The Samurai

The Samurai, the Leader and Biggest Influence to Japan The Japanese people see them selves in a historical perspective that is based on the samurai age (Reischauer 41) Inanzo Nitobe, a Japanese merchant who was present at the landings of Commodore Perry in japan, once stated, What Japan was she owed to the samurai. They were not only the flower of the nation, but its the root as well. All the gracious gifts of heaven flowed through them,( Nitobe 159-160). The samurai was the group with the biggest impact on japan. Japanese beliefs and actions in feudal japan revolved around the samurai warrior class. Some of the samurai beliefs and actions are still present in japan today. The Japanese samurai code of Bushido greatly impacted Feudal Japan and has had a lasting impact on modern The Japanese title of samurai in English means servitors (Reischaur 52). The samurai served the Japanese people as leaders of religion, society, governing, and every day life. They were also good role models to the people on how to live a honorable fulfilled life. The samurai had its own caste or social class just below the shoguns who ruled Japan. During feudalist japan the samurai were the permanent political ruler, moral exemplar, and the arbitrator of manners and taste (Storry 43). Samurai warriors believed in Zen Buddhism which was a split from Buddhism that came from China(Lewis 42). Zen Buddhism was a form that focused on the benefits of The samurai fallowed their code of conduct called Bushido. This was a similar to chivalry used years earlier in Europe (Nitobe 4). In this code were five major ideals. One is that every samurai displayed bravery in all faces of samurai life, mostly focusing on battle. Two is to treat everyone with honor and be treated with honor. Three is that they conduct themselves with self- discipline, especially when it came to meditation and ...