18-01-2001 08:42									#1
	Anybody know any Japanese history? Tired of ads?

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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	18-01-2001 13:08									#2
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Saburai or Zusa, can't remember well. I'll check it out...

	18-01-2001 21:31									#3
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Was this the time before or after Bakufu ???

	19-01-2001 10:09									#4
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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.

	19-01-2001 10:22									#5
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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

	18-01-2001 23:09									#6
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Sorry I'm only good for 1931-1953

	18-01-2001 23:45									#7
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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

	18-01-2001 23:49									#8
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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

	19-01-2001 00:47									#9
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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.

	19-01-2001 00:56									#10
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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).]

	29-01-2001 02:01									#11
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Rettifico... Foreigners were called Nuhi zusa, in order to distinguish them from Japanese low nobility...