In early feudal Japan, the women that samurai choose as their wives were expected to maintain the household while their husbands were away fighting. Wives were known as okugatasama, which is translated to mean the one who remains at home. It was their responsibility to manage the household affairs, and […]
Samurai had one of the most interesting methods of naming themselves in history. They would look to the past and use one kanji character from either their father or grandfather and then from the present, and one new kanji character. Often names were made up of particular elements that would […]
The tambo (短棒) is a short staff, normally less than 1 meter in length. The tambo is a short staff, normally less than 1 meter in length. It can be used as a walking stick, support for the forearm when climbing, or as a weapon. This simple weapon is commonly […]
There were 2 types of firearms that samurai’s in japan became most commonly associated with, these were cannons, and tanegashima (Japanese matchlock). Cannon’s were used to protect castle walls from intruders and served as a means of protection for castles as well as ships. They were transported during military battles, […]
There were 2 types of pole weapons to dominate samurai use in Japan. These were the yari (槍), and the naginata (なぎなた, 薙刀). The yari came in a huge number of varieties, with each having different blade designs and purposes. The shafts also came in different varieties. Although yari were […]
The yumi (弓) was a type of longbow that was used by the samurai for ceremonial, hunting, and sport events, but also extensively during the feudal periods. There were 2 types of yumi. The regular size was called daikyū (大弓), and the shorter sized one was hankyū (半弓). Introduction: What […]
It is obvious to make the connection with samurai and samurai swords, but the evolution of the Japanese sword, and its history is in-depth with many different stages of development before the modern method of making the well-known katana blade. Japanese swords began their introduction into Japan around the Nara period. […]
