Paul Chen Tiger sword series, left to right: Matching katana, wakizashi and tanto.
Thank You. Bushido: The Samurai Code of Honor " ". Samurai and Zen. Seppuku " ". Bushido sword series, left to right: Matching katana, wakizashi and tanto. History of the Samurai " ". Armor Glossary. Read More. The End of the Samurai " ". The Samurai Spirit Lives On " ". Photo courtesy Amazon. Samurai FAQ What does a samurai warrior symbolize? In Japanese culture, the samurai are an important symbol of respect, discipline and honor. Who is the most famous samurai in history? Within Japan, Oda Nobunaga is considered the most famous samurai.
He was the head of the very powerful Oda clan and was one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. The establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, a hereditary military dictatorship, shifted all real political power in Japan to the samurai. Zen Buddhism , introduced into Japan from China around this time, held a great appeal for many samurai. Also during the Kamakura period, the sword came to have a great significance in samurai culture. The strain of defeating two Mongol invasions at the end of the 13th century weakened the Kamakura Shogunate, which fell to a rebellion led by Ashikaga Takauji.
The Ashikaga Shogunate, centered in Kyoto, began around For the next two centuries, Japan was in a near-constant state of conflict between its feuding territorial clans. After the particularly divisive Onin War of , the Ashikaga shoguns ceased to be effective, and feudal Japan lacked a strong central authority; local lords and their samurai stepped in to a greater extent to maintain law and order. Despite the political unrest, this period—known as the Muromachi after the district of that name in Kyoto—saw considerable economic expansion in Japan.
It was also a golden age for Japanese art, as the samurai culture came under the growing influence of Zen Buddhism. In addition to such now-famous Japanese art forms as the tea ceremony, rock gardens and flower arranging, theater and painting also flourished during the Muromachi period. This period ushered in a year-long stretch of peace and prosperity in Japan, and for the first time the samurai took on the responsibility of governing through civil means rather than through military force.
This relatively conservative faith, with its emphasis on loyalty and duty, eclipsed Buddhism during the Tokugawa period as the dominant religion of the samurai. It was during this period that the principles of bushido emerged as a general code of conduct for Japanese people in general.
Though bushido varied under the influences of Buddhist and Confucian thought, its warrior spirit remained constant, including an emphasis on military skills and fearlessness in the face of an enemy.
In a peaceful Japan, many samurai were forced to become bureaucrats or take up some type of trade, even as they preserved their conception of themselves as fighting men. In , the right to carry swords was restricted only to samurai, which created an even greater separation between them and the farmer-peasant class.
The material well-being of many samurai actually declined during the Tokugawa Shogunate, however. Samurai had traditionally made their living on a fixed stipend from landowners; as these stipends declined, many lower-level samurai were frustrated by their inability to improve their situation. In the midth century, the stability of the Tokugawa regime was undermined by a combination of factors, including peasant unrest due to famine and poverty. The incursion of Western powers into Japan—and especially the arrival in of Commodore Matthew C.
Perry of the U. Navy, on a mission to get Japan to open its doors to international trade—proved to be the final straw.
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