Author's Games: Samurai

About Japanese Samurai

The period of 1550 through 1615 is known as the golden era of the samurai. They united the country with blood, death, war and the katana - the weapon of a samurai warrior. When the battles finally ended, Japan entered what's called the fuedal period and was soon united in a period of peace that lasted for 250 years. Soon, the samurai would fall, trying to last in a world that no longer needed them. 

Okay, well that got depressing really fast. 

The samurai were a warrior class in Japan. They were all completely loyal to their diamyo, or their clan's Lord. All the clan Lords were either loyal to the Emperor, or to the Shogun, or both. Samurai fought with a sword known as a katana. What made them so unique was a blade on one side. It had a heart cutting edge wrapped around a soft, flexible core. Their entire lives as warriors revolved around the katana and its use. It never left a samurai's side. 

Many samurai believed that the katana was their soul. That's how it became known as the "soul of a samurai."  The katana had a companion called wakizashi, which was a shorter sword kept on the hip below the katana.  A matching katana  and wakizashi set was typically called a daisho.

They were not afraid of death, and many would die if that's what their diamyo ordered them to do. 

Bushido was another aspect of samurai that many fully believed in, although the term wasn't invented until later on. Bushido is Way of the Warrior, and was a samurai's code of ethics. It called them to be honorable in everything, to be completely loyal to their family and their clan, to have fearlessness in battle, to be honest and self-sacrificing. They would display these virtues in their lives on and off the battlefield. Any who failed, could only retrieve their honor through committing seppukku, which means honorable suicide. It was a ritual in which the samurai would retain his honor by slitting open his stomach with his wakizashi without crying out. A close comrade would stand behind him, prepared to cut off his head in the case that he cried out and dishonored himself. Other times, the comrade would show the samurai mercy by cutting off his head to end his pain if the samurai endured it. 

Yes, it's extremely gruesome and painful. But the hope of every samurai was to retain his honor by committing seppukku, especially if they lost a battle. Many would do this rather than surrendering. 

The katana was placed inside a sheath, which was tied to the samurai's hip opposite of his sword hand. Most samurai were right handed, which means that their katana and wakizashi would be placed on his left hip. The katana's sheath, called a saya, were made of wood and usually were colored black on the outside; designs were added later on. The katana's were tied to the samurai's hip with a seago, or a cord, which tied the saya to the warrior's hip. 

Another belief (and this is with all Japanese people, but it's frequently associated with samurai just to give us the feels), is the lesson of the cherry blossoms. They are beautiful trees the bloom in Japan every spring. The wind makes the petals fall, and it's absolutely gorgeous to watch. The lesson itself is that because they're so beautiful when they fall, the beauty is fleeting, like life. Precious moments are always rare, which is why we cherish life. Everything we do, from drinking, eating, dancing, playing, writing, singing, etc, is precious, and we should enjoy those moments. There are variations to this lesson, of course, but many associate it with bushido as well. 

I hope this helps clarifies things. Ask any questions if you're curious :) And yes I will be posting a chapter containing Japanese terms to help you guys out.