Samurai Culture Research Paper

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INTRODUCTION
Tradition played a large role in Shogunate Japan and highly affected society. It had a major influence on the samurai class who were the warriors of Shogunate Japan. Tradition impacted them so greatly due to the many forms of culture. The multiple customs were expressed through religion, art, leadership and women.
RELIGION
Each social class had different traditions, however, the culture that was introduced by the samurai was adapted by the people of Japan. The warriors believed in the ‘bushido code’ which translates to ‘the way of the warrior.’ This is the code of honour, morality, frugality and discipline. The code was influenced by Zen Buddhism, Shintoism and Confucianism. Bushido gets its relationship to danger and death from
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Themes of Tokugawa art often expressed a range of cultures that impacted the samurai and Japan. Aesthetics of nature and the gods were valued by the samurai, and art constantly conveyed it. Art was absorbed with Buddhist and Confucian aesthetic principles and so was the bushido code. As this significantly connected to the samurai, art played a huge role in their lives. Due to this, the samurai appeared as actors in plays and supported art in the community. The actors performed in the Noh theatre because it appealed to the aesthetic of the samurai class. This is because samurai were trained by painting, calligraphy, poetry, flower-arranging and the tea ceremony. Also, the played that were presented in the Noh theatre reflected samurai history. As samurai afforded the art of women, female beauty ‘contrasted to the austerity of the samurai and spurred samurai resentment.’ This all led to samurai becoming a class of legitimization of the role both socially and culturally. Art was extremely influential towards the samurai and brought bonds between citizens, a common thread of joy and excitement in Japan. Art also introduced a new way traditions could be expressed as they were articulated through colour and interest. It allowed the people of Japan to interpret history and culture in their own way therefore modernising tradition in …show more content…
Religion, art, leadership and women all affected society as they further developed Japan. Traditions were innovative, cultural and left a footprint on Japan that remained there to this day. Without the samurai class and their traditions, Japan would not nearly be as successful. The contribution of traditions were necessary for the growth of

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