"Jundo" decorative tachi (純度 purity)

From the XIIᵗʰ century and for seven hundred years, the history of Japan was first and foremost that of the samurai. Originally, a class of modest soldiers under the orders of the Kyoto court, the growing power of the provincial clans enabled them to quickly free themselves from the imperial court and, at the same time, create their own military government, which imposed itself throughout Japan.
Centuries of wars, rebellions, treachery and reversals of alliances saw samurai families fight fiercely for control of territories. And clans founded by ruthless adventurers dominated provinces, only to be swept aside by more powerful ones. Finally, three great chieftains emerged to unite the country under the command of a single lord: Oda Nobunaga, then his lieutenant Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and finally Tokugawa Ieyasu, who ruled all of Japan through battles, plots and massacres. This book, lavishly illustrated with prints, drawings and paintings, tells the story of these samurai, their weapons and their castles. It faithfully recreates a historical reality that is often poorly understood in the West.
Reissued: October 21, 2014

► Buy the book (link paid by Amazon)