samurai

Samurai were a hereditary warrior class in medieval and early modern Japan who served the nobility and governed land. The term derives from saburau, "to serve." They rose to prominence during the late Heian period and became the backbone of the military government after the Genpei War, which culminated in Minamoto no Yoritomo founding the Kamakura shogunate in 1192.

Across the Kamakura, Muromachi, and early Edo periods, samurai combined martial skill with governance. They followed a code of conduct known as bushido, emphasizing loyalty, self-discipline, and honor, though its exact content varied by region and era. Armor and weapons evolved from spears and bows to the daisho—consisting of a katana and a shorter wakizashi—symbolizing a samurai's social status. Training stressed both warfare and study of literature, philosophy, Buddhism, and Confucianism, as well as Zen-inspired discipline.

During the peace of the Edo period, samurai became largely bureaucrats and administrators, often required to reside in Edo (Tokyo) and to serve as local governors under the Tokugawa shogunate. Economic pressures eroded their privileged status toward the end of the 18th century. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 dismantled the samurai as a hereditary class and prohibited most sword ownership, transforming former samurai into civil servants, soldiers, or businessmen. The legacy of the samurai endures in Japanese culture and in international perceptions of martial virtue and craftsmanship.