Why The Samurai Lost Japan

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The Lost Samurai

Author : Stephen Turnbull
Publisher : Frontline Books
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2021-03-23
Category : History
ISBN : 9781526758996

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The Lost Samurai by Stephen Turnbull Pdf

“An inherently fascinating, impressively well written, exceptionally informative, and meticulously detailed history” of Japanese overseas mercenaries (Midwest Book Review). The Lost Samurai reveals the greatest untold story of Japan’s legendary warrior class, which is that for almost a hundred years Japanese samurai were employed as mercenaries in the service of the kings of Siam, Cambodia, Burma, Spain and Portugal, as well as by the directors of the Dutch East India Company. The Japanese samurai were used in dramatic assault parties, as royal bodyguards, as staunch garrisons and as willing executioners. As a result, a stereotypical image of the fierce Japanese warrior developed that had a profound influence on the way they were regarded by their employers. While the Southeast Asian kings tended to employ samurai on a long-term basis as palace guards, their European employers usually hired them on a temporary basis for specific campaigns. Also, whereas the Southeast Asian monarchs tended to trust their well-established units of Japanese mercenaries, the Europeans, while admiring them, also feared them. In every European example a progressive shift in attitude may be discerned from initial enthusiasm to great suspicion that the Japanese might one day turn against them, as illustrated by the long-standing Spanish fear of an invasion of the Philippines by Japan accompanied by a local uprising. During the 1630s, when Japan chose isolation rather than engagement with Southeast Asia, it left these fierce mercenaries stranded in distant countries never to return: lost samurai indeed!

Why the Samurai Lost Japan

Author : John D Beatty,Lee A Rochwerger
Publisher : Jdb Communications, LLC
Page : 330 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2018-12-15
Category : History
ISBN : 1642543713

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Why the Samurai Lost Japan by John D Beatty,Lee A Rochwerger Pdf

Beginning in the late 19th century, Imperial Japan embarked on a program of aggressive military overseas adventures in Asia and the Pacific. From 1904 to 1941, Japan's desire for resource independence had driven them to conquer Korea, Manchuria, large parts of China, and French Indochina, and to occupy large swaths of Pacific islands. These conquests provided tremendous resources, but still, they needed more. All these conquests were driven by the Samurai: the ancient warriors of Japan, answerable only to the needs for resources, an ill-defined bushido code, and their Emperor. They led Japan into a horrible war stretching across a third of the Earth's surface, knowing full well they could not defeat their enemies. Their plan was the uncertain hope that the West would falter and offer an olive branch, accepting Japanese hegemony in the Pacific and East Asia and granting them the resources they needed. This was a miscalculation driven by a folly of epic proportions. Four months of early and easy victories in 1941 convinced them of their invincibility. They refused to believe that their fighting spirit could be defeated by superior firepower and the sheer numbers of opponents. And the samurai had no Plan B.

A History of the Samurai

Author : Jonathan Lopez-Vera
Publisher : Tuttle Publishing
Page : 210 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2020-06-02
Category : History
ISBN : 9781462921348

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A History of the Samurai by Jonathan Lopez-Vera Pdf

A History of the Samurai tells the complete story of Japan's legendary warrior class from beginning to end--an epic tale of intrigue, bloodshed and bravery that is central to an understanding of the Japanese character and of Japanese history. It describes in detail the core Samurai philosophy of Bushido--"the way of the warrior"--a complex code of conduct embracing ideals of honor and loyalty that continues to govern the Japanese way of life today. Historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera offers a compelling look at these enigmatic warriors including: The lives of famous Samurai--Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman; Tomoe Gozen, the woman who became a Samurai; Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last Shogun; and many more The tragic tale of the 47 Ronin who chose honor over their own lives and were forced to commit ritual suicide after avenging their fallen master The philosophy of Bushido, "the Way of the Warrior," the code of conduct that embraced the ideals of honor and loyalty and governed the Samurai way of living The decline of the Samurai and their transformation from rough, battle-hardened warriors to highly educated philosopher-poets Illustrated with 125 archival prints and photos, the nobility and grandeur of the Samurai is brilliantly showcased in this book. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the Samurai's world, as historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera traces the fascinating story of the rise and fall of these enigmatic warriors throughout Japanese history.

The Lost Samurai

Author : STEPHEN. TURNBULL
Publisher : Frontline Books
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2021-05-30
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1526758989

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The Lost Samurai by STEPHEN. TURNBULL Pdf

The Lost Samurai reveals the greatest untold story of Japan's legendary warrior class, which is that for almost a hundred years Japanese samurai were employed as mercenaries in the service of the kings of Siam, Cambodia, Burma, Spain and Portugal, as well as by the directors of the Dutch East India Company.The Japanese samurai were used in dramatic assault parties, as royal bodyguards, as staunch garrisons and as willing executioners. As a result, a stereotypical image of the fierce Japanese warrior developed that had a profound influence on the way they were regarded by their employers.Whilst the Southeast Asian kings tended to employ samurai on a long-term basis as palace guards, their European employers usually hired them on a temporary basis for specific campaigns. Also, whereas the Southeast Asian monarchs tended to trust their well-established units of Japanese mercenaries, the Europeans, whilst admiring them, also feared them. In every European example a progressive shift in attitude may be discerned from initial enthusiasm to great suspicion that the Japanese might one day turn against them, as illustrated by the long-standing Spanish fear of an invasion of the Philippines by Japan accompanied by a local uprising.It also suggested that if, during the 1630s, Japan had chosen engagement with Southeast Asia rather than isolation from it, the established presence of Japanese communities overseas may have had a profound influence on the subsequent development of international relations within the area, perhaps even seeing the early creation of an overseas Japanese empire that would have provided a rival to Great Britain. Instead Japan closed its doors, leaving these fierce mercenaries stranded in distant countries never to return: lost samurai indeed!

Brief History of Japan

Author : Jonathan Clements
Publisher : Tuttle Publishing
Page : 326 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2017-08-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9781462919345

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Brief History of Japan by Jonathan Clements Pdf

This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion. First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a harbinger of post-industrial decline. With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests. Among the chapters in this Japanese history book are: The Way of the Gods: Prehistoric and Mythical Japan A Game of Thrones: Minamoto vs. Taira Time Warp: 200 Years of Isolation The Stench of Butter: Restoration and Modernization The New Breed: The Japanese Miracle

Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan

Author : Karl F. Friday
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2004-08-02
Category : History
ISBN : 9781134330232

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Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan by Karl F. Friday Pdf

Karl Friday, an internationally recognised authority on Japanese warriors, provides the first comprehensive study of the topic to be published in English. This work incorporates nearly twenty years of on-going research and draws on both new readings of primary sources and the most recent secondary scholarship. It overturns many of the stereotypes that have dominated views of the period. Friday analyzes Heian -, Kamakura- and Nambokucho-period warfare from five thematic angles. He examines the principles that justified armed conflict, the mechanisms used to raise and deploy armed forces, the weapons available to early medieval warriors, the means by which they obtained them, and the techniques and customs of battle. A thorough, accessible and informative review, this study highlights the complex casual relationships among the structures and sources of early medieval political power, technology, and the conduct of war.

Samurai Revolution

Author : Romulus Hillsborough
Publisher : Tuttle Publishing
Page : 608 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2014-03-25
Category : History
ISBN : 9781462913510

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Samurai Revolution by Romulus Hillsborough Pdf

See the dawn of modern Japan through the lens of the power players who helped shape it — as well as those who fought against it — in this exploration of Samurai history. Samurai Revolution tells the fascinating story of Japan's historic transformation at the end of the nineteenth century from a country of shoguns, feudal lords and samurai to a modern industrialized nation. The book covers the turbulent Meiji Period from 1868 to 1912, widely considered "the dawn of modern Japan," a time of Samurai history in which those who choose to cling to their traditional bushido way of life engaged in frequent and often deadly clashes with champions of modernization. Knowledge of this period is essential to understand how and why Japan evolved into the nation it is today. The book opens with the fifteen-year fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which had ruled Japan for over 250 years, and the restoration of the Meiji emperor to a position of power at the expense of the feudal Daimyo lords. It chronicles the bloody first decade of the newly reestablished monarchy, in which the new government worked desperately to consolidate its power and introduce the innovations that would put Japan on equal footing with the Western powers threatening to dominate it. Finally, Samurai Revolution goes on to tell the story of the Satsuma Rebellion, a failed coup attempt that is widely viewed as the final demise of the samurai class in Japan. This book is the first comprehensive history and analysis in English that includes all the key figures from this dramatic time in Japanese politics and society, and is the result of over twenty-five years of research focused on this critical period in Japanese history. The book contains numerous original translations of crucial documents and correspondence of the time, as well as photographs and maps. Samurai Revolution goes in-depth to reveal how one era of ended and another began.

African Samurai

Author : Thomas Lockley,Geoffrey Girard
Publisher : Harlequin
Page : 518 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2019-04-30
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781488098758

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African Samurai by Thomas Lockley,Geoffrey Girard Pdf

This biography of the first foreign-born samurai and his journey from Africa to Japan is “a readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life” (The Washington Post). When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned Buddha. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan’s martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society. In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical figure. Now African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries and cultures offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan. “Fast-paced, action-packed writing. . . . A new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Eminently readable. . . . a worthwhile and entertaining work.” —Publishers Weekly “A unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with whom we can all identify.” —Jack Weatherford, New York Times–bestselling author of Genghis Khan

Samurai

Author : Mitsuo Kure
Publisher : Tuttle Publishing
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2014-11-25
Category : History
ISBN : 9781462914906

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Samurai by Mitsuo Kure Pdf

Samurai: An Illustrated History brings the violent, tumultuous, and, at the same time, elegant world of the medieval Japanese samurai to life. This book of Japanese history traces the story of a unique historical phenomenon: a period of 700 years—equivalent to the entire stretch of Western history between the reigns of the Crusader king Richard the Lionhearted and of Queen Victoria at the height of the British Empire—during which an enclosed civilization was dominated by a single warrior caste. The historical narrative of samurai history is supported by explanations of samurai armor, weapons, fortifications, tactics, and customs, and illustrated with nearly 800 fascinating color photographs, maps, and sketches, including ancient scroll paintings and surviving suits of armor preserved for centuries in Japanese shrines. From the 12th to the 19th centuries the history of Japan was effectively the history of the samurai—the class of professional fighting men. At first they were no more than lowly soldiery employed by the court aristocracy of Kyoto, but the growing power of the provincial warrior clans soon enabled them to brush aside the executive power of the imperial court and to form their own parallel military government. Though individual dynasties came and went in cycles of vigor and decadence, the dominance of the samurai as a class proved uniquely resilient.

The Samurai

Author : Stephen R. Turnbull
Publisher : Psychology Press
Page : 322 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Japan
ISBN : 1873410387

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The Samurai by Stephen R. Turnbull Pdf

Illustrated history of Japanese Samurai warfare.

The Lost Samurai School

Author : Antony Cummins,Mieko Koizumi
Publisher : Blue Snake Books
Page : 384 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2016-10-25
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781623170882

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The Lost Samurai School by Antony Cummins,Mieko Koizumi Pdf

This stunning English translation of a medieval Japanese text is at once an illustrated martial arts manual and a historical account of the teachings of a samurai grandmaster Available for the first time in English, this book explores the essential practices of the samurai school known as Mubyoshi Ryu. Complete with more than 350 images, The Lost Samurai School collects and translates ancient documents that contain the teachings of grandmaster Hagiwara Juzo—revealing for the first time to western readers the enthralling martial arts, secret weapons, magic, and espionage as they were practiced by samurai in their daily lives. The ancient Mubyoshi Ryu scrolls contain fascinating descriptions of “civilian” samurai skills—which concentrate more on personal protection than battlefield warfare—including the full ninja curriculum and elements of esoteric magic. Martial arts expert Antony Cummins contextualizes these translated documents by providing a history of the era and the school itself. The abundant illustrations form a useful martial arts manual, bringing to life the skills required to master everything from jujutsu and shuriken-jutsu (throwing blades) to swords, chain weapons, and the quarterstaff. The Lost Samurai School is a journey into the past that will preserve such skills for future generations and will appeal to anyone interested in martial arts or Japanese history.

Dogs and Demons

Author : Alex Kerr
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
Page : 479 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2002-02-10
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781466804500

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Dogs and Demons by Alex Kerr Pdf

The crises--and failures--of modernization in Japan, as seen up close by a resident expert Japan is a nation in crisis, and the crisis goes far beyond its well-known economic plight. In Dogs and Demons, Alex Kerr chronicles the crisis on a broad scale, from the failure of Japan's banks and pension funds to the decline of its once magnificent modern cinema. The book takes up for the first time in the Western press subjects such as the nation's endangered environment--its seashores lined with concrete, its roads leading to nowhere in the mountains. It describes Japan's "monument frenzy," the destruction of old cities such as Kyoto and construction of drab new cities, and the attendant collapse of the tourist industry. All these unhealthy developments are, Kerr argues, the devastating boomerang effect of an educational and bureaucratic system designed to produce manufactured goods--and little else. A mere upturn in economic growth will not quickly remedy these severe internal problems, which Kerr calls a "failure of modernism." He assails the foreign experts who, often dependent on Japanese government and business support, fail to address these issues. Meanwhile, what of the Japanese people themselves? Kerr, a resident of Japan for thirty-five years, writes of them with humor and passion, for "passion," he says, "is part of the story. Millions of Japanese feel as heartbroken at what is going on as I do. My Japanese friends tell me, 'Please write this--for us.'"

Looking for the Lost

Author : Alan Booth
Publisher : Vertical Inc
Page : 421 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2021-04-21
Category : Travel
ISBN : 9781568366159

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Looking for the Lost by Alan Booth Pdf

A VIBRANT, MEDITATIVE WALK IN SEARCH OF THE SOUL OF JAPAN Traveling by foot through mountains and villages, Alan Booth found a Japan far removed from the stereotypes familiar to Westerners. Whether retracing the footsteps of ancient warriors or detailing the encroachments of suburban sprawl, he unerringly finds the telling detail, the unexpected transformation, the everyday drama that brings this remote world to life on the page. Looking for the Lost is full of personalities, from friendly gangsters to mischievous children to the author himself, an expatriate who found in Japan both his true home and dogged exile. Wry, witty, sometimes angry, always eloquent, Booth is a uniquely perceptive guide. Looking for the Lost is a technicolor journey into the heart of a nation. Perhaps even more significant, it is the self-portrait of one man, Alan Booth, exquisitely painted in the twilight of his own life.

What Life was Like Among Samurai and Shoguns

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Time Life Medical
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:49015002965342

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What Life was Like Among Samurai and Shoguns by Anonim Pdf

A comprehensive view of how the Samurai and Shoguns lived in Japan, their discipline and battle gear as well as other facts about typical behavior.

Inventing the Way of the Samurai

Author : Oleg Benesch
Publisher : Past and Present Book
Page : 305 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : History
ISBN : 9780198706625

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Inventing the Way of the Samurai by Oleg Benesch Pdf

This volume examines the development of the 'way of the samurai' (bushidō), which is popularly viewed as a defining element of the Japanese national character and even the 'soul of Japan' - to provide an overview of modern Japanese social, cultural, and political history.