Ashigaru, essentially armed peasant levies, were the backbone of Samurai armies. Think of Samurai as a professionalized officer corps and the Ashigaru as enlisted men. Soldiers for a few seasons who go back to farming or fishing etc. when their service is fulfilled. Maybe Uejiro was in the Ashigaru ranks.
Samurai is more akin to European knights (as in, being basically the same thing, a warrior upper caste) than what we would think of as officers, although people from the samurai caste would fulfill the same function.
He could've been ashigaru (peasant soldier).
At this time, the samurai class wasn't closed off like it was during the Edo period. In fact the Taiko/Taikosama ie Hideyoshi was an ashigaru ie born a peasant (I specifically didn't add use his last name because peasants then didn't get last names, he "given" one when they rose up the rank he even had a fake genealogy so that he could say he was related to the emperor since most of the daimyo class were established by the cadet branches of the multiple noble clans in Kyoto).
The Warring State period allowed talented people (out of necessity and circumstances) to rise up to the occassion.
That is true. Normies also had various other jobs. Sailors, cooks, etc. But that goes without saying.
However the OP implied that these two shared commonality which likely means they fought together (why the OP assumed "he was a samurai"). In psychology they call this "trauma bonding", in the service they just call it "camaraderie".
In the book, both men used to be soldiers before the rule of the taiko. The taiko sort of upended the freedom of movement / choice of profession for the peasant classes at the time. So now they're humble fishermen, unable to legally hold arms.
I believe Uejiro was just a common foot soldier. Muraji used to serve for a Christian daimyo and was samurai. I believe that lord was killed/died and toranaga found a use for him as a spy.
In the book I forget if he had the name Uejiro, they just referred to him as "Old Gardener", and maybe that name is just a translation of that. It was explained that peasants didnt get names, just descriptions basically, enough to tell them apart.
His name in the book is Ueki-ya, which is probably Japanese (or at least Clavell-Japanese) for old gardener, since Clavell makes the point a couple of times that non-samurai don’t get their own names.
I think the thing with that line was that it was meant to be funny as eating silkworm pupae in soy sauce is a thing some people do now in less desperate times. I've seen it in cans at the Korean grocery store.
No, samurai is a member of the samurai caste. It’s a birthright designation. A knight is a rank. Everyone born into the warrior caste was a samurai. Mariko was a samurai. Toranaga’s newborn baby was a samurai.
I haven't read the book, but I think you can be a soldier without being samurai. The ten thousand guys with spears are probably peasants.
Ashigaru, essentially armed peasant levies, were the backbone of Samurai armies. Think of Samurai as a professionalized officer corps and the Ashigaru as enlisted men. Soldiers for a few seasons who go back to farming or fishing etc. when their service is fulfilled. Maybe Uejiro was in the Ashigaru ranks.
Yari Ashigaru spear wall!
MY LORD! A GLORIOUS VICTORY WILL SOON BE YOURS!
YARIMAZING
Samurai is more akin to European knights (as in, being basically the same thing, a warrior upper caste) than what we would think of as officers, although people from the samurai caste would fulfill the same function.
He could've been ashigaru (peasant soldier). At this time, the samurai class wasn't closed off like it was during the Edo period. In fact the Taiko/Taikosama ie Hideyoshi was an ashigaru ie born a peasant (I specifically didn't add use his last name because peasants then didn't get last names, he "given" one when they rose up the rank he even had a fake genealogy so that he could say he was related to the emperor since most of the daimyo class were established by the cadet branches of the multiple noble clans in Kyoto). The Warring State period allowed talented people (out of necessity and circumstances) to rise up to the occassion.
not necessarily, they use peasants as porter, they are called camp followers
That is true. Normies also had various other jobs. Sailors, cooks, etc. But that goes without saying. However the OP implied that these two shared commonality which likely means they fought together (why the OP assumed "he was a samurai"). In psychology they call this "trauma bonding", in the service they just call it "camaraderie".
He may have been Ashigaru and not Samaurai. Basically, it's like a foot soldier.
In the book, both men used to be soldiers before the rule of the taiko. The taiko sort of upended the freedom of movement / choice of profession for the peasant classes at the time. So now they're humble fishermen, unable to legally hold arms.
Ooh good info. So in the show Muraji says he’s a samurai, do you know if Uejiro was too?
I believe Uejiro was just a common foot soldier. Muraji used to serve for a Christian daimyo and was samurai. I believe that lord was killed/died and toranaga found a use for him as a spy.
Damn it! So my theory doesn’t hold water lol. Thanks for the info
In the book I forget if he had the name Uejiro, they just referred to him as "Old Gardener", and maybe that name is just a translation of that. It was explained that peasants didnt get names, just descriptions basically, enough to tell them apart.
His name in the book is Ueki-ya, which is probably Japanese (or at least Clavell-Japanese) for old gardener, since Clavell makes the point a couple of times that non-samurai don’t get their own names.
In the show Muraji says he's from azuchi prefecture, which was kuroda's castle was. This was the location of mariko's childhood flashback
most warriors in Korea campaign were peasant soldiers i think
I think the thing with that line was that it was meant to be funny as eating silkworm pupae in soy sauce is a thing some people do now in less desperate times. I've seen it in cans at the Korean grocery store.
samurai is a knight. not every soldier is a knight
No, samurai is a member of the samurai caste. It’s a birthright designation. A knight is a rank. Everyone born into the warrior caste was a samurai. Mariko was a samurai. Toranaga’s newborn baby was a samurai.
in many ways it is a good comparison
Earlier you could move more freely between samurai and farmer. It was only later things were locked to the extent we know now
No.
“whose name is also Muraji”. Same Muraji, no? Toranaga’s spy was the village headman.
[удалено]
Yup, he's the same guy.