Figure 1.--Here we see Japanese boys dressed up in elavorate Sanurai costimes. The photograph was taken in Tokyo (March 6, 1932). We do not know what the banner says. We have no addirional information avout the group, but given the elaborate costumes, their parents must take the samutai legends very serioily. Notice the Japanese soldiers in the background. ThevJapanese Imperial Arny by 1932 was well on its way to controlling he Government and was exrtinhg increasing influence in the schools.

A Samurail was a kind of Japanese knight. Medieval Japanese society was a feudal society much like medieval Europe, although the country was unifoed under one national leadership. There were many similarities such as extreme loyalty to the feudal lord, fighting skill, and honor unto death. One major difference was suicide. This was prohibited by the Christian church. Feudalism was knighthood (except as an honorific) was destroyed in Europe by a combination of the Renisssance, Reformtion, and the Enlightenment along with the related developmnts, capitalism and democrcy. None of this occurred in Japan which remained a feudal sociery at the time of the arrival of Commodore Perry and the Black Ships (1853). This set in motion a modernization process, but at the time of World War II was still in many ways a feudal society with much of the land owned by a landed aristocracy. The Meiji Restoration occured (1868). There were awide range of reforms. One of those reforms was aimed at the traditional rights and privileges of the Samurai class. The Meiji Resoration meant that that there were many unemployed Samurai. It might be recalled in Europe that one rwason Pope Urban launced the Crusades was to occupy many unemployed knights. There was no such war for unemployed Samurai. And the Meiji Government gave considerable attention to the former Samura. Their privliges were reduced or ended. The Samurai were renamed the Shizoku and the once-proud Samurai class officially ceased to exist. Members of the Samurai class and those who claimed Samurai status were categorized as either Shizoku or Sotsuzoku (1869). The Meiji Governmen then recatogorized the Sotsuzoku, former Samurai, as Shizoku or as Seimin meaning commoners (1872). The word Shizoku, thus came to mean a former Samurai. This was not a small group. Some 3 million Japanese men fell into this category. As the Meiji reforms continued, The Shizoku saw many of their traditional priliges reduced or ended. [Hunter] The prestigious right to carry swords was abolished. This was both a matter of status and public order. The Meoji Government instituted conscription for the Imperial Japanese Army, pening the miltary to all classes. The traditional stipends payed to Samurai were replaced with Government bonds. This all undermined the traditionally privileged position of the Samurai. Some former Smurai or Shizoku, however, came to play an imprtnt role in the social, political, and economic life of Meiji Japan. The Sanurai as a class ceased to exist (1914). The individul's class ceased to be officially recorded. It became a matter of family heritage rther than any kind of privileged position in Japanese society. The Meiji Restoration was a period of rapid change to a still very traditional society. There were discorders, even rebellions stemming from the Samurai/Shizoku c class. The peasant class was also not quiet. The most important such outbreak was Satsuma Rebellion (1877). Another imprtant Meiji reform was the formal creation of the Imperial Japanese Army (1871). Some 10,000 men drawn from the feudal armies, most former Samurai or Ashigaru (professional foot soldiers employed by Samurai). This first force became the Imperial Guard (Konoe). Yamagata Aritomo vice minister of military affairs and the first commander. Yamagata was a member of a prestigiou Samurai family from the Choshu domain. The first commander of the Imperial Guard, Saigo Takamori, was another former Samurai from the Satsuma domain. (He would lead the Satsuma Rebellion). The Imperial Japanese Army was thus from the very beginning heavily influenced by the Samurai. And theeir are many examples of Japanese world War II commanders who came from Samurai families. One of the most notable was Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the Japanese commannder on Iwo Jima, who came from a minor Samurai family. Few Marines on Iwo would question the asertion that they fought a modern Samurai in the terrible blood letting that Iwo became. The aspect of all of this was the degree to which thecSamurai spirit and ethosasmprinted on the millions of commoners making up the Imperial Japanese Army.

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Created: 12:24 AM 7/11/2017
Last updated: 12:25 AM 7/11/2017