Rise of the samurai

By the late 1100s, Heian was the great center of Japanese art and literature. But in the rest of Japan, life was very different. Powerful nobles fought each other over land. Rebels fought against imperial officials. This fighting destroyed land, which made it difficult for peasants to grow food. Some poor people became bandits or thieves. Meanwhile, Japan’s rulers were so focused on courtly life, they didn’t notice the many problems growing in their country.

Rise of the Samurai
With the emperor distracted by life in his court, Japan’s large landowners, or daimyo (DY-mee-oh), decided that they needed to protect their own lands. They hired samurai (SA-muh-ry), trained professional warriors, to defend them and their land. The samurai wore light, flexible armor and fought with swords and bows. Most samurai came from noble families and inherited their positions from their fathers.

The word samurai comes from the Japanese word for "to serve." Every samurai, from the weakest soldier to the most powerful warrior, was supposed to serve his lord. Because all lords in Japan were supposed to serve the emperor, all samurai were required to be loyal to him.

An army of samurai was expensive to support. Few daimyo (land owning lords) could afford to buy armor and weapons for their warriors. As a result, lords paid their samurai with land, gifts, or food. Samurai who received no land were given food—usually rice— or other gifts as payment.

Only the most powerful samurai got land for their service. Most of these powerful samurai didn’t live on the land they received, because they were training and fighting.  But, samurai did profit from the land they received. They had  peasant farmers who worked on the land gave the samurai money or food. 
Japan Guide - History of Samurai
Samurai Architecture Explore samurai palaces and castles.
Samurai Armor Learn about samurai armor by exploring artworks in the Asian Art Museum's collection.
Shoguns Rule Japan
Many of the nobles outside Heian were unhappy with the way Japan’s government was being run. Frustrated, these nobles wanted a change of leadership. Eventually a few very strong noble clans decided to try to take power for themselves.

Two of these powerful clans went to war with each other in the 1150s. For almost 30 years, the two clans fought. The fighting was terrible, destroying land and property and tearing families apart. In the end, the Minamoto clan won. Because he had a very powerful army, and because the emperor was still busy in Heian, the leader of the Minamoto clan was the most powerful man in Japan. He decided to take over ruling the country.

Minamoto didn’t want to get rid of the emperor. He kept the emperor as a figurehead, a person who appears to rule even though real power rests with someone else. As a samurai, Minamoto  was loyal to the emperor,  so he left him in place, but took control. In 1192, he took the title shogun, a general who ruled Japan in the emperor’s name. When he died, he passed his title and power on to one of his children. For about the next 700 years, one shogun would rule in Japan.
Bushido
Under the shogun, who were military rulers, samurai warriors became more central to Japanese society. As a result, samurai enjoyed many social privileges. Common people had to treat the samurai with respect. Anyone who disrespected a samurai could be killed. At the same time, tradition placed restrictions on samurai. For example, they couldn’t attend certain types of entertainment, such as theater, which were considered beneath them. They also couldn’t take part in trade or commerce.

More importantly, all samurai had to follow a strict code of rules that taught them how to behave. The samurai code of rules was known as Bushido (BOOH-shi-doh). This name means “the way of the warrior.” Both men and women from samurai families had to follow Bushido rules. Bushido required samurai to be brave and honorable fighters. Both men and women of samurai families learned how to fight, though only men went to war. Women learned to fight so they could protect their homes from robbers.

Samurai were expected to live simple, disciplined lives. They believed that self-discipline made them better warriors. To improve their discipline, many samurai participated in peaceful rituals that required great concentration. Some created intricate flower arrangements or grew miniature bonsai trees. Others held elaborate tea ceremonies. Many samurai also adopted Zen Buddhism, which stressed self-discipline and meditation. More than anything else, Bushido required a samurai to be loyal to his lord. Each samurai had to obey his master’s orders without hesitation, even if it caused the samurai or his family to suffer. Obeying his lord was important to the samurai’s sense of honor. Honor was the most important thing in a samurai’s life. If he did anything to lose honor, a samurai was expected to commit suicide rather than living with his shame. Such shame might be caused by disobeying an order, losing a fight, or failing to protect his lord.

Although it was created as a code for warriors, Bushido influenced much of Japanese society. Even today, many Japanese feel a connection to the samurai. For example, the samurai’s dedication and discipline are still greatly admired in Japan. Values such as loyalty and honor, the central ideas of the samurai code, remain very important in modern Japan.