Anybody know any Japanese history?

[echopapa]

Specifically, the Genroku (warring states) period. During this time, many farmers doubled as warriors, carrying swords and basically acting like samurai. They lost this privilege after Hideyoshi's Sword Hunt.

Anyway, the Japanese had a special name for farmers who were part-time samurai. Even though I had a course on this, I cannot for the life of me remember what that special name is! I seem to recall that it meant something like "land-warrior".

Can anybody help me out here? Thanks in advance.

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EchoPapa's scenarios are available at the ACS Mac Site
and
Visit the Institute for Naming Children Humanely at inch.stormpages.com

[Prometeus]

Saburai or Zusa, can't remember well. I'll check it out...

[Stefan Härtel]

Was this the time before or after Bakufu ???

[DarthVeda]

Sorry I'm only good for 1931-1953

[echopapa]

This is sort of between the Bakufu periods. More specifically, from about 1500 to 1600 (the late Muromachi period and warring daimyo clans).

I've seen "Seven Samurai" (or "Seven Warriors"), and the farmer's son is the kind of guy I'm looking for the name of - him, or Hideyoshi, who was a peasant who became a warrior. Thanks a lot.

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----------------------------------------
EchoPapa's scenarios are available at the ACS Mac Site
and
Visit the Institute for Naming Children Humanely at inch.stormpages.com

[echopapa]

I've just checked - "Saburai" is just a variant spelling of "Samurai". If I can't find what the farmer-fighters were called, I'll just call them "bushi" (fighters) in my scenario.

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----------------------------------------
EchoPapa's scenarios are available at the ACS Mac Site
and
Visit the Institute for Naming Children Humanely at inch.stormpages.com

[Prometeus]

OK, that's what I found out.
Farmer soldiers enroled in Daymio's armies were called "ashigaru", or "quick walkers".
For Saburai, you are right.
Zusa were called foreigners ( Koreans, Chinese, Ainu ) enroled as officers or ashigaru before or during Sengoku period, and a lot of samurai families came out from them.

[Chris 62]

I believe your refering to the ASHIGARU. The word itself, which means'light foot', indicates their original lowly status as absconded peasants or criminal adventurers who joined a feudal army for loot and little else.The samurai had always regarded the use of peasant troops as a necessary evil, provided it did not interfere with their own glorious exploits.
[This message has been edited by cpoulos (edited January 18, 2001).]

[Xin Yu]

There is a subtitled video tape 'Seven Warriors' which you may rent from a video rental store. The story was about seven warriors protecting a village against a bandit of 40. There was a farmer's son acting as warrior in the movie but I'm not sure if you will see the word you are looking for.

Be careful: there are two other Japanese movies had similar names. One is 'Eight warriors' and another is also 'Seven Warriors' but was talking about seven bodyguards escorting a prince on a very dangerous trip.

[Stefan Härtel]

Isn't that by Akira Kurosawa? Wasn't it also remade as a Western later on? I saw the Western but not the Japanese one

[Prometeus]

Rettifico... Foreigners were called Nuhi zusa, in order to distinguish them from Japanese low nobility...