Details the organization, arms, armor, dress, and daily life of
samurai, soldiers, and commoners in Edo-period Japan.
Tokugawa Ieyasu's decisive victory at Sekigahara in 1600 concluded the
civil wars, confirmed his position of military supremacy as shôgun
(generalissimo) of Japan, and inaugurated the Edo period (1600-1868), so
named because Ieyasu after the battle established his capital in Edo
(modern-day Tokyo). By then, Japan was an advanced, outward-looking
country. Previously preoccupied by internal warfare, Tokugawa-ruled
Japan was unified, strong, and technologically developed to a degree
inferior to Europe only in certain sciences, such as shipbuilding and
artillery. Japan was technologically superior in some disciplines,
including the production of firearms, an import the Japanese had
mastered very quickly. Japanese traders, mercenaries, and adventurers
were a common sight in South-East Asia. There were flourishing Japanese
overseas colonies, especially in the Philippines, Siam (now Thailand),
and Java. One Japanese merchant-adventurer even managed to set himself
up as a minor kingin southern Siam. Japan was a strong military power as
well. The armies of Japan were a match for any enemy, well armed and
with considerable combat experience. However, the government of Japan in
1635 retreated into enforced seclusion, a seclusion aided by the
geographical situation of the Japanese islands. The seclusion laws were
rigorously enforced. As the Age of Enlightenment, the Industrial
Revolution and the subsequent global expansion of the European nations
transformed the world, Japan chose isolation and stagnation. A major
reason for this policy decision was military weakness. The Tokugawa army
under Ieyasu had been numerically large, experienced, and well equipped,
but since then, things had changed. Having defeated their enemies early
in the century, the shogunate warriors settled down in castle towns.
Many Tokugawa retainers settled permanently in Edo, where they soon lost
the military edge they had once enjoyed. After 1615, the shôgun's
soldiers were no longer needed for war. Technically there was no
demobilization, however, with no more wars to fight, the shôgun's
soldiers became townsmen in all but name. They retained samurai status
but were no longer called up to fight. Yet, a Tokugawa army of sorts
still existed.
Volume Two continues the examination of the Edo period and the evolution
of the Samurai class into a verity of new roles. No longer required to
fight, many Samurai firstly discarded their distinctive armor and then
their training. As a result, a transformation from warrior to townsman
took place. New careers were adopted, with many becoming part of the
respected Firewatch or police force. Former Samurai also became part of
the justice system and ultimately were responsible for the carrying out
of criminal sentences. The book finally seeks to understand the decline
of Japanese martial prowess and that of the Samurai as a class with
their integration into civilian society.
