Kanazawa - A peek into a Samurai's house in Nagamachi District

Japan’s Samurai history is ancient and well documented. Hollywood has brought various films on these warriors and their moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behaviour and lifestyle termed as Bushido – “the way of the warrior”.

“Bushidō is a Japanese word that literally means "warrior way". It is first attested in the 1616 work Kōyō Gunkan , a military chronicle recording the exploits of the Takeda clan. The term is a compound of bushi ("warrior", literally 'military + man'), a Chinese-derived word first attested in Japanese in 712 with the on'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading), and dō ('road, way'). In modern usage, bushi is often used as a synonym for samurai; however, historical sources make it clear that bushi and samurai were distinct concepts, with the former referring to soldiers or warriors and the latter referring instead to a kind of hereditary nobility.”

Ideas of the samurai code formalized earlier moral values and ethics, most commonly stressing a combination of sincerity, frugality, loyalty, martial arts, mastery, honour until death, "bravery", and "loyalty to the samurai's lord." The idea of a samurai code or codes was developed and refined centuries before the Edo period in the Kamakura era.    Ideas of honour that led to bushido developed in reaction to the dishonourable behaviour of samurai that had always existed, newer stealth and espionage techniques, and Zen Buddhist soldier  tenets.

The term “bushido” came into common international usage with the 1899 publication of Nitobe Inazō's Bushido: The Soul of Japan which was read by many influential western people. 

Nagamachi District of Kanazawa - “Kanazawa flourished in the Edo Period under the rule of the Maeda family and its population of over 100,000 made it one of the largest castle towns in feudal Japan. A city this large required an equally large administration, tasks given to mid and high ranking samurai to keep them busy during times of extended peace. The Nagamachi District is one of Kanazawa's best preserved samurai districts where many of these samurai had their homes. With no major fires or disasters during its long history, Nagamachi retains its time's quaint landscape. To maintain the state of the district as it always has been, the earthen walls surrounding the residences are covered with mats each winter to protect them from snow and frost damage”.

In 1551, one of the first westerners to  Japan was the missionary Francis Xavier. The description of Francis shows that honour, weapons, and warfare were valued of utmost importance in Japanese culture… to quote:

“The Japanese are very ambitious of honours and distinctions, and think themselves superior to all nations in military glory and valour. They prize and honour all that has to do with war, and all such things, and there is nothing of which they are so proud as of weapons adorned with gold and silver. They always wear swords and daggers both in and out of the house, and when they go to sleep, they hang them at the bed's head. In short, they value arms more than any people I have ever seen. They are excellent archers, and usually fight on foot, though there is no lack of horses in the country. They are very polite to each other, but not to foreigners, whom they utterly despise. They spend their means on arms, bodily adornment, and on several attendants, and do not in the least care to save money. They are, in short, a very warlike people, and engaged in continual wars among themselves. They have all one sovereign, although for 150 years past, the princes have ceased to obey him, and this is the cause of their perpetual feuds”. 

Nomura Samurai Family Residence “The Nomura Samurai Family residence is the only building in the Nagamachi District open to the public. The Nomura family was a powerful samurai family that faithfully served every generation of the ruling Maeda family through the entire Edo Period. When the Edo Period ended, samurai were stripped of their status and power and forced to sell their property, so the house eventually found its way into the possession of a private businessman. The house and garden were lovingly restored to their current state, so visitors can truly appreciate the sophistication contained in the details of the home. The garden was once listed as one of the top three gardens in all of Japan by the Journal of Japanese Gardening, and the rooms adjacent to the garden are arranged to have uniquely beautiful views of it”.

As you enter the house, after removing footwear, you find a very serene atmosphere. Minimal furniture. Every room is large with large windows (in those days, I think they had different materials, not glass). There is a display of this Samurai costume shown. Then, you see a room with the Samurai deity.   Further in are bedrooms with a grand view of the garden. It has a large pond, flowing water, lots of koi fish and perfectly stone and moss formations. It is so Zen that you could sit here for hours in total peace and meditate, if you wish.

I have attached photographs of various Samurai armour… just look closely at the finishing with old and silver work. The finery is amazing – the aim being to show one’s opponent as well as the lower classes the power and strength one had against them. 

Finally, a photograph showing the different types of katanas (swords) which the samurai used. The foreigner in the photo below is the manager of the showroom in Kyoto where we took the photos of the four outfits shown after the garden pictures. 

Japan is rightly proud of their Samurai culture and their Bushido code. It went through its phases of popularity depending upon the economic conditions. Tourists are welcomed to attend Samurai sword fighting demonstration classes and to appreciate the Japanese way of life in many other ways. Going off the beaten path, into the interiors of Japan, with Google Translate as my companion, we really saw parts of Japan which we would never have anticipated.   

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