In modern popular culture, Japanese samurai are portrayed as medieval warriors, similar to Western knights. This is not quite the correct interpretation of the concept. In fact, the samurai were primarily feudal lords who owned their own land and were the backbone of power. This estate was one of the key in the Japanese civilization of that time.

The birth of the estate

Around the 18th century, those same warriors appeared, whose successor is any samurai. Japanese feudalism emerged from the Taika reforms. The emperors resorted to the help of the samurai in their struggle against the Ainu - the indigenous inhabitants of the archipelago. With each new generation, these people, who regularly served the state, acquired new lands and money. Clans and influential dynasties that owned significant resources were formed.

Approximately in the X-XII centuries. in Japan, a process similar to the European one took place - the country was shaken by the feudal lords fought against each other for land and wealth. At the same time, imperial power was preserved, but it was extremely weakened and could not prevent civil confrontation. It was then that the Japanese samurai received their code of rules - bushido.

Shogunate

In 1192, a political system arose, which was later called a complex and dual system of governing the entire country, when the emperor and the shogun ruled simultaneously - figuratively speaking, the chief samurai. Japanese feudalism relied on the traditions and power of influential families. If Europe overcame its own civil strife during the Renaissance, then the distant and isolated island civilization lived for a long time according to medieval rules.

This was the period when the samurai was considered the most prestigious member of society. The Japanese shogun was omnipotent due to the fact that at the end of the 12th century the emperor granted the bearer of this title the monopoly right to raise an army in the country. That is, any other pretender or peasant uprising could not arrange a coup d'état due to the inequality of forces. The Shogunate lasted from 1192 to 1867.

Feudal hierarchy

The samurai class has always been distinguished by a strict hierarchy. At the very top of this ladder was the shogun. Next came the daimyo. These were the heads of the most important and powerful families in Japan. If the shogun died without leaving an heir, then his successor was chosen just from among the daimyo.

At the middle level were the feudal lords, who had small estates. Their approximate number fluctuated around several thousand people. Next came the vassals of vassals and ordinary soldiers without property.

During its heyday, the samurai class made up about 10% of the total population of Japan. Members of their families can be attributed to the same layer. In fact, the power of the feudal lord depended on the size of his estate and the income from it. Often it was measured in rice - the main food of the entire Japanese civilization. With the soldiers, including paid off with a literal ration. For such "trade" even had its own system of measures and weights. Koku equaled 160 kilograms of rice. Approximately this amount of food was enough to satisfy the needs of one person.

To understand the value of rice in it is enough to give an example of a samurai salary. So, those close to the shogun received from 500 to several thousand koku of rice a year, depending on the size of their estate and the number of their own vassals, who also had to be fed and maintained.

Relationship between shogun and daimyō

The hierarchical system of the samurai class allowed the feudal lords who served regularly to climb very high on the social ladder. Periodically, they rebelled against the supreme power. The shoguns tried to keep the daimyo and their vassals in check. To do this, they resorted to the most original methods.

For example, in Japan for a long time there was a tradition according to which daimyo had to go once a year to their master for a reception. Such events were accompanied by long journeys across the country and high costs. If the daimyo was suspected of treason, the shogun could actually take hostage a family member of his objectionable vassal during such a visit.

Bushido Code

Along with the development of the shogunate, the best Japanese samurai appeared as the authors. This set of rules was formed under the influence of the ideas of Buddhism, Shintoism and Confucianism. Most of these teachings came to Japan from the mainland, more specifically from China. These ideas were popular with samurai - representatives of the main aristocratic families of the country.

Unlike Buddhism or the doctrine of Confucius, Shinto was ancient pagan. It was based on such norms as the worship of nature, ancestors, the country and the emperor. Shintoism allowed the existence of magic and otherworldly spirits. In bushido, the cult of patriotism and faithful service to the state first of all passed from this religion.

Thanks to Buddhism, the code of the Japanese samurai included such ideas as a special attitude towards death and an indifferent view of life's problems. Aristocrats often practiced Zen, believing in the rebirth of souls after death.

Samurai philosophy

A Japanese samurai warrior was trained in Bushido. He had to strictly follow all the prescribed rules. These norms concerned both public service and private life.

The popular comparison of knights and samurai is wrong just from the point of view of comparing the European code of honor and bushido rules. This is due to the fact that the behavioral foundations of the two civilizations were extremely different from each other due to isolation and development in completely different conditions and societies.

For example, in Europe there was a well-established custom to give your word of honor when agreeing on some agreements between feudal lords. For a samurai, that would be an insult. At the same time, from the point of view of the Japanese warrior, a sudden attack on the enemy was not a violation of the rules. For a French knight, this would mean the perfidy of the enemy.

military honor

In the Middle Ages, every inhabitant of the country knew the names of Japanese samurai, since they were the state and military elite. Few who wished to join this estate could do it (either because of their ingenuity or because of inappropriate behavior). The closeness of the samurai class consisted precisely in the fact that strangers were rarely allowed into it.

Clanism and exclusivity strongly influenced the norms of warriors' behavior. For them, self-esteem was at the forefront. If a samurai brought shame on himself by an unworthy act, he had to commit suicide. This practice is called hara-kiri.

Every samurai had to answer for his words. The Japanese code of honor prescribed several times to think before making any statement. Warriors were required to be moderate in food and avoid licentiousness. A real samurai always remembered death and reminded himself every day that sooner or later his earthly path would end, so the only important thing is whether he was able to maintain his own honor.

Attitude towards family

Family worship also took place in Japan. So, for example, a samurai had to remember the rule of "branches and trunk." According to customs, the family was compared to a tree. The parents were the trunk, and the children were just the branches.

If a warrior treated his elders with contempt or disrespect, he automatically became an outcast in society. This rule was followed by all generations of aristocrats, including the very last samurai. Japanese traditionalism existed in the country for many centuries, and neither modernization nor a way out of isolation could break it.

Attitude towards the state

Samurai were taught that their attitude to the state and legitimate authority should have been as humble as to their own family. For a warrior, there were no interests higher than his master. Japanese samurai weapons served the rulers to the very end, even when the number of their supporters became critically small.

Loyal attitude towards the overlord often took the form of unusual traditions and habits. So, the samurai did not have the right to go to bed with their feet towards the residence of their master. Also, the warrior was careful not to aim the weapon in the direction of his master.

Characteristic of the behavior of the samurai was a contemptuous attitude towards death on the battlefield. It is interesting that obligatory ceremonies have developed here. So, if a warrior realized that his battle was lost, and he was hopelessly surrounded, he had to give his own name and die calmly from the weapons of the enemy. The mortally wounded samurai, before dying, pronounced the names of Japanese samurai of senior ranks.

Education and customs

The class of feudal warriors was not only a militaristic stratum of society. Samurai were well educated, which was a must for their position. All warriors studied the humanities. At first glance, they could not be useful on the battlefield. But in reality it was exactly the opposite. The Japanese could not protect their owner where literature saved him.

For these warriors, it was the norm to be fond of poetry. The great fighter Minamoto, who lived in the 11th century, could spare a defeated enemy if he read him a good poem. One samurai wisdom said that weapons are the right hand of a warrior, while literature is the left.

The tea ceremony was an important part of everyday life. The custom of drinking a hot drink was of a spiritual nature. This ritual was adopted from Buddhist monks, who meditated collectively in this way. Samurai even held tea drinking tournaments among themselves. Each aristocrat was obliged to build a separate pavilion in his house for this important ceremony. From the feudal lords, the habit of drinking tea passed into the peasant class.

Samurai training

Samurai have been trained in their craft since childhood. It was vital for a warrior to master the technique of wielding several types of weapons. The skill of fisticuffs was also highly valued. Japanese samurai and ninja had to be not only strong, but also extremely hardy. Each student had to swim in a turbulent river in full dress.

A real warrior could defeat the enemy not only with weapons. He knew how to suppress the opponent morally. This was done with the help of a special battle cry, which made unprepared enemies uncomfortable.

Everyday wardrobe

In the life of a samurai, almost everything was regulated - from relationships with others to clothing. She was also a social marker by which aristocrats distinguished themselves from peasants and ordinary townspeople. Only samurai could wear silk. In addition, their things had a special cut. Kimono and hakama were obligatory. Weapons were also considered part of the wardrobe. The samurai carried two swords with him at all times. They were tucked into a wide belt.

Only aristocrats could wear such clothes. Such a wardrobe was forbidden to peasants. This is also explained by the fact that on each of his things the warrior had stripes showing his clan affiliation. Every samurai had such coats of arms. A translation from Japanese of the motto could explain where it comes from and who it serves.

Samurai could use any item at hand as a weapon. Therefore, the wardrobe was selected for possible self-defense. The samurai fan became an excellent weapon. It differed from ordinary ones in that the basis of its design was iron. In the event of a sudden attack by enemies, even such an innocent thing could cost the lives of the attacking enemies.

Armor

If ordinary silk clothes were intended for everyday wear, then each samurai had a special wardrobe for battle. The typical armor of medieval Japan included metal helmets and breastplates. The technology for their production originated during the heyday of the shogunate and has remained virtually unchanged since then.

Armor was worn on two occasions - before a battle or a solemn event. The rest of the time they were kept in a specially designated place in the samurai's house. If the soldiers went on a long campaign, then their vestments were carried in a wagon train. As a rule, servants watched over the armor.

In medieval Europe, the main distinguishing element of equipment was the shield. With the help of it, the knights showed their belonging to one or another feudal lord. Samurai didn't have shields. For identification purposes, they used colored cords, banners, and helmets with engraved designs of coats of arms.

Samurai embodied the image of an ideal warrior who respected culture and laws, and was serious about the path of life he had chosen. When a samurai failed his master or himself, according to local customs, he had to be subjected to the “seppuku” ritual - ritual suicide, i.e. hara-kiri.

1. Hojo Ujitsuna (1487 - 1541)

Ujitsuna rekindled a long-standing feud with the Uesugi clan, the owner of Edo Castle, which has now grown into the gigantic metropolis of Tokyo but was then a simple castle sheltering a fishing village. Taking Edo Castle for himself, Ujitsuna managed to spread his family's influence over the entire Kanto region (the most populous island of Japan, the capital of the state is Tokyo) and by the time of her death in 1541, the Hojo clan was one of the most powerful and dominant families in Japan.

2. Hattori Hanzo (1542 - 1596)

This name may be familiar to fans of Quentin Tarantino's work, since it was on the basis of the real biography of Hattori Hanzo that Quentin created the image of a swordsman for the film "Kill Bill". From the age of 16, he fought for survival, participating in many battles. Hanzo was devoted to Tokugawa Ieyasu, more than once saving the life of this man, who later founded the shogunate, which led Japan for more than 250 years (1603 - 1868). Throughout Japan, he is known as a great and devoted samurai who has become a legend. His name can be found carved at the entrance to the imperial palace.

3. Uesugi Kenshin (1530 - 1578)

Uesugi Kenshin was a strong military leader and part-time leader of the Nagao clan. He was noted for his outstanding ability as a commander, resulting in many victories for his troops on the battlefield. His rivalry with the Takeda Shingen, another warlord, was one of the most famous in history during the Sengoku period. They feuded for 14 years, during which time they participated in several one-on-one fights. Kenshin died in 1578, the circumstances of his death remain unclear. Modern historians believe that it was something similar to stomach cancer.

4. Shimazu Yoshihisa (1533 - 1611)

This is another Japanese warlord who lived throughout the bloody Sengoku period. While still a young man, he established himself as a talented commander, later this trait allowed him and his comrades to capture most of the Kyushu region. Yoshihisa was the first to unite the entire Kyushu region, later he was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (military and political leader, unifier of Japan) and his 200,000th army.

5. Mori Motonari (1497 - 1571)

Mori Motonari grew up in relative obscurity, but that didn't stop him from taking control of some of the largest clans in Japan and becoming one of the most feared and powerful warlords of the Sengoku period. His appearance on the general stage was sudden, just as unexpected was the series of victories that he won over strong and respected rivals. Ultimately, he captured 10 of the 11 provinces of the Chugoku region. Many of his victories were won against much more numerous and more experienced opponents, which made his exploits even more impressive.

6. Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Miyamoto Musashi was a samurai whose words and opinions still bear an imprint on modern Japan. Today he is known as the author of The Book of Five Rings, which describes the strategy and philosophy of the samurai in battle. He was the first to apply a new fighting style in the technique of wielding a kenjutsu sword, calling it niten ichi, when the battle is fought with two swords. According to legend, he traveled through ancient Japan, and during the journey he managed to win in many fights. His ideas, strategies, tactics and philosophy are the subject of study to this day.

7. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536 - 1598)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi is considered one of Japan's Founding Fathers, one of three men whose actions helped unify Japan and end the long and bloody era of Sengoku. Hideyoshi replaced his former master, Oda Nobunaga, and began to carry out social and cultural reforms that determined the future direction of Japan's development for a period of 250 years. He banned the possession of a sword by non-samurai, and also began a nationwide search for all swords and other weapons that should henceforth belong only to samurai. Although this concentrated all military power in the hands of the samurai, such a move was a huge breakthrough on the path to common peace since the reign of the Sengoku era.

8. Takeda Shingen (1521 - 1573)

Takeda Shingen was arguably the most dangerous commander of all time in the Sengoku era. When it turned out that his father was going to leave everything to his other son, Shingen allied himself with several other powerful samurai clans, which pushed him to go beyond his native province of Kai. Shingen became one of the few who was able to defeat the army of Oda Nabunaga, who at that time successfully captured other territories of Japan. He died in 1573 suffering from an illness, but by this point he was well on his way to consolidating power over all of Japan.

9. Oda Nobunaga (1534 - 1582)

Oda Nobunaga was the driving force behind the unification of Japan. He was the first warlord to rally a huge number of provinces around him and made his samurai the dominant military force in all of Japan. By 1559, he had already captured his native province of Owari and decided to continue what he had begun, expanding his borders. For 20 years, Nobunaga slowly rose to power, presenting himself as one of the country's most feared military leaders. Only a couple of people, among whom was Takeda Shingen, managed to win victories in the fight against his unique military tactics and strategy.

10. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616)

Tokugawa Ieyasu possessed amazing insight and unique intuition, which more than once rescued and saved him in the most hopeless and dangerous life situations. Even at the time of his youth, he was able to recognize and deeply realize the danger hanging over the country as a result of cruel and ruthless inter-feudal wars that lasted a whole century. Having suffered fear for the life of his family and friends, Ieyasu firmly decided to devote himself to the struggle for establishing peace in the country and reviving its national statehood.

Surnames and names of samurai

Samurai- This is the Japanese military-feudal estate. The word "samurai" comes from the ancient Japanese verb "samurau", which means "to serve a person of the highest class". That is, "samurai" means "servant man, servant." Samurai in Japan are also called "bushi", which means "warrior".

Samurai appeared in Japan in the 7th-8th centuries AD. Mostly men from wealthy peasant families, as well as representatives of the middle and lower aristocracy (petty nobles), became samurai. From warriors, samurai gradually became armed servants of their feudal lord, receiving housing and food from him. Some samurai received land plots with peasants, and themselves turned into feudal lords.

The beginning of the allocation of samurai as a special class usually dated to the period of rule in Japan by the feudal house of Minamoto (1192-1333). The protracted, bloody civil war that preceded this between the feudal houses of Taira and Minamoto created the prerequisites for the establishment of the shogunate - the rule of the samurai class with the supreme commander (shogun) at the head.

Bushido- the code of honor of the samurai, the set of precepts "Way of the Warrior" in medieval Japan. The code appeared in the period of the XI-XIV centuries and was formalized in the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate. If a samurai did not follow the rules of conduct, he was expelled from the ranks of the samurai in disgrace.

Education and training of a samurai were based on mythical tales of legendary heroes, indifference to death, fear, pain, filial piety and loyalty to one's feudal lord. The mentor took care of the formation of the character of the future samurai, helped to develop courage, courage, endurance, patience. Future samurai were raised fearless and courageous, developed in them qualities that were considered among the samurai as the main virtues, in which a warrior could neglect his life for the life of another. To develop patience and endurance, future samurai were forced to do unbearably hard work, spend nights without sleep, walk barefoot in winter, get up early, limit themselves to food, etc.

After the establishment of peace under the Tokugawa shogunate, a huge number of samurai who only knew how to fight turned out to be a burden for the country, many of them were poor. At that time, books appeared that developed the idea of ​​Bushido (samurai's code of honor), a large number of martial arts schools appeared, which for many samurai were the only means of subsistence.

The last time the samurai took up arms was in the Civil War of 1866-1869, during which the Tokugawa government was overthrown. In this war, the samurai fought on both sides.

In 1868, the Meiji Restoration took place, the reforms of which also affected the samurai. In 1871, Emperor Meiji, who decided to reform the state according to the Western model, issued a decree on the formation of the Japanese army by conscription, not only from the samurai class, but from all others. The last blow to the samurai was an 1876 law prohibiting the carrying of swords. Thus ended the era of the samurai.

Surnames and names of samurai

Abe Masahiro

Abe no Muneto

Azai Nagamasa

Aizawa Seishisai

Akamatsu Mitsusuke(older)

Akamatsu Norimura

Akechi Mitsuhide

Amakusa Shiro

Aoki Shuzo

Asakura Yoshikage

Asakura Kagetake

Asakura Takakage

Ashikaga Yoshiakira

Ashikaga Yoshimasa

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu

Ashikaga Yoshimochi

Ashikaga Yoshinori

Ashikaga Yoshitane

Ashikaga Yoshihide

Ashikaga Yoshihisa

Ashikaga Takauji

Watanabe Hiromoto

Goto Shojiro

Date Masamune

Yoshida Shoin

Ii Naosuke

Imagawa Yoshimoto

Ise Soun

Kawaii Tsugunosuke

Kawakami Gensai

Kato Kiyomasa

Kido Takayoshi

Kita Narikatsu

Kobayakawa Hideaki

Konishi Yukinaga

Kusunoki Masashige

Mamiya Rinzō

Matsudaira (Yuki) Hideyasu

Matsudaira Kiyoyasu

Matsudaira Sadanobu

Matsudaira Tadanao

Matsudaira Hirotada

Matsumae Yoshihiro

Matsumae Takahiro

Maeda Keiji

Maeda Toshiie

Maeda Toshinaga

Mizuno Tadakuni

Minamoto no Yoriie

Minamoto no Yorimasa

Minamoto no Yoritomo

Minamoto no Yoshimitsu

Minamoto no Yoshitomo

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

Minamoto no Sanetomo

Minamoto no Tametomo

Minamoto no Yukiie

Mogami Yoshiaki

Mori Arinori

Mori Motonari

Mori Okimoto

Mori Terumoto

Mori Hiromoto

Nabeshima Katsushige

Nabeshima Naoshige

Nagao Tamekage

Nakano Takeko

Nitta Yoshisada

Oda Katsunaga

Oda Nobukatsu

Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobutada

Oda Nobutaka

Oda Hidekatsu

Oda to Hidenobu

Oki Takato
Okubo Toshimichi

Omura Masujiro

Omura Sumitada

Otani Yoshitsugu

Outi Yoshinaga

Outi Yoshioki

Outi Yoshitaka

Outi Yoshihiro

Outi Masahiro

Prince Moriyoshi

Sagara Sozo

Saigo Takamori

Saito Dosan

Saito Yoshitatsu

Saito Hajime

Sakamoto Ryoma

Sakanoue no Tamuramaro

Sanada Yukimura

Sassa Narimasa

Shibata Katsuie

Shimazu Yoshihiro

Shimazu Iehisa

So Yoshitoshi

Sogano Iruka

Sogano Umako

Sogano Emishi

Soejima Taneomi

Sue Harukata

Tairano Kiyomori

Tyrano Masakado

Takasugi Shinsaku

Takeda Nobushige

Takeda Nobutora

Takeda Nobuhiro

Takeda Shingen

Tanya Tateki

Tanuma Okitsugu

Chosokabe Moritika

Chosokabe Motochika

Toyotomi Hidetsugu

Tokugawa Yorinobu

Tokugawa Yorifusa

Tokugawa Yoshinao

Tokugawa Iemitsu

Tokugawa Iemochi

Tokugawa Ietsuna

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Nariaki

Tokugawa Nobuyoshi

Tokugawa Tadayoshi

Tokugawa Tadateru

Tokugawa Hidetada

Ukita Hideie

Uesugi Kagekatsu

Uesugi Kagetora

Uesugi Kenshin

Uesugi Norimasa

Fujiwara no Yorimichi

Fujiwara no Kamatari

Fujiwara no Sumitomo

Fukushima Masanori

Harada Sanosuke

Hasegawa Yoshimichi

Hatano Hideharu

Hayashi Razan

Hijikata Hisamoto

Hojo Ujimasa

Hojo Ujinao

Hojo Ujitsuna

Hojo Ujiyasu

Hojo Yasutoki

Hosokawa Yoriyuki

Hosokawa Katsumoto

Hosokawa Masamoto

Hosokawa Sumimoto

Hosokawa Tadaoki

Hosokawa Tadatoshi

Hosokawa Takakuni

Hosokawa Fujitaka

Hosokawa Harumoto

This is Shimpei

Yamana Mochitoyo

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What you need to know when choosing a name

What to do to choose the perfect name

If you like the name

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Corrective name for the child

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The samurai caste ruled Japan for many centuries. Warriors of the highest class, renowned for their ferocity and loyalty to their overlord, they have become an integral part of the history and culture of the entire country. The samurai code is partly observed by the Japanese today. These unsurpassed fighters made the Land of the Rising Sun the way the modern world sees it.

Date Masamune
Known for his love of violence, Data Masamune was one of the most feared warriors of his era. Blinded in one eye as a child, the young man was forced to make every effort to gain recognition as a full-fledged fighter. The reputation of a bold and cunning military leader Data Masamune received by defeating the clan of his opponents, after which he transferred to the service of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Uesugi Kenshin
Kenshin, aka dragon Echigo, was a fierce warrior and leader of the Nagao clan. He was known for his rivalry with the Takeda Shingen, and supported Oda Nobunaga's military campaign. Kenshin was considered not only a brave fighter, but also an unsurpassed commander.

Tokugawa Ieyasu
The great Tokugawa Ieyasu was originally an ally of Oda Nobunaga. After the death of Nobunaga's successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Ieyasu gathered his own army and started a long, bloody war. As a result, in 1600 he established the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, which lasted until 1868.

Hattori Hanzo
The leader of the Iga clan, Hattori Hanzō was one of those rare samurai who were trained as ninja warriors. He was a loyal servant of Tokugawa Ieyasu and saved his master from certain death several times. Having grown old, Hanzo became a Buddhist monk and ended his days in a monastery.

Honda Tadakatsu
He was nicknamed "the warrior who conquered death." During his life, Tadakatsu took part in hundreds of battles and was not defeated in any of them. Honda's favorite blade was the legendary Dragonfly spear, which inspired fear in the enemy. It was Tadakatsu who led one of the detachments in the decisive battle of Sekigahara, which led to a new era in the history of Japan.

Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi was one of Japan's greatest swordsmen. Musashi held his first duel at the age of 13: he fought on the side of the Toyotomi clan against the Tokugawa clan. Miyamoto spent most of his life traveling the country, meeting the great masters in mortal combat. At the end of his life's journey, the great warrior wrote a treatise on the Five Rings, which describes in detail the technique of wielding a sword.

Shimazu Yoshihisa
One of the most famous warlords of the Sengoku period, Shimazu Yoshihisa was from the province of Satsuma. Shimazu sought to unify Kyushu and won many victories. The general's clan ruled most of the island for many years, but was eventually defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Shimazu Yoshihisa himself became a Buddhist monk and died in a monastery.

Samurai - these are Japanese guys who shot 10 steps with a bow and sometimes hit, wore two swords in their belts and spoke with dog voices. Many consider them cyber-huber warriors of all time, who can easily defeat a knight, a conquistador, or even a Roman legionnaire (although this is where the fiercest fights are going on). Sweeping aside legend myths and completely refusing to compare them with a gopher, capybara or rhinoceros, I ventured to make my top 10 most famous samurai warriors.

Top 10 Samurai Warriors

1. Minamoto Tametomo. Representative of the famous aristocratic clan. He did not live to see the famous war with Taira, because much earlier he took part in the rebellion of his relatives against Taira ("The Troubles of the Hogan Years", described in the essay of the same name), which ended in failure. He was known as the famous Cyber-Uber archer, who could shoot anything at enemies - a kneecap, a head, once even shot into a ship, broke through the waterline and sank it. Naturally, most of his exploits are heroic tales created by the imagination of the "homers-san". After the failure of the rebellion, the enemies decided to punish Tametomo by cutting the tendons on his hands and depriving the archer of his strength. But even in this state, he fired them when they came to his soul on a small island, where he trampled on the link, and then, surrounded by hordes, he made himself the first seppuku in Japanese history.

2. Minamoto Yoshitsune. Favorite hero of Japanese children and folklore in general. A funny dwarf, brother of the famous Yoritomo, who defeated the Taira and began to rule Japan as the Minamoto shogun. Despite his physical data, Yoshitsune proved himself both as a commander, in fact, in one person and taking out these Tayrs (the brother, like all politicians in the world, then came to everything ready), and as a clever and skillful warrior. What was especially useful to him when the insidious brother ordered to seize and kill him. Together with his faithful servant, the bogatyr-monk Benkei and his wife Shizuka Gozen, the warlike dwarf fled into the thickets and hid in them for many years until the enemies surrounded him, which forced him to make seppuku. Yoshitsune's Wandering Adventures is one of the most famous Japanese "samurai novels".

3. Ashikaga Yoshiteru. 13th shogun of the Ashikaga dynasty. By that time, this position had already become almost pure fiction - the head of the Bakufu military headquarters was used as a puppet by all sorts of feudal lords (in this case, those who lived near the capital Kyoto) in the struggle for power with each other. Yoshiteru had a strong character and always tried to bend his line, dreaming of returning real power to the shogunate. For this, as a result, insidious enemies attacked him at night in the palace. However, the shogun was also known as the best swordsman of his time - having broken a dozen and a half swords, until the attackers were finally able to finish him off.

4. Hattori Hanzo. One of the most famous vassals of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hanzo was not just a brave warrior, a skilled swordsman, a spearman and a cunning tactician - he "had connections" among the shinobi clans (never call them here! never !!!), including the famous Iga and Koga, and even had a nickname " Shinobi-shogun", that is, the leader of spies. By the way, sometimes he himself participated in "night sorties". Naturally, such a person, just a master of all trades, was practically indispensable, and therefore he calmly lived to old age, avoiding the need to make himself a seppuku.

5. Sanada Nobushige aka Yukimura. The Japanese consider Yukimura (he never had this name, it "clung" to him from novels) perhaps the best strategist and tactician of all time. He was just unlucky - the Sanada clan was small, the army even smaller, and basically they served their boss - Takeda. Yes, and after the rise of Tokugawa, they again put on the wrong horse - they defended the Toyotomi clan. In general, most of Yukimura's exploits are attacks by small detachments, in which he had to personally show bujutsu. His personal bodyguards were 10 famous martial artists - "10 daredevils of Sanada". He died fighting - being seriously wounded in battle, he asked the servants to cut off his head.

6. Miyamoto Musashi. Perhaps, in Japan, with the word "samurai" in 9 cases out of 10 they will immediately say "Musashi". Although he did not really participate in any war (his whole life is a compendium of legends, where it is sometimes simply impossible to distinguish truth from fiction). But it became a classic image of a "ronin" - a wandering warrior back and forth, living with a sword, fighting in duels and hiding in thickets of thickets (well, he had a skin disease - he smelled bad and itched). Having defeated many different masters of bujutsu, at the end of his life Miyamoto wrote the bestseller "The Book of Five Rings", where in a prophetic-pragmatic form ("fell - get up and jump again"), outlined "the path of a true warrior." And yes, there are hundreds of novels, movies and anime about him in Japan...

7. Yagyu Munenori. To some extent, the image of Munenori is the opposite of Miyamoto Musashi. The skillful swordsman "worn everyone with patience and labor" and, without staggering anywhere, serving as a bodyguard (and then the commander of a bodyguard detachment) of the Tokugawa clan, he was the first in the history of Japan to receive the title of daimyō and the position of "head of the security service of the shogunate" for his martial art. Yagyu also founded his own school of martial art - Shinkage-ryu, which has since trained representatives of the highest nobility, including the children of the shogun. In general, "to serve honestly - do not grieve about anything."

8. Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi. But in nature, the son of Munenori was defeated by his "absentee rival" Musashi - when, due to participation in an unsuccessful conspiracy, Jubei was sent into exile, he disappeared there for 12 years. No one knows for sure what he did there, but a lot of novels and legends about this time were written. Because Jubei was a master of the family swordsmanship. And then, at the age of 36, he came to the shogun for a tournament, where he scattered the most famous opponents in different corners. The shogun fell into a slump and "turned his heart" to the stunning warrior. Yes, and then he also wrote a book - "Records Born in Contemplation of the Moon" (and about the same thing).

9. Kondo Isami. When in Japan in the middle of the 19th century a squabble began between the shogunate and supporters of strengthening the power of the emperor, the idea arose to create a select detachment of samurai to protect senior officials (several political assassinations happened there), as well as for "special operations". This is how Rosingumi first appeared, and then the famous (manga and anime) Shinsengumi, led by Konda Isami - no one at all, the son of a peasant who climbed to the top (and killed a couple of people along the way). At the head of his "hungweibins" Kondo did several high-profile deeds, and when the Boshin war began, he became the commander of the shogun's army and, being wounded, was captured and put to death. Painfully, the enemies were afraid of his reputation ...

10. Nakano Takeko. Finally - the most famous female samurai in Japan. More precisely, onna-bugeisha - this is how women (sometimes concubines, sometimes wives) of samurai who served as bodyguards were called during medieval wars, and then this word began to mean a female warrior in general, such as "hero". In general, almost all samurai girls were taught to handle weapons, and the naginata (halberd) was even considered "typically feminine." But Takeko became a martial artist at her father's school. And when the Boshin war began, she decided to join the army of the Aizu principality, supporters of the shogun. Officially, they did not want to allow women to fight, but they were allowed to "stand on the side and do whatever they want." And Nakano gathered a detachment of the same tomboys (received the original name "Women's Detachment", or "Women's Army"). In a battle with the army of Emperor Takeko, she received a bullet in the chest and asked her sister Yuko to cut off her head (purely the custom of male samurai, women killed themselves by piercing an artery in their neck) and carry it away so that it would not get to the enemies. In honor of her, those places still hold a festival every year (well, the Nippons love this business - don’t feed it with bread).