RONIN
The unification of Japan under the shogunate brought an end to the era of warring daimyo. For a great number of samurai, however, this new peace was devastating.
The Tokugawa government seized numerous landed estates from the defeated daimyo (we'll see this in more detail in the 'Merchant' section), and forced them to follow Sankin Kotai; both of these practices significant drained their resources, making the upkeep of a large samurai army impractical. This, along with there being no need for their services in peacetime, led to a substantial amount of unemployed, masterless samurai called Ronin (literally "wave man", meaning someone adrift or wandering). Estimates place the number of Ronin at over four hundred thousand at the beginning of the Edo Period (out of a total of about 1.2 million samurai). Some of them turned to lawlessness, robbing travelers on the Tokkaido Road; others even joined daimyo fighting against the government. For example, the position of shogun was given to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's infant son, Hideyori; however, it was easily usurped by Ieyasu, and Hideyori was demoted to daimyo status. Fifteen years later, he was reportedly joined by tens of thousands of Ronin at Osaka castle, where he was finally defeated by Ieyasu and forced to commit Seppuku.
It is important to note that a great majority of Ronin did turn to violence, instead choosing quiet lives as teachers or farmhands.
One of the most popular (true) stories from this time is "47 Ronin". It tells of 47 samurai that courageously avenge their lord after he is forced to commit Seppuku for assaulting a government official named Kira. After killing Kira, they commit Seppuku as well. Historian Kallie Szczepanski notes the significance of this account to the Tokugawa populace, who began to see the samurai class as a shadow of its former self: "During the Tokugawa era, Japan was at peace. Since the samurai were a warrior class with little fighting to do, many Japanese feared that their honor and their spirit were fading away. The story of the Forty-seven Ronin gave people hope that some true samurai remained" (Szczepanski 1).
See the slideshow and corresponding captions at the bottom of the page to better understand the prevalence of the story in Japanese culture.
The Tokugawa government seized numerous landed estates from the defeated daimyo (we'll see this in more detail in the 'Merchant' section), and forced them to follow Sankin Kotai; both of these practices significant drained their resources, making the upkeep of a large samurai army impractical. This, along with there being no need for their services in peacetime, led to a substantial amount of unemployed, masterless samurai called Ronin (literally "wave man", meaning someone adrift or wandering). Estimates place the number of Ronin at over four hundred thousand at the beginning of the Edo Period (out of a total of about 1.2 million samurai). Some of them turned to lawlessness, robbing travelers on the Tokkaido Road; others even joined daimyo fighting against the government. For example, the position of shogun was given to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's infant son, Hideyori; however, it was easily usurped by Ieyasu, and Hideyori was demoted to daimyo status. Fifteen years later, he was reportedly joined by tens of thousands of Ronin at Osaka castle, where he was finally defeated by Ieyasu and forced to commit Seppuku.
It is important to note that a great majority of Ronin did turn to violence, instead choosing quiet lives as teachers or farmhands.
One of the most popular (true) stories from this time is "47 Ronin". It tells of 47 samurai that courageously avenge their lord after he is forced to commit Seppuku for assaulting a government official named Kira. After killing Kira, they commit Seppuku as well. Historian Kallie Szczepanski notes the significance of this account to the Tokugawa populace, who began to see the samurai class as a shadow of its former self: "During the Tokugawa era, Japan was at peace. Since the samurai were a warrior class with little fighting to do, many Japanese feared that their honor and their spirit were fading away. The story of the Forty-seven Ronin gave people hope that some true samurai remained" (Szczepanski 1).
See the slideshow and corresponding captions at the bottom of the page to better understand the prevalence of the story in Japanese culture.
1. Graves of the 47 Ronin at Sengakuji Temple near Tokyo 2. Ukiyo-e art depicting the Ronin 3. Reenactment of the story
1. http://aroundtokyo.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/IMGP5988-2.jpg
2. http://lyemium.com/sites/default/files/field/image/Chushingura.jpg
3. http://dwqovw6qi0vie.cloudfront.net/article-imgs/en/2011/12/12/AJ201112120074a/AJ201112120027M.jpg
2. http://lyemium.com/sites/default/files/field/image/Chushingura.jpg
3. http://dwqovw6qi0vie.cloudfront.net/article-imgs/en/2011/12/12/AJ201112120074a/AJ201112120027M.jpg