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The samurai

Hmm, im not too sure on what "eras" there are, perhaps ill have to study history of Japan as a whole, then ill return to studying the samurai. Aside from Wikipedia, is there anything else that can be used to read up on japan's historical era's?
 
Eras - Heian (about 900-1100?) - I'm least familiar with this time period. There are a lot of stories about the court and the rising power of the military families (Fujiwara).
Kamakura - (1100-1300) This marks the rise of the samurai. The first shogunate was established. Period ended with the Invasion of the Mongols and Japan successfully defending itself.
Muromachi - (1300-1570) - The time of the Ashikaga shogunates. Period ends in total disarray. ENd of this time is referred to as Sengoku Jidai. Massive civil war.
Edo (1600-1860) - Time of relative peace. Arts and culture flourish. Tokugawa bakufu reigns. Americans come at the end and transition to modernism begins.
Meiji - (1860 - 1910) - Rapid modernization. War with China and Russia. Japan tries to enter into the ranks of European powers.

Don't hate Westernization/modernization. It's a fact. It's something that is inevitable. If you learn enough about Japanese history, you will see this.

The end of the Muromachi and end of the Edo periods are the most exciting. I'd recommend learning about these.
 
Fight the Power said:
Starting i guess i would like to understand the ways of the samurai, is anyone here really good at understanding them and such? Any information would be extremly appreciated, thank you🙂

I cannot believe nobody suggested you read The Book of the Five Rings by Musashi Miyamoto.

You should also read Sun Tzu's Art of War, because it was read by Japanese warlords the same way Vegetius was read by Europe's medieval aristocracy.

No, modernization should come at its own pace.
Guns, Germs, and Steel

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Sorry kiddo. It only does so rarely. And that's just how things are.

Mike Cash said:
Nobody else remembers the Suzuki Samurai?
Aaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahaha! .... That was horrible.

Yoshida Shoin said:
Muromachi - (1300-1570) - The time of the Ashikaga shogunates. Period ends in total disarray. ENd of this time is referred to as Sengoku Jidai. Massive civil war.

The Sengoku Jidai is an amazing period. It is the heyday of both the samurai and the ninja. It is difficult to find Japanese histories of that period in English (one of the reasons I want to continue learning Japanese). But you can find very good books on battles like Kawanikajima and Sekigahara from the Osprey Military History series. They have them at Barnes & Noble and Borders in the military history section near me.

For a very interesting conversation about samurai, I'd watch the movie Ronin, with Jean Reno and Robert DiNiro. There's a scene where DiNiro and Michael Lonsdale where they talk about the 47 Ronin, and how they committed seppuku when they finished avenging their daimyo.

"They chose myth," he says. They needed a purpose greater than themselves. It's the only scene in the movie that deals with the title, but the movie's worth renting anyway, especially for the car chases.

Anyway, that's my two pennies.
 
GodEmperorLeto said:
You should also read Sun Tzu's Art of War, because it was read by Japanese warlords the same way Vegetius was read by Europe's medieval aristocracy.


whoa! Sun Tzu's Art of War?
I've finished reading it when I was in 5th grade (Elementary School)
but now I forget almost the essentials,,,😌
 
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