The most famous samurai in the world. The most famous samurai (7 photos). Top most famous samurai of Japan

The samurai was the warrior class of feudal Japan. They were feared and respected for their nobility in life and cruelty during the war. They were bound by a strict code of honor called bushido. The samurai fought for the feudal lords, or daimyo, the most powerful rulers and rulers of the country, answerable only to the shogun. Daimyo, or warlords, hired samurai to defend their land, paying them in land or food.

The era of the daimyo lasted from the 10th century until the mid-19th century, when Japan adopted the prefectural system in 1868. Many of these warlords and samurai became feared and respected throughout the country, and some even outside of Japan.

In the years following the end of feudal Japan, the legendary daimyo and samurai became objects of fascination in a romanticized culture that praised their brutality, reputation as invisible killers, and the prestige of their place in society. The truth, of course, is often much darker - some of these people were little more than just murderers. However, many famous daimyos and samurai have become very popular in modern literature and culture. Here are twelve of the most famous Japanese generals and samurai who are remembered as true legends.

12. Taira no Kiyomori (1118 - 1181)

Taira no Kiyomori was a general and warrior who created the first samurai administrative system of government in Japanese history. Before Kiyomori, samurai were primarily seen as mercenary warriors for aristocrats. Kiyomori took the Taira clan under his protection after his father's death in 1153, and quickly achieved success in politics, in which he had previously held only a minor position.

In 1156, Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshimoto (chief of the Minamoto clan) suppressed the rebellion and began to rule the two highest warrior clans in Kyoto. Their alliance turned them into bitter rivals, and in 1159 Kiyomori defeated Yoshimoto. Thus, Kiyomori became the head of the most powerful warrior clan in Kyoto.

He rose through the ranks of government, and in 1171 he married his daughter to Emperor Takakura. They had a child in 1178, the son Tokihito. Kiyomori later used this leverage to force Emperor Takakura to give up his throne to Prince Tokihito, as well as his allies and relatives. But in 1181 he died of fever in 1181.

11. Ii Naomasa (1561 – 1602)

Ii Naomasa was a famous general and daimyo during the Sengoku period under the reign of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was considered one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings, or Ieyasu's most loyal and respected generals. Naomasa's father was killed after he was wrongly convicted of treason when Naomasa was a small child.

Ii Naomasa rose through the ranks of the Tokugawa clan and gained great recognition after he led 3,000 soldiers to victory at the Battle of Nagakute (1584). He fought so hard that he even received praise from the opposing general, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After he helped secure the Tokugawa victory during the Siege of Odawara (1590), he received Minowa Castle and 120,000 koku (an ancient Japanese unit of area), the largest tract of land owned by any Tokugawa vassal.

Naomasa's finest hour came during the Battle of Sekigahara, where he was wounded by a stray bullet. After this injury, he could not fully recover, but continued to fight for life. His unit became known as the "Red Devils", for their blood-red armor, which they wore in battle for psychological effect.

10. Date Masamune (1567 - 1636)

Date Masamune was a ruthless and cruel daimyo in the early Edo period. He was a master tactician and legendary warrior, and his figure became even more iconic due to his lost eye, for which he was often called the "One-Eyed Dragon".

As the eldest son of the Date clan, he was expected to take his father's place. But due to the loss of his eye after smallpox, Masamune's mother considered him unfit to rule, and the second son in the family took control, causing a rift in the Date family.

After several early victories as a general, Masamune established himself as a recognized leader and began a campaign to defeat all of his clan's neighbors. When a neighboring clan asked Terumune, his father, to rein in his son, Terumune said he would not do so. Terumune was subsequently kidnapped, but before that he gave instructions that his son should kill all members of the enemy clan if something like that happened, even if his father was killed during the battle. Masamune obeyed, killing everyone.

Masamune served Toyotomi Hideyoshi for some time and then defected to Tokugawa Ieyasu's allies after Hideyoshi's death. He was faithful to both. Although it is surprising, Masamune was a patron of culture and religion, and even maintained friendly relations with the Pope.

9. Honda Tadakatsu (1548 - 1610)

Honda Tadakatsu was a general and later daimyo, during the late Sengoku period to the early Edo period. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu, and was one of Ieyasu's Four Heavenly Kings along with Ii Naomasa, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Sakai Tadatsugu. Of the four, Honda Tadakatsu had a reputation as the most dangerous.

Tadakatsu was a true warrior at heart, and after the Tokugawa shogunate transformed from a military to a civil-political institution, he became increasingly distant from Ieyasu. Honda Todakatsu's reputation attracted the attention of some of the most powerful figures in Japan at the time.

Oda Nobunaga, who was not known to praise his followers, called Tadakatsu "a samurai among samurai." Toyotomi Hideyoshi called him "the best samurai in the east." He was often referred to as the "warrior who surpassed death" as he was never seriously wounded despite having fought over 100 battles towards the end of his life.

He is often characterized as the polar opposite of Ieyasu's other great general, Ii Naomasa. Both were fierce warriors, and Tadakatsu's ability to escape injury was often contrasted with the common perception that Naomasa suffered many battle wounds but always fought through them.

8. Hattori Hanzo (1542 - 1596)

Hattori Hanzo was a famous samurai and ninja of the Sengoku era, and one of the most frequently depicted figures of the era. He is credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and helping him become the ruler of a unified Japan. He earned the nickname Oni no Hanzo (Devil Hanzo) for the fearless military tactics he displayed.

Hattori won his first battle at the age of 16 (in a night attack on Udo Castle), and successfully freed the Tokugawa daughters from hostages at Kaminogo Castle in 1562. In 1579, he led a force of ninja from Iga Province to defend against Oda Nobunaga's son. Iga Province was ultimately destroyed by Nobunaga himself in 1581.

In 1582, he made his most valuable contribution when he helped the future shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu escape from his pursuers into Mikawa Province, with the help of local ninja clans.

He was an excellent swordsman, and historical sources indicated that during the last years of his life he hid from everyone under the guise of a monk under the name "Sainen." Legends often attribute supernatural powers to him, such as disappearing and reappearing, precognition, and psychokinesis.

7. Benkei (1155 - 1189)

Musashibo Benkei, popularly known simply as Benkei, was a warrior monk who served Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He is a popular hero of Japanese folklore. Accounts of his birth vary greatly - some say he was the son of a raped mother, others call him a descendant of a god, and many attribute to him the attributes of a demon child.

Benkei is said to have killed at least 200 people in every battle he fought. At the age of 17, he stood over two meters tall and was called a giant. He was trained in the use of a naginata (a long weapon similar to a hybrid of an ax and a spear), and left a Buddhist monastery to join a secret sect of ascetic mountain monks.

According to legend, Benkei went to Gojo Bridge in Kyoto, where he disarmed every swordsman passing by and thereby collected 999 swords. During his 1000th battle, he was defeated by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and became his vassal, fighting with him against the Taira clan.

While under siege several years later, Yoshitsune committed ritual suicide (harakiri) while Benkei fought on the bridge in front of the castle's main entrance to protect his master. They say that the soldiers who organized the ambush were afraid to cross the bridge to engage in battle with the lone giant. Benkei killed over 300 soldiers and long after the battle was over, the soldiers saw Benkei still standing, covered in wounds and pierced by an arrow. The giant fell to the ground, dying standing, in what eventually became known as the "Standing Death of Benkei."

6. Uesugi Kenshin (1530 - 1578)

Uesugi Kenshin was a daimyo during the Sengoku period in Japan. He was one of the most powerful generals of the era and is mainly remembered for his valor on the battlefield. He is renowned for his noble demeanor, military prowess, and long-standing rivalry with Takeda Shingen.

Kenshin believed in the Buddhist god of war - Bishamonten - and was therefore considered by his followers to be an incarnation of Bishamonten or the God of War. He is sometimes referred to as "Echigo the Dragon", for his formidable martial arts techniques that he displayed on the battlefield.

Kenshin became the young 14-year-old ruler of Echigo Province after wresting power from his older brother. He agreed to take the field against the powerful warlord Takeda Shingen because Takeda's campaigns of conquest were moving close to Echigo's borders.

In 1561, Kenshin and Shingen fought their biggest battle, the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima. According to legend, during this battle Kenshin attacked Takeda Shingen with his sword. Shingen brushed off the blows with his combat iron fan, and Kenshin was forced to retreat. The results of the battle are not clear, since both commanders lost more than 3,000 people.

Although they had been rivals for more than 14 years, Uesagi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen exchanged gifts several times. When Shingen died in 1573, Kenshin was said to have cried out loud at the loss of such a worthy opponent.

It should also be noted that Uesagi Kenshin famously defeated the most powerful military leader of that era, Oda Nobunaga, as many as twice. It is said that if he had not died suddenly after heavy drinking (or stomach cancer or murder, depending on who you ask), he might have usurped Nobunaga's throne.

5. Takeda Shingen (1521 – 1573)

Takeda Shingen, from Kai Province, was a prominent daimyo in the late Sengoku period. He is known for his exceptional military authority. He is often referred to as the "Tiger of Kai" for his military prowess on the battlefield, and as the main rival of Uesugi Kenshin, or "Dragon Echigo".

Shingen took the Takeda clan under his protection at the age of 21. He teamed up with the Imagawa clan to help lead a bloodless coup against his father. The young commander made rapid progress and gained control of the entire surrounding area. He fought in five legendary battles against Uesagi Kenshin, and then the Takeda clan was destroyed by internal problems.

Shingen was the only daimyo with the necessary strength and tactical skill to stop Oda Nobunaga, who wanted to rule Japan. He defeated Nobunaga's ally Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1572 and captured Futamata Castle. Then he defeated the small combined army of Nobunaga and Ieyasu. While preparing for a new battle, Shingen died suddenly in his camp. Some say he was wounded by an enemy marksman, while other sources say he died of pneumonia or an old battle wound.

4. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 - 1616)

Tokugawa Ieyasu is the first shogun and founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. His family practically ruled Japan from 1600 until the start of the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, became shogun in 1603, abdicated in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616. He is one of the most famous generals and shoguns in Japanese history.

Ieyasu rose to power by fighting under the Imagawa clan against the brilliant leader Oda Nobunaga. When the Imagawa leader, Yoshimoto, was killed during Nobunaga's surprise attack, Ieyasu formed a secret alliance with the Oda clan. Together with Nobunaga's army, they captured Kyoto in 1568. At the same time, Ieyasu formed an alliance with Takeda Shingen and expanded his territory.

Ultimately, after covering up the former enemy, the Ieyasu-Shingen alliance collapsed. Takeda Shingen defeated Ieyasu in a series of battles, but Ieyasu turned to Oda Nobunaga for help. Nobunaga brought his large army, and the Oda-Tokugawa force of 38,000 won a great victory at the Battle of Nagashino in 1575 against Takeda Shingen's son, Takeda Katsuyori.

Tokugawa Ieyasu would eventually outlive many of the era's greats: Oda Nobunaga had seeded the seed for the shogunate, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had gained power, Shingen and Kenshin, the two strongest rivals, were dead. The Tokugawa Shogunate, thanks to Ieyasu's cunning mind, would rule Japan for another 250 years.

3. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536 - 1598)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a great daimyo, general, samurai, and politician of the Sengoku period. He is considered the second "great unifier" of Japan, succeeding his former master, Oda Nobunaga. He brought an end to the Warring States period. After his death, his young son was supplanted by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Hideyoshi created a number of cultural legacies, such as the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms. He financed the construction and restoration of many temples that still stand in Kyoto. He played an important role in the history of Christianity in Japan when he ordered the execution of 26 Christians on a cross.

He joined the Oda clan around 1557 as a lowly servant. He was promoted to become Nobunaga's vassal, and participated in the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, where Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and became the most powerful warlord of the Sengoku period. Hideyoshi carried out numerous renovations to the castle and the construction of fortresses.

Hideyoshi, despite his peasant origins, became one of Nobunaga's main generals. After Nobunaga's assassination in 1582 at the hands of his general Akechi Mitsuhide, Hideyoshi sought revenge and, by allying with a neighboring clan, defeated Akechi.

Hideyoshi, like Nobunaga, never received the title of shogun. He made himself regent and built himself a luxurious palace. He expelled Christian missionaries in 1587, and began a sword hunt to confiscate all weapons, stopping peasant revolts and bringing greater stability.

When his health began to fail, he decided to fulfill Oda Nobunaga's dream of Japan conquering China and began his conquest of the Ming Dynasty with the help of Korea. The Korean invasion ended in failure, and Hideyoshi died on September 18, 1598. Hideyoshi's class reforms changed the social class system in Japan for the next 300 years.

2. Oda Nobunaga (1534 - 1582)

Oda Nobunaga was a powerful samurai, daimyo, and military leader who initiated the unification of Japan at the end of the Warring States period. He lived his entire life in continuous military conquest, and captured a third of Japan before his death in a coup in 1582. He is remembered as one of the most brutal and defiant figures of the Warring States period. He is also recognized as one of Japan's greatest rulers.

His loyal supporter, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, became his successor, and he became the first to unify all of Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu later consolidated his power with the shogunate, which ruled Japan until 1868, when the Meiji Restoration began. It was said that "Nobunaga starts making the national rice cake, Hideyoshi kneads it, and eventually Ieyasu sits down and eats it."

Nobunaga changed Japanese warfare. He introduced the use of long pikes, promoted the construction of castle fortifications, and especially the use of firearms (including the arquebus, a powerful firearm), which led to numerous victories for the commander. After he captured two important musket factories in Sakai City and Omi Province, Nobunaga gained superior weapons power over his enemies.

He also instituted a specialized military class system based on ability rather than name, rank, or family. Vassals also received land based on how much rice it produced, rather than the size of the land. This organizational system was later used and widely developed by Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was an excellent businessman who modernized the economy from agricultural towns to the formation of walled cities with active manufacturing.

Nobunaga was a lover of art. He built large gardens and castles, popularized the Japanese tea ceremony as a way to talk about politics and business, and helped usher in the modern kabuki theater. He became a patron of Jesuit missionaries in Japan and supported the creation of the first Christian temple in Kyoto in 1576, although he remained an adamant atheist.

1. Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1685)

Although he was not a prominent politician, or a famous general or military leader like many others on this list, there was perhaps no other greater swordsman in Japanese history than the legendary Miyamoto Musashi (at least to Westerners). Although he was essentially a wandering ronin (a masterless samurai), Musashi became famous through stories of his swordsmanship in numerous duels.

Musashi is the founder of the Niten-ryu fencing technique, the art of fighting with two swords - it uses a katana and a wakizashi simultaneously. He was also the author of The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics and philosophy that has been studied ever since.

According to his own accounts, Musashi fought his first duel at the age of 13, where he defeated a man named Arika Kihei by killing him with a stick. He fought with adepts of famous fencing schools, but never lost.

In one duel against the Yoshioka family, a famous school of swordsmen, Musashi reportedly broke his habit of showing up late, arriving several hours early, killing his 12-year-old opponent, and then fleeing as he was attacked by dozens of his victim's supporters. To fight back, he took out his second sword, and this technique of wielding two swords marked the beginning of his technique Niten-ki ("two heavens as one").

According to stories, Musashi traveled the earth and fought in more than 60 fights and was never defeated. This conservative estimate likely does not take into account the deaths at his hands in the major battles in which he fought. In the last years of his life, he fought much less and wrote more, retiring to a cave to write The Book of Five Rings. He died in a cave in 1645, foreseeing his death, so he died in a sitting position with one knee raised vertically and holding his wakizashi in his left hand and a stick in his right.

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In modern popular culture, Japanese samurai are represented as medieval warriors, similar to Western knights. This is not a completely correct interpretation of the concept. In fact, the samurai were primarily feudal lords who owned their own land and were the basis of power. This class was one of the key ones in Japanese civilization of that time.

The origin of the class

Approximately in the 18th century, the same warriors appeared whose successor is any samurai. Japanese feudalism arose from the Taika reforms. The emperors resorted to the help of samurai in their fight against the Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of the archipelago. With each new generation, these people, who faithfully served the state, acquired new lands and money. Clans and influential dynasties were formed that owned significant resources.

Around the X-XII centuries. In Japan, a process similar to the European one took place - the country was shaken by feudal lords fighting against each other for land and wealth. At the same time, imperial power remained, but it was extremely weakened and could not prevent civil confrontation. It was then that the Japanese samurai received their code of rules - bushido.

Shogunate

In 1192, a political system arose, which was later called a complex and dual system of governing the entire country, when the emperor and the shogun - figuratively speaking, the chief samurai - ruled simultaneously. Japanese feudalism was based on the traditions and power of influential families. If Europe overcame its own civil strife during the Renaissance, then the distant and isolated island civilization lived for a long time according to medieval rules.

This was the period when the samurai was considered the most prestigious member of society. The Japanese shogun was omnipotent due to the fact that at the end of the 12th century the emperor granted the holder of this title the monopoly right to raise an army in the country. That is, any other contender or peasant uprising could not stage a coup due to the inequality of power. The Shogunate lasted from 1192 to 1867.

Feudal hierarchy

The samurai class has always been distinguished by a strict hierarchy. At the very top of these stairs was the shogun. Next came the daimyo. These were the heads of the most important and powerful families in Japan. If the shogun died without leaving an heir, then his successor was chosen from among the daimyo.

At the middle level were feudal lords who owned small estates. Their approximate number fluctuated around several thousand people. Next came the vassals of vassals and ordinary soldiers without property.

At its peak, the samurai class made up about 10% of the total population of Japan. Members of their families can also be included in this layer. In fact, the power of the feudal lord depended on the size of his estate and the income from it. It was often measured in rice - the main food of the entire Japanese civilization. The soldiers were also paid with literal rations. For such “trade” there was even a system of weights and measures. Koku was equal to 160 kilograms of rice. Approximately this amount of food was enough to satisfy the needs of one person.

To understand the value of rice, it is enough to give an example of a samurai salary. Thus, those close to the shogun received from 500 to several thousand koku of rice per year, depending on the size of their estate and the number of their own vassals, who also needed to be fed and supported.

Relationship between shogun and daimyo

The hierarchical system of the samurai class allowed feudal lords who served well to rise very high on the social ladder. Periodically they rebelled against the supreme authority. The shoguns tried to keep the daimyo and their vassals in line. To do this, they resorted to the most original methods.

For example, in Japan for a long time there was a tradition according to which daimyo were supposed to go to their master for a gala reception once a year. Such events were accompanied by long journeys across the country and high costs. If the daimyo was suspected of treason, the shogun could actually take a member of the family of his unwanted vassal hostage during such a visit.

Code of Bushido

Along with the development of the shogunate, the authors of the shogunate were the best Japanese samurai. This set of rules was formed under the influence of the ideas of Buddhism, Shintoism and Confucianism. Most of these teachings came to Japan from the mainland, or more precisely from China. These ideas were popular among the samurai - representatives of the main aristocratic families of the country.

Unlike Buddhism or the doctrine of Confucius, Shintoism was an ancient paganism. It was based on norms such as the worship of nature, ancestors, country and the emperor. Shintoism allowed for the existence of magic and otherworldly spirits. In Bushido, from this religion, the cult of patriotism and faithful service to the state was primarily transferred.

Thanks to Buddhism, the Japanese samurai code included ideas such as a special attitude towards death and an indifferent view of life's problems. Aristocrats often practiced Zen, believing in the rebirth of souls after death.

Samurai philosophy

The Japanese samurai warrior was raised in bushido. He had to strictly follow all the prescribed rules. These norms applied to both public service and personal life.

The popular comparison of knights and samurai is incorrect precisely from the point of view of comparing the European code of honor and the rules of bushido. This is due to the fact that the behavioral foundations of the two civilizations were extremely different from each other due to isolation and development in completely different conditions and societies.

For example, in Europe there was an established custom of giving your word of honor when agreeing on some agreements between feudal lords. For a samurai this would be an insult. At the same time, from the point of view of a Japanese warrior, a surprise attack on the enemy was not a violation of the rules. For a French knight, this would mean the treachery of the enemy.

Military honor

In the Middle Ages, every resident of the country knew the names of Japanese samurai, since they were the state and military elite. Few who wished to join this class could do so (either because of their ugliness or because of inappropriate behavior). The closed nature of the samurai class lay precisely in the fact that strangers were rarely allowed into it.

Clanism and exclusivity greatly influenced the norms of behavior of warriors. For them, their own dignity was the most important thing. If a samurai brought shame on himself by an unworthy act, he had to commit suicide. This practice is called harakiri.

Every samurai had to be responsible for his words. The Japanese code of honor required people to think several times before making any statement. Warriors were required to eat moderately and avoid promiscuity. A true samurai always remembered death and reminded himself every day that sooner or later his earthly journey would end, so the only important thing was whether he was able to maintain his own honor.

Attitude to family

Worship of family also took place in Japan. So, for example, a samurai had to remember the rule of “branches and trunk.” According to customs, the family was compared to a tree. Parents were the trunk, and children were just branches.

If a warrior treated his elders with contempt or disrespect, he automatically became an outcast in society. This rule was followed by all generations of aristocrats, including the very last samurai. Japanese traditionalism existed in the country for many centuries, and neither modernization nor a way out of isolation could break it.

Attitude to the state

Samurai were taught that their attitude towards the state and legitimate authority should be as humble as towards their own family. For a warrior there were no interests higher than his master. Japanese samurai weapons served the rulers until the very end, even when the number of their supporters became critically small.

The loyal attitude towards the overlord often took the form of unusual traditions and habits. Thus, samurai did not have the right to go to bed with their feet towards the residence of their master. The warrior also made sure not to aim his weapon in the direction of his master.

Characteristic of the behavior of samurai was a contemptuous attitude towards death on the battlefield. It is interesting that mandatory rituals have developed here. So, if a warrior realized that his battle was lost and he was hopelessly surrounded, he had to give his own name and die calmly from the enemy’s weapon. A mortally wounded samurai, before giving up the ghost, pronounced the names of Japanese samurai of senior ranks.

Education and customs

The class of feudal warriors was not only a militaristic stratum of society. Samurai were well educated, which was mandatory for their position. All warriors studied the humanities. At first glance, they could not be useful on the battlefield. But in reality everything was exactly the opposite. The Japanese might not have protected their owner where literature saved him.

For these warriors, a passion for poetry was the norm. The great fighter Minamoto, who lived in the 11th century, could spare a defeated enemy if he read him a good poem. One samurai wisdom said that weapons are the right hand of a warrior, while literature is the left.

An important component of everyday life was the tea ceremony. The custom of drinking a hot drink was spiritual in nature. This ritual was adopted from Buddhist monks, who meditated collectively in this way. Samurai even held tea drinking tournaments among themselves. Each aristocrat was obliged to build a separate pavilion in his house for this important rite. From the feudal lords the habit of drinking tea passed on to the peasant class.

Samurai training

Samurai learned their craft from childhood. It was vital for a warrior to master the technique of wielding several types of weapons. The skill of fist fighting was also highly valued. Japanese samurai and ninjas had to be not only strong, but also extremely resilient. Each student had to swim in a stormy river in full clothing.

A real warrior could defeat the enemy not only with weapons. He knew how to suppress his opponent mentally. This was done with the help of a special battle cry, which made unprepared enemies feel uneasy.

Casual wardrobe

In the life of a samurai, almost everything was regulated - from relationships with others to clothing. It was also a social marker by which aristocrats distinguished themselves from peasants and ordinary townspeople. Only samurai could wear silk clothes. In addition, their things had a special cut. A kimono and hakama were required. Weapons were also considered part of the wardrobe. The samurai always carried two swords with him. They were tucked into a wide belt.

Only aristocrats could wear such clothes. Peasants were prohibited from wearing such a wardrobe. This is also explained by the fact that on each of his things the warrior had stripes that showed his clan affiliation. Every samurai had such coats of arms. Translating the motto from Japanese could explain where it came from and who it served.

Samurai could use any available item as a weapon. Therefore, the wardrobe was also selected for possible self-defense. The samurai fan became an excellent weapon. It differed from ordinary ones in that the basis of its design was iron. In the event of a surprise attack by enemies, even such an innocent thing could cost the lives of the attacking enemies.

Armor

If ordinary silk clothing was intended for everyday wear, then each samurai had a special wardrobe for battle. Typical armor of medieval Japan included metal helmets and breastplates. The technology for their production originated during the heyday of the shogunate and has remained virtually unchanged since then.

Armor was worn in two cases - before a battle or a ceremonial event. The rest of the time they were kept in a specially designated place in the samurai’s house. If warriors went on a long campaign, their clothing was carried in a convoy. As a rule, servants looked after the armor.

In medieval Europe, the main distinctive element of equipment was the shield. With its help, knights showed their belonging to one or another feudal lord. Samurai did not have shields. For identification purposes, they used colored cords, banners, and helmets with engraved designs of coats of arms.

Samurai are these Japanese guys who shot with a bow at 10 steps and sometimes hit, carried two swords in their belts and spoke in dog voices. Many consider them to be the cyber-hyber-warriors of all times, who could easily defeat a knight, a conquistador, or even a Roman legionnaire (although this is where the fiercest fights take place). Sweeping aside the legend-myths and completely refusing to compare them with a gopher, capybara or rhinoceros, I took the risk of compiling my top 10 most famous warriors among the samurai.

Top 10 samurai warriors

1. Minamoto Tametomo. Representative of a famous aristocratic clan. He did not live to see the famous war with Taira, for much earlier he took part in the rebellion of his relatives against Taira ("The Troubles of the Hogen Years", described in the work of the same name), which ended in failure. He was known as the famous cyber-yuber archer, who could shoot off anything at enemies - the kneecap, the head, once even fired at a ship, broke through the waterline and sank it. Naturally, most of his exploits are heroic tales created by the imagination of "Homer-san". After the failure of the rebellion, the enemies decided to punish Tametomo by cutting the tendons in his arms and depriving the archer of his strength. But even in this state, he shot them down when they came after him on a small island, where he was trampling his exile, and then, surrounded by hordes, he was the first in Japanese history to commit seppuku for himself.

2. Minamoto Yoshitsune. The favorite hero of Japanese children and folklore in general. A funny dwarf, brother of the famous Yoritomo, who defeated the Taira and began to rule Japan as Shogun Minamoto. Despite his physical attributes, Yoshitsune proved himself both as a commander, in fact, in one person and taking out these Tairas (his brother, like all politicians in the world, then came to do everything ready), and as a dexterous and skillful warrior. Which was especially useful to him when an insidious brother-in-law ordered him to be captured and killed. Together with his faithful servant, the heroic monk Benkei and his wife Shizuka Gozen, the warlike dwarf fled into the thickets and hid through them for many years until his enemies surrounded him, which forced him to commit seppuku. Yoshitsune's Wandering Adventures is one of the most famous Japanese "samurai novels."

3. Ashikaga Yoshiteru. 13th shogun of the Ashikaga dynasty. By that time, this position had already become almost a pure fiction - the head of the bakufu military headquarters was used as a puppet by all sorts of feudal lords (in this case, those living near the capital Kyoto) in the struggle for power with each other. Yoshiteru had a strong character and always tried to follow his line, dreaming of returning real power to the shogunate. For this, in the end, insidious enemies attacked him at night in the palace. However, the shogun was also known as the best swordsman of his time - breaking a dozen and a half swords before the attackers were finally able to finish him off.

4. Hattori Hanzo. One of the most famous vassals of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hanzo was not just a brave warrior, a skilled swordsman, a spearman and a cunning tactician - he “had connections” among the shinobi clans (never call them anything! Never!!!), including the famous Iga and Koga, and even had the nickname “ Shinobi Shogun", that is, the leader of the spies. By the way, sometimes he himself took part in “night forays”. Naturally, such a person, simply a jack of all trades, was practically irreplaceable, and therefore he calmly lived to old age, avoiding the need to do seppuku for himself.

5. Sanada Nobushige, aka Yukimura. The Japanese consider Yukimura (he never bore this name, it “stuck” to him from novels) perhaps the best strategist and tactician of all time. He was just unlucky - the Sanada clan was small, the army was even smaller, and they mostly served their boss, the Takeda. And after the rise of the Tokugawa, they again backed the wrong horse - they defended the Toyotomi clan. In general, most of Yukimura's feats were attacks by small squads, in which he had to personally demonstrate bujutsu. His personal bodyguards were 10 famous martial arts masters - the “10 Brave Men of Sanada.” He died fighting - being seriously wounded in battle, he asked the servants to cut off his head.

6. Miyamoto Musashi. Perhaps in Japan, when they hear the word “samurai”, in 9 out of 10 cases they will immediately say “Musashi”. Although he did not really participate in any war (his whole life is a compendium of legends, where it is sometimes simply impossible to distinguish truth from fiction). But he became the classic image of a “ronin” - a warrior wandering back and forth, living by the sword, fighting in duels and hiding in the thickets of thickets (well, he had a skin disease - he smelled bad and itched). Having defeated many different masters of bujutsu, at the end of his life Miyamoto wrote the bestseller “The Book of Five Rings,” where, in a prophetic-pragmatic form (“if you fell, get up and jump again”), he outlined “the path of a true warrior.” And yes, there are hundreds of novels, movies and anime about him in Japan...

7. Yagyu Munenori. To some extent, the image of Munenori is the opposite of Miyamoto Musashi. The skilled swordsman “pulled everyone down with patience and labor” and, without faltering anywhere, serving as a bodyguard (and then commander of a detachment of bodyguards) of the Tokugawa clan, he was the first in the history of Japan to receive the title of daimyo and the position of “head of the shogunate’s security service” for his martial art. Yagyu also founded his own school of martial arts - Shinkage-ryu, in which representatives of the highest nobility, including the children of the shogun, have since trained. In general, “serve honestly - don’t worry about anything.”

8. Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi. But in reality, Munenori’s son was defeated by his “absentee rival” Musashi - when Jubei was sent into exile due to participation in an unsuccessful conspiracy, he disappeared there for 12 years. No one knows for sure what he did there, but a lot of novels and legends have been written about this time. Because Jubei possessed the family art of swordsmanship. And then, at the age of 36, he came to the shogun for a tournament, where he scattered the most famous opponents in different corners. The shogun was upset and “turned his heart” to the stunning warrior. Yes, and then he also wrote a book - “Records Born in Contemplation of the Moon” (and about the same thing).

9. Kondo Isami. When a squabble began between the shogunate and supporters of strengthening the power of the emperor in Japan in the mid-19th century, the idea arose to create a selected detachment of samurai to guard senior officials (several political assassinations occurred there), as well as for “special operations.” This is how first the Rosingumi appeared, and then the famous (manga and anime) Shinsengumi, headed by Konda Isami - a nobody at all, the son of a peasant who climbed to the top (and killed a couple of people along the way). At the head of his Red Guards, Kondo committed several high-profile deeds, and when the Boshin War began, he became the military leader of the shogun's army and, being wounded, was captured and executed. His enemies were too afraid of his reputation...

10. Nakano Takeko. Finally, the most famous female samurai in Japan. More precisely, onna-bugeisha - this is how during medieval wars they called women (sometimes concubines, sometimes wives) of samurai who served as their bodyguards, and then this word came to mean a female warrior in general, such as a “hero.” In general, almost all samurai girls were taught to use weapons, and the naginata (halberd) was even considered “typically feminine.” But Takeko became a martial artist at her father's school. And when the Boshin War began, she decided to join the army of the Principality of Aizu, supporters of the shogun. Officially, they did not want to allow women to fight, but they allowed them to “stand on the side and do whatever they wanted.” And Nakano assembled a squad of the same boys (received the original name “Women’s Squad”, or “Women’s Army”). In a battle with the emperor's army, Takeko received a bullet in the chest and asked her sister Yuko to cut off her head (purely the custom of male samurai, women killed themselves by piercing an artery in the neck) and take it away so that it would not fall to the enemies. In honor of her, a festival is still held about those places every year (well, Nipponians love this thing - don’t feed them bread).

Japanese samurai are known, perhaps, all over the world. They are sometimes compared to European knights, but this comparison is not entirely accurate. From Japanese, the word "samurai" is translated as "a person who serves." Medieval samurai for the most part were noble and fearless fighters, fighting against enemies with the help of katanas and other weapons. But when did they appear, how did they live in different periods of Japanese history, and what rules did they follow? About all this in our article.

The origins of the samurai as a class

Samurai appeared as a result of the Taika reforms that started in the Land of the Rising Sun in 646. These reforms can be called the largest socio-political transformations in the history of ancient Japan, which were carried out under the leadership of Prince Naka no Oe.

Emperor Kammu gave a big impetus to strengthening the samurai at the beginning of the ninth century. This emperor turned to existing regional clans for help in a war against the Ainu, another people who lived on the islands of the Japanese archipelago. By the way, there are only a few tens of thousands of Ainu left now.

In the 10th–12th centuries, in the process of “showdowns” between feudal lords, influential families were formed. They had their own fairly substantial military detachments, the members of which were only nominally in the service of the emperor. In fact, every major feudal lord then needed well-trained professional warriors. They became the samurai. During this period, the foundations of the unwritten samurai code “The Way of the Bow and the Horse” were formed, which was later transformed into a clear set of rules “The Way of the Warrior” (“Bushido”).

Samurai in the Minamoto and Edo eras

The final formation of the samurai as a special privileged class occurred, according to most researchers, during the reign of the Minamoto house in the Land of the Rising Sun (this is the period from 1192 to 1333). The accession of Minamoto was preceded by a civil war between feudal clans. The very course of this war created the preconditions for the emergence of the shogunate - a form of government with a shogun (that is, a military leader) at the head.

After the Taira clan was defeated, Minamoto no Yoritomo forced the emperor to give him the title of shogun (thus becoming the first shogun), and he made the small fishing settlement of Kamakura his own residence. Now the shogun was the most powerful person in the country: the highest-ranking samurai and the chief minister at the same time. Of course, official power in the Japanese state belonged to the emperor, and the court also had some influence. But the position of the court and the emperor still could not be called dominant - for example, the emperor was constantly forced to follow the instructions of the shogun, otherwise he would be forced to abdicate the throne.

Yoritomo established a new governing body for Japan, called the "field headquarters." Like the shogun himself, almost all of his ministers were samurai. As a result, the principles of the samurai class spread to all areas of Japanese society.

Minomoto no Yorimoto - the first shogun and the highest-ranking samurai of the late 12th century

The "golden age" of samuraiism is considered to be the period from the first shogun to the Onin Civil War (1467–1477). On the one hand, it was a fairly peaceful period, on the other, the number of samurai was relatively small, which allowed them to have good income.

Then in the history of Japan there came a period of many internecine wars, in which samurai took an active part.

In the mid-16th century, there was a feeling that the empire, shaken by conflicts, would forever fall apart into separate parts, but the daimyo (prince) from the island of Honshu, Oda Nobunaga, managed to start the process of unifying the state. This process was long, and only in 1598 was true autocracy established. Tokugawa Ieyasu became the ruler of Japan. He chose the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo) as his residence and became the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled for more than 250 years (this era is also called the Edo era).

With the rise of the Tokugawa house to power, the class of samurai increased significantly - almost every fifth Japanese became a samurai. Since internal feudal wars were a thing of the past, samurai military units at this time were used mainly to suppress peasant uprisings.

The most senior and important samurai were the so-called hatamoto - direct vassals of the shogun. However, the bulk of the samurai performed the duties of vassals of the daimyo, and most often they did not have land, but received a certain salary from their master. At the same time, they had quite great privileges. For example, Tokugawa legislation allowed a samurai to kill on the spot a “commoner” who behaved indecently without any consequences.

There is a misconception that all samurai were fairly wealthy people. But that's not true. Already under the Tokugawa shogunate, there were poor samurai who lived not much better than ordinary peasants. And in order to feed their families, some of them still had to cultivate the land.

Education and code of the samurai

When raising future samurai, they tried to instill in them indifference to death, physical pain and fear, a cult of respect for elders and loyalty to their master. The mentor and family primarily focused on developing the character of the young man who took this path, developing in him courage, endurance and patience. Character was developed by reading stories about the exploits of heroes who glorified themselves as samurai of the past, and by watching relevant theatrical productions.

Sometimes the father ordered the future warrior, in order to become bolder, to go alone to a cemetery or other “bad” place. It was common practice for teenagers to attend public executions, and they were also sent to examine the bodies and heads of dead criminals. Moreover, the young man, the future samurai, was obliged to leave a special sign that would prove that he was not shirking, but was actually here. Often, future samurai were forced to do hard work, spend sleepless nights, walk barefoot in winter, etc.

It is known for certain that samurai were not only fearless, but also very educated people. The Code of Bushido, which was already mentioned above, stated that a warrior must improve himself by any means. And therefore, the samurai did not shy away from poetry, painting and ikebana, they studied mathematics, calligraphy, and held tea ceremonies.

Zen Buddhism also had a huge influence on the samurai class. It came from China and spread throughout Japan at the end of the 12th century. Samurai found Zen Buddhism as a religious movement very attractive, as it contributed to the development of self-control, will and composure. In any situation, without unnecessary thoughts or doubts, the samurai had to go straight to the enemy, without looking back or to the side, in order to destroy him.

Another interesting fact: according to Bushido, the samurai was obliged to carry out the orders of his master unquestioningly. And even if he ordered to commit suicide or go with a detachment of ten people against an army of a thousand, this had to be carried out. By the way, the feudal lords sometimes gave the order to the samurai to go to certain death, to battle with an enemy superior in numbers, just to get rid of him. But one should not think that samurai never passed from master to master. This often happened during skirmishes between small feudal lords.

The worst thing for a samurai was to lose honor and cover himself with shame in battle. They said about such people that they were not even worthy of death. Such a warrior wandered around the country and tried to earn money like an ordinary mercenary. Their services were used in Japan, but they were treated with disdain.

One of the most shocking things associated with samurai is the ritual of hara-kiri or seppuku. A samurai had to commit suicide if he was unable to follow Bushido or was captured by his enemies. And the ritual of seppuku was considered an honorable way to die. It is interesting that the components of this ritual were a ceremonial bath, a meal with the most favorite food, and the writing of the last poem - tank. And next to the samurai performing the ritual, there was always a faithful comrade, who at a certain moment had to cut off his head in order to stop the torment.

Appearance, weapons and armor of the samurai

What medieval samurai looked like is reliably known from many sources. Over the course of many centuries, their appearance has remained almost unchanged. Most often, samurai wore wide trousers, reminiscent of a skirt in cut, with a bun of hair on their heads called motodori. For this hairstyle, the forehead was shaved bald, and the remaining hair was braided into a knot and secured on the top of the head.

As for weapons, samurai have used different types throughout their long history. Initially, the main weapon was a thin short sword called a chokuto. Then the samurai switched to curved swords, which eventually transformed into the katanas known throughout the world today. In the Bushido code it was said that the soul of a samurai is contained in his katana. And it is not surprising that this sword was considered the most important attribute of a warrior. As a rule, katanas were used in conjunction with a daisho, a short copy of the main sword (daisho, by the way, only samurai had the right to wear - that is, it was an element of status).

In addition to swords, samurai also used bows, since with the development of warfare, personal courage and the ability to fight the enemy in close combat began to matter much less. And when gunpowder appeared in the 16th century, bows gave way to firearms and cannons. For example, flintlock guns called tanegashima were popular in the Edo era.

On the battlefield, samurai wore special armor - armor. This armor was luxuriously decorated and looked somewhat ridiculous, but each part had its own specific function. The armor was both durable and flexible, allowing its owner to move freely on the battlefield. The armor was made of metal plates tied together with leather and silk laces. The arms were protected by rectangular shoulder shields and armored sleeves. Sometimes such a sleeve was not worn on the right hand to make fighting easier.

An integral element of the armor was Kabuto's helmet. Its cup-shaped part was made of metal plates connected with rivets. An interesting feature of this helmet is the presence of a balaclava (exactly like Darth Vader from Star Wars). It protected the owner's neck from possible blows from swords and arrows. Along with helmets, samurai sometimes wore gloomy Mengu masks to intimidate the enemy.

In general, this combat clothing was very effective, and the United States Army, as experts say, created the first body armor based on medieval Japanese armor.

Decline of the samurai class

The beginning of the collapse of the samurai class is due to the fact that daimyo no longer needed large personal detachments of warriors, as was the case during the period of feudal fragmentation. As a result, many samurai were left out of work and turned into ronin (samurai without a master) or ninja - secret mercenary killers.

And by the middle of the eighteenth century, the process of extinction of the samurai class of samurai began to go even faster. The development of manufactories and the strengthening of the positions of the bourgeoisie led to the gradual degeneration (primarily economic) of samurai. More and more samurai fell into debt with moneylenders. Many of the warriors changed their qualifications and turned into ordinary traders and farmers. In addition, samurai became participants and organizers of various schools of martial arts, tea ceremony, engraving, Zen philosophy, and belles lettres - this is how these people expressed their keen desire for traditional Japanese culture.

After the bourgeois Meiji Revolution of 1867–1868, the samurai, like other feudal classes, were officially abolished, but for some time they retained their privileged position.

Those samurai who actually owned the land even under Tokugawa, after the agrarian reforms of 1872–1873, legally secured their rights to it. In addition, former samurai joined the ranks of officials, army and navy officers, etc.

And in 1876, the famous “Decree on the Ban of Swords” was issued in Japan. It directly prohibited the carrying of traditional edged weapons, and this ultimately “finished off” the samurai. Over time, they became simply part of history, and their traditions became an element of the unique Japanese flavor.

Documentary film “Times and Warriors. Samurai."

Although the words “samurai” and “bushi” are very close in meaning, “bushi” (warrior) is a broader concept, and it does not always refer to a samurai. Also, in some definitions, samurai- This is a Japanese knight. The very word “samurai” comes from the verb “saburau” - literally translated it means: to serve a superior person. Samurai were not just knights, they were also the bodyguards of their daimyo (see below), and at the same time servants in everyday life. The most honorable position was the caretaker of his master's sword, but there were also such positions as the caretaker of an umbrella or the “supplier” of water in the morning, after sleep.

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Origin

According to the most common opinion, samurai originated in the 8th century in the east, northeast and extreme south of Japan. Since ancient times, on the outskirts of the empire, the Ainu tribes who settled here fiercely defended their lands from the imperial troops. The basis of samurai was made up of fugitive peasants and free hunters who were looking for “land and freedom” on the borders of the empire. Like the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks, they spent their lives in constant campaigns and skirmishes with warlike aborigines, defending state borders.

The beginning of the identification of samurai as a special class usually dates back to the period of the reign of the feudal house of Minamoto (-) in Japan. The protracted and bloody civil war that preceded this (the so-called “Gempei Troubles”) between the feudal houses of Taira and Minamoto created the preconditions for the establishment of the shogunate - the rule of the samurai class with the supreme military leader ("shogun") at its head.

Golden age

The era of internecine wars

Over time, military governors became increasingly independent of the shogunate. They turned into large feudal lords, concentrating rich land plots in their hands. The houses of the southwestern provinces of Japan were especially strengthened, which significantly increased their armed forces.

In addition, thanks to the brisk trade with China and Korea, the feudal lords of the western and southwestern provinces, from where it was mainly carried out, became significantly enriched. The Kamakura shogunate, not wanting to put up with the strengthening of individual samurai houses, interfered with the trading activities of the feudal lords, which served as one of the reasons for the emergence of opposition sentiments towards the Kamakura shogunate among the samurai houses.

As a result, the Kamakura shogunate was overthrown, and the title of shogun passed to representatives of the Ashikaga house. The first shogun of the new dynasty was Ashikaga Takauji. The head of the new shogunate left the former bakufu headquarters, Kamakura, which was destroyed during civil strife, and, together with the entire government, moved to the imperial capital of Kyoto. Once in Kyoto, the shogun and influential samurai, in order to catch up with the arrogant court nobility, began to build themselves magnificent palaces and gradually became mired in luxury, idleness, the intrigues of the imperial court and began to neglect state affairs.

The military governors of the provinces immediately took advantage of the weakening of centralized power. They formed their own samurai units, with which they attacked their neighbors, seeing everyone as an enemy, until, finally, a full-scale civil war broke out in the country.

The last phase of this war in medieval chronicles is called the “era of the fighting provinces” (Sengoku Jidai). It lasted from to

Sunset

The samurai class received a clear design during the reign of shoguns from the feudal house of Tokugawa (-) in Japan. The most privileged layer of samurai were the so-called hatamoto (literally, “under the banner”), who were direct vassals of the shogun. The majority of Hatamoto occupied the position of the service class in the personal estates of the shogun. The bulk of samurai were vassals of princes (daimyo); most often they did not have land, but received a salary from the prince in rice.

Bushido

The ethical code of conduct of the samurai in medieval Japan. The Code appeared between the 11th and 14th centuries and was formalized in the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Female samurai

Samurai in modern culture

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (film)

Death Trance (film)

Literature

Links

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