JAPANESE HISTORY
Samurai — Romantic Myth vs. Unvarnished Reality
Banishing myths by looking at the greatest samurai battle in history
Samurai — many people imagine these romantic, stoic, and fierce armor-clad warriors to have been bound by a strict moral code of discipline, dedication, and loyalty to death.
Is this myth or reality — or a mix of both?
Samurai
Samurai made up the warrior class during Japan’s 700 year feudal period that started in 1185. During the 260 years of the Edo era (1603–1867), they held the highest social class and were granted the privilege of killing anyone who they felt had affronted them, kiri-sute gomen, 斬捨御免.
Commoners stepped aside and bowed in deference when they were passed on the street by a samurai, who always carried the signs of his status — his long and short swords — tucked in his belt, threateningly visible to all.
Today, much of our idea of samurai can be traced to two books that set out to describe the code of these men, or bushido, 武士道, the way of the warrior. Both are anachronistic, written during eras in which samurai were not warring but rather quietly working as bureaucrats and administrators.
