The samurai were a warrior class in feudal Japan, emerging around the 10th century and rising to prominence under the rule of the shogunate. Originally provincial warriors serving powerful landowners, samurai became elite military nobility who followed the bushido code—a strict code of honor, loyalty, and discipline. Their influence peaked between 1185 and 1868, when they served as both warriors and bureaucrats. The Meiji Restoration in 1868 marked the decline of the samurai class, as Japan modernized and adopted a conscripted army, formally abolishing the samurai’s privileges and role in society. 

Japan Reach - Reaching the Japanese people one relationship at a time.

www.japanreach.org