Samurai

Japan · warriors · history · martial arts

Expert swordsmen. Samurai trained for years to master swordsmanship, archery, and horsemanship, making them far superior to regular soldiers who only got a few days of training.

Born into the role. Samurai came from warrior families and started training in military arts from a young age through private instruction, passing their skills down through generations.

More than fighters. Besides combat, samurai studied literature, calligraphy, and philosophy so they could work as advisors and bureaucrats for the powerful shoguns who ruled Japan.

Weapons of power. For much of Japanese history, only samurai had the right to own and carry swords and other weapons, which made them a special and respected class of society.