The samurai (侍) were members of the professional warrior class in pre-industrial Japan, who served as retainers to the lords. These men came from warrior families and trained from a young age in military …

Mar 21, 2026 · 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 …

Jul 5, 2019 · 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.

Feb 11, 2026 · From medieval beginnings, the samurai have inspired art, fiction and films, from Shōgun to Star Wars. But their true story is more complex and surprising than we might realise.

Feb 10, 2020 · Here are 10 facts about the legendary Japanese samurai. 1. They are known as bushi in Japanese. The samurai were known as bushi in Japan, or buke. The term samurai only began to …

Mar 21, 2024 · The word “samurai” itself can be translated as “one who serves,” and these warriors served their masters — the feudal landholders, or daimyo, who ruled much of Japan — with …

Samurai is a story of myth and memory, of tradition and reinvention. It offers a timely exploration of how history is written and rewritten, and how national identities are shaped through culture, storytelling …

British Museum

Oct 28, 2009 · As servants of the daimyos, or great lords, the samurai backed up the authority of the shogun and gave him power over the mikado (emperor). The samurai would dominate Japanese …

Jul 11, 2025 · The samurai warrior caste dominated Japan from the Kamakura to the Edo period. Over those centuries, they developed in ways that shaped Japanese history.