The Japanese samurai have an almost mythical reputation. The idea of ​​katana-wielding warriors adhering to a noble code is incredibly romantic. Moreover, it was supported by legends and films. But in fact, many real facts about samurai are kept silent, since this would destroy the romantic flair created by cinema and literature.

1. “Horo” capes

The samurai wore massive 2-meter horo capes, which were stuffed lightweight materials and soared around the samurai’s body at the slightest wind. The horo was supposed to protect the samurai from arrows. The horo was also the main status symbol of the war. An enemy killed in battle wearing a horo was buried with honors.

2. Samurai swords

In the 13th century, when Japan was attacked by the Mongols, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun first encountered an army equipped with heavy armor. Their swords did not stand up to criticism at that moment. Thin Japanese weapons got stuck in Mongolian leather armor, and often simply broke in half. These are thin samurai swords broke so often that they were forced to abandon them and start making larger and heavier swords to resist the Mongols.

3. Samurai “sissies”

In feudal Japan, a man who spent the night with a woman was considered a sissy. Samurai believed that sex with women had a "feminizing" effect on a man's mind and body. The samurai married if he needed it to procreate, but he never allowed himself to get carried away by his wife. If a samurai was seen kissing his wife on in public places, then his masculinity was in question. At the same time, homosexual relationships were perceived as something ordinary.

4. The guarantor-lover

When a boy was learning the art of the samurai, he was often paired with an older man. The elder taught the boy martial arts, etiquette, a code of honor, and in return used him to satisfy lust. This was called "sudo", which means "the path from boy to teenager." When a boy turned 13, he usually swore allegiance to his teacher and lived with him for the next six years. This was considered completely normal. One Japanese poet wrote: “A young man without an older guarantor-lover is like a young girl without a groom.” It really was treated like a marriage.

5. Immediately and in front of a witness

If a samurai was treated disrespectfully by someone from the lower class, he could kill this person on the spot. There were several rules. The samurai had to do this immediately and in front of witnesses. Moreover, not doing this was considered shameful.

6. Right pant leg only

Samurai began to be paranoid about their bathroom after the incident of the daimyo Uesugi Kenshin, who was killed in the toilet in the 16th century. The killer sneaked into the toilet and stabbed Uesugi Kenshin with a spear, catching him by surprise with his pants down. After this, his rival Takeda Shingen became concerned that someone might do something similar to him and took action. Since then, all martial arts masters began to teach adherents to go to the toilet with their right pant leg completely lowered in order to ensure freedom of action. Samurai bathrooms were designed to be safe from assassins.

7. Post-mortem smell

A legendary samurai named Shigenari Kimura fought his last battle in 1615, defending a castle in Osaka. He boldly led his troops onto the battlefield, after carefully cutting his hair and fumigating his helmet with incense. Kimura knew that he would not survive and decided to "take care" of his future killer, leaving him with a fragrant corpse. He knew his head would be someone's trophy and he wanted it to smell good.

8. Dog in armor

At least one set of samurai armor, custom-made for a dog, survives today. Details are no longer known regarding how the dog armor was used, but scientists believe that it was likely that the armor was not intended for combat, but rather that it was used during parades or was simply ordered by someone from a collector. However, at one point in history, a samurai walked the streets of a Japanese city with a dog dressed in full battle armor.

9. Shakuhachi

One of the strangest views samurai weapons are shakuhachi - bamboo flutes. Initially it was just musical instruments, played by Buddhist monks. Over time, flutes were transformed when a group of Buddhists called komuso began walking around with baskets on their heads, playing the flute and preaching. The samurai realized that these people with baskets on their heads were simply the perfect disguise and began to pretend to be them. The samurai spies who were sent to suppress uprisings looked like monks in komuso. At the same time, samurai flutes had spikes for use as self-defense weapons.

10. Samurai Devotion

The Samurai Code didn't actually exist until the 1600s, and before that, samurai constantly betrayed their masters. Even after this, the samurai's loyalty existed only on paper, but not in reality. real life. If the owner did not care about the samurai and did not adequately reward the warrior who protected him, then the samurai, as a rule, used any chance to slaughter him and go to serve the one who pays more. When Western missionaries first came to Japan, they were shocked by how much betrayal and backstabbing they saw.

And in continuation of the Japanese theme, we publish.

For the Middle Ages, samurai had all the qualities of ideal soldiers. The word "samurai" comes from the verb haberu, which means support, serve; Thus, a samurai is a serving person who is not only a warrior but also a bodyguard and servant of his master (daimyo) or overlord. The samurai served faithfully to his master so devotedly. that he was ready to give his life for him without hesitation.

Samurai were incredibly skillful and dangerous soldiers, since in their combat training there were two important psychological factors, blind, absolute devotion to the master and unquestioning readiness to die, moreover, to die in the name of honor and good name his master was very honorable and was considered the best end to the life of a samurai.

The secret of the "knights" of feudal Japan was the code of Bushido. It was without this code that samurai would have remained simply good soldiers and could not have failed to reach such heights in valor and heroism, which glorified them for more than one century. The Code of Bushido is nothing more than a set of rules; it was by these rules that samurai lived, went into battle and even died. It was thanks to the bushido code that samurai became fighting machines with a cynical view of ordinary, peaceful life and glorification of their own heroic death. In the life of a samurai there was only one desire, to fulfill his duty until death, and the fulfillment of duty was to serve his overlord. Therefore, a samurai never faced the choice of living or dying; his very definition as a samurai excluded such a choice, otherwise he had no right to be called a samurai

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Being a samurai was accordingly far from an easy task, for example average weight samurai armor could reach 12 kilograms. Such a heavy load simply obliged the warrior to have excellent physical training. Samurai were taught from early childhood, the training continued until the age of 15-16, and the training ended when the mentor considered that the young samurai was ready to faithfully serve his master. IN curriculum samurai, necessarily included the art of wielding a sword, spear, halberd, archery, hand-to-hand combat, and much more.

The family and the mentor took care of the formation of the character of the future samurai, developing courage, courage, patience, endurance, fearlessness and courage, in other words, developing in them qualities that were considered among the samurai as the main virtues, in which the warrior had to neglect his life for the sake of the life of the master. The character of a true samurai was developed by watching theatrical performances about the heroic deeds of great samurai, reading stories and stories. Very often, fathers or mentors ordered their sons to go to the cemetery at night in places where they allegedly found devilry, in order to strengthen your character and learn to deal with fears. Often, future samurai visited places of public executions and punishments, and spent nights inspecting the severed heads of those executed, on which the young student was sure to leave some kind of sign of his own, which was proof that the young bushi actually came to this place. Young samurai were often forced to walk barefoot in winter, or remain hungry, since all these measures instilled in them the endurance so necessary for real samurai.

Young samurai had to wear their armor without taking it off until they were completely used to it and felt as comfortable in it as without armor.

The samurai clearly took shape as a class during the reign of the shoguns from the feudal house of Tokugawa (1603-1867). The most privileged layer of samurai were the hatamoto, who were the direct vassals of their shogun. Hatamoto most often did not even have their own land, and received their salary from the master in rice.

The spirit of contempt for death and unquestioning submission to one’s master permeated the entire code of Bushido, to which the life of any samurai was subordinated. According to the law, the samurai had the right to kill on the street any representative of the lower class who behaved indecently in the opinion of the samurai or, God forbid, dared to offend him. By the end of the Samurai era, during the reign of the Tokugawa house, samurai detachments were most often used only to suppress peasant revolts. The samurai were cruel, they did not know what pity was, and if the time came for someone to part with life at the hands of a samurai, then death was lightning fast, without the right to justice.

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 the 10th to the 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 was created administrative system management in the history of the Japanese state. 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 activities. 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 has made significant progress career ladder 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 an eye caused a split in the family and he came to power younger brother Date. 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 at a very 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 historical sources say, 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 for by and large, with its 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.

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, i.e. hara-kiri.

1. Hojo Ujitsuna (1487 - 1541)

Ujitsuna sparked a long-standing feud with the Uesugi clan - the owner of Edo Castle, which has now grown into the giant metropolis of Tokyo, but then it was an ordinary castle covering a fishing village. Having taken over Edo Castle, Ujitsuna managed to spread his family's influence throughout the Kanto region (Japan's most populous island, where the capital of the state is located - Tokyo) and by the time of his death in 1541, the Hojo clan was one of the most powerful and dominant families in Japan.

2. 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. 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 more than once, who later founded the shogunate, which ruled Japan for more than 250 years (1603 - 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.

3. 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.

4. Shimazu Yoshihisa (1533 - 1611)

This is another Japanese warlord who lived throughout the bloody Sengoku period. While still a young man, he established himself as a talented commander; later this trait allowed him and his comrades to capture most Kyushu region. Yoshihisa became the first to unite the entire Kyushu region; it was subsequently defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (a military and political figure, the unifier of Japan) and his 200,000-strong army.

5. 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 provinces in the Chugoku region. Many of his victories were against much larger and more experienced opponents, making his feats even more impressive.

6. Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Miyamoto Musashi was a samurai whose words and opinions still mark modern Japan. 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 the journey managed to win many fights. His ideas, strategies, tactics and philosophies are the subject of study to this day.

7. 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 power in the hands of the samurai, such a step was a huge breakthrough towards common world since the reign of the Sengoku era.

8. Takeda Shingen (1521 - 1573)

Takeda Shingen was perhaps the most dangerous commander of the entire Sengoku era. When it turned out that his father was going to leave everything to his other son, Shingen allied himself 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.

9. 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.

10. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616)

Tokugawa Ieyasu had amazing insight and unique intuition, which more than once rescued him in the most hopeless and dangerous life situations. Even in his youth, he was able to recognize and deeply understand the danger looming over the country as a result of cruel and merciless inter-feudal wars that lasted a whole century. Having suffered fear for the life of himself and his family and friends, Ieyasu firmly decided to devote himself to the struggle to establish peace in the country and revive its national statehood.

Japan is a country of brave samurai and brave shoguns. The whole world knows about the valor and courage of Japanese soldiers. Samurai are an integral part of Japanese culture, its distinctive symbol. Any warrior could envy the loyalty and discipline of the samurai.

Who are they, servants of their state, desperate warriors or masters of their land?

Samurai means “warrior” in Japanese. This word also has several other meanings - “serve”, “support”, “servant”, “vassal” and “subordinate”. That is, a samurai is a warrior who serves his state and fiercely defends it.

From ancient Japanese chronicles it is known that the samurai was a nobleman (nothing in common with European nobles). They were engaged not only in military operations. In peacetime, samurai served the highest princes and were their bodyguards.

History of samurai

The first samurai appeared in Japan at the beginning of the 12th century. At that time, the state was ruled by the brave shogun Minamoto. These were fairly peaceful times, so the number of samurai was relatively small. The warriors took an active part in peaceful life - they grew rice, raised children, and taught martial arts.

During the reign of the great Japanese Tokugawa shogun clan, the number of samurai almost tripled. They probably served their shogun and owned considerable land plots. Under the Tokugawa, these warriors were considered the most prosperous people.

During the Tokugawa era, a large set of samurai laws was published. The main one was the law of Bushido. It said that a warrior must unconditionally obey his master and boldly look death in the face. In addition, the samurai was given the right to kill with impunity an ordinary peasant who was unacceptably rude to the warriors. In times of peace, samurai faithfully served their shogun, and sometimes took part in suppressing peasant revolts.

There were also samurai who eventually moved into the ronin class. Ronins are former warriors who have freed themselves from vassalage. Such samurai lived like ordinary people: carried out trade, craft and agricultural activities.

Many samurai became shinobi. Shinobi are assassins for hire, a kind of ninja.

In the mid-18th century, the collapse of the samurai class began. During this period, the Japanese bourgeoisie began to actively progress. Trade, craft and manufacturing flourished. Many samurai were forced to borrow from moneylenders. The situation of the samurai was becoming unbearable. Their role for the country became unclear even to them. Some tried to adapt to peaceful life, many turned to religion. Others became traders, artisans and farmers. And the samurai rebels were simply killed, completely undermining their will and spirit.

Education and development of a samurai

Raising a samurai is a complex, multi-level process. The formation of a warrior began with early years. Already from childhood, the sons of samurai knew that they were the successors of their family and reliable guardians of family customs and traditions.

Every evening, before going to bed, the child was told about the history and courage of the samurai, about their exploits. Stories gave examples of how legendary samurai bravely looked death in the face. Thus, courage and valor were instilled in the child from childhood.

An important aspect of samurai education was the Bushido technique. She introduced the concept of seniority, the main thing in the family. Boys were taught from an early age that the man is the head of the family, and only he can determine the direction of his child’s activities. Other Japanese technology Iemoto - taught the boys discipline and behavior. The technique was purely theoretical in nature.

In addition, boys from childhood were accustomed to severe trials. They taught various martial arts, pain tolerance, control of one’s own body, and the ability to obey. Developed willpower, the ability to overcome even the most severe life situations. There were times when boys were tested on their endurance. To do this, they were raised at dawn and sent to a cold, unheated room. There they were locked up and not fed for a long time. Some fathers forced their sons to go to the cemetery at night. So they instilled in the boys the courage of a valiant warrior. Others took their sons to executions, forced them to do backbreaking work, walk in the snow without shoes, and spend several nights without sleep.

At the age of 5, the boy was given a bokken. Bokken is a samurai sword. From then on, training in the art of fencing began. In addition, the future warrior had to be able to swim well, hold a great position in the saddle, and be literate in writing, literature and history. The boys were taught self-defense lessons - jiu-jitsu. In addition, they were taught music, philosophy and crafts.

At the age of 15, the boy turned into a valiant samurai.