If you’re visiting Tokyo and want to dive deeper into samurai culture beyond watching a show, this is for you.
Samurai History Study Session
At Samurai Studio ICHI, a tate (samurai stage combat) school in Tsukishima, we hosted our very first Samurai History Study Session inside a traditional Japanese house.
It was not sword training this time, but a relaxed and interactive way to explore the question: “What does it really mean to be a samurai?”
A Unique Group of Participants
Only five people joined, but with very different backgrounds: a sword-fight choreographer, a musician, an actor, and even a programmer. None were history experts, but everyone shared a curiosity for Japanese history and samurai traditions, which made the discussion lively and welcoming.
What Was a Samurai in the Edo Period?
The session began with the theme “What exactly was a samurai during the Edo period?”
From there, the conversation expanded into Tsukishima’s local history, stories of war, and even conspiracy theories 😆.
There was no single teacher – everyone simply contributed what they knew. It felt like a casual, open exchange rather than a strict lecture.
Common Questions: Samurai vs. Ninja
Some familiar questions came up:
- What’s the difference between a samurai and a ninja?
- Were there female samurai?
These are the same questions we often hear from foreign travelers during samurai experiences. Interestingly, even many Japanese people don’t know the full answers!
Breaking Down a Katana
Since this was hosted by a tate dojo, of course we looked at the samurai’s most important symbol: the katana.
We dismantled a sword to examine its structure, shared stories about cutting with a real blade, and compared stage sword-fighting (tate) with actual combat.
It was a rare chance to learn the difference between performance swordplay and the reality of the samurai.
Castles and New Perspectives
One participant was a big fan of Japanese castles, so naturally the topic shifted there.
It’s one thing to take a photo of a castle, but when you know who the lord was and what battles took place there, the whole experience becomes more exciting.
It gave us all a new perspective on castle-hopping in Japan.
Next is about Japanese Castles?
The discussion was so lively we completely lost track of time and went way over schedule.
For the next session, we decided the theme will be “Japanese Castles.” “Festivals” might also be a fun idea.
Through samurai experiences and casual discussions, we want to create a place where anyone can join – even if you’re not a history expert. All you need is a little curiosity.
Stay tuned for Session #2 – and if you’re visiting Tokyo, don’t miss our Samurai Experiences, where you can try sword fighting and explore samurai culture for yourself! ✨
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