The White Arrow (Shirahana no Ya) The White Arrow “Shirahana no Ya” is an arrow with a white feather fletching. According to traditional Japanese samurai customs or lore, in the early Heian period, carrying the Shirahana no Ya or White Arrow was associated with being a sacrifice. Despite the great honor, the warrior [...]

Samurai and Numbers The samurai were as superstitious as any culture around the world. Numbers played a major role in determining luck and fortune. The samurai were no different. 4. 四 Traditionally, four was deemed unlucky because can be pronouncedshi,which is the same as the word for death.For that reason, often floors or [...]

Kisouma, Samurai Horses The horses ridden by the samurai were mostly sturdy Kisouma, native horses that resembled stocky ponies rather than modern-day thoroughbreds. They were stub faced, long haired, short legged, shaggy looking creatures, their backs averaging about 120 to 140cm in height. Samurai mounted their horses not from the left, like modern [...]

Juzu, Rice Rations Juzu were rice rations rolled in cloth and worn by low ranking samurai. During battle and on campaigns, ashigaru (foot soldiers) would often carry their rice rations with them, rolled in a long white cloth and tied at intervals for daily use. Three to four days’ worth was usually prepared. The [...]

Kubi-Oke Kubi-oke were round wooden bucket-like containers used for the storage and transportation of severed heads. They stood around 29cm high, and 33cm in diameter. Often they were fitted with steel “gatari” brackets to carry the box on a pole. The higher quality kubi-oke were lacquered, and the simpler ones were of plain [...]

Sanada (Yukimura) Nobushige’s War Fan During the 1614 Winter Siege of Osaka, Matsudaira Naomasa, a grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, fought well against the Sanada clan around the area known as the Sanada-Maru, a large semi-circular fortified plot of land south of Osaka Castle that played a major role in protecting the Toyotomi held [...]

Daimyo Daimyo were the feudal lords of Japan Daimyo was the title given to Japan’s ruling feudal warlords of the tenth, through to the mid-late 19th century. The title, Daimyo (大名) means Great (大) and Name(名), although the second part originated from the word Myoden (名田)meaning “privately held [...]

Shinokosho, Japan’s feudal social class system   The Shinokosho, or four divisions of society, composed of the Shi, being the warrior caste, the No, or farming peasants, Ko being craftsmen and artisans, and Sho being the merchant class. 8-10% of the population were of samurai class, 80-85% are believed to have been farmers, [...]

Gando, Samurai Searchlight The Gando (龕灯) was a portable samurai period searchlight invented during the Edo period. Gando consisted of a wooden, copper or steel coned cylinder closed at one end and featuring a wood or steel handle. The inside was highly polished to a near mirror-like [...]

Oda Nobunaga’s Crests The warlord and unifier Oda Nobunaga is said to have used seven crests during his lifetime. The main four crests included the standard Oda family crest, the Oda Mokko, said to represent the Japanese quince.   Oda Mokko Another crest used by [...]