| Japan is a country that is widely known for its | | | | stood by a rule that if a son was born into a Samurai |
| technology. But the more popular interests of the | | | | family, his sure destiny was to be Samurai. The |
| people lie in the history of the first descendants and | | | | father would teach him "Bushido" which is the "way |
| protectors of Japan.The first protectors of the | | | | of the warrior" and the term is the code that is used |
| people were called Samurai. In order to understand | | | | by all the warrior classes.Skill in battle was the |
| the way of the Samurai, you have to first look at | | | | primary qualification for becoming a Samurai and the |
| the aspects of their education, their lifestyles, and | | | | higher ranked warriors would usually get to marry |
| then the end of their era. The term "Samurai" is | | | | higher ranked women. Divorce was frowned upon, as |
| derived from a common term in pre-industrial Japan | | | | it damaged a warrior's reputation. Only one reason |
| meaning "warrior". Most Japanese Samurai were | | | | for divorce was accepted among the people, and |
| brought up to respect the attributes of honor and | | | | that was if the woman could not bear a child.The |
| loyalty and were expected to set an example to all | | | | coming end of the Samurai period first became |
| those below them. If a Samurai were to be disgraced | | | | apparent during the "Tokugawa" period. Their status |
| such as losing a battle, or shamed for something | | | | was still high, but their incomes became more |
| they had done, they believed that the only way to | | | | unstable, and the need for warriors started to decline. |
| retrieve their honor was to commit suicide. More | | | | Many lower class Samurai would be seen in the |
| specifically they had to stab themselves in the | | | | streets on their knees begging for money as people |
| stomach with their own weapon. It was also said | | | | walked by and they often had to do dirty deeds or |
| that a friend or co-combatant had to be there to | | | | manual labor for the merchants, without any |
| decapitate them after the initial stab.Life for a | | | | compensation, as a way to pay back their debts. |
| Samurai was very demanding and strict but one of | | | | The lower ranked men also had to obey any order |
| the recreational activities that they all enjoyed was | | | | given to them by a higher rank without any |
| called "Kabuki". Kabuki was a form of theater | | | | complaint. This is when the Samurai started to lose all |
| performed by other members or guests. The | | | | self-respect for themselves and times were so |
| Japanese men would perform in front of the | | | | severe that if they somehow could not fulfil an order |
| audience, singing songs, performing mime tricks, and | | | | they would actually kill themselves with the honorable |
| dancing. Not all Samurai were allowed to go to the | | | | suicide in order to escape from the impossible |
| Kabuki, but hardly any obeyed this strict rule, and | | | | situation. |
| they often went in disguise.The Samurai believed and | | | | |