Final Project

For my Visual Culture final project, I chose to do it on samurai. I have never learned about samurai in depth and wanted to learn more. This project allows me to finally learn about something that I have always been curious about. As a kid, samurai would appear on different television shows that I would watch and I would be awed by them. On the shows, they would be wearing this cool looking armor and they were fantastic sword fighters. I have always wondered what it would be like if wars were fought like they were back then where it took skill, not the better weapon. Not only would the environment be better off, but wars would be determined by the best warriors. When I initially chose samurai, I wanted to focus on the Edo Period, but then I realized that the best option was to go with the Sengoku Period samurai.

Source: http://sengoku-period.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_of_Mikata_ga_Hara

Background:

The Sengoku period in Japan was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted from 1467 to 1603. The name "Sengoku" was adopted in reference to the Chinese Warring States period which paved the way for the unification of China. Similarly, the Sengoku period would eventually lead to the unification of political power under the Tokugawa shogunate. The people most credited for the unification are the daimyos Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu (5).

The upheaval resulted in the further weakening of central authority which resulted in the daimyo (regional lords) vying for power (5.) Daimyo usually hired samurai to guard their land and paid them with land or food. Very few daimyo could afford to pay samurai in money. During the power shift, well established clans, who had ruled under the Kamakura and Muromachi bakufu (shogunates), were able to expand their influence. However, there were many whose positions eroded and were in time usurped by more capable underlings. This phenomenon in which capable subordinates rejected their status quo and forcefully overthrew an emaciated upper class is known as gekokujō. Gekokujō translation is "the underling conquers the overlord” (5).

The absence of central authority in the capital lasted until the daimyo Oda Nobunaga's armies entered Kyōto in 1568 which reinstated the Muromachi Shogunate under the puppet shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Despite a renewed central authority in Kyōto and Nobunaga's attempt to unify the country, the struggle for power among warring states continued (3).

After Nobunaga's assassination in 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose above his rivals to succeed his former lord. Hideyoshi first conquered Shikoku (Shikoku Heitei), then Kyushu (Kyushu Heitei), and finally Odawara (Odawara Seibatsu) to unite all of Japan once more in 1590 (2).  

Immediately after Hideyoshi's death in 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu sought to undermine the Toyotomi. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Ieyasu became the undisputed ruler and received the title of Seii Taishogun (shogun). He established the Tokugawa or Edo shogunate in 1603 bringing an end to the Sengoku period. Ultimately, Ieyasu detroyed the Toyotomi in the Summer Siege of Osaka in 1615 to bring peace to Japan (3).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu

The term “samurai” has been misused due to Western misclassification. Samurai originally meant "those who serve in close attendance to nobility". The samurai were only one such rank among the Bushi (warrior) and was not the highest. Technically Bushi should be used instead of samurai (1).

The samurai’s height of glory was during the Sengoku Period. Originally their role was being employed by the emperor and nobility. In time, they amassed enough manpower, resources and political backing to establish samurai-dominated governments (4).

Young Bushi started training at an early age with family members bestowing their knowledge of fighting and skills to them. They were taught fencing, archery, yawarajutsu (martial art for Japanese weapon), horsemanship, spear fighting, tactics, calligraphy, ethics, literature, and history. The rank of a Bushi depended on three factors: social status, martial merit and favor of the Shogun. In society, often the Bushi were the only device of law and order around (1).

Source: http://japanese-culture.jp/programs/129.html

Bushido (Warrior’s Way) is the system of codes and traditions followed by samurai; this code of conduct was first recorded in 1899 so they were the unwritten rules of being a samurai during the Sengoku period. Based on some Confucian texts, Bushido was also influenced by Shinto and Buddhism which allowed the violent existence of the samurai to be alleviated with wisdom and serenity. The code emphasized justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, truthfulness, honor, loyalty, and self-control. To break one principle of the code was dishonorable. When a samurai was dishonored, he would commit "Seppuku" or death by self-disembowelment in witness of Japanese officials (1).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrMUX9OhtYE

Attire:

The basic clothing item in a samurai's 'everyday' wardrobe was a silk kimono which has an inner and outer layer. Heavier kimonos were worn in the winter, while lighter ones were worn in the summer. Footwear was either sandals, or wooden clogs. As with the standard kimono, the swords were normally thrust through a belt worn wrapped around the waist and tied in front. Indoors, the samurai might dispense with his long sword, but he always had weaponry on him (6).

The traditional hairstyle for samurai was the topknot which was common among all classes except Buddhist priests. Also shaving part of the frontal part of the head helped made helmet wear more comfortable. Mustaches were popular among samurai, and for generals they became distinctive. Beards were typically thin because they made wearing helmet cords more comfortable. There were no rules regarding the one's hair, but only if 'house rules' applied (6).

The fully armored suit for samurai has over twenty components to ensure full protection. They wore a helmet and face mask which protected the entire head and face, metal breastplates, armored sleeves that protected hands as well, shoulder guards, and greaves to protect the legs. An armored skirt was also worn to protect the upper thighs, and shins. The lacing of the armor helped samurai identify rank, and membership of a clan by the color of the cord (7).

The sword is such a vital part of a samurai that a sword was brought into the bedchamber during the delivery. When an old samurai died, his sword was placed by his side. For samurai, the swords were so revered that they were passed down from generation to generation. Nothing is more important to a samurai than his sword because it is inseparable from his soul. Because the sword is the main battle weapon, an entire martial art is dedicated to using it. The samurai sword is not only a noteworthy weapon of war, but also a cherished work of art (8).

Source: http://www.yoroi.com/samurai_armor_quick_guide.html

Source: http://www.swordsoftheeast.com/browseproducts/Masahiro-Samurai-Sword-Uesugi-Kenshin-Practical-%2827-%29.html

Analysis:

Source: http://media.photobucket.com/image/japanese%20samurai/Pallantides/Samurai/SamuraiWarrior.jpg#!oZZ44QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fmedia.photobucket.com%2Fimage%2Fjapanese%20samurai%2FPRIMITIVEPERTHCITY%2FDSC09191.jpg%3Fo%3D44

This is an image of a samurai t-shirt.

The samurai and the rest of the decal are red. The samurai is fully armored and is holding a chopped off human head with his left arm. His head and feet are not human, but his right hand gripping a sword is. The belt’s buckle also is a demonic head. Around the samurai are flowers with petals falling off. His armored helmet has two horns sticking out as well. The samurai’s gaze is looking at his victim.

The color red connotes blood which applies because the samurai has killed someone. The color red also means all things intense and passionate which the samurai is overtaken by. He has let his blood-thirst get to the best of him and cut off his enemy’s head.

The flower and petals connote innocence. The fact they are covered in red symbolizes that innocence has been lost, and has been twisted and tainted due to the fighting.  

He is portrayed as the devil because he is red which connotes evil, he has horns on his helmet, and his head is demonic with his feet being unhumanlike. The idea of samurai being like the devil pertains to the idea of samurai to the West. The head being cut-off and held by the samurai is considered to be barbaric and savage which is evil in the eyes of the West. Not only does it mean that samurai are evil, but it is also expression of the West viewing Japan as inferior to them which is why samurai are portrayed in a negative light.   

Source: http://pgapworld.wikispaces.com/bushi

This is an image of a samurai. There is a samurai is on a war horse dressed in his battle armor. It is snowing with snow on the ground. The background is a lighter blue complemented with a darker blue. The colors are vivid and vibrant with clear and defined strokes. 

The samurai is fully dressed in colorful armor. His head is turned looking back with a stern, but focused look. Under the armor, the samurai is wearing two different colored clothing with different patterns. The samurai is equipped with a longbow, sword, and other weapons. The horse is moving forward with a strained face. The horse’s fur is white, but has scales highlighted black all over its body.

His skin is pale white which connotes that he and what he stands for is pure. The positioning of his head and his gaze connotes that he is focused on the past which is behind him, and the stern look connotes that his focus and discipline are unwavering. The horse’s fur being white signifies that it is good, but the scales on its body symbolize a snake. The snake from Genesis helps convince Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge which ends humanity’s ignorance. The scales on the horse reveal that this horse has been exposed to war and other things that have ended its ignorance.

The snow connotes death which is what samurai bring. The different shades of blue in the background each symbolize something different which pertain to samurai. The deep blue expresses richness and perhaps even a touch of superiority because of being elevated by society (10). The combination of the light and dark blue convey trust and truthfulness which are part of bushido (10).

Source: http://www.spaciousplanet.com/world/photo/8313/samurai-fighting.html

This is an image of a woodblock print of a samurai on horseback.

The samurai is leaning forward on his horse with a weapon in his right hand. He is fully armored except for wearing his helmet which reveals his face. The samurai facial expression is angry and his gaze downward. The horse is brown and his lips are blue.

The horse’s coat being brown connotes orderliness and stability (10). However, this brown creates a dull effect. The horse’s brown gives a feeling of wholeness, and allows the horse to be in background unnoticed which makes the viewer focus on the samurai (10). The brown almost seems like it is black gives the horse as being darker which does not completely accuse of it of helping this troublesome samurai. I know that the horse’s lips being blue are significant, but I do not know what its meaning is.

The samurai face is depicted as being twisted and demonic because of his angry expression. His gaze looking downward connotes superiority because everyone has to look up at him. The very fact that he is a samurai gives him a sense of entitlement. This woodblock print has a negative outlook on samurai because there are samurai who abused their power. They could use their entitlement to exploit others and use their abilities to get whatever they pleased. It is clear that this samurai is up to no good in this print.

Source: http://www.samurai-archives.com/hideyoshi.html

This is an image of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598). Previously noted, he is one of three daimyo credited with unifying Japan during the Sengoku period.

Hideyoshi is sitting crossed legged on orange rug. He is wearing a white silk kimono with red pants. He is also wearing an eboshi which is a cap made of black silk; size and shape reveals the rank. The use of eboshi was reserved for only the most formal of events by the 16^th Century which means that Hideyoshi is in formal attire. He is also holding a fan in his right hand. In the background, the shoji is tan with branches from a tree.

Hideyoshi’s old age connotes wisdom because he has been through so many experiences and has learned from his mistakes. He is also of highest and respected people which is why people would seek him out for his wisdom. Hideyoshi’s cross legged position connotes meditation. Bushido is based on Buddhism and Shinto which explains why he is in that position.

Hideyoshi’s fan connotes peace. Having a fan infers that it is hot which denotes summer. Summer symbolizes peace which Hideyoshi is responsible for giving to Japan temporarily.

Hideyoshi’s gaze is downward which connotes his superiority because he is looking down. His kimono connotes purity because it is white. His figure painted rather large connotes that he is bigger than everyone else. All of these connotations lead to Hideyoshi being portrayed as a godlike figure. He claimed that his childhood name meant 'bounty of the sun' which was his claim of divine inspiration (6).

Samurai’s Influence on Japan:

Japan is proud of its roots and samurai are no doubt a part of that. Bushido’s principles are infused still with all levels of Japanese society today. These ideas impact everyday life like in households and in the work place. However, with good comes the bad. Bushido was used for propaganda to encourage Japanese soldiers to become kamikaze suicide pilots for WWII; death was made to preferable to surrendering. Samurai are used in all types of media. They are mainly used in television, movies, and anime (9).   

Sources:

1. http://www.angelfire.com/wv2/rising_sun/bushido.html

2. http://www.sleepingsamurai.com/samurai

3. http://www.wa-pedia.com/history/sengoku_jidai_period.shtml

4. http://japanesebushido.org/

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period

6. http://www.samurai-archives.com/

7. http://samurai-warriors.org/japanese-samurai-armor/

8. http://www.historynet.com/weaponry-samurai-sword.htm

9. http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=WHIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3424300090&mode=view&userGroupName=have16023&jsid=120ce37b4508f1be5ea8e9a34be90193

10.http://crystal-cure.com/