Samurai

The life in Tokugawa Shogunate consisted of different levels and groups of people. They played a different role and society and each individual had a job of his own. At the top sat they great leader called the shogun, then were the daimyo or the local landlords who took care of the land. These lords had their own numbers of samurai who worked for them. Samurai in small towns could play the role of guards to a castle, advisors, or men in the army also. In larger cities their role changed to more functions such as a police officer or working inside the Shogunate government.                                                                  (haha its Tom Cruise!)

When we first think of samurai, we think of skillful fighters, not men who work almost like security guards for the government! But in Tokugawa Shogunate, there was one group of samurai called the ronin or also known as "masterless" samurai. They would live alone and find a small town to live in where they can teach their skills of fighting and fulfill duties to others who are interested.

Samurai used a variety of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears, guns, and most importantly the sword. Living the life of a samurai was not a simple task. They were true warriors who honored their leader in any circumstance and fought bravely. Their ethnic code is, "the way of the warrior." One example that really exemplifies the respect and discipline samurai have is the action they take when they know they are soon to be captured or killed. When a samurai realizes that his skills cannot overtake the power of the enemies around him, he commits suicide to honor is bravery and to his leader rather than getting captured and showing shame.

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/TOKJAPAN/SHOGUN.HTM

http://www.anime-pictures.info/samurai-7/samurai-71.jpg