The Samurai, Veterans of Japan

The samurai (or bushi) are Japan's pre-modern warriors. They later became the ruling military class that eventually became the highest social classes of the Edo period (1603-1867). The samurai uses a range of weapons such as arches, arrows, spears, and rifles, but their main weapon and symbol was the sword.

The Samurai lives according to the Bushido law of Ethics ("Warrior Road"), Such as discipline, self-respect, moral conduct, and loyalty to his master. The samurai origin back to the Heian period and campaigns to subjugate the original Emishi people in the Tohoku region, At the same time, warriors have increasingly been recruited by clans and wealthy landowners and built armies to protect themselves, leading to the growth of groups independent of the central government. Minamoto and Taira, the strongest clans, eventually challenged the central government and fought each other for control of the whole country. In the latter, Minamoto won and formed a new military government in 1192, led by Shogun or the supreme military commander. Where the Samurai ruled by Japan during most of the next 700 years.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Japan split into dozens of independent states and entered into war with each other. Thus, the warriors were in increasing demand. It was also the ninja era, and many famous films were quoted from this particular period. In the end, the country was unified, and the social strata system was created during the Edo period which put the samurai at the top. During this time, the samurai was forced to live inside palaces, and they were the only ones allowed to own and carry swords.

The relative calm of nearly 250 years of Edo has been relatively quiet. As a result, the importance of self-defense and combat skills declined, and many samurais became bureaucrats, teachers or artists. until the feudal era in Japan ended in 1868, and the beginning of the Meiji period, which was known for many reforms such as class abolition, especially the samurai class.

Samurai is today one of the most important tourist attractions in Japan to see the form of castles, palaces, historic dwellings, museums, parks, samurai clothes and learn from his experience, culture, and lifestyle.