Their title was mostly metaphorical, referring to their loyalty to the emperor. By the 10th century, when provincial governors began offering heavy rewards for military service, the samurai as we ...

The literary monk Kenko yearned for an “uncontaminated world,” even during the tumultuous rule of Emperor Go-Daigo, who ...

The Emmy-winning show is based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel, which draws from the true stories of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu and English sailor William Adams.

I’m sorry, does this sound boring to you? Feudal leaders! An emperor in decline! Samurai battles! Teetering class systems! Mandatory biannual house-moving! Traditional dance! My only question is ...

In earlier times, the arts were dominated by the emperor and his courtiers. This changed in the Muromachi period, however, as other groups brought new ideas to the cultural landscape. Many samurai, ...

In the 10th century samurai guarding the emperor and aristocrats began to wear colorful armor, reflecting the capital's elegance. High-ranking samurai practiced mounted warfare, shooting arrows ...

not least by restoring the Emperor to power. And in the 20th century the mythological version of the Samurai, designed in part for Western consumption, became integral to a newly forged national ...

Ruling under a compliant Emperor, Tojo gathered power to himself. He was the minister who outgrew his master, the bureaucrat whose relentless work ethic took him to the apex of government.