Did you know that samurai followed an unwritten code called bushido that still exists today? This is just one of the impacts Japanese samurai have left behind. First, samurai were needed throughout Japan for protection and battle. Second, samurai have changed many times over the history of Japan. Finally, samurai have had an important impact on Japan. Without the samurai, the government and lifestyle of Japan would be entirely different. First of all, samurai were needed all over japan. They were first used in Japan during 794 to the late 1800s. Samurai were fierce, strong warriors and valued honor and respect. They used strong armor made of steel and metal, sturdy bows, and used deadly blades such as the katana. They later started to use
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First in the 1100s, the Heian emperors lost control of parts of Japan. The samurai then helped the emperor's rule by taking up both military and political jobs. According to Kallie Szczepanski, a historian who has a master’s in history at Boston University, “As a result, the emperor soon wielded power only within the capital, and cross the country, the warrior class moved in to fill the power vacuum. After years of fighting and establishing a shogunate rule in many parts of the island nation, the samurai effectively held both military and political power over much of Japan by the early 1100s”(Kallie Szczepanski 1). In 1160, the samurai clans of Minamoto and Taira fought for control. The Taira won and established the first samurai-led government. They fought again in the Genpei War which led to the Minamoto clan winning and establishing a shogunate that would impact the government of Japan. The samurai then fought the Mongols twice in the 1200s who might have conquered and changed Japan. The samurai took control of important government jobs and tried to maintain law and order after the Onin War in 1677 when the shoguns at the time were weak rulers. The samurai helped keep the government from collapsing into chaos. Even after the samurai were abolished, their influence lives on today. The fighting skills in combat and values of respect and honor ended up shaping the creation of karate and martial arts today. In the end, the samurai have made a great impact on the world for the better because they held Japan’s government together, protected Japan from others, and left behind their martial arts skills and
First in the 1100s, the Heian emperors lost control of parts of Japan. The samurai then helped the emperor's rule by taking up both military and political jobs. According to Kallie Szczepanski, a historian who has a master’s in history at Boston University, “As a result, the emperor soon wielded power only within the capital, and cross the country, the warrior class moved in to fill the power vacuum. After years of fighting and establishing a shogunate rule in many parts of the island nation, the samurai effectively held both military and political power over much of Japan by the early 1100s”(Kallie Szczepanski 1). In 1160, the samurai clans of Minamoto and Taira fought for control. The Taira won and established the first samurai-led government. They fought again in the Genpei War which led to the Minamoto clan winning and establishing a shogunate that would impact the government of Japan. The samurai then fought the Mongols twice in the 1200s who might have conquered and changed Japan. The samurai took control of important government jobs and tried to maintain law and order after the Onin War in 1677 when the shoguns at the time were weak rulers. The samurai helped keep the government from collapsing into chaos. Even after the samurai were abolished, their influence lives on today. The fighting skills in combat and values of respect and honor ended up shaping the creation of karate and martial arts today. In the end, the samurai have made a great impact on the world for the better because they held Japan’s government together, protected Japan from others, and left behind their martial arts skills and