The real daily life of a samurai：“The life of sweat and pride” behind the legend

The truth about samurai that is not depicted in movies

Hello、This is Iwapiko!
Following on from the previous explanation about samurai, this time we will explain about the life of a samurai!

👉 Previous article："The truth of the samurai"：Why does it capture the hearts of the world? "~history、philosophy、And its influence on modern times

When you hear "Samurai"、Grasp a sharp sword、You will imagine him running proudly across the battlefield.。but、actual samurai、The time spent in daily life was much longer than the time spent on the battlefield.。

The life of a samurai cannot be described only in its splendor.。they are daily、Struggles between honor and life、Although I sometimes have common people's worries,、continued to be proud。In this article、Delve deep into the real daily life of these samurai.、From lower class samurai to senior samurai、Introducing the reality of their lives。

1. Life of a lower class samurai：Hanshiro Sakai's Edo life

Who is Hanshiro Sakai?

Hanshiro Sakai was born in 1860 at the end of the Edo period.、He was a low-ranking samurai who went to Edo from Kishu Wakayama.。In his detailed diary recorded by his meticulous personality,、The daily life of the samurai at that time is described in amazing detail.。That diary is、This is a valuable document that conveys the hardships and joys of lower-class samurai who lived between commoners and samurai.。

episode 1：Edo life with lots of free time

Late Edo period、Lower class samurai had surprisingly little work to do.、Sakai also spent days working ``zero'' in a month.。To fill that time、he turned to hobbies。

• Days of being addicted to the shamisen
  Sakai was the first、I started playing the shamisen at the recommendation of a colleague.、Gradually I became obsessed with it.、I started going to practice eight times a month.。Eventually, he wrote, ``My hands hurt from practicing too much.''。How hobbies become the center of life、It makes you feel the same side of us today.。

episode 2：big fight over split bill

When you split the cost of a banquet with your roommates、Sakai calculated the details using coins.、A big fight broke out between my roommate and me, who were doing rough calculations using silver coins, over a difference of 2 mon (about a few yen today).。Also from this episode、You can see that the lives of lower-class samurai were common and full of humanity.。

episode 3：tragedy of the banquet

Sakai and his friends bought bonito as a feast.、held a grand banquet。but、Was the food not fresh?、Everyone was suffering from abdominal pain in the middle of the night.。Eating habits and mistakes、It seems to be a theme that never changes no matter the era.。

2. The reality of senior samurai：light and shadow

on the other hand、Contrary to their outward appearance, senior samurai、I had another problem。in exchange for high income、My days were filled with heavy responsibilities and hard work.。

The harsh work of a town magistrate

The town magistrate、Edo administration、police、This position is responsible for all judicial matters.。It's a seemingly prestigious position, but、The reality was that it was hard work.。

• 1More than 200 cases per day
  Creation of laws and regulations、Trouble handling、It is necessary to carry out police duties in small numbers.、It was a physically and mentally draining environment.。
• Many people die during their term of office.
  Unable to withstand hard work、Many town magistrates lost their health along the way.。

financial difficulties and debt

Even in the homes of senior samurai、Many families cannot make ends meet on their income alone.、It was common to rely on debt。The shogunate issued a ``commemorative ordinance'' and canceled the debt.、This causes a loss of trust、many samurai fell。

3. “Pride” that resides in Bushido

What the samurai never let go of no matter what hardships they faced、That is "pride"。

• “Samurai don’t eat toothpicks.”

This famous phrase is、It symbolizes the spirit of the samurai, who does not show it through his appearance or attitude even if his life is difficult.。no matter how poor they are、dress yourself、I did not lose my dignified posture.。

• Cultural activities and self-discipline

Samurai practiced swordsmanship and haiku、Train your mind through the tea ceremony、I controlled myself。These are not just hobbies、It was also training to practice "Bushido".。

4. What the life of a samurai teaches us

The samurai、Living for honor and at the same time、Despite the hardships of life, I never forgot my ingenuity and pride.。That way of life、It has many lessons for us today as well.。

• The strength to overcome adversity
  Don't lose your pride even in difficult situations、attitude of self-discipline。
• honor and honesty
  Respect honor even in your small daily life、A spirit of valuing relationships with others。

knot：Let's share the reality of samurai

Samurai are heroes and at the same time、He was also an ordinary person who continued to maintain his pride even though he was worried about his daily life.。Its appearance is、gives us tips for living。

If you have also felt something about the life of samurai、Please let me know in the comments。and share this article with your friends and family、Let's spread the Japanese samurai culture!