fallowing the teachings of Zen Buddhism.
             Four is that every samurai has a stoical acceptance of death. Five is that all samurai show
             morality at all times, and teach morality to others in lower castes or classes (Reischaur 57).
             The feudal age in japan lasted 5 centuries between the twelfth and nineteenth centuries AD
             (Reischaur 41). The feudal age lasted longer in Japan than in Europe, but was in no way the dark
             age in Japan. Shogun's ruled territories and one family ruled the country. Wars between the
             shoguns was common place in Japan at that time. The samurai was the shogun's only soldier like
             a European knight. During the battles samurai warriors would commit suicide rather than be
             humiliated by being captured. They would preform the seppuka. This was were the warrior
             would cut their abdomen open for a fast death. This was also known in English as "the belly
             slitting"(Reischaur 57). This is a example of stoical acceptance of death and honor. It was also a
             big honor to capture a samurai before he committed suicide or the seppuka. When samurai's
             were not fighting they policed the area dispensing justice as they saw fit. They could kill who
             they liked at that time During this long period of unrest samurai's kept special swordsmiths in
             business separate from blacksmiths (Field 140). These swordsmiths mainly made the trade mark
             swords carried by samurai's. A young man of twelve descended from a samurai was not officially
             a samurai until he was presented with the two ceremonial swords a samurai uses. Swordsmiths
             Made armor and bow and arrows for the samurai's as well. This armor was far superior
             ...