History : The Age of the Samurai(11851868)

In 1185, Japan began to be governed by warriors or samurai. Until this time the government had been bureaucratic in theory, but was actually aristocratic (i.e., people held certain positions because they were born to families entitled to hold those jobs). Even after 1185, civil government at the Emperors court continued and the law and the state were not changed, but a new samurai class came to power and increasingly became the real rulers of the country. Some form of military leadership remained the form of government in Japan until 1868, when a centralized bureaucratic government came into being with the Meiji Restoration. The following reading describes the various warrior governments from 1185 to 1868, outlining the specific characteristics of each.

A Guide to Samurai Governments, 1185-1868

1185-1333 — Kamakura Government

The most important feature of the medieval period is that the samurai (warrior-administrators) replaced the court government in managing local government.

Because the court government had no police force, bands of samurai gained power when the Heian government neglected the administration of the provinces. Samurai strength rested on strong group loyalty and discipline. These bands managed large areas of rice land in eastern Japan, around modern Tôkyô.

In 1185 a new government was founded by the Minamoto family in Kamakura, south of modern Tôkyô. In 1192 Minamoto Yoritomo was given the title 'shôgun' to signify his military control over the country. While it followed the laws of the Heian government, the Kamakura government was run by a network of samurai throughout the country, pledged to keep the peace. Since they exercised real power on the spot, they were able to take over land from rich aristocratic land proprietors and thus caused the Heian government in Kyôto to become even weaker. Gradually the samurai took the lead in developing the law of the nation.

The Mongol invasions, the only military invasion of Japan before World War II, occurred during this period. Khubilai, Great Khan of the Mongols, invaded China and in 1263 became Emperor of China. He pressed his conquest on to Japan. In 1274 and 1281 Mongols and Chinese led great expeditions across the seas to southwest Japan. Samurai in Kyûshû were greatly outnumbered and technically disadvantaged. In 1274, a great storm arose that destroyed or set to sea the whole invasion fleet. In 1281, after 50 days of fierce struggle, the Japanese were again saved by a great storm. These storms became known as kamikaze, divine winds. (More than 650 years later, during the second invasion of Japan, by America, the suicide pilots protecting the islands were called kamikaze, too). The Mongolian attempts to invade Japan united the Japanese against an outside force for the first time in history. Shintô priests, involving the country's deities for protection, were richly rewarded.

1336-1573 — Ashikaga Government

In 1333, the Kamakura shogunate lost control of the country to a rival samurai family, the Ashikaga family. The Ashikaga shogunate moved the capital back to Kyôto, but was not able to assert as much control over the various provinces as the Kamakura government had. In the surrounding countryside, daimyô (provincial barons) ruled the people, and often fought against one other over territorial claims. The daimyô built bureaucratic governments in each province and attempted to bring all elements of society under their military rule. Local rule was more developed that before, but the central government represented by the shôgun was weak.

1600-1868 — Tokugawa Government

In 1600, one of the powerful military families, the Tokugawa, was able to gain military control over all the local daimyô. The Tokugawa created a much stronger bureaucratic military government in Edo, now named Tôkyô. It controlled — either directly or indirectly — all elements of society, such as the agrarian and commercial sectors.

The government legally differentiated four classes of society — samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Since it was concerned with a possible samurai rebellion (it had taken away the weapons of all other classes), the Tokugawa government made the daimyô live part of the time in Edo, the new military capital, and leave their families in Edo as hostages whenever they returned to their domains. Edo became a giant urban center because so many people came to make a living by supplying the huge samurai population. By 1700 there were about one million people living in Edo. In time, the Edo merchants supplying the military became richer than the samurai, many of whom lived in poverty. When Commodore Perry came to Japan from the United States in 1853 seeking commercial relations, many groups in society were ready for changes in the old legal and economic systems. Japan's feudal period ended shortly thereafter with the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

The Equipment of the Samurai – Fearsome Warriors Armed to the Teeth

Samurai of the Satsuma clan, during the Boshin War period, circa 1867. Hand-colored Photograph by Felice Beato.

Samurai were the elite warriors of feudal Japan; as dominant as knights were in Europe. Their equipment was as much a display of their status as it was a matter of military necessity.

 

These were some of the most crucial parts of their armor.

Bow and Arrows

The samurai started as archers, and it was an important part of how they fought for hundreds of years. As well as bows, they carried small quiver boxes on their belts, from which the arrows protruded for easy access.

 

Katana

As in Europe, a sword was the primary weapon of the feudal nobility. The katana was a single bladed longsword with a slight curve. The samurai wore them on their left hip. The best katana were the creations of master craftsmen with blades of incredible strength and sharpness. They were usually worn with the edge facing down.

Samurai Warrior on horseback, armed with a bow.

Wakizashi

A shorter sword than the katana, the wakizashi was often paired with it, enabling the samurai to own a decorative set of swords. Together with the katana, it became the iconic weapon of the samurai.

Naginata

The naginata, a long-bladed polearm, was a traditional weapon throughout the history of feudal Japan. It was especially popular with the sohei, a sect of warrior monks. It was also common among infantry and sometimes used by samurai, giving them extra reach.

 

No-Dachi

Being somewhere between a katana and a naginata in design, a no-dachi was an incredibly long sword, sometimes as tall as a man. It was wielded with two hands and carried across the back in a long scabbard.

Tanto

At the opposite end of the scale from the no-dachi was the tanto. Most samurai carried one of these short, sharp daggers. Some carried two.

The tanto was not a primary weapon of war. Given its length, it was of little use against swords and spears. It had a ceremonial and decorative function. It was also a weapon of last resort and was used in the suicides of many samurais who ended their lives after battlefield failures.

Samurai with sword, ca. 1860

Helmet

As in most conflicts, a helmet was one of the most important pieces of armor a samurai warrior could wear. Based on a metal bowl shape protecting the head, the first samurai helmets had wide fukigayeshi (turn backs beside the face) and shikoro (a neck guard). Over time, both shrank, although some form of shikoro remained. Late in the development of the samurai, men of high status added plumes, horns, or other decoration to their helmets.

Yoroi Armour

Early samurai wore a type of armor called yoroi. It was made by binding small armor scales together using leather thongs then lacquering the resulting plate. Thick silk cords were bound together overlapping yoroi plates. A samurai usually wore armor on the body, as a skirt over the upper legs, and as shoulder flaps that left the arms free for archery.

Agemaki

The agemaki was a knot of silk cords that bound yoroi armor together at the back. It became a decorative status symbol and was still worn on armor long after it was no longer needed to hold it together. It was displaced by the more visible sashimono banner.

Kote

A samurai who was not using a bow could wear armored sleeves called kote under his shoulder pads. Early on, these were cloth bags with metal plates sewn on. Later, as samurai gave up the bow and fought up close, other types of kote emerged, including chainmail.

Leg Armour

Like the kote, leg armor evolved in its protection. The suneate, (guards for the lower legs) became longer and were joined by the haidate, (thigh guards).

Haramaki Armour

The style of armor that replaced yoroi was haramaki. It fitted the wearer tightly and was in some ways more like the armor of regular infantry. Large shoulder guards were replaced with smaller, close-fitting ones.

Tatami-Gusoku

A later form of samurai armor, the tatami-gusoku was also one of the simplest. A selection of armor plates sewn onto a cloth backing, it was joined using chainmail links.

Hoate

The hoate was a face plate attached to a samurai’s helmet. It appeared relatively late in the development of samurai arms and armor.

In the early 16^th century, the hoate was relatively small. It covered the chin and was an anchoring plate for cords holding a helmet in place.

By the end of the century, it had grown into a full face mask. Shaped into a snarling and intimidating visage, it showed a face even more fearsome than the samurai underneath. It often had a mustache of horse hair bristles.

1890s photo showing a variety of armor and weapons typically used by samurai.

Signalling Fan

To pass messages and orders to their troops in battle, samurai carried signaling fans. They were small and decorative. Some styles were reserved only for commanders.

Referees still use them in sumo wrestling matches.

Sashimono

Another important part of signaling and organizing samurai in battle was the sashimono. It was a banner suspended on a pole and worn on the back of a samurai’s armor. It was emblazoned with the mon, or badge, of the commander the samurai served.

Like many heraldic displays, it served several functions in battle. It was a way of showing off a samurai’s presence and glorifying a commander who brought many men to fight. It was a way of intimidating the enemy, with row upon row of banners showing the presence of elite samurai warriors. It was also a way of telling who was on which side in the heat of a battle.

Wooden Shields

Samurai did not carry shields into battle, but still made use of them. Free-standing wooden boards, held up by poles extending from the back, were planted on the ground to provide cover for archers.

Source:

Stephen Turnbull (1987), Samurai Warriors