10 Misconceptions About Samurai We Believe Thanks to Movies and Games

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There are many legends about Japanese swords, often unjustified. Probably a lot of people, when asked what the name of a Japanese sword is, will answer - Katana. This is partly correct, but only partly. Classifying Japanese swords is not an easy task. The simplest classification, in my opinion, is by length.

The main weapon of a samurai is the katana

Photo: Kusakabe Kimbei / J. Paul Getty Museum / Wikipedia Commons Most often, samurai are depicted with two swords at their belts - a long katana and a short wakizashi.
Therefore, most people consider them to be melee warriors who fight with swords. But that's not true. Samurai, of course, used katana and wakizashi, but only in cases of extreme necessity. Basically, these weapons served as confirmation of The Japanese Sword, The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords of their status, because commoners - merchants and artisans - could only carry one, short sword (and then it was banned, The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords, What Was the Sword Hunt in Japan?).

On the battlefield, samurai were primarily horse archers. This is the privilege of the nobles, because in small Japan, with a shortage of pastures, a horse cost a fortune. The bushi carried Samurai: The Code of the Warrior a wakyu, daikyu or yumi longbow and bamboo arrows. And the skill of shooting from this weapon was more important for a samurai than fencing.

Quite logical, because it is usually easier to shoot an enemy than to poke him with a sword.

Samurai, unlike European knights, did not wear shields. Their squires did this for them - they carried large wooden tate shields so that the master could hide behind them while shooting.

Photo: LA MM / Pexels

If it came to hand-to-hand combat, the samurai took yari spears, naginatas (something like a Japanese halberd, a kind of hybrid of a saber and a mop) and iron clubs and kanabo clubs to fight an enemy in armor. Bushi also used kusarigama and kusari-fundo - blades and sickles on a chain, which in movies are usually used only by ninjas.

Finally, they sometimes brandished a nodachi, a very long, slightly curved sword (something like the Japanese version of a zweihander). Sometimes the katana was not taken to the battlefield at all, preferring to be kept as an item of status.

Components of a katana:

Decoration adjacent to the tsuba, a ring that strengthens the handle (coupling) - Fuchi,
Cord - Ito,
Blade - Kami,
The upper ring (head) of the handle is Kashira,
Entrance to the scabbard - Koiguchi,
The tip of the scabbard is Kojiri,
Tie loop - Kurikata
Bamboo wedge for fixing the blade in the handle - Mekugi,
The decoration on the handle under (or above) the braid is Menuki,
Shank - Nakago,
Ties - Sageo,
Stingray leather on the handle - Same,
Scabbard - Saya,
Gasket between guard and ring (washer) - Seppa,
Hammer for disassembling a sword - Tetsu,
Blade - Tosin,
Garda - Tsuba,
Handle - Tsuka,
Braid - Tsukamaki,
Clutch for fixing the sword in the scabbard - Habaki.

Japanese short sword wakizashi. Blade and sword in sheath.

Samurai are loyal to the last to their daimyo

Photo: Nationaal Archief / Wikimedia Commons
In modern culture, the word “samurai” is synonymous with honor and loyalty. The ancient Japanese warrior aristocrats seem to be literally obsessed with this. They are ready not only to kill, but also to die for their master. And a daimyo only needs to lift an eyebrow for his samurai to go on a suicide mission or commit seppuku just to preserve his dignity.

But in fact, samurai, like European knights, were not at all so impeccably loyal. They served their daimyo as long as he paid them, mostly in rice. If the master stopped satisfying the samurai, he could easily defect to a better master along with all his warriors.

In Europe, betrayals also happened, but those around him began to treat the knight who committed such a base act with reproach. In Japan, leaving the master was not considered something completely unacceptable among samurai.

Alessandro Valignano, a Jesuit missionary who preached in Japan in 1573, wrote Understanding Samurai Disloyalty about the samurai:

They rebel whenever they have a chance to usurp the power of their rulers or join their enemies. They then switch sides again and declare themselves allies. But they rise again when the opportunity arises. This kind of behavior does not discredit them at all.

Alessandro Valignano

The Japanese still have a saying “seven falls, eight rises.” This is exactly how many times a daimyo, in theory, could forgive a vassal who betrayed his trust. Ideals of the Samurai: Writings of Japanese Warriors. Or temporarily release the subject from service so that he does not become indignant.

A katana can easily cut another sword.

There is a belief that samurai blades are incredibly strong and sharp. They can cut several people in half with one blow, cut an enemy's sword or the barrel of a firearm, split a thrown silk scarf or horsehair into two parts, and so on.

However, a katana was not particularly different from a saber or checker. The fact is that the Japanese had very little good steel Seminar on Japanese swords, and therefore katanas could not boast of any qualities that Western long-bladed weapons did not have. Their sharpness cannot be called supernatural either: European blades cut paper, fabric and other things no worse, if not better.

Katana fighting technique

Although formally a katana is considered a sword (even a two-handed one), according to the principle of its action it is more like a saber. You shouldn’t think that they used Japanese swords to fencing, as they show in modern films. A real samurai had to kill the enemy with one single blow. This is not a whim at all, but a necessity to take care of expensive blades, since getting a new one was quite problematic.

The long blade of the samurai sword allowed a wide range of different strikes. Since the katana was most often held with two hands, with one blow it was possible not only to cut off a head or limb, but also to cut the enemy in half.

There are three main stances in katana combat:

Dzedan – top post;
Chudan – mid-level stance;
Gedan is a lower level stance.

To fight using a samurai sword, you need to take into account and analyze all the enemy’s movements and understand his fighting style. In accordance with this, you should plan your attacks, and the implementation should follow as quickly as possible.

Now that Japanese fencing (Kendo and Yaido) is quite popular, it is not difficult to find a section where this exciting sport is practiced. Several similar schools in Japan trace their origins back to the samurai clan schools of the Middle Ages. During the period of the ban on wearing swords, many schools disappeared, but some managed to preserve the ancient traditions of sword ownership to this day.

Samurai swords were forged from thousands of layers of steel

Photo: Wolcott, Katherine / The University of Vermont / Wikimedia Commons
Many people believe that real katanas are forged by a master gunsmith over several years. During this time, the blacksmith folds the steel billet many times, giving the sword incredible strength and sharpness.

This is, of course, a fallacy. Blanks made of tamahagane, Japanese steel, also called “diamond”, are indeed made by repeatedly folding and then flattening the metal.

But the Japanese made layered steel, which is considered one of the advantages of the katana, not because of its unique properties, but because they did not have a more effective way to clean the ferrous sand from impurities and better distribute Study of Microstructures on Cross Section of JAPANESE SWORD in carbon metal. This method of iron processing is not a great secret of Japanese craftsmen, but a completely ordinary technique that was used all over the world.

Thousands of times steel has not been folded. Bending the workpiece more than 20 times is a waste of time, as this causes Japanse Swordmaking Process to cause excessive carbon diffusion in the material. The process of bending the steel, called sita kitae, was repeated only 8–16 times.

And when the Japanese began to import metal from Europe, they generally stopped wasting energy on sita kitae, because European steel was cheaper and much better in quality.

And katanas have not been forged for years. On average, it took How long does it take to forge a katana?, WHY DID IT TAKE BLADESMITHS SO LONG TO MAKE A KATANA? from three weeks to several months.

How was such a sharpness of the katana blade achieved?

Although Japanese metal was of fairly low quality, the forging techniques used by Japanese blacksmiths made it possible to forge blades of excellent quality. Thanks to the many layers obtained during the forging process, the sharpness of the katana was at its best. Zone hardening and careful polishing gave the blade even more outstanding qualities.

Now in any souvenir shop you can buy a copy of a samurai sword, which is only suitable for interior decoration. Real katanas are quite expensive. If you want to purchase an inexpensive but high-quality replica of a Japanese sword, order it from a blacksmith who works using ancient technology.

Firearms are unacceptable for a samurai

Illustration: Unknown Japanese Edo period (1603–1868) artist / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
As you know, firearms were invented by cowardly gaijins who do not know the path of honor. A real samurai is disgusted by such things. He fights the enemy face to face and only with swords. And if the enemy shoots at him, the samurai will accept death with courage. Well, or fight off a bullet in flight with a katana. At least in the movies.

In reality, the samurai not only did not despise firearms, but also adopted them almost immediately after the Europeans brought them to Japan. The Portuguese wheel castle, called Tanegashima: The Arrival of Europe in Japan by the Japanese in 1543, changed warfare in Japan.

Military detachments began to be formed from arquebusiers and pikemen. The Japanese were so keen on firearms that by the end of the 16th century they had acquired a corps of arquebusiers larger than that of any European country.

Photo: Daderot/Mueller Museum/Wikimedia Commons

Mostly firearms - both hand pistols, rifles, and cannons - were purchased by The Making of Modern Japan in the Netherlands. And among the samurai, owning some cool imported gun was not considered shameful, but, on the contrary, honorable and status-bearing.

Tati - a sword equal in length to a Katana

Japanese long sword tachi 41 inches. The wavy hamon pattern on the blade is clearly visible.

The most ancient handmade katana (katana sheaths were also handmade and decorated with ornaments) are most valued and passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom. Such katana are very expensive, especially if you can see Mei on it - a mark with the name of the master and the year of manufacture on the shank of a Japanese bladed weapon - of any famous master.

Many master gunsmiths from different countries tried to copy the katana, which resulted in such famous swords as: Three - a Tibetan sword copying a samurai sword; Taijinjian (Chinese sword of the great limit) is a type of jian; Korean sword, Japanese name katana in the 7th-13th centuries; etc. But real katana can only be found in Japan, and if a katana is not made in Japan, it is no longer a katana!

Samurai were elite warriors

Photo: Marshall Astor / Wikimedia Commons
Typically, samurai are considered fearless warriors who devote their entire lives to war. But this is not true. The word samurai, if you look for an alternative to it in other languages, will mean not “warrior”, but “nobleman” or “aristocrat”, and is directly translated as “one who serves.”

Accordingly, among the samurai there were enough Secrets of the Samurai; A Survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan and those who never fought at all. They served as tax collectors, accountants, officials, and so on.

Such samurai were sometimes even laughed at in Secrets of the Samurai; A Survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan, real warriors say that they carry swords incorrectly - in a more horizontal position, which does not allow them to instantly draw the weapon.

And samurai can hardly be called a real elite. For example, in 1600 Japan had a population of 18 million and samurai accounted for 5–6% of the total population. So we can hardly call them a small class.

Souvenir blades in Japanese style.

The era of the samurai has sunk into oblivion, leaving behind a significant layer of cultural heritage.

To this day, there are craftsmen in Japan who have a license to make samurai weapons in accordance with all the ancient traditions and experience gained over centuries. The process of creating such samples is very labor-intensive and takes considerable time. It is almost impossible to buy such a product due to the enormous cost and the fact that it is a bladed weapon, the storage and carrying of which is strictly regulated by law.

An excellent alternative is souvenir weapons. High-quality replicas accurately repeat all the details of the legendary Japanese swords, while lacking the characteristics of military weapons, which means they are allowed for free sale and storage.

Today, every lover of Japanese culture can buy a samurai sword. A souvenir katana or any other souvenir Japanese sword will be a wonderful interior decoration or an outstanding exhibit of a collection of edged weapons.

A skilled samurai will stop a katana with a clap of his palms

Still from the film “Ninja Assassin”
Sometimes the military skills of samurai in films and anime are shown in a completely implausible way. So, sometimes experienced bushi manage to stop the blow of an enemy’s katana by holding it between two palms. It looks very cool, but completely unrealistic.

In general, in different schools of fencing - both Japanese and European - there were techniques that made it possible to take a sword from an opponent. But before grabbing a weapon by the blade, it is highly advisable to put on bracers and thick gloves. The blade is not touched with bare hands - you can only grab the handle or the opponent’s hands.

It is simply impossible to stop the blow of the blade with a clap of your palms - you will simply be mutilated or your limbs will be completely cut off.

How to wear a katana correctly

The Japanese sword is worn on the left side (for left-handed people it is allowed to wear it on the right) in a special sheath. The sheath is held in place by a belt called an obi. The katana is worn in such a position that its blade points upward. This position of the sword allows you to pull it out and deliver a fatal blow in one movement (nowadays there is such a martial art as Yaido, where exactly this technique is honed).

When a threat appeared or when surrounded by ill-wishers, the samurai took a sheathed katana in his left hand, so that in case of danger he could instantly reach it with his right hand. If he wanted to show his trust in his interlocutor, then the katana was held in his right hand. When the samurai sat down, the katana lay within reach (if it did not give up when entering someone else's house).

Samurai followed the code of Bushido

Photo: Richard Mortel / Royal Arsenal Museum, Copenhagen / Wikimedia Commons
It is believed that “Bushi-do”, the way of the warrior, is a certain set of rules governing the life of a samurai. And every bushi should know this code. If he violates it, he will be forced to commit ritual suicide by seppuku, because a warrior must strictly maintain his honor.

In reality, the samurai, of course, had rules of behavior, but they were unwritten. The most complete list of them was compiled by Japanese culture, Hagakure: the book of the samurai in his book “Hagakure” by samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo. There is just one small but: he was not a bushi, had never seen war, and worked as a manager on the estate of the daimyo Saga.

And Yamamoto wrote down not some unshakable rules, but the memories of old samurai and his own ideas about the ideal warrior. So judging a bushi based on the Hagakure is like judging knights based on courtly novels.

Real samurai's ideas about honor were very different from modern ones. And, for that matter, everyone made their own rules.

Many bushi did not see anything reprehensible in hacking an enemy from behind without announcing the start of the fight.

Fratricide, betrayal, and service to several masters at the same time also occurred among samurai Death, Honor, and Loyalty: The Bushidō Ideal. What can I say, the whole art of battojutsu is dedicated to quickly drawing a sword and killing a person while he suspects nothing - for example, during a tea ceremony. This doesn't really sound like an honest act.

Seppuku is the best end for a samurai

Illustration: Kunikazu Utagawa / Public Domain / Wikipedia Commons
A samurai who lost his dignity, in theory, certainly had to commit ritual suicide by seppuku. It consisted of the following: the bushi dressed in white, wrote farewell poems, then knelt down and ripped open his stomach with a short kusungobu blade. This should have been done without hesitation and with a straight face.

And the samurai’s comrade, called kaishaku, must cut off his head, but not completely, but so that it hangs on a piece of skin. If a kaishaku's head is cut clean off through negligence, the samurai will be covered in shame. If the samurai held firm, his stomach was ripped open correctly and his head was cut off immaculately, then his honor was saved.

It sounds creepy, but in fact, hara-kiri Suicide and culture in Japan: A study of seppuku as an institutionalized form of suicide, Samurai invasion: Japan's Korean War, 1592‑98 in most cases was done not to save honor, but to avoid even greater troubles . For example, if a samurai was defeated in battle and was threatened with capture and torture, he chose the quicker end, which also helped save face.

Quite reasonable, given how brutally the samurai treated their prisoners—burning, crucifixion, and boiling were commonplace. A particularly unlucky person could be sawed in half... with a wooden saw.

And for samurai who had disgraced their daimyo, seppuku was sometimes the only way to preserve property.

After all, if a bushi rips open his belly, his fortune will be passed on to his heirs. And if he is tried and sentenced, his property will be confiscated.

Finally, painful hara-kiri, according to the rules, was not done very often. If the samurai understood that death was inevitable, he could ritually touch his stomach with a fan. Suicide and culture in Japan: A study of seppuku as an institutionalized form of suicide, without suffering, falling out entrails and blood. And the kaishaku quickly beheaded him.

Photo: DopefishJustin/The Rev. R.B. Peery, A.M., Ph.D. / Fleming H. / Revell Company / Wikimedia Commons

And in addition, if the samurai daimyo died or committed hara-kiri himself, the bushi did not have to follow his example. He could go to a monastery and live there - this was considered an acceptable alternative to seppuku. Or you could give up the rules a little and find yourself a new master.