contents The Great Warlords Life in a Samurai Castle 8 Samurai School 10 12 The Way of the Warrior Samurai Swords 14 The Art of the Bow 16 Fighting Hand to Hand 18 Samurai with Guns 20 Splendid Armor The Shadow Warriors 24 Into Battle 26 28 The Final Victory Ten Shocking Samurai Facts 3 Glossary 31 Index 32
The Great Warlords It's 1546 and you've landed in Japan My name is Takeshi and I'm going to be a samurai like my father and his father before him It's the same for everyone in Japan you do what your dad does Everyone has a place At the very top is the emperor and then come warrior lords or shogun and daimyo Every daimyo has his personal army and in spring he goes on a procession through all his lands with his army so everyone knows how powerful he is We kids just stare as they move by their armor of ince I Right in the middle the glinting in the sun and banners waving procession is the daimyo himself carried in a luxurious canopied litter like a cabin He has his own personal guard of samurai around him That's where I'll be some day China Japan Emperor Shogun Daimyo Samurai Know Your Place Here's a diagram of everyone s place in Japan in the sixteenth century No one has any choice that's just how it is The emperor shogun and daimyo are at the top We samurai are just below Then come the farmers and peasants and at the bottom are merchants and artisans Farmers and Peasants Merchants and Artisans
The daiyo in a procession through his lands UDITH The First Shogun In Japan we have an emperor but it's a warrior leader or shogun who really runs the country It's been that way since Minamoto Yoritomo became the first shogun in 1192 And every shogun needs samurai to keep things under control S
