1. Topic: Growth of a Military Society Part 2: The Samurai Unit: Japan

2. Essential Question
What was “the Way” of the samurai?

3. Review
While nobles engaged in art and literature in Heian, life was different elsewhere in Japan.
With the emperor distracted by life in his court; powerful military leaders began taking power for themselves.
Powerful nobles fought over land.

4. Samurai
The most important class in this society.

5. “The way of the warrior”
Bushido
“The way of the warrior”
What is Bushido?
It is a code of conduct that all samurai lived by.
Key points:
Loyalty to your lord
Fearless
Self discipline
Personal Honor

6. Samurai Armor and Weapons
Armor Made of many panels of silk, leather and metal.
Flexible, allowing for quick movement.
Fought with bows and arrows, spears, and swords
Katana made by fusing metals of different hardness.
Soft metal makes the blade flexible, hard metal makes it strong.
They were the most effective swords in the world

7. Katana

8. Headgear

9. Military Training and Fighting
Apprenticed to archery masters at a young age.
Practiced swordsmanship continually until could fence without thinking.
Trained without weapons- martial arts.
Samurai armies fought savagely in hand to hand combat.

12. Training in Writing, Literature, and Tea Ceremony
Expected to be students of culture, as well as fierce warriors.
Practiced calligraphy- the art of beautiful writing.
Wrote poetry- haiku was invented by a samurai (Matsuo Basho)
Tea ceremonies fostered a spirit of harmony, reverence, and calm.

13. Training in Spiritual Strength
Most samurai were Buddhists.
Drawn to Pureland Buddhism and more commonly, Zen Buddhism.
Zen was more appealing because it emphasized self-discipline and meditation.

14. Samurai Poster!
Pretend you are a samurai in need of employment. In your table groups, design a poster that describes the samurai qualities and skills you possess. Your poster should include 4 of the most desirable qualities from the following categories:
Military Training and Fighting (Section 22.4 p. 244)
Mental Training (Section 22.5 p. 245)
Training in Writing, Literature, and Tea Ceremony (Section 22.6 & 22.7 p. 246)
Training in Spiritual Strength (Section 22.8 p. 247)

15. Training Armor and Weapons Example:
I have excellent training in the use of armor and weaponry. For example, I have strong, yet flexible armor made of leather, silk, and metal. Also, my mask displays ferocity and protects my head from attacks. In addition, I am an expert at shooting bows and arrows from horseback. Most importantly, I possess two swords of the highest craftsmanship that are both flexible and razor sharp. Therefore, I have the most desirable qualities of a samurai warrior.