When did samurai die out in Japan?

Question

I am trying to wright a story, but I can't pick out a time frame for it. I need it to be after 1810 and before WW1. Can anyone help answer when the samurai stated and die out?

Answer 1

1877. it ended when the satsuma rebellion was crushed. see also meiji restoration.

Answer 2

The Samurai as a social class are generally considered to have began with the conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans in the latter part of the 1100s. In January of 1877 the Satsuma rebillion ended, and that was the end of the samurai. The Meiji restoration in 1869 was the beggining of the process that finally ended with the defeat of the hold-out Satsuma clan by the imperial army. They didn't die out, the mostly got regular jobs or whatever and moved on with life.

Answer 3

The samurai became a parasitic class in the latter part of the Edo era. It was difficult for samurai to change their class to become someone more productive as a merchant or farmer as this would have been a disgrace to their honor.

Samurai fought against each other in the overthrow of Tokugawa Shogunate. Saigo Takamori fought for the Imperial Forces to restore the Emperor as the head of the nation. His advice to invade Korea was ignored and he left Edo/Tokyo in disgust. Later he led a rebellion to preserve the way of the samurai. Unlike Ken Watanabe's character in Last Samurai, Saigo's forces fought with guns.

After his rebellion was crushed and he committed suicide, the role of samurai was further dimished. They were called upon to make the ultimate seppeku - sacrifice - to destroy their class and integrate into modern society.

Interestingly enough it was through practicality that some samurai were able to remove one of the chief symbols of their class - the two samurai swords. After the Meiji Restoration work on railways was begun. It was found that the metallic swords were interferring with compasses they used and so the samurai who were employed on the railroad construction sought and received permission from Emperor to remove their swords.

The Samurai spirit though has never died out. It's spirit can still be seen in the salaryman who braves the crowded trains during Rush Hour and works long hours out of loyalty to his company.

Answer 4

The samurai class died a slow but sure death as Japan became an industrialized country at the end of the 19th Century. Changes brought about by the Meiji Restoration (1877), spelt the end of a medieval society and replaced it with a westernized, industrial one. The samurai, many of whom represented the conservative, old style ways of Japan simply could not jibe with the radical changes that were taking place. And yet, the period many Japanese revere most is the period of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, of Tokugawa Ieyasu, that era of Japan from the 1580's to 1603.

Answer 5

The importance of the Samurai ended at the end of the Shogun's reign which was halfway the 19th century when Japan opened up their harbours to the world. I suggest you read a few books of James Clavell to find out more (cf. Gai-Jin which is set in the era you mentioned).

Answer 6

Their priviledges were taken away after the Meiji Restoration, in the 1870s. But people of samurai ancestry are still around.

Answer 7

For a quick refernce to the death of the traditional idea of samurai, watch the film the Last Samurai. It's very acurate and based on a real story. Of course it is embelished, but it's time periods and settings are very accurate.

Answer 8

In January of 1877 the Satsuma rebillion ended, and that was the end of the samurai.

Answer 9

because we got civisilised - OK. Japan like every other country around the world was christianised by missionaries. As a result they were told that barbarics customs like these would have to be forfieted to become a good christian and so like a heap of other cultures it was effectively put to bed!!!(so to speak)

Answer 10

Never died out, the introduction of firearms nearly made them obsolete. But the nation as whole decided to avoid the use of firearms in order to preserve their traditions.