The samurai were a much more complex class than modern society's idea of a selfless military class. While they were sometimes legendary warriors who put honor above all else, they also included gold-hunting mercenaries, pirates, explorers, Christians, politicians, murderers, and homeless people.
10. Samurai weren't that elite
Although we think of samurai as an elite fighting force, the majority of Japan's army were foot soldiers called ashigaru, and it was the foot soldiers who won wars.
Ashigaru began as a general ragtag bunch of people brought in from the rice fields, but when the daimyo realized that a well-trained standing army was better than random untrained warriors, they trained them to fight. In ancient Japan there were three types of warriors: samurai, ashigaru and ji samurai. Ji samurai were samurai only when necessary, working as farmers for the rest of the year.
When a ji samurai decided to become a full-fledged samurai, he joined the ashigaru rather than the ranks of his wealthier colleagues. Ji samurai, of course, were not as respected as true samurai, but their assimilation into ashigaru was hardly a reduction in status. Japanese ashigaru were almost on an equal footing with samurai. In some areas, the two classes could not even be distinguished.
Military service as an ashigaru was one of the ways to climb the social ladder of feudal Japan, culminating in Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the son of an ashigaru, rising so high that he became Japan's preeminent ruler. He then knocked the ladder out from under those who were not samurai at that time, thus freezing the distribution of Japan's social classes.
9. Christian samurai
Photo: Boac Marinduque
The arrival of Jesuit missionaries in southern Japan led to some daimyo converting to Christianity. Their conversion may have been more practical than religious, since contact with Christendom meant access to European military equipment. A converted daimyo, Arima Harunobu fielded European cannons for use against his enemies at the Battle of Okita-Nawate. Since Harunobu was a Christian, the Jesuit missionary was present at the battle and recorded as his samurai, rather erroneously kneeling and reciting the Lord's Prayer before each shot they fired from their precious cannons.
Loyalty to Christianity prevented the daimyo Dom Justo Takayama from acting like any other samurai warlord during his reign. When Japan expelled Christian missionaries and forced Japanese Christians to renounce their faith, Takayama chose to flee Japan with 300 other Christians rather than renounce his faith. Currently, consideration is being given to granting Takayama the status of a Catholic saint.
8. Ceremonies for viewing severed heads
The enemy's head was proof of the samurai's duty accomplished. After the battle, the heads were collected from the shoulders of their dead owners and presented to the daimyo, who enjoyed a relaxing ceremony of viewing the severed heads to celebrate their victory. Their heads were thoroughly washed, and their hair was combed and teeth blackened, which was a sign of nobility. Each head was then placed on a small wooden holder and labeled with the names of the victim and killer. If time was short, a hasty ceremony was held in which the heads were placed on leaves to absorb the blood.
In one case, viewing the won goals caused the daimyo to lose his own. After the capture of the two forts by Oda Nobunaga, daimyo Imagawa Yoshimoto led a march to a head viewing ceremony and musical performance. Unfortunately for Yoshimoto, the rest of Nobunaga's forces moved forward and made a surprise attack while the heads were being prepared for viewing. Nobunaga's forces snuck right up to Yoshimoto's army and attacked after an accidental thunderstorm. Yoshimoto's severed head then became the centerpiece of his enemy's head viewing ceremony.
The system of rewards based on severed heads was exploited in a dirty way. Some samurai said that the head of the enemy infantryman was actually the head of a great hero and hoped no one would find out the truth. After the samurai actually removed the valuable head from his shoulders, he could leave the battlefield, since the money was already in his pocket. The situation became so serious that daimyos sometimes even prohibited the taking of heads, so that their warriors would focus on winning rather than making money.
7. They retreated during battles
Many samurai preferred to fight to the death rather than live in dishonor. The daimyo, however, knew that good military tactics included retreat. Tactical and true retreats were as common in ancient Japan as elsewhere, especially when daimyo were in danger. In addition to being one of the first samurai clans to use firearms, the Shimazu clan of southern Japan was famous for using bands of warriors to stage feigned retreats to lure their enemies into a vulnerable position.
When retreating, the samurai used a billowing cloak called a horo, which protected them from arrows while fleeing on horseback. Horo inflated like a balloon, and its protective insulation also protected the horse. It was easier to kill a horse than to aim at a rider, who could quickly die as soon as he was pinned down by his own dead horse.
6. Samurai were great
Photo: Samurai Antique World
In the early years, samurai gave long speeches describing the lineages of warriors before engaging in one-on-one battles. Later, the Mongol invasions and the inclusion of the lower classes in warfare made the proclamation of samurai bloodlines impractical in battle. Wanting to maintain their important status, some warriors began wearing flags on their backs that detailed their lineage. However, since opponents were probably not interested in reading family histories in the heat of battle, the practice never caught on.
In the 16th century, warriors began wearing sashimono, small flags that were designed to be worn on the back of a samurai to display their identity. Samurai went to great lengths to stand out from the crowd, and sashimono was not limited to just flags, it also included items such as fans and woodwork in the shape of a sun with rays. Many went even further and marked their identity with ornate helmets with the antlers of deer, buffalo, peacock feathers - anything that helped attract a worthy opponent, whose defeat would ensure them honor and wealth.
5. Samurai Pirates
Around the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongol invasion pushed the Korean army away from its coast. Due to crop failures, there was little food left in Japan, and with the capital located far to the east, unemployed ronin in the west began to become desperate for income and with little supervision. All this led to the emergence of the era of Asian piracy, the main players of which were samurai.
The pirates, called wokou, caused so much chaos that they were the source of many international disputes between China, Korea and Japan. Although the wokou eventually began to include an increasing number of other nationalities, early raids were carried out primarily by the Japanese and continued for many years, as the pirates were protected by local samurai families.
Korea eventually came under Mongol control. After this, Kublai Khan became Wokou's enemy, to whom the Korean ambassadors informed that the Japanese were “cruel and bloodthirsty” and the Mongols had begun an invasion of the Japanese shores.
The invasion failed, but it helped stop further wokou raids until the 14th century. By then the Wokou were a mixed group of people from different parts Asia. However, due to their numerous invasions of Korea and China from the Japanese islands, Emperor Ming threatened to invade Japan if it failed to solve its pirate problem.
4. Harakiri was actively condemned
Harakiri, or ritual suicide, was the samurai's way of preserving his honor after certain defeat. Everyone was hunting him anyway, and he had nothing to lose except his nerves before the procedure of dumping his guts on the floor. However, while the samurai were willing to commit suicide in this honorable manner, the daimyo were more concerned about preserving their armies. The most famous historical examples of mass suicides overshadow the simple truth that there was no point in losing talented warriors. Daimyos who won a battle often wanted their enemies to swear an oath of allegiance to them rather than commit hara-kiri.
One type of hara-kiri was junshi. By committing this type of suicide, the samurai followed his fallen lord into the afterlife. This was very problematic for the heir to the ruler. Instead of inheriting his father's samurai army, he ended up with a courtyard full of the corpses of his best warriors. And given the fact that the new daimyo was honor bound to financially support the family of the fallen samurai, junshi was also an unattractive financial prospect. Eventually, the practice of junshi was banned by the Tokugawa shogunate, although this did not stop some samurai from following it.
3. Samurai abroad
While samurai in service rarely left their daimyo's territory except to invade foreign territory, many ronin sought their fortunes abroad. Among the first foreign countries The country that started hiring samurai was Spain. In a plot to conquer China for Christendom, Spanish leaders in the Philippines added thousands of samurai to the multinational invasion force. The invasion never began due to lack of support from the Spanish crown, but other samurai mercenaries often served under the Spanish flag.
The Samurai of Fortune particularly distinguished themselves in ancient Thailand, where a Japanese garrison of approximately 1,500 samurai assisted in military campaigns. The colony consisted mainly of ronins seeking their fortune abroad and Christians fleeing the shogunate. The military support given to the Thai king by leader Yamada Nagamasa brought him both a princess and noble title. Nagamasa was given power over a region in southern Thailand, but after choosing the losing side in a war of succession, he died from his wounds in battle. After his death, the Japanese presence in Thailand quickly declined as many fled to neighboring Cambodia due to the new king's anti-Japanese stance.
2. Later samurai were poor and could kill peasants 
Photo: PHGCOM/Wikimedia
After Japan was unified, the samurai who made their living by participating in endless civil wars his country, it turned out there was no one to fight with. No war meant no heads. And no goals meant no money, and a lucky few out of thousands Japanese samurai, who kept their jobs, now worked for the daimyo, who paid them in rice.
By law, samurai were prohibited from working to support themselves. Trade and Agriculture were considered peasant work, which is why the samurai's only source of income became fixed payments in rice in an economy that was quickly moving to trade using coins. It was no longer possible to buy as much sake for a handful of rice as it was possible in earlier times, so the samurai were forced to exchange their rice for real money. Unfortunately, for the high-pressure upper class, giving nice gifts, owning quality items, and wearing stylish clothes was part of job responsibilities samurai. Therefore, during the Edo period, many samurai fell into a black hole of debt from creditors.
This may explain why they were given the right to kirisute gomen, legal right to kill daring commoners. This was a tempting right for the bankrupt samurai, who could now pay off their debts with the sword. However, there are virtually no documented cases of the use of this right, so it seems that in general the samurai did not use this right.
1. How it all ended
Over approximately the last 250 years of their existence, samurai gradually turned into poets, scholars and officials. Hagakure, perhaps greatest book about being a samurai was the commentary of a samurai who lived and died without ever taking part in a single war.
However, the samurai remained Japan's military class and, despite the prevailing peace, some of Japan's best swordsmen were from the Edo era. Those samurai who did not want to exchange their katana for a feather diligently studied fencing and fought duels in order to gain enough fame to open their own fighting schools. The most famous book about Japanese warfare, The Book of Five Rings, appeared during this period. Author Miyamoto Musashi was considered one of Japan's greatest swordsmen, having competed in two of several major battles that period, as well as in numerous duels.
Meanwhile, those samurai who entered the political arena grew steadily in power. Eventually they gained enough strength to challenge the shogunate. They managed to overthrow him by fighting in the name of the emperor. By overthrowing the government and installing a figurehead emperor, they essentially seized control of Japan.
This move, along with numerous other factors, marked the beginning of Japan's modernization. Unfortunately for the remaining samurai, modernization included a Western-style conscript army, which dramatically weakened Japan's military class.
The growing frustrations of the samurai finally culminated in the Satsuma Rebellion, very loosely depicted in the film The Last Samurai. Although the actual rebellion was significantly different from how it was portrayed in Hollywood, it is safe to say that the samurai, true to their warrior spirit, ended their existence in a blaze of glory.
Who are samurai? They represent the feudal class of Japan, which was held in great esteem and respect among all other classes. Samurai were feared and respected for their cruelty in battles and nobility in peaceful life. The great names of the samurai of Japan are written in history, which will forever remember these legendary figures.
This is a kind of analogue of European knights, who swore an oath to serve faithfully to their master and played one of major roles in the Japanese community. Their activities and way of life were strictly bound by a code of honor, which was called “bushido”. The great samurai of Japan fought for the feudal lords or daimyo - the most powerful rulers of the country, who were subordinate to the powerful shogun.
The era of daimyo lasted from X to mid-19th century. During this time, the samurai managed to surround themselves with a kind of aura of nobility; they were feared and respected even outside the Land of the Rising Sun. Ordinary mortals admired them, admiring their cruelty, courage, cunning and resourcefulness. The samurai were credited with many feats, but the truth was actually much more prosaic - the famous samurai of Japan were ordinary killers, but what was the nature of their crimes!
Top most famous samurai of Japan
We can talk endlessly about great samurai. Their stories are shrouded in an aura of mystery and nobility; very often undeserved feats were attributed to them, but these individuals still remained the subject of worship and selfless respect.
- Taira no Kiyomori (1118 - 1181)
He was a commander and warrior, thanks to whom the first samurai administrative system of control in the history of the Japanese state was created. Before his work began, all samurai were simply hired warriors for aristocrats. After this, he took the Taira clan under his protection and quickly achieved success in political activity. In 1156, Kiyomori, together with Minamoto no Yoshimoto (head of the Minamoto clan), managed to suppress the rebellion and began to rule the two highest warrior clans in Kyoto. As a result, their alliance turned into bitter rivals, and in 1159 Kiyomori defeated Yoshimoto. Thus, Kiyomori became the head of the most powerful warrior clan in Kyoto.
Kiyomori was able to seriously advance his career. In 1171, he gave his daughter in marriage to Emperor Takakura. A little later, their first child was born, who was often used as leverage on the emperor. However, the samurai’s plans could not be implemented; he died of fever in 1181.
- Ii Naomasa (1561 – 1602)
He was a famous general or daimyo during the period when the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu was in power. He was one of the most loyal samurai that Japanese history has known. He rose significantly through the ranks and received great recognition after 3,000 soldiers under his leadership won the Battle of Nagakute (1584). He fought with such vigor that even his opponents admired his behavior on the battlefield. The Battle of Sekigahara brought him the greatest popularity. During the battle, he was hit by a stray bullet, after which he was never able to fully recover. His squad was called the “Red Devils” for the corresponding color of the armor that the warriors wore during battle to intimidate their opponents.
- Date Masamune (1567 - 1636)
The list of “The Most Famous Samurai” continues with this legendary figure. The daimyo was ruthless and merciless, as almost everyone said about him. He was an outstanding warrior and an excellent strategist, and his personality was made even more memorable due to the loss of one eye, for which Masamune received the nickname "One-Eyed Dragon". He was supposed to take the leading place in the clan after his father, but the loss of his eye caused a split in the family and his younger brother Date came to power. Already being a general, the samurai was able to gain a good reputation and was rightfully considered a leader. It was after this that he launched a campaign in order to defeat the neighboring clans. This created considerable excitement. As a result, the neighboring clan turned to the father with a request to curb his eldest son. Terumune was kidnapped, but he managed to warn his son about a similar outcome of events and asked him to kill all members of neighboring clans. Date Masamune followed his father's instructions.
Although this contradicts some ideas about samurai, Date Masamune was a supporter of religion and culture. He even knew the Pope personally.
- Honda Tadakatsu (1548 - 1610)
He was a general and one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Ieyasu along with Ii Naomasa, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Sakai Tadatsugu. Of the four, Honda Tadakatsu had the reputation of being the most dangerous and merciless. He was a true warrior, even in the depths of his soul. So, for example, Oda Nobunaga, who, by the way, was not very happy with his followers, considered Tadakatsu a real samurai among all the other samurai. It was often said about him that Honda bypassed death itself, since he never received serious injuries, despite the fact that the number of his battles exceeded 100.
- Hattori Hanzo (1542 - 1596)
He was the most famous samurai and ninja of the Sengoku era. Thanks to him, Emperor Tokugawa Ieyasu survived, and a little later became the ruler of a united Japan. Hattori Hanzo showed brilliant military tactics, for which he received the nickname Devil Hanzo. He won his first battle when he was still very young. at a young age– Hanzo was only 16 years old at the time. After this, he was able to free the Tokugawa daughters from hostages at Kaminogo Castle in 1562. The year 1582 was decisive for him in his career and in gaining a leading position - he helped the future Shogun escape from his pursuers to the province of Mikawa. Local ninjas helped him in this operation.
Hattori Hanzo was an excellent swordsman and his last years, as they say historical sources, he was hiding under the guise of a monk. Many often attributed supernatural abilities to this samurai. They said that he could instantly hide and appear in the most unexpected places.
- Benkei (1155 - 1189)
He was a warrior monk who was in the service of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Benkei is perhaps the most popular hero of Japanese folklore. Stories about his origins are varied: some claim that he was born to a raped woman, while others are inclined to believe that Benkei was a descendant of a god. Rumor has it that this samurai killed at least 200 people in each of his battles. Interesting fact– at the age of 17 he was more than 2 meters tall. He learned the art of using a naginata (a long weapon that is a mixture of a spear and an axe) and left a Buddhist monastery to join a sect of mountain monks.
According to legend, he went to the Gojo Bridge in Kyoto and was able to disarm every passing swordsman. Thus, he was able to collect 999 swords. During the 1000th battle with Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Benkei was defeated and forced to become his vassal. Several years later, while under siege, Yoshitsune committed ritual suicide while Benkei fought for his master. Rumor has it that the remaining soldiers were afraid to oppose this giant. In that battle, the samurai killed about 300 soldiers, who saw with their own eyes how the giant, pierced by arrows, was still standing. So everyone was able to find out about Benkei’s “standing death.”
- Uesugi Kenshin (1530 - 1578)
He was one of the most powerful commanders of the Sengoku era in Japan. He believed in the Buddhist god of war, and his followers were convinced that Uesugi Kenshin was an incarnation of Bishamonten. He was the youngest ruler of Echigo Province - at the age of 14 he took the place of his older brother.
He agreed to oppose greatest commander Takeda Shingen. In 1561, the largest battle between Shingen and Kenshin took place. The results of the battle were mixed, as both sides lost about 3,000 people in this battle. They were rivals for more than 14 years, but even this fact did not stop them from exchanging gifts. And when Shingen died in 1573, Kenshin could not come to terms with the loss of such a worthy opponent.
Data on the death of Uesugi Kenshin are ambiguous. Some say that he died from the consequences of heavy drinking, others are inclined to believe that he was seriously ill.
- Takeda Shingen (1521 – 1573)
This is perhaps the most famous samurai in Japanese history. He is known, by and large, for his unique military tactics. Often referred to as the "Tiger of Kai" for its distinctive characteristics on the battlefield. At the age of 20, he took the Takeda clan under his wing, then united with the Imagawa clan - as a result, the young warlord gained power over all nearby territories.
He was the only samurai who had enough strength and skill to defeat the powerful Oda Nobunaga, who was striving for power over all of Japan. Shingen died while preparing for the next battle. Some say that he was wounded by a soldier, while others are inclined to believe that the samurai died from a serious illness.
- Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 - 1616)
He is the first shogun and founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. His family practically ruled the Land of the Rising Sun from 1600 until the start of the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu gained power in 1600, three years later he became shogun, and two years later he abdicated his position, but remained in power the rest of the time until his death. He was one of the most famous commanders in the entire history of Japan.
This samurai outlived many famous rulers in his lifetime: Oda Nobunaga laid the foundation for the shogunate, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized power, Shingen and Kenshin, two of his strongest rivals, were dead. The Tokugawa Shogunate, thanks to Ieyasu's cunning mind and tactical thinking, would rule Japan for another 250 years.
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536 - 1598)
He is also the most famous samurai of his kind. He was a general and a great politician of the Sengoku era, as well as the second unifier of Japan and the man who brought an end to the Warring States period. Hideyoshi made efforts to create some cultural heritage. For example, he introduced a restriction that meant that only members of the samurai class could carry weapons. In addition, he financed the construction and restoration of many temples, and also played a significant role in the history of Christianity in Japan.
Hideyoshi, despite his peasant origins, was able to become Nobunaga's great general. He failed to obtain the title of shogun, but made himself regent and built a palace. As his health began to fail, Hideyoshi began to conquer the Ming Dynasty with the help of Korea. The class reforms carried out by the samurai significantly changed the Japanese social system.
A group of clans in ancient and medieval Japan descended from the children of emperors who were denied the status of princes.
The first emperor appeared on the Japanese islands in 660 BC. e. and received the title Jimmu-tenno, which means "Ruler of Jimmu". The “earthly” history of Japan began with him. Despite the fact that the emperor was revered as an unattainable descendant of the gods, in his circle there were still many daring daredevils eager to take his throne at any cost. Among the first who, back in the 9th century, managed to usurp supreme power and actually retain it until the 12th century were members of the Fujiwara clan. The high positions they occupied at court allowed them to quickly take power into their own hands. By passing off the women of their clan as emperors, the Fujiwaras not only gained unlimited influence at court, but also connected with the supreme rulers through blood ties. From such “heavenly” marriages, crown princes were born, who in the future could lay claim to the imperial throne. The Fujiwaras literally organized the institution of regency in Japan, and real power left the “heavenly rulers.” But power, like sand, can easily slip between your fingers. And the Fujiwaras tried their best to protect themselves from possible rivals, sending them to remote areas of the country, citing the need to protect the territories from attacks by Ainu and sea pirates.
Among such “exiled” competitors, representatives of two strong lines of the imperial family - Taira and Minamoto - stood out especially clearly. Quite soon, the Minamoto began to control the north and northeast of the state, and the Taira clan - its southwestern island part.
But there was no friendship between these two clans, although they could well have united to overthrow the Fujiwara power. But no, they were constantly at odds with each other. Beginning in 1051, for almost a century and a half, the country was torn apart by unrest and uprisings. One of them, who determined future fate powerful clans, was the Heiji rebellion, raised in 1160 by the commander Minamoto no Yoshitomo against the Taira. The uprising ended in defeat, and Yoshitomo himself was killed. But his third son, thirteen-year-old Yoritomo, was spared by the head of the Taira clan and exiled to the east of the country in Izumo. So Tyra made a fatal mistake. Twenty years after the death of his father, Yoritomo still has not forgotten the defeat of the clan. Having gathered several thousand people under his banner, he and his half-brothers meant a real war to destroy the enemy. After a series of victories, the Minamoto clan completely defeated the Taira clan in April 1185 at the Battle of Gempei, which took place in Dannoura Bay.
From that time on, Minamoto Yoritomo began to strengthen his military power and in 1192 received from the Emperor of Japan the title seii taisho-gun - “great commander-in-chief, conqueror of the barbarians.” So he became the military ruler of the empire. And the emperor completely lost power. This type of government lasted in Japan for about seven centuries, until 1867, when the last Tokugawa Yoshinobu abdicated power. And all these centuries are the main actors in the play of Japanese history there were the descendants of the god of war Hachiman - the samurai. They were destined for Service...
But to serve, it was necessary to receive a certain upbringing and go through the path of the samurai along the vertical “OYA - KO”, which literally translates as “father - son”, and in a broader sense - as “teacher - student” or “patron - ward”.
In world history there have always been groups of people whose image remained forever romanticized in people's hearts. Western pop culture draws on European and American heroic figures, bringing them to life in Westerns, medieval films, and fairy tales set in countries ruled by kings and queens. Cowboys and knights have always served as an ideal image for creating popular media products, thanks to the countless adventures and exciting situations in which they found themselves with enviable consistency.
Samurai were the equivalent of European knights, a noble military class in medieval Japan. For hundreds of years, samurai played a vital sacred role in Japanese society. The samurai swore allegiance to his master and pledged to serve him with his blade and wisdom, following a certain set of moral and philosophical rules called bushido. Following the path of bushido helped the samurai to embody the concepts of chivalry, achieve mastery in martial arts, honor concepts such as loyalty, honor, service, and prefer death to dishonor. Some samurai could become military leaders by right of inheritance, without waiting for the will of the master.
After stories about samurai spread beyond Japan, people from all over the planet took a keen interest in their history. It was actually very exciting: the samurai embodied the image of an ideal warrior who revered culture and laws, who took seriously what he had chosen life path. When a samurai failed his master or himself, according to local customs he had to be subjected to the ritual of seppuku - ritual suicide. In our list you will find the ten greatest samurai who lived in Japan at one time or another.
10. Hojo Ujitsuna (1487 - 1541)
Hōjō Ujitsuna was the son of Hōjō Soun, founder of the Hōjō clan, which controlled a large swath of the Kanto region, Japan's most populous island, during the Sengoku period (1467 - 1603). The Sengoku period was characterized by constant wars between families of high-ranking military personnel, and Hojo Ujitsuna was lucky enough to be born during this period of time, in 1487. Ujitsuna reignited a long-standing feud with the Uesugi clan by taking over Edo Castle in 1524, one of the main seats of power in medieval Japan. He managed to spread his family's influence throughout the Kanto region, and by the time of his death in 1541, the Hojo clan was one of the most powerful and dominant families in Japan.
9. Hattori Hanzo (1542 - 1596)
This name may be familiar to fans of Quentin Tarantino, since it was based on the real life biography of Hattori Hanzo that Quentin created the image of the swordsman for the film Kill Bill. Not much is known about Hanzo's early life, but historians believe he was born in 1542. Starting at the age of 16, he fought for survival, participating in many battles. Hanzo was devoted to Tokugawa Ieyasu, saving the life of this man on more than one occasion, who later founded the shogunate that ruled Japan for more than 250 years, from 1603 to 1868. Throughout Japan he is known as a great and devoted samurai who has become a legend. His name can be found carved at the entrance to the imperial palace.
8. Uesugi Kenshin (1530 - 1578)
Uesugi Kenshin was a strong military leader and also the leader of the Nagao clan. He was distinguished by his outstanding ability as a commander, resulting in his troops achieving many victories on the battlefield. His rivalry with Takeda Shingen, another warlord, was one of the most widely known in history during the Sengoku period. They feuded for 14 years, during which time they engaged in several one-on-one fights. Kenshin died in 1578, the circumstances of his death remain unclear. Modern historians believe it was something similar to stomach cancer.
7. Shimazu Yoshihisa (1533 - 1611)
This is another Japanese warlord who lived throughout the bloody Sengoku period. Born in 1533, as a young man he established himself as a talented commander, a trait that later allowed him and his comrades to capture most Kyushu region. Thanks to his successes on the battlefield, he earned the selfless loyalty of his servants (sworn swords, as they were also called), who fought desperately for him on the battlefield. Yoshihisa became the first to unite the entire Kyushu region; it was subsequently defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his 200,000-strong army.
6. Mori Motonari (1497 - 1571)
Mori Motonari grew up in relative obscurity, but this did not stop him from taking control of several of the largest clans in Japan and becoming one of the most feared and powerful warlords of the Sengoku period. His appearance on the general stage was sudden, and equally unexpected was the series of victories he won over strong and respected opponents. He eventually captured 10 of the 11 Chugoku provinces. Many of his victories were against much larger and more experienced opponents, making his feats even more impressive.
5. Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)
Miyamoto Musashi was a samurai whose words and opinions still mark modern Japan. Musashi was a ronin, a masterless samurai who lived during the Sengoku period. Today he is known as the author of The Book of Five Rings, which describes the strategy and philosophy of samurai in battle. He was the first to use a new fighting style in the sword technique of kenjutsu, calling it niten ichi, when the fight is fought with two swords. According to legend, he traveled through ancient Japan, and during his travels he managed to win many fights. His ideas, strategies, tactics and philosophies are the subject of study to this day.
4. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536 - 1598)
Toyotomi Hideyoshi is considered one of Japan's Founding Fathers, one of three men whose actions helped unify Japan and end the long and bloody Sengoku era. Hideyoshi succeeded his former master Oda Nobunaga, and began to implement social and cultural reforms that determined the future direction of Japan for a period of 250 years. He banned sword ownership by non-samurai, and also began a nationwide search for all swords and other weapons that were henceforth to belong only to samurai. Despite the fact that this concentrated all military force in the hands of the samurai, such a step was a huge breakthrough on the way to common world since the reign of the Sengoku era.
3. Takeda Shingen (1521 - 1573)
Takeda Shingen was perhaps the most dangerous commander of the entire Sengoku era. He was born heir to the Takeda family, but personally seized power when it turned out that his father was going to leave everything to his other son. Shingen allied with several other powerful samurai clans, which pushed him to expand beyond his home province of Kai. Shingen became one of the few who were able to defeat the army of Oda Nabunaga, who at that time was successfully capturing other territories of Japan. He died in 1573, suffering from illness, but by this point he was well on his way to consolidating power over all of Japan. Many historians believe that if he had not fallen ill, Oda Nabunaga would never have come to power again.
2. Oda Nobunaga (1534 - 1582)
Oda Nobunaga was driving force unification of Japan. He was the first military leader to rally a huge number of provinces around himself and made his samurai the dominant military force throughout Japan. By 1559, he had already captured his home province of Owari and decided to continue what he had started, expanding his borders. For 20 years, Nobunaga slowly rose to power, emerging as one of the country's most feared military leaders. Only a couple of people, including Takeda Shingen, managed to win victories against his unique military tactics and strategy. Fortunately for Nobunaga, Shingen died and left the country to his destruction. In 1582, at the height of his power, Nobunaga was the victim of a coup d'état launched by his own general, Akeshi Mitsuhide. Realizing that defeat was inevitable, Nobunaga retreated inside the Honno-Ji Temple in Kyoto and committed seppuku (ritual suicide of the samurai).
1. Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu may not have been the most effective samurai, but by the end of the Sengoku period, he became the man who held the best cards. Ieyasu formed an alliance between the Tokugawa and Oda Nobunaga clans, but with the death of the latter, a huge military force found itself without a commander-in-chief. Although Toyotomi Hideyoshi replaced Nobunaga, his absolute power over the country lasted for a very long time. a short time. From 1584 to 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces fought with Toyotomi Hideyoshi's army for control of the country. In 1598, Hideyoshi died of illness, leaving a 5-year-old son as his heir. In 1600, at the Battle of Sekigahara, the forces of the Tokugawa army dealt a mortal blow to the remnants of the Oda-Toyotomi alliance. From this point on, he became the first shogun, whose dynasty ruled Japan until the revival of the Meiji dynasty in 1868. The years of rule of the Tokugawa clan left their mark on the path of development of the country, isolating it from the rest of the world for a whole quarter of a millennium.
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Follow your companions through thick and thin. Do not spare for them neither beauty, nor health, nor life. Share with them the last piece of food you have. Reciprocate kindness with sincerity and devotion. Protect their home and their children just as you protect your own. If your friends betray you, take revenge on them. Make revenge your life and take revenge until there is no one left to take revenge on. Make sure that in their garden of life not a single child, not a single flower or a single blade of grass grows for many thousands of years.
Hisai Iwasaki, third president “Mitsubishi.”
In the mid-19th century, a fundamental and very important issue in its possible prospects was being resolved for the overwhelming number of countries in the Asian region. The essence of the issue was the upcoming reconstruction of economic systems that had evolved over centuries eastern states traditional type. and standardization in the European style of all existing economic components promised Asia, if not grandiose investment injections from Western financial institutions, then at least decent dividends in the form of floating tariffs on natural resource rent in the very near future. The uniqueness of the current historical moment has found Japan in a deplorable situation. Unlike other Asian states, where little by little, but still there were at least some shifts towards their own capitalist development, Japan by the beginning of the 20th century continued to remain a military-feudal conglomerate of shogunates, mainly occupied with extortions from the poor serf peasantry and bloody fight with each other.
Land scarcity, insufficient natural resources, technological underdevelopment, territorial and political fragmentation deprived it of any chance of even becoming a raw material appendage of Western democracies. The situation was further aggravated by the fact that the traditionally isolated and self-contained society of Japan stubbornly refused to move closer to progressive European states, perceiving any attempts to establish relations from the outside as an attack on its own financial independence and state sovereignty. In such an atmosphere of total ideological oppression and widespread impoverishment of the Japanese population, the Japanese industrial group Mitsubishi appears on the map of the world's largest financial corporations. A group represented by a family clan, which today, in terms of the strength of its impact on global political events, and the number of zeros in the total figure identifying the size of the family wealth can only be compared with the Rothschild credit empire.
The founder of this clan is Yataro Iwasaki. With the name of this legendary and richest man of all times and peoples is connected not only famous aphorism, which says that Japan is the international “Mitsubishi”, but also the deepest integration of Japanese industry into the world economy. One of the most influential businessmen and businessmen in politics, he represented the ideal samurai of the restoration period and the growth of Meiji power.
Yataro Iwakashi was born on January 11, 1835 (according to some sources - at the end of 1834) in the town of Inokushi of the warlike Tosa shogunate. The power of the Tosa clan and its numerous connections with the imperial family for a long time predetermined the conservation of feudal relations within the entire shogunate, whose subject population was predominantly the rural poor and small artisans. The Iwakashi surname belonged to the stratum of the small landed nobility. Yataro's grandfather and great-grandfather were in the service of the emperor and had a rich track record, which allowed the family to acquire a small plot of land and a dozen peasant workers. Be that as it may, the family was not destined to succeed in feudal land use. By the time Yataro came of age, debts and direct losses had become a permanent and prevalent part of the Iwasaki clan's economic balance. The area of the family's land was reduced by two-thirds compared to the original, and forced peasants, driven by hunger and poverty, scattered around the cities in search of work. By 1850, there was no one to work in the fields of Iwasaki, and a year later, in order to financially ensure his son’s education, the head of the family decided to sell most of the family valuables, business heirlooms (along with the feudal lord’s certificate and family coat of arms) and the honorary title of imperial samurai .
Many researchers compare the life of Yataro Iwasaki with a perfectly executed and implemented business plan, where almost every action was based on the most powerful moral and ethical principles. Therefore, in order to understand the reasons for the incredible wealth of this man, which at that time seemed simply impossible, one should delve into the circumstances of the ideological background of this wealth and, above all, its samurai component. From the very beginning of his victorious march over the heads and corpses of his financial competitors, Yataro Iwasaki made it a rule to be guided by three immutable, as it seemed to him, samurai rules, which later became the written code of honor of “Mitsubishi”, set out in a revised form by company president Hisai Iwasaki in the 20th century .
Yataro himself called these three main principles of his own samurai way the most valuable diamonds, with which any sane person can live a life worthy of the most valuable praise. Hence the Mitsubishi emblem - three diamonds radiating outward from one common center. This center, in turn, eloquently symbolized the sole and all-powerful ruler at the head of the company. Autonomy and dimensionless authoritarianism were considered by Yawasaki to be the best methods of rational process management invented by people. He rejected the democratic style of power as harmful and untenable, and any liberalism in relations between subordinates and superiors was considered the main sign of a lack of discipline and criminal connivance on the part of the leadership.
Fully sharing the ethical code of the samurai, the fundamental principles of which were strict discipline and unquestioning devotion to his master, Iwasaki, of course, was not going to share his power with anyone. True, this was not always the case. In the early years of his commercial activities, Iwasaki was forced to share the manager's bed with his business partners, who owned the lion's share of the shipping company's assets.
So, in 1870, Iwasaki’s longtime acquaintance Kogami Shokai, married to Yataro’s sister Suomi Iwasaki, took him among the shareholders of the newly organized shipping company “Shokai-Tsukumo”, which at first owned only a dozen small cargo ships. Yataro's share of shares at that time was only five percent, and his stay in the company was explained solely by blood relationship with his beloved wife Shokai. Nevertheless, having demonstrated remarkable organizational and negotiator skills, Iwasaki reached the post of chief financial adviser to Kogami Shokai in almost five months. Having developed a spirit of healthy competition in the organization, Yataro eventually made sure that not a single more or less significant decision was made in the company without his participation. However, knowing Iwasaki’s leadership inclinations, it is not difficult to assume that being in a supporting role was not enough for him.
Two years later, under unclear circumstances, Kogami Shokai dies and the post of chief manager, which, in principle, should have gone to Yataro Iwasaki, since the only brother of the late Kogami Kido Shokai was incapacitated, goes to Kogami Shokai’s brother Mitsokawa, who came out of nowhere (for five years was considered dead). The company was transformed into a branch of the government shipyard Shokai-Mitsukawa, and Iwasaki was demoted to the position of deputy manager of one of the departments. Humbly, having suffered the blow of fate, Yataro repeated the same trick as before. Conducting various “idea competitions” among subordinates, compromising his immediate superiors and pitting the company’s departments against each other, Iwasaki soon again took his rightful place as manager with a 15 percent share of shares. But Iwasaki did not try his luck any further. In 1873, he sold his share of shares and founded his own company (with a small share of outside capital), called “Mitsubishi” - in honor of the family coat of arms of the Iwasaki family.
Later, having finally established himself as the full and sole owner of the company, he moved away from the practice of collegial decision-making and excluded any possibility of career advancement for his immediate assistants, who were not members of the Iwasaki family, above the rank of junior administrative employees. The custom of the imperial style of government, where power was transferred from father to son, and in his absence - to other relatives and in-laws, migrated first to the twentieth century, and then to the new millennium. This can also explain the certain degree of independence of companies operating under the auspices of the Mitsubishi Corporation. “Every company must have a sole emperor, independent of anyone. “Mitsubishi” can be represented as a system of elements formally independent from each other. This is how it really is. They are all like fingers on a hand. Free and carefree until circumstances require a tightly clenched fist” - wrote Hisai Iwasaki in his book “On Greatness and Prosperity.”
Another principle that the founder of Mitsubishi introduced into practical use was non-waste of earned money. While still the owner of a small ship-owning company, Yataro Iwasaki forced all his employees (under pain of dismissal and fine) to use Everyday life services exclusively from our own company. When joining Yawasaki, all employees whose position exceeded the “position” of an assistant fireman signed a special onerous agreement, according to which they agreed not to resort to the services of competing companies during the entire period of their service at the enterprise. This is how Iwasaki cultivated a strong corporate spirit in his subordinates, and this is how he understood the importance of competition. However, he didn’t feel like he was part of the company’s friendly team.
Strictly regulating the lives of his subordinates even outside of work schedules, Iwasaki severely punished the slightest signs of disobedience and “painful” stubbornness. At Mitsubishi, it was considered painful stubbornness, for example, to be friends with someone from a competing company, or to have relatives who were employees of competing companies. Dismissal with the mark “stubborn violation of the will of the employer’s management” in many cases meant the impossibility of future employment throughout Japan, and the fine “for neglect of general organizational goals and interests” could reach the amount of two years’ salary of a senior engineer at the Iwasaki plant. Yataro's heirs also liked this principle. Today, when almost no sphere of production and consumption can be done without the participation of Mitsubishi, the company’s employees have become completely dependent on goods and services provided by the retail chains of the Japanese financial clan.
But foreign currency cash and the volume of exclusive legal personality in relation to the funds of public and private funds never represented for Iwasaki the value that the favor of the ruler of the state on whose territory he had the opportunity to carry out industrial and commercial activities of his company had for him. This was the third and final principle of Yataro Iwasaki's religion. “A samurai does not choose his master. The master chooses a samurai for himself. Just because such a choice fell to the fate of the samurai, the latter should be grateful and obliging to the master. A samurai has no other way but to serve his master. God gives the samurai life, the master gives the samurai the meaning of life. Without serving the master, the life of a samurai is empty and meaningless. Service is the all-seeing and virtuous guide of the samurai through the night, cold and death.”– says the Samurai Tosa Code of Honor. This point in the samurai bible was the starting point for the entire difficult life of Yataro Iwasaki’s paternal ancestors and became the same for the businessman himself in his endless intrigues and business quests. The same saying, executed in silver with gold splashes, crowned the entrance to the home residence of the Japanese magnate. Iwasaki himself has repeatedly argued that without state patronage and economic partnership from the national government, not a single profitable business can exist.
Most a shining example The business partnership between Mitsubishi and the national government that allowed Iwasaki to achieve government favor and full support was the sending of government troops to Taiwan in 1874. Knowing about the tense situation on the island and the government’s desire to resolve the conflict by military force, Iwasaki, who has some connections in the postal service, organizes a kind of sabotage - he seizes the court’s correspondence addressed to the Japanese shipping company with a demand for the delivery of troops to the island of Taiwan. As a result, the contract for the delivery of troops, and at the same time the award symbol of the imperial favor, falls into the tenacious hands of Iwasaki. Since then, in the figurative expression of the historian Mitsue Abbe, “the grateful hand of Yataro has not for a minute let go of the generous hand of Japan from its strong embrace.”
After Yataro's death in 1885, the post of director of Mitsubishi was taken by his younger brother Yanosuke Iwasaki, who showed himself to be an even more zealous guardian of samurai traditions than his predecessor. Currently, the influence of the Mitsubishi empire has spread to the vast majority of developed and developing countries peace. Number commercial organizations and their business associations under the Mitsubishi brand number more than four hundred, and the exact number of companies united by strong family ties and characteristic ties of the Iwasaki clan is completely incalculable.
Literature.
1) Hisai Iwasaki. “On Greatness and Prosperity.”
2) Mitsue Abbe. “Classical reflections on economic topics.”
To be continued.