Culture & History

Samurai History Guide: Warriors, Castles and the Bushido Code

By JAPN Published · Updated

Samurai History Guide: Warriors, Castles and the Bushido Code

Rise of the Warrior Class

The samurai (from the verb saburau, to serve) emerged as a distinct military aristocracy during the late Heian period (794-1185) when provincial landowners raised private armies to protect their estates from bandits and rival clans. The Genpei War (1180-1185) between the Taira and Minamoto clans ended with Minamoto no Yoritomo establishing the Kamakura Shogunate in 1185, creating the first military government (bakufu) and positioning the samurai class as Japan’s ruling elite for the next seven centuries.

During the Sengoku period (1467-1615), constant warfare between regional daimyo (feudal lords) produced legendary commanders whose names remain household words in Japan. Oda Nobunaga, the ruthless strategist who introduced firearms to Japanese warfare after seeing Portuguese arquebus demonstrations, began the unification process. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, born a peasant who rose to supreme military commander, continued it. Tokugawa Ieyasu completed unification at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, establishing the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled from Edo (modern Tokyo) until 1868.

Life Under the Edo Period

The Tokugawa peace paradoxically threatened the samurai’s purpose. With no wars to fight, the warrior class transformed into a bureaucratic aristocracy administering domains and serving their daimyo through civil governance. The shi-no-ko-sho (warrior-farmer-artisan-merchant) social hierarchy placed samurai at the top but increasingly separated them from actual combat. Many samurai became scholars, artists, and administrators, studying Confucian classics and practicing martial arts as spiritual discipline rather than battlefield preparation.

Samurai carried two swords (daisho): the katana (long sword, 60 to 80 cm blade) and the wakizashi (short companion sword, 30 to 60 cm). The right to bear swords was a class privilege abolished only in 1876 when the Meiji government issued the Haitourei (Sword Abolishment Edict). This act, combined with the dissolution of feudal domains and stipends, effectively ended the samurai as a social class. Many former samurai became politicians, entrepreneurs, and military officers in the new Imperial government.

Castles You Can Visit Today

Of Japan’s original castle structures, only 12 retain their original tenshu (main tower), the rest being postwar concrete reconstructions. Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the most spectacular: its gleaming white five-story tower complex earned it the nickname Shirasagi-jo (White Heron Castle). Matsumoto Castle in Nagano, known as Karasu-jo (Crow Castle) for its black exterior, sits against an alpine backdrop. Hikone Castle in Shiga and Matsue Castle in Shimane offer quieter visits without the crowds of Himeji.

Reconstructed castles provide historical context even without original fabric. Osaka Castle, rebuilt in concrete in 1931, houses a museum documenting Hideyoshi’s campaigns. Kumamoto Castle, partially collapsed in the 2016 earthquake and undergoing lengthy restoration, demonstrates the massive stone-wall engineering (ishigaki) that defined castle defense. Nagoya Castle is replacing its concrete reconstruction with a wooden rebuild using traditional techniques.

Samurai Experiences for Visitors

The Samurai Museum in Shinjuku, Tokyo (a ten-minute walk from the east exit), displays armor, weapons, and demonstrates sword-drawing techniques in live performances. Admission is roughly 1,900 yen. In Kyoto, the Toei Uzumasa Eigamura (Movie Village) in western Kyoto recreates an Edo-period town set used for jidaigeki (period drama) filming, where visitors can rent samurai armor and pose for photos at 3,000 to 8,000 yen.

Kanazawa’s Nagamachi Bukeyashiki (samurai district) preserves the earthen walls, narrow lanes, and restored residences of the Kaga domain’s warrior families. The Nomura-ke (Nomura Family Residence) opens its rooms to visitors for 550 yen, displaying armor, swords, and a small garden designed by the family. Kakunodate in Akita Prefecture preserves an entire samurai district with weeping cherry trees planted by samurai families in the Edo period, creating one of northern Japan’s most beautiful spring landscapes.

This content is for informational purposes only and reflects independent research. Details may change — verify current information before making travel plans.