What Life Was Like as a Samurai In Feudal Japan
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Date: 2022-12-29
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Comments and reviews: 20
S.
Overall, nicely informative, but there are subtle but important distinctions about the changing role of samurai within their historical context that should be noted. For example, the daimyo and samurai under the shoen feudal structure of the Kamakura period functioned differently from the daimyo and samurai of the Sengoku into the Tokugawa (early modern) period. The shoen (estates) were organized according to lineage, but this eventually fell apart leading to strife as rich peasants began to take over and declare themselves overlords - which inevitably lead to what is known as the Era of a Thousand Wars (Sengoku Jidai. In fact, to say the samurai were a unified caste during the medieval period is a bit misleading, since this requires we think of a unified state. Japan didn't really appear with the beginnings of a unified code of national governance until Oda-Hideyoshi-Ieyasu worked to pull the daimyo under one Shogunal rule. Meanwhile, the line between samurai and peasant weren't distinct until this unification took place. You had people like the jizamurai (small landholders who became samurai) and ashigaru (footsoldiers often pulled in from farms as military labor) who could climb the ranks based on performance on the battlefield (Hideyoshi himself started off as a peasant and skyrocketed to the highest office. So the samurai as a class distinct from peasantry didn't really come into being until the early modern period with Tokugawa rule.
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Overall, nicely informative, but there are subtle but important distinctions about the changing role of samurai within their historical context that should be noted. For example, the daimyo and samurai under the shoen feudal structure of the Kamakura period functioned differently from the daimyo and samurai of the Sengoku into the Tokugawa (early modern) period. The shoen (estates) were organized according to lineage, but this eventually fell apart leading to strife as rich peasants began to take over and declare themselves overlords - which inevitably lead to what is known as the Era of a Thousand Wars (Sengoku Jidai. In fact, to say the samurai were a unified caste during the medieval period is a bit misleading, since this requires we think of a unified state. Japan didn't really appear with the beginnings of a unified code of national governance until Oda-Hideyoshi-Ieyasu worked to pull the daimyo under one Shogunal rule. Meanwhile, the line between samurai and peasant weren't distinct until this unification took place. You had people like the jizamurai (small landholders who became samurai) and ashigaru (footsoldiers often pulled in from farms as military labor) who could climb the ranks based on performance on the battlefield (Hideyoshi himself started off as a peasant and skyrocketed to the highest office. So the samurai as a class distinct from peasantry didn't really come into being until the early modern period with Tokugawa rule.
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james
Simple concept basic logic if life is not free why the hell would death be any cheaper it's not. So the question one may wonder is the spiritual cost to one's own soul and spirit for having lived and died to the lowest standards of quality for so many years now global pollution has diminished the quality of life to the point where today's people are living, dying and yielding the worst spiritual kickback that has ever been manifested since the beginning of life only getting worse. The polar opposite extreme to that is today's people should be living and dying to the highest standards of quality which would make each and every moment physically, mentally, financially and spiritually beneficial. S. R. F.
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Simple concept basic logic if life is not free why the hell would death be any cheaper it's not. So the question one may wonder is the spiritual cost to one's own soul and spirit for having lived and died to the lowest standards of quality for so many years now global pollution has diminished the quality of life to the point where today's people are living, dying and yielding the worst spiritual kickback that has ever been manifested since the beginning of life only getting worse. The polar opposite extreme to that is today's people should be living and dying to the highest standards of quality which would make each and every moment physically, mentally, financially and spiritually beneficial. S. R. F.
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Captain
Feudal Japan is one of the most enigmatic and fascinating periods of time and I can't even imagine how awesome it would be to be able to look back and see what went on and witness all the treachery, betrayal, honor and dishonor that took place, such a unique culture full of ritual and rules so strict that when broken those that committed the transgression had to kill themselves by disembowelment called seppuku done with a knife that they always kept with them and a ceremonial white cloth wrapped around the handle leaving only the razor sharp tip and blade exposed to cut their abdomen wide open with and bow in death
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Feudal Japan is one of the most enigmatic and fascinating periods of time and I can't even imagine how awesome it would be to be able to look back and see what went on and witness all the treachery, betrayal, honor and dishonor that took place, such a unique culture full of ritual and rules so strict that when broken those that committed the transgression had to kill themselves by disembowelment called seppuku done with a knife that they always kept with them and a ceremonial white cloth wrapped around the handle leaving only the razor sharp tip and blade exposed to cut their abdomen wide open with and bow in death
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james
The most advanced ancient royal elite super superior dominate civilized nations. Made sure all their loyal subjects were able to live and die to the highest standards of quality that were available during that time and they can do this without anyone overstepping their boundaries. Because the end result of such a lifestyle. Is constant consisting physical, mental, financial and spiritual progress occurring within each and every moment of life. That Level of care to oneself and others results in a truly positive force that is self perpetuating continuously. S. R. F.
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The most advanced ancient royal elite super superior dominate civilized nations. Made sure all their loyal subjects were able to live and die to the highest standards of quality that were available during that time and they can do this without anyone overstepping their boundaries. Because the end result of such a lifestyle. Is constant consisting physical, mental, financial and spiritual progress occurring within each and every moment of life. That Level of care to oneself and others results in a truly positive force that is self perpetuating continuously. S. R. F.
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Elyas
I have a friend whos ancestors were samurai who liked on Kyushu and were eventually forced to change.
Supposedly they hated having to give up their landholdings.
But on the other hand, feudal Japanese society was messed up. Really messed up.
Samurai were rarely good guys.
But me and her protest vaccine mandates and sometimes she brings a samurai banner with her familys crest on it. Pretty cool. You know, the wooden stick with the rectangular banner. Sometimes she even wears it like they do instead of just carrying it.
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I have a friend whos ancestors were samurai who liked on Kyushu and were eventually forced to change.
Supposedly they hated having to give up their landholdings.
But on the other hand, feudal Japanese society was messed up. Really messed up.
Samurai were rarely good guys.
But me and her protest vaccine mandates and sometimes she brings a samurai banner with her familys crest on it. Pretty cool. You know, the wooden stick with the rectangular banner. Sometimes she even wears it like they do instead of just carrying it.
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Alex
There's nothing honorable about beinh a samurai in feudal Japan 120 years of civil war between the daimyos is as brutal as anyone could ever imagine. These warlords make no distinction from the civilian populace - women and children - to the enemies they wish to eradicate. When Nobunaga invaded Igi province to punish its inhabitants for making guerilla raids on his forts, 24, 000 people were beheaded, including babies. It was genocide. Japanese modern society was forged in blood.
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There's nothing honorable about beinh a samurai in feudal Japan 120 years of civil war between the daimyos is as brutal as anyone could ever imagine. These warlords make no distinction from the civilian populace - women and children - to the enemies they wish to eradicate. When Nobunaga invaded Igi province to punish its inhabitants for making guerilla raids on his forts, 24, 000 people were beheaded, including babies. It was genocide. Japanese modern society was forged in blood.
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zakalon123
The one thing that the samurai shared with the ninja was that you had to be born a samurai like the ninja into a clan. You couldn't enlist to be a samurai/ninja.
You had to be born into a samurai family.
A good list of the skills that the samurai/ninja were the Bugei Yuhappen. These are the skills that made them peerless warriors or in the Ninjas case assassins.
Would love to see a video on the Korean ninja's the SULSA or the Lithuanian ninja; s the Asiliki.
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The one thing that the samurai shared with the ninja was that you had to be born a samurai like the ninja into a clan. You couldn't enlist to be a samurai/ninja.
You had to be born into a samurai family.
A good list of the skills that the samurai/ninja were the Bugei Yuhappen. These are the skills that made them peerless warriors or in the Ninjas case assassins.
Would love to see a video on the Korean ninja's the SULSA or the Lithuanian ninja; s the Asiliki.
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jamie
One of my favorite anime on this subject though not entirely accurate. Im probably butchering this name Ruroni Kenchin. Its the story of a nomadic samurai known before as Betosi The man slayer who killed many aiding in the rise of the Maji era of Japan. To atone for his sins he carries with him a reverse bladed sword and vows to never kill again only to protect. Its a really great show and ran longer than the standard 26 episodes of normal anime.
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One of my favorite anime on this subject though not entirely accurate. Im probably butchering this name Ruroni Kenchin. Its the story of a nomadic samurai known before as Betosi The man slayer who killed many aiding in the rise of the Maji era of Japan. To atone for his sins he carries with him a reverse bladed sword and vows to never kill again only to protect. Its a really great show and ran longer than the standard 26 episodes of normal anime.
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John
No thanks for being a samurai basically spending and loosing your life to honor some crooked Lordship and get what in return a sack of unhusked rice and be economically challenged. And then you must keep in line with some BS idea of honor which is nothing more then brainwashing. To ask for an return on all your effort and services is dishonorable so gut yourself like a fish. Once more no thanks.
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No thanks for being a samurai basically spending and loosing your life to honor some crooked Lordship and get what in return a sack of unhusked rice and be economically challenged. And then you must keep in line with some BS idea of honor which is nothing more then brainwashing. To ask for an return on all your effort and services is dishonorable so gut yourself like a fish. Once more no thanks.
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tanya
something i've noticed a lot of info about samurai leave out the aspect of nanshoku. where the samurai turned it into wakashudo. where the older samurai would take a prepubescent boy as a lover and teach him martial arts and other ways of the life. and upon graduating they would still stay bloodbrothers of sorts throughout their remaining lives.
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something i've noticed a lot of info about samurai leave out the aspect of nanshoku. where the samurai turned it into wakashudo. where the older samurai would take a prepubescent boy as a lover and teach him martial arts and other ways of the life. and upon graduating they would still stay bloodbrothers of sorts throughout their remaining lives.
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Vend
So every samurai was a scholar and philosopher.
10/10 warrior caste.
Transdimensional beings probably watch Samurai life on TV.
Hm. Television. What does that word mean and how can I improve so as to encompass what it would be like a higher a being?
Oh, I guess the word 'television' kinda works in that situation as well.
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So every samurai was a scholar and philosopher.
10/10 warrior caste.
Transdimensional beings probably watch Samurai life on TV.
Hm. Television. What does that word mean and how can I improve so as to encompass what it would be like a higher a being?
Oh, I guess the word 'television' kinda works in that situation as well.
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Sean
I would be more confident in your knowledge of history if you bothered learning how to pronounce the terms. It is not DAY-myo, it is DIE-myo. If you didn't even learn that in your research of the period, how the hell are we supposed to trust your research in anything else?
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I would be more confident in your knowledge of history if you bothered learning how to pronounce the terms. It is not DAY-myo, it is DIE-myo. If you didn't even learn that in your research of the period, how the hell are we supposed to trust your research in anything else?
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Vend
THE PICTURE OF THE OLD MAN SAMURAI UNDER THE TREE SMILING MAKES ME HAPPY: D
A samurai who can grow old and die naturally have to be some of the most fulfilled old people.
They have seen so much. thought so much.
10/10 warrior caste.
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THE PICTURE OF THE OLD MAN SAMURAI UNDER THE TREE SMILING MAKES ME HAPPY: D
A samurai who can grow old and die naturally have to be some of the most fulfilled old people.
They have seen so much. thought so much.
10/10 warrior caste.
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Sigrid
Good video. The narrator needs to work on his pronunciation of Japanese words. Most of his vowel sounds are incorrect. I want to show this to students but will have to tell them to ignore the narrator's butchery of the Japanese terms.
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Good video. The narrator needs to work on his pronunciation of Japanese words. Most of his vowel sounds are incorrect. I want to show this to students but will have to tell them to ignore the narrator's butchery of the Japanese terms.
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Hanakai
OMG this helped me with my project I only had a week to find my own information, need at least 4 and this parts due Friday and its Thursday night its a lot for 5th rage thx so much.
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OMG this helped me with my project I only had a week to find my own information, need at least 4 and this parts due Friday and its Thursday night its a lot for 5th rage thx so much.
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education
When it comes to samurai all I think of are the peasants and Catholics they murdered. Thank goodness the Meiji government crushed these backward pagans and the feudal system.
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When it comes to samurai all I think of are the peasants and Catholics they murdered. Thank goodness the Meiji government crushed these backward pagans and the feudal system.
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nocategories
I've read Bushido is largely a post creation adaptation; the contemporary recordings were not by samurai, and were simply one samurai's code.
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I've read Bushido is largely a post creation adaptation; the contemporary recordings were not by samurai, and were simply one samurai's code.
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Dude
In the eighth century the vikings were just getting started in raiding England, the first crusade wouldnt happen for a couple more centuries (1096)
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In the eighth century the vikings were just getting started in raiding England, the first crusade wouldnt happen for a couple more centuries (1096)
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Vend
Anyone can make it as a Samurai. You're born into it. You don't have a choice.
It is all you know. It is your caste.
Welcome to life.
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Anyone can make it as a Samurai. You're born into it. You don't have a choice.
It is all you know. It is your caste.
Welcome to life.
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Lewis
The facts are all right, but the pronunciation of every Japanese word is wrong. Also the intro music is Chinese, not Japanese.
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The facts are all right, but the pronunciation of every Japanese word is wrong. Also the intro music is Chinese, not Japanese.
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