Samurai Merchandise

Samurai were the military elite and aristocratic classes of feudal Japan. Usually referred to as “bushi,” a samurai acted as a retainer to his lord, placing his loyalty within a specific clan affiliation and following a set of codes and ethics later known as “bushido.”

Accordingly, as military men samurai were expected to master a wide range of weapons from katana, which are said to embody the soul of a samurai, to bows, spears, and pikes like the yari and naginata, and later the tanegashima rifle and even cannons. Samurai are also famous for their elaborate armor and in particular the plate-style tosei-gusoku and kabuto helmet.

There were also female samurai warriors known as “onna-bugeisha” who fought alongside men and were trained extensively in the military arts. Samurai women were also taught to use defensive weapons like the naginata and kaiken knife so they could defend the homestead if so needed.

Though the samurai technically ceased to exist with Japan’s modernisation in the Meiji era, there are still families who proudly celebrate their ancestors’ samurai status. They remain a popular part of entertainment culture in “jidaigeki” and “chanbara” movies as well as anime, manga and video games set in the historical era.