Samurai (侍) or bushi (武士, [bɯ.ɕi]) were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who served the kuge and imperial court in the late 12th century. Samurai eventually came to play a major political role until their abolition in the late 1870s during the Meiji era. [1][2]

Jul 5, 2019 · The samurai (also bushi) were a class of warriors that arose in the 10th century in Japan and which performed military service until the 19th century. Elite and highly-trained soldiers adept at using both the bow and sword, the samurai were an essential component of Japanese armies in the medieval period.

Mar 18, 2025 · Samurai, member of the Japanese warrior caste. The term samurai was originally used to denote the aristocratic warriors, but it came to apply to all the members of the warrior class that rose to power in the 12th century and dominated the Japanese government until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

Here are five little-known facts about the fearsome samurai, from their somewhat terrifying social privileges to their first and only colony in the United States. The high prestige and special social privileges enjoyed by the samurai are amply demonstrated in the tradition of kiri-sute gomen, roughly translated as “permission to slay.”

Oct 28, 2009 · The samurai, who abided by a code of honor and discipline known as bushido, were provincial warriors in feudal Japan before rising to power in the 12th century.

Feb 10, 2020 · The Samurai were the warriors of premodern Japan, who later evolved to become the ruling military class of the Edo Period (1603-1867). Their origins can be traced back to the campaigns of the early Heian period of the late 8th and early 9th century to subdue the native Emishi people in the Tohoku Region.

A traveler's introduction to the samurai, the Japanese warriors and member of the military class of feudal Japan.

Jan 31, 2023 · Japan’s history is known for its fascinating warrior class known as the samurai. The samurai are often depicted as stoic, skilled swordsmen who lived by a strict code of honor. Their legacy has left a significant impact on Japanese culture and history, making it a must-see topic for those interested in Japan.

The samurai (or bushi) were Japanese warriors who were members of the important military class before Japanese society changed in 1868. The samurai were also considered to be a type of hereditary nobility.

Samurai were the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. The Samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as bushidō – literally ‘the way of the warrior’. The unwritten and unspoken code emphasised frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honor unto death.