Samurai
The Japanese Warrior
Questions
1.)Who is this cultural icon? What do they do?
2.)What is there national origin? Where are they from?
3.) What are there perspectives on morality, respect, human dignity and or chivalry?
4.) What would a day in the life of this cultural icon be like?
5.) What do they usually eat? How did the food they eat affect there performance?
6.) Why are they popular an notable icons in there country and or internationally?
Answers
Samurai’s were members of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan.
There originally from Japan
Samurai’s abide by the Bushido Code. The Bushido code are 8 laws they have to live there life by. 1.) Rectitude or Justice
2.) Courage
3.) Benevolence or Mercy
4.) Politeness
5.) Honesty and sincerity
6.) Honor
7.) Loyalty
8.) Character and Self-Control
4.) Samurai’s in their spare time study Zen Buddhism and appreciate the arts. They had to master using the sword, bow and riding a horse. Those are things they had to practice daily.
5.) Samurai’s ate a wide variety of food ranging from Abura-age Fried bean curd
Awabi (Abalone)
Azuki (Red beans)
Daikon (Giant radish)
Daizu (Soya)
Ebi (Shrimp)
Genmai (Unhusked brown rice)
Ginnan (Gingko nut)
Hasu (Lotus root)
Kaki (Oyster)
Katsuobushi (Dried bonito)
Koi (Carp)
Kombu (Kelp)
Kuri (Chestnuts)
Kyuri (Cucumber)
Miso (Fermented soybean and rice dish)
Misoshiro (Bean paste soup)
Mochi (Rice cake)
Negi (Green onion)
Niboshi (Dried sardines)
Sake (Rice wine)
Sanhso (Red pepper)
Sashimi (Raw fish)
Shiitake (Mushroom)
Shoga (Ginger)
Takenoko (Bamboo shoot)
Tempura (Food dipped in batter and deep fried)
Thoyhu (Sota sauce)
Tofu (Soybean curd)
Tororo (Yams)
Unagi (Eel)
Wasabi (Horse radish)
Zoni (Rice cake soup)
Well as a health nut, I can take a look at this diet an notice a few key things. In this diet we see very little meat other then fish, very little carbs and a high rice, high vegetable based diet. When I think of a Samurai in combat, the first thing that comes to my mind is speed. I think of someone that is very fast an powerful at the same time. Someone who were to eat these types of foods every day I imagine would be very lean, all the things that slow you down like red meat, carbs, fat is not present in this diet. This allows the Japanese warrior to be swift in combat. What is present in this diet are Omega 3s, protein and lots of diuretics.
6.) Samurai’s are not just popular in Japan but around the world because they represent the Japanese army in Feudal Japan. When Emperors led Japan, the Samurai was the soldier
Ancient Samurai's
History
History
Samurai are legendary warriors and perhaps the most well-known class of people in ancient Japan. They were noble fighters that fought evil (and each other) with their swords and frightening armor, following a strict moral code that governed their entire life.
That’s the popular idea, anyway. In reality, there’s much more to the samurai . . .
While “samurai” is a strictly masculine term, the Japanese bushi class (the social class samurai came from) did feature women who received similar training in martial arts and strategy. These women were called “Onna-Bugeisha,” and they were known to participate in combat along with their male counterparts. Their weapon of choice was usually the naginata, a spear with a curved, sword-like blade that was versatile, yet relatively light.
Since historical texts offer relatively few accounts of these female warriors (the traditional role of a Japanese noblewoman was more of a homemaker), we used to assume they were just a tiny minority. However, recent research indicates that Japanese women participated in battles quite a lot more often than history books admit. When remains from the site of the Battle of Senbon Matsubaru in 1580 were DNA-tested, 35 out of 105 bodies were female. Research on other sites has yielded similar results.
Readers who have seen the movie The Last Samurai might know that under special circumstances, someone outside Japan could fight alongside the samurai, and even become one himself. This special honor (which included samurai weapons and a new, Japanese name) could only be bestowed by powerful leaders, such as daimyos (territorial lords) or the shogun (warlord) himself.
History knows four Western men who have been granted the dignity of the samurai: adventurer William Adams, his colleague Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn, Navy officer Eugene Collache, and arms dealer Edward Schnell. Out of the four, Adams was the first and the most influential: he served as a bannerman and advisor to the Shogun himself. Amusingly, neither of the people Tom Cruise’s Last Samurai character was based on (Frederick Townsend Ward and Jules Brunet) were ever made samurai.