The Samurai

The Samurai came into existence in the late Heian Period.  Following an almost constant state of war with the indigenious Emishi people, the warriors of Eastern Japan reached an elite status that overshadowed the impotent Imperial Court.  The conflict of the Minamoto Clan with that of the Taira Clan, both of primarily imperial descent, dominates the future of samurai etiquette and ideals.

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