The Samurai Warrior: The Golden Age of Japan’s Elite Fighters 1560–1615(Warriors)

During Japan’s Warring States period, centuries of strife had left the country divided and leaderless. Those who filled the power vacuum were the daimyo, warlords who ruled over the clans and provinces of Japan. Serving their daimyo, the samurai were the ultimate warriors at a time when military prowess won out over hereditary power and position. The nature of warfare itself changed—romantic ideas of mounted duels and battlefield decorum became as rare as aristocratic samurai leaders. Marching in to replace them were the common foot soldiers, the ashigaru, armed with pikes and matchlock rifles. The Samurai Warrior examines the fighting men of this key period in Japanese history. Divided into six chapters, the book describes the unification under the Tokugawa bakufu, the major battles of the era, the weapons and armour used, the social structure of Japanese society, myths about the samurai, and finally the decline of the samurai amidst the modernization of the Meiji period. Including more than 200 photographs, illustrations, paintings, and maps, The Samurai Warrior is a colourful, accessible study of Japan’s famous but often misunderstood warrior elite.

Table of Contents:
Introduction The origins and rise of the Samurai and, after their golden age, their gradual evolution into a non-military role as aristocratic bureaucrats. The Unification of Japan The military stabilization of Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568– 1603), first by the campaigns of Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) who almost united Japan. Unification was finally achieved by one of Nobunaga’s generals, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After his death, Tokugawa Ieyasu seized political power, bringing stability to Japan. As the saying went: ‘The reunification is a rice cake; Oda made it. Hideyoshi shaped it. At last, only Ieyasu tastes it.’ Battles of the Samurai Including: Nagashino (1575), where Takeda Katsuyori’s cavalry charge was repelled by Oda Nobunaga’s musketeers. The Japanese invasion of Korea (1592–98); Sekigahara (1600), the most decisive battle in Japanese history, in which 40,000 people died and Tokugawa Ieyasu was victorious, leading to him becoming Shogun. The Siege of Osaka (1614–15), the last battle of the samurai, marking the Tokugawa shogunate’s victory over the Toyotomi clan. But how did they manage to defeat the forces inside Osaka Castle, which was defended by 100,000 samurai and had walls 100ft high? Weaponry and Armour Swords, longbows, pole weapons, cannons, matchlock guns, staff weapons, clubs, truncheons, lamellar and plate armour. Myth and Reality of the Samurai A great deal of romantic myth has grown up around the samurai, but where does the truth really lie? Bushido is the chivalric code of the samurai, but how seriously was it taken? How serious were instances where bushido was broken and samurai were disloyal. What was the philosophy and doctrine of the samurai? Ritual suicide – hara- kiri – was practised among the samurai to avoid torture by an enemy or the shame of defeat, including that of Oda Nobunaga (d.1582) and Takeda Katsuyori (d.1582), along with his family, among other cases. Samurai Social Structure Apart from a few high-ranking samurai, most were foot soldiers (ashigaru). The shogun had 17,000 samurai retainers; the daimyo (feudal lords) each had hundreds. Most lived off hereditary rights to collect rents and stipends. Together these high status groups comprised Japan’s ruling class, making up about 6% of the population. Epilogue: The End of the Samurai The arrival of Admiral Perry warships and forcing Japan to open up to international trade in the colonial era, heralding the end of the shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji restoration, restoring imperial rule to Japan in 1868. Glossary Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Ben Hubbard is a non-fiction author for adults and children. He is the author of Gladiator and The Viking Warrior, and has written books on a range of subjects including a history of popular music and medieval castles. This is his third book about the samurai.