Japanese Samurai warrior

1.      Step One à Choosing an era

 

1. Click on the listed websites and read the information on Japanese Samurai soldiers. Read about the cultured warriors of Japan.  Learn about the Code of the Samurai, the story of the 47 ronin, the history of the Samurai, the school for Samurai, Miyamoto Musashi eminent swordsman, the sacred sword, the suits of armor, religion and culture.

 

http://www.holymtn.com/Japan/Samurai.htm

 

2.  Next, click on the following link to learn about the different eras and periods of the Japanese Samurai soldier. After you have read each of these, choose the era that you’ll conduct further research on.

 

http://asianhistory.about.com/od/warsinasia/p/SamuraiProfile.htm

 

2.      Step Two à Choosing a link

 

1.  Now that you have chosen an era to research further, choose the link that corresponds to the era you have chosen and read what it has to say about your era and Samurai.

 

Early Japanese Era (until 710) à http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2131.html

Heian and Nara Periods (710-1185) à http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2132.html

Kamakura Period (1192-1333) à http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2133.html

Muromachi Period (133-1573) àhttp://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2134.html

Azuchi-Momoyama Period(1573-1603) à http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2123.html

Tokugawa Shogunate/Edo (1603-1867)à http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2128.html

Meiji (1868-1912) à http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2130.html

 

3.      Step Three à Researching topic/era

 

1.  After you have read the information on the link above you will conduct further research on the era you have chosen.

 

2.  Research a minimum of five other sources (internet, journal, news paper, database, etc) based on the era you have chosen. Research the following areas of the Japanese Samurai soldier and be able to thoroughly write about it in the essay found in step four. 

 

            a)  Religion and culture

            b)  Armor and weaponry

            c)  The sword and swordsman

            d)  Family values and lifestyle

            e)   How does one become a Samurai? (Schools?)

            f)   What kinds of food and home did they maintain?

            g)   What were their war tactics?

            h)  How important was “honor” to the Samurai?

            i)   What political events were going on?

 

4.      Step Four à Writing an essay

 

1.  Use the information found in the research you carried out to write a 750-1000 word  essay about the Japanese Samurai Soldier and the era you chose to study more about.

 

2.  Include parts a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h, and i  from part 2 of step four in your essay. It might help to prepare an essay map before beginning.

 

3.  Your essay needs to have 1-inch margins, be size 12 font, have Times New Roman style, and be double spaced. Remember to have the proper heading.

 

4.  You will need to include a title page and reference page with your essay.

 

5.   You will need to cite your work using proper MLA citations both in your essay and on your reference page.

 

5.      Step Five à Journals

 

1.  You will need to include five journal entries with your essay in order to complete this assignment. After researching all the areas listed in step three you can begin this step. Each journal should be 200-300 words each. MLA format is not required but solid academic writing is expected.

 

2.  Pretend you are a Japanese Samurai during the era you have chosen and dive into his culture, becoming one and the same in thought and feeling. Imagine what your surroundings are like as a Samurai. What foods are you eating? Where are you living? What sounds do you hear and scents do you smell? What family have you come from, lost or are starting? Take all parts of a Samurai’s life from beginning to end and feel every bit of it as you prepare to write these five journals.

 

3.  Each journal needs to be from a different experience or part of the Samurai’s life. Choose five different scenarios or experiences of a Samurai’s life and write about the different feelings you’ll feel as that Samurai. Write about what happened during the day and how you felt, etc.  Below are a few examples to get you started.

 

            a)  You’re a child of a Samurai soldier and your father is going to battle,     or your father has died in battle, or your father has just returned from   battle

            b)  You’re going through Samurai school

            c)  Your first Samurai sword

            d)  You’re preparing to go to battle

            e)  You’re leaving behind a wife/child/other in order to go to battle

            f)  You’re village has been attacked

            g)  Loneliness, courage, fear, excitement during battle, etc

 

6.      Step Six à References

 

1.  Next you will need to prepare a reference page on a separate page using proper MLA format. This needs to be double spaced and in the correct alphabetical order.

 

7.      Step Seven

 

1.  At this point you should have completed: a cover page, an essay, five journal entries and a reference page. Put these four items in the order just given and submit to your instructor by the due date. 

 

 

 

Example Journal

 

Dear Journal,

 

            It is getting cold; I can feel a wind against the divider between myself and the elements outside. The year 1232 has shown a heavy frost for February and I wish I had more warmth in this small room. I had an interesting conversation with Master Hosokawa yesterday.  He told me that I am ready to move up in my training. These past few years have been long and I’m ready to move past kata with bokken (wooden swords). There is one fear though, I remember last year when Ikeda Terumasa fought with Imagawa Ujitoyo and real swords were used. Oh gosh, my heart feels faint. It was a routine practice and…and…oh why did she have to come running out and distract from Imagawa’s concentration. Why…why did that have to happen? I fear my fate tomorrow.  Master Hosokawa told me today that I’ll have my first kata with a real sword against Makabe Ujimoto.  Stop it Fukushima! I have to stop thinking this way; it isn’t the way a Samurai should be thinking. I need to be confident for the fight tomorrow. I mustn’t fail, I won’t fail! I must make Master Hosokawa proud and make my ancestors proud. I am a mighty warrior and I will succeed at practice tomorrow!

 

Good night!

 

Fukushima Masanori