Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: Samurai

Samurai

侍武士
alternative words: Bushi
keywords: war lord
related topics: Battle of Hakusukinoe , Shoen , Heian period , Edo period , Daimyo , Bushido , Japanese sword , Harakiri
related web sites: http://www.mmjp.or.jp/askanet/
explanation: After a disaster of Hakusukinoe and the political turmoil which followed, a great number of Korean warriors took refuge in Japan, especially in sparsely populated Kanto region. Then, gradually they became private guardians of aristocrats' manors. Engaged several times in conflicts between these aristocrats, samurais themselves ended in owners of manors at the end of Heian period. Until Edo period, many farmers were part-time samurai. Samurai comes from an old word "saburau", i.e. attendant.