The term rōnin also made its way into normal Japanese life to mean a "drifter". Back when it was the norm for a salaryman to work for the same company from (essentially) college graduation to retirement, someone who left a company (at least without starting their own business for immediately going to another company), and had to re-enter the job market were called rōnin. As far as I am aware, still to today the term rōninsei 浪人生 is used to describe a student who, for one reason or another, did not take or failed entrance exams for school , but plans to (re)take it the following year.
Unfortunately you will never know what a Samurai really is without becoming a disciple of a school of Katchu Bujutsu. The parts that are missing from the history record are in the scrolls. Without understanding bujutsu you can never understand the Samurai. The emphasis on these history lessons is always completely devoid of the element that created the samurai. Without bujutsu there would have never been a Sengoku era, shogun or samurai. The reason this is missing from all these supposed historians is because Katchu Bujutsu is shrouded in secrecy and has always been for over a thousand years.
@@SengokuStudies Yes, I know you disagree because you falsely believe that the origin of the samurai was the ashigaru. While the samurai did extensively use ashigaru to pad their armies, the samurai came from the Buddhist warrior monks known as Sohei. These were the Japanese contemporaries of the Shaolin warrior monks. The advanced military tactics brought from China in the Heian era to the Buddhist temples in Japan was what created the samurai and gave them the power to shift the axis in the face of overwhelming numbers of the emperor's army. You just need to study the origins of martial arts and it will paint a clear picture. The public record contains a lot of information, but for the rest you will need to seek acceptance into an authentic Katchu bujutsu. And you will finally learn about the myth of the "ninja". What a ninja actually is honestly a matter of public record, but most people are illeterate to anything written about martial arts. You can't understand the decisions they made on the battlefield without understanding the military tactics they spent decades mastering. Also, why would someone devoted to being an expert in the samurai not care about the entire other half of thier existence??
@@SengokuStudies I'm only saying this to help you because you seem truly interested in this culture. What you learn won't help your channel because you will take an oath to a vow of silence to what you learn in the dojo. This is just the way it's always been. While I can't say much I can explain in much more detail about things I feel are now public record. I can explain the simple concept of "ninjutsu" in detail, the temple and branch of Buddhism the Sohei originally came from, the exact styles of martial arts inherited from the Shaolin temple and how the samurai used and altered the techniques. This is all a matter of public record.
@@brandon2559 1) I never said the samurai came form the ashigaru. I am not sure why you think that. I have not said that here nor any place else because that is something I do not agree with. I do not think that the samurai came from the ashigaru. You claim to know I think that when I do not. 2) You do not know what, if any, martial arts training I have done. 3) Samurai did not come from warrior monks. 4) The image of the warrior monk is very misunderstood.
@@DonPelayo90 you sound like an incel who thinks they have it all figured out lol. This is a video on Ronin, not your “women are evil because they won’t have sex with me” echo chamber.
@@DonPelayo90 dudes out here getting his information on women from tik tok and RUclips shorts. You just want girls to settle for your redpill @ss instead of uni degree, cause if they can make their own money they would never have to pick you.
Ghost of Tsushima depicted ronin surprisingly well and humanely - as something akin to unemployed mercenaries - hungry, homeless, fallen from grace. It's defined in a way that's undeniable: a skilled tradesperson, without a job
A really good explanation of the term Ronin. Not all Samurai were master warriors. Like any profession some possessed skills or knowledge that was transferable to professions where they could earn a living and did so. However, some were just skilled enough to be part of the organization (clan), and when the clan ceased to exist they were just a person who was minimally skilled at a profession that was no longer in demand. For those Samurai life was very difficult.
My headcanon's definition was, rogue samurai who's so good they dress in a way that says they don't plan on getting hit Figured id look up what it actually was
One of the modern comparisons could be to Rambo in _First Blood_ . A veteran soldier who has since become a drifter. Someone who is seen primarily as a pest and a threat.
Rambo left the military and was tracking down his former unit member friends, he wasn't drifting, he had a purpose. Most traditional Samurai warriors found work as soldiers or retrained to do something else. I'm sure Rambo was just like them at that time, just between jobs.
A lot of the christian Ronin are really interesting too. Also the entire class of Komuso, ex ronin gone basket wearing monks. Japanese history never has a dull moment. Unless you were a Heian nobel women.
Don't forget the famous "ronin" Godai Yusaku, who was forced to live in a rowdy apartment complex while studying for university entrance exams, but did manage to eventually marry the building's beautiful, widowed manager in the end.😉
The fascination with rōnin ultimately lies with the notion of Japanese societal order. To a homogeneous society, no one is more dangerous and more morbidly intriguing than a man with no accountability.
In the case the 47 Ronin I would definitely say it was loyalty to their Lord. I also think samurai loyalty was mainly towards their direct Lord more than anything else.
I can remember a very unusual way the term Ronin was used. One of the first manga I ever read was Ken akamatsus Love Hina in which main protagonist Keitaro was labelled a RONIN for being in a limbo state between high school and college for a couple of years. I'm assuming that the term was used due to the supposedly aimless and directionless nature of the unfortunate young people who got slapped with it? Feel free to correct me I just thought it was an interesting use of the term.
There's a channel by the name of Let's Ask Shogo where the usage you referred to is discussed--you're pretty close to the mark, if I recall. I think it was discussed in one of his shorts on the channel.
I always loved Ronin, but quite a bit of what I learned hear was very surprising to me. But what I love so much about history is that it can always surprise you, especially when there is a term or event from it that has entered the mainstream culture and becomes popular and you want to know more abut it, and it becomes so much more interesting and complex as a result. Thanks for another awesome video, Shogunate! :)
I must admit I enjoy your tutorials as well as the comments that everyone makes because I get to learn from both and you have such a wide audience I get to learn from their experience and their families experience etcetera etcetera I look forward to every episode thank you again
So from a military standpoint, rather than 'say ronin were mercenaries' It would be more accurate to say 'during times of war Some ronin filled the Role of mercenaries'
Right, just as soldiers and police officers today may work as private military contractors and private investigators when they leave their respective forces. Assuming, of course, they don't take a job elsewhere.
I read briefly that there were ronin who defended villages in exchange for food and lodging. The seven samurai film was partially inspired by Kurosawa's readings about this apparent fact. However, I can't find much detail about it. Do you know more about ronin who defended villages for a living?
From various Chinese history books, official or folklore, the Japanese ronins (drifters) were unemployed samurais or soldiers who were recruited by the sea-going pirates to raid Chinese coastal towns. Started from 1600 until 1850, many of them joined forces with Korean and Chinese pirates thus became big problems. Some of them merged and settled in China without their Japanese or Korean traces. However, with the modern DNA testing, some coastal Chinese have traces of Japanese and Korean DNA without any mentions in their family ancestry. 🧐🤔🤨😶😎
The best Ronin ever made in Miyamoto Musashi who wrote a book called Book of 5 Rings. If a master was actually killed in battle or maybe died from illness he can be a Ronin. Or maybe the master who doesn't want him anymore, or maybe he doesn't want to serve his own master anymore he will be Ronin. He will be a vagabond, a wanderer more than be master less samurai warrior. Ronin is actually a samurai warrior but not in the samurai warrior class. He's actually on the outside looking in.
From a Chinese history perspective there’s a good candidate for the source word that was borrowed into Japanese as “ronin”, which is 浮浪人 meaning people who are not registered on the census and are therefore not bound to a fixed address and land. As you say it does use the imagery of something afloat, propelled by waves to describe their situation. I understand this term was used during the Tang dynasty to which Japan had sent ambassadors in the 7th century and thereby have entered Japan’s clerical vocabulary. Indeed this is what we see in Emperor Temmu’s mikotonori: 凡浮浪人其送本土者，猶復還到，則彼此並科課役, ordering whosoever being AWOL from their land should be subject to tax if returned.
I actually wrote my final for a film course on yojimbo and how it blends aspects of traditional samurai films and westerns. But even after all that research there is still so much I didn’t know until I found your videos
It is very possible that many ronins were used by various lords for things that oficial samurais could not do for the fear of implied their lord,like:theft,assasination and many other things like this.Many ronins coukd had also become hired muscles or bodyvuards for rich merchants and others like them,who a samurai would not serve.
Sengoku period has to be the most interesting bit of human history. Nearly 200 years of almost constant warfare involving millions like shogun 2 was under estimating every thing and it only made them stronger. Sayian genkai boost is real.
Great Video. Thanks for covering this topic... Isn't the term still used today but means something like unemployed? I saw a video of someone recommending westernes not to have the term printed on shirts when visiting japan...
Lang Ren (Ronin) is an old Chinese term which basically meant "vagrant / homeless / bum". It was also often used to refer to refugees from wars, famines, etc. It was never used in any type of a positive manner
Were some Ronin good, nobel and have a code or some form of honor? Yea sure but I'm certain if you watch this channel you've watched more than a few films from Japan and you have to admit sometimes Ronin was associated with a scoundrel,or even straight up dishonorable sort of person so it wasn't all peaches and cream to use an old expression. What I always got out of it was a Ronin was a thing that happened and while it wasn't outright bad it also wasn't really something a guy aimed to do or wind up as on purpose,more of a there's no other choice kind of thing.
Considering how it is still very much a majority fixed contract society where company loyalty is very much presumed and expected, it wouldn't surprise me if freelancers were labelled as ronin
It could be in the right context, especially if someone is neither in school nor the labor force and is just looking for the next gig. My understanding is that it is used to refer to such people.
I’m glad ronin could find new jobs especially since there were no job ads back then saying “ronin seeking employment for wealthy daimyo. Has 15 years experience “
Great video. Besides gunslingers of the Wild West, ronin were also similar to medieval knights errant. In the modern context maybe a whistleblower who loses his job could be seen as somewhat ronin-like.
I'm a ronin. After taking care of my parents, they were my masters. Now I ride my horse(car) everyday to deliver goods for whatever master pays the highest price. Whether it would be doordash, uber, walmart, or Amazon. I serve who I wish and I work when I want. I am masterless.
I haven’t seen the original Harakiri but I’ve seen the newer one, and it is by far one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. If this new one has anything to do with the old one (I’m not sure if it’s a remake or not) than it’s probably the best samurai movie of all time
I think you need a part 2 as you really didn’t cover much in this video. The most glaring thing is you mention how someone was able to recruit a massive army of samurai ronin and what did that mean/how did it happen.
Did you know that in Japan today they still call young men sometimes ronin but the modern ronin are guys without a job, without a uni or vocational training etc. The parallel should be obvious.
Slightly different. Nowadays "ronin/浪人" has two meanings - 1. A young person who failed the entrance/certificate examinations and is trying to have another exam next year to go to school or get job. 2. A person who is temporarily away from jobs.
Interesting how the famous "Seven Samurai" is mentioned here, I think the part of the film I loved most was where the old samurai disguised himself as a monk to save a child from a kidnapper. Such an act of humbleness and humility, he showed that he'd rather ensure the kid lives another day than save his own honor hence the removal of his "chonmage".
7 Samurai actually makes a good depiction of how widely ronin varied in what they chose to do, with the titular 7 ronin choosing to act as mercenary guards for the setting village to ward off the band of ronin that had turned to banditry in the area.
The comparison to the American cowboy is one way to think about it, another is that of the Knight Errant Before there was Yojimbo and Musashi, there was Authurian Legend, and fencing masters like Fiore De Libre, which followed a very similar path, and are very similarly romanticized.
Ever thought about covering animes like Samurai Champloo or Rurouni Kenshin? Ohhh or Shigurui: Death Frenzy?! In some capacity at least. I know it's more pop culture but you'd be humoring some samurai fans from all around.
I think Ronin are romanticized just as much as Samurai because they are like the Anti hero version. They are flawed and therefore more relatable. They are portrayed as no longer blindly following a hypocritical ideology. They are very similar to outlaws in the Wild West in that regard.
Imagine you work at a car dealership in a small town. Every day you go in, and you're dedicated to that car dealership. It's your world. You're basically married to that job and care more about it than anything in life. You're just selling cars left and right, every day chucking Kia Souls like they're frisbies. And you're rewarded well for it too! You make bank, and here in Littleville Ohio you can have your pick of any fat girl in town on Friday night... But one day you go into work... The lights are off. It's quiet. Big Ron's car dealership is closed. All of a sudden, Jerry comes out of the back with some guys in suits. "We're done for man. Big Ron has been embezzling money this entire time!" Now you're a social outcast. No matter how many cars you sold for Ron, you can't seem to get a job anywhere else... You are a wanderer... You are the Ronin...
The values of modern people and those of the past seem to be different. Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (1559-1636), Spanish soldier, lawyer and colonial official "In no European country did the warrior class much exceed one percent." "The Japanese were such formidable fighters, and islands are by nature so hard to invade." "The Portuguese never even considered trying." "A Spanish royal decree of 1609 specifically directed Spanish commanders in the Pacific 'not to risk the reputation of our arms and state’ against Japanese soldiers." "There was one engagement between Spaniards and some Japanese irregulars (mostly exile samurai of the kind called ronin) in Siam in the 1620s, and it was the Spanish who lost." "At the very mention of the Japanese, the people in the street became so excited that women and children held their breath in alarm." Spanish missionary Francis Xavier (1506 - 1552) "We shall write to you about Japan just as far as we get acquainted with it, and what we ourselves have learned. place, the nation with which we have had to do here surpasses in goodness any of the nations lately discovered. that among barbarous nations there can be none that has more natural goodness than the Japanese. position, not at all given to cheating, wonderfully desired of honor and rank. Honor with them is placed above every thing else. There are a great many poor among them, but poverty is not a disgrace to any one. them of which I hardly know whether it is practiced anywhere among Christians. The nobles, however poor they may be, receive the same honor from the rest as if they were rich ; no can any noble, however poor and needy, be induced to con tract marriage with even the richest plebeian. by coming down to ally themselves with plebeians they lose a great deal of dignity and estimation, and thus it is that they despise riches in comparison with dignity. many observances of courtesy among themselves. very fond of arms and weapons, and rely upon them very much. The highest and lowest alike always wear their swords and daggers-even boys of fourteen years of age. an insult either in word or deed. The common people pay very great respect to the nobles, and these in their turn think it a great honor to themselves to wait on the Kings and Princes and obey their word. to me to do this rather from their desire of honor than out of fear, lest by not behaving thus they should lose anything of their own dignity not in drink. The wine they drink is made of rice, for here there is no other. highly disgraceful, because gamers are greedy of other men's goods, and their desire of gain leads them on to the desire of stealing.” British soldier and explorer Sir Edward Michelbourne (1562-1609) "The Japanese seem to have been feared throughout Asia." "The Japons are not suffered to land in any port in India (Asia) with weapons; being accounted for a people so desperate and daring, that they are feared in all places where they come." Chinese Ming Dynasty military strategist Heliang chen's military book Zhen ji"The Japanese thief's attack is only hit twice or three times with katana, Often I can't prevent it. You should know the ingenuity of their katana sword technique. 明 何良臣 阵纪 军中诸技，惟刀剑法少传。若能滚入，使长短兵不及遮拦，便为熟矣。如日本刀不过三两下，往往人不能御，则用刀之巧可知耳。
The Shimabara Rebellion(1637-1638), a civil war in the early Edo period, attracted roshi from all over the country in search of a place to play an active role. Many roshi joined both the side of the Shimabara and Amakusa revolt forces and the Shogunate on their own accord, making the war even more chaotic and large-scale.
Ronin was always depicted as a Masterless Samurai or exiled. But many Japanese I know say it was more of a way of life rather than a profession. Let’s say there was a Shogun that you were against his methods or ruling, you would not commit to his army. This created many Ronin factions. As video explains, if you were apart of a clan that was disbanded or killed, you were statured a Ronin if you were a samurai with goal to get work again. As I type this I see at 5:30 you were already way ahead explaining that some Ronin did in fact choose to be Ronin. (Japanese wars were extremely brutal and often killing in the name of the emperor of its own people and clans...) I like the think of some ronin were definitely “good guys” that chose not to be a “Working Samurai” under an incompetent and unjust ruling.
My question is were they paid in actual money or was it like room and board, food etc.? Because if they were getting war spoils and a salary, that sounds like poor planning on them that they didn't stash away some gold or silver coins or bars or whatever those weird looking things that are metal currency in like the old Shaw Bros films like 7 deadly Venoms. Ingots? Idk. They look like a little boat with feet and a mini thatched pagoda as the top. Or those papers that look like entire pages that I guess were bills...
Well Akira Kurosawa was influenced by Western (both the style and source) movies, after all. And in post WWII Japan many movies were making commentary on the society that got into the war.
In Japanese TV dramas, the typical ronin of the Edo period lives in a commoner's apartment called a nagaya. Although his ultimate goal is to become a civil servant, he earns money by making umbrellas and insect cages and guarding merchants depending on the temporary employment agency.
You should be for the least careful about your cooperation with Anthony Cummins (Samurai and Ninja History). I admit that I share some of his views about what ninjutsu really was and I got few of his books. Tough, the man used his opposition to Bujinkan as a marketing tool while showing poor understanding of japanese culture and history, being a really poor martial arts practitioner and sometime lying to validate his theories and stories. From the few I saw of his channel, he seems to have improved a bit, but I will always have a hard time trusting someone calling himself an historian while being more passionate than objective.
I understand the problems people have with Antony and I'm not going to argue with anyone on their opinions about him. He's always been a good friend to me and someone who I am happy to work with regarding historical topics like this.
If you were going to be poor in Japan, ronin would be the best possible choice. Being educated, trained in martial arts, able to carry a sword, all gives you opportunities if you are willing to take them
Thanks for the refresher. I knew that the Hollywood version of Ronin was too glamorized to be real, I mean they are always awesome at combat and have a devil may care attitude. I like your analogy of westerns, like put Clint Eastwood in samurai armor and he’d be your typical Ronin. But yeah, I like the symbol of Ronin and actually can relate to some of the varied characteristics and situations they had to endure, or chose to endure.
Can we have a video about the onna musha, please talk about sasaki rui and nakazawa koto who were famous swordswomen. I am the other viewers would agree with me
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
The term rōnin also made its way into normal Japanese life to mean a "drifter". Back when it was the norm for a salaryman to work for the same company from (essentially) college graduation to retirement, someone who left a company (at least without starting their own business for immediately going to another company), and had to re-enter the job market were called rōnin. As far as I am aware, still to today the term rōninsei 浪人生 is used to describe a student who, for one reason or another, did not take or failed entrance exams for school , but plans to (re)take it the following year.
Unfortunately you will never know what a Samurai really is without becoming a disciple of a school of Katchu Bujutsu. The parts that are missing from the history record are in the scrolls. Without understanding bujutsu you can never understand the Samurai. The emphasis on these history lessons is always completely devoid of the element that created the samurai. Without bujutsu there would have never been a Sengoku era, shogun or samurai. The reason this is missing from all these supposed historians is because Katchu Bujutsu is shrouded in secrecy and has always been for over a thousand years.
@@brandon2559 I would disagree with your basic premise.
@@SengokuStudies Yes, I know you disagree because you falsely believe that the origin of the samurai was the ashigaru. While the samurai did extensively use ashigaru to pad their armies, the samurai came from the Buddhist warrior monks known as Sohei. These were the Japanese contemporaries of the Shaolin warrior monks. The advanced military tactics brought from China in the Heian era to the Buddhist temples in Japan was what created the samurai and gave them the power to shift the axis in the face of overwhelming numbers of the emperor's army. You just need to study the origins of martial arts and it will paint a clear picture. The public record contains a lot of information, but for the rest you will need to seek acceptance into an authentic Katchu bujutsu. And you will finally learn about the myth of the "ninja". What a ninja actually is honestly a matter of public record, but most people are illeterate to anything written about martial arts. You can't understand the decisions they made on the battlefield without understanding the military tactics they spent decades mastering.
Also, why would someone devoted to being an expert in the samurai not care about the entire other half of thier existence??
@@SengokuStudies I'm only saying this to help you because you seem truly interested in this culture. What you learn won't help your channel because you will take an oath to a vow of silence to what you learn in the dojo. This is just the way it's always been. While I can't say much I can explain in much more detail about things I feel are now public record. I can explain the simple concept of "ninjutsu" in detail, the temple and branch of Buddhism the Sohei originally came from, the exact styles of martial arts inherited from the Shaolin temple and how the samurai used and altered the techniques. This is all a matter of public record.
@@brandon2559 1) I never said the samurai came form the ashigaru. I am not sure why you think that. I have not said that here nor any place else because that is something I do not agree with. I do not think that the samurai came from the ashigaru. You claim to know I think that when I do not. 2) You do not know what, if any, martial arts training I have done. 3) Samurai did not come from warrior monks. 4) The image of the warrior monk is very misunderstood.
My lord, a glorious victory will soon be yours!
I'm strangely happy to see this comment. Definitely not a Shameful Display
only true chads will get this joke
I'm sad my laptop can't run shogun 2
Still go back to this game over and over due to amazing mods
@@bandit6272 My Lord ! our Unit is running away ! Shamefur Dispray !
As a Japanese,
Two years ago, I was Ronin.
Now, Ronin means people who failed college entrance exam prepare for next year's entrance exams
@@DonPelayo90 Tate vibes
@@DonPelayo90 A woman who doesn't want to get married?
@@DonPelayo90 sheng nu it literally translates to left over women
@@DonPelayo90 you sound like an incel who thinks they have it all figured out lol. This is a video on Ronin, not your “women are evil because they won’t have sex with me” echo chamber.
@@DonPelayo90 dudes out here getting his information on women from tik tok and RUclips shorts. You just want girls to settle for your redpill @ss instead of uni degree, cause if they can make their own money they would never have to pick you.
Ghost of Tsushima depicted ronin surprisingly well and humanely - as something akin to unemployed mercenaries - hungry, homeless, fallen from grace. It's defined in a way that's undeniable: a skilled tradesperson, without a job
Many were criminals… remember samurai were in majority, complete assholes with too much power.
Exactly, Ryuzo wasn’t a bad guy, he was shaped by misfortune
@@bustabrandenlike Blud just wanted to feed his men
@bustabranden he was, infact, a dumb ass however lol
@@boggle4763 Real ''Ryuzo, you could have been here , telling me your awful jokes.''
A really good explanation of the term Ronin. Not all Samurai were master warriors. Like any profession some possessed skills or knowledge that was transferable to professions where they could earn a living and did so. However, some were just skilled enough to be part of the organization (clan), and when the clan ceased to exist they were just a person who was minimally skilled at a profession that was no longer in demand. For those Samurai life was very difficult.
In Japan, when you fail entrance exams for highschool or college, you become a Roninsei or Ronin student.
As a veteran who is having a tough time after getting out. I will be referring to now as my Ronin era
Felt.
Real.
right here brother
Been there, don't become one of the 22 a day
Iron sharpens Iron Brothers. Check on your fellow vets.
Rōnin - "wave man" - to be as the flotsam and jetsam that is carried aimlessly by the waves, wandering without purpose.
Only thing i know for real
'A Fistful of Dollars' was a unofficial remake of 'Yojimbo', after all.
So much so they got into legal trouble for it.
I'm glad you talked about one of the most misunderstood roles in samurai history
Yes
ninjas are totally misunderstood too
My headcanon's definition was, rogue samurai who's so good they dress in a way that says they don't plan on getting hit
Figured id look up what it actually was
@@liukang3545so we're the Shinobu
@@imperialzavala7810 lols what? ninja is a modern word in japanese, the correct wording is "shinobi no mono", you mean shinobi, its the same thing
One of the modern comparisons could be to Rambo in _First Blood_ . A veteran soldier who has since become a drifter. Someone who is seen primarily as a pest and a threat.
I concur!
Lol, that’s what I was thinking, too.
Pp
No samurai can ever be like John Rambo
Rambo left the military and was tracking down his former unit member friends, he wasn't drifting, he had a purpose. Most traditional Samurai warriors found work as soldiers or retrained to do something else. I'm sure Rambo was just like them at that time, just between jobs.
Basically the Japanese equivalent of a hedge knight. A trained soldier without stable employment, living paycheck to paycheck.
Took me years to realize Samurai Jack was a Ronin 💀
Is he? Wasn't his father a lord? Because that would mean Jack is next in line to inherit his dad's title and lands.
@@swordsmanfabian18 Not if he rejected said birthright.
A lot of the christian Ronin are really interesting too. Also the entire class of Komuso, ex ronin gone basket wearing monks. Japanese history never has a dull moment. Unless you were a Heian nobel women.
I’m so excited for this one! Thank you so much for covering this topic. Your channel has helped me so much. Thank you.
Don't forget the famous "ronin" Godai Yusaku, who was forced to live in a rowdy apartment complex while studying for university entrance exams, but did manage to eventually marry the building's beautiful, widowed manager in the end.😉
⚔🗿
Are you alluding to Maison Ikkoku? I'm a huge Ranma 1/2 fan, but I never read that one. Rumiko Takahashi is great 👍
Glad to see this channel still creating great content even we've (or channel I should say) made it through the Sengoku Jedai.
Ronin now : students can't pass exam for go to college
The fascination with rōnin ultimately lies with the notion of Japanese societal order. To a homogeneous society, no one is more dangerous and more morbidly intriguing than a man with no accountability.
In the case the 47 Ronin I would definitely say it was loyalty to their Lord. I also think samurai loyalty was mainly towards their direct Lord more than anything else.
Sorta like soldiers' affinity for their commanding officers/generals, especially in the past.
That was before the Edo period. Afterwards, Tokugawa made it so all samurai would be loyal first to the Shogun, then to the daimyo.
I love your content, man! Please keep feeding us Feudal Japan lovers with this information!
In Japan wee usually use 浪士 for “masterless samurai” and 浪人 for students taking a gap year or can’t figure out what university they want to go to.
He failed to serve a master so he is looking for another. That's not a Ronin.
@@lodussorus6151 I don't know what you're talking about.
Check out a great response to this video from Samurai and Ninja History: ruclips.net/video/U-2QFjJwAqc/видео.html&t
I can remember a very unusual way the term Ronin was used. One of the first manga I ever read was Ken akamatsus Love Hina in which main protagonist Keitaro was labelled a RONIN for being in a limbo state between high school and college for a couple of years. I'm assuming that the term was used due to the supposedly aimless and directionless nature of the unfortunate young people who got slapped with it? Feel free to correct me I just thought it was an interesting use of the term.
There's a channel by the name of Let's Ask Shogo where the usage you referred to is discussed--you're pretty close to the mark, if I recall. I think it was discussed in one of his shorts on the channel.
Wow, this takes me back
read the pinned comment of this video lmao
Ah, fond memories. I remember Love Hina.
My faviroute manga maison ikkoku had its main character Godai start as a ronin
I always loved Ronin, but quite a bit of what I learned hear was very surprising to me. But what I love so much about history is that it can always surprise you, especially when there is a term or event from it that has entered the mainstream culture and becomes popular and you want to know more abut it, and it becomes so much more interesting and complex as a result. Thanks for another awesome video, Shogunate! :)
youve just been brainwashed by hollywood lmao
Exceptional content as always, thank you!
I must admit I enjoy your tutorials as well as the comments that everyone makes because I get to learn from both and you have such a wide audience I get to learn from their experience and their families experience etcetera etcetera I look forward to every episode thank you again
So from a military standpoint, rather than 'say ronin were mercenaries'
It would be more accurate to say 'during times of war Some ronin filled the Role of mercenaries'
Right, just as soldiers and police officers today may work as private military contractors and private investigators when they leave their respective forces. Assuming, of course, they don't take a job elsewhere.
My friend named his son Ronin. I always thought that was interesting, great video!!
I read briefly that there were ronin who defended villages in exchange for food and lodging. The seven samurai film was partially inspired by Kurosawa's readings about this apparent fact. However, I can't find much detail about it. Do you know more about ronin who defended villages for a living?
Ask Chat GPT
From various Chinese history books, official or folklore, the Japanese ronins (drifters) were unemployed samurais or soldiers who were recruited by the sea-going pirates to raid Chinese coastal towns. Started from 1600 until 1850, many of them joined forces with Korean and Chinese pirates thus became big problems. Some of them merged and settled in China without their Japanese or Korean traces. However, with the modern DNA testing, some coastal Chinese have traces of Japanese and Korean DNA without any mentions in their family ancestry. 🧐🤔🤨😶😎
This was a very interesting video. Thanks.
Harakiri is a beautifully heartbreaking movie.
The best Ronin ever made in Miyamoto Musashi who wrote a book called Book of 5 Rings. If a master was actually killed in battle or maybe died from illness he can be a Ronin. Or maybe the master who doesn't want him anymore, or maybe he doesn't want to serve his own master anymore he will be Ronin. He will be a vagabond, a wanderer more than be master less samurai warrior. Ronin is actually a samurai warrior but not in the samurai warrior class. He's actually on the outside looking in.
From a Chinese history perspective there’s a good candidate for the source word that was borrowed into Japanese as “ronin”, which is 浮浪人 meaning people who are not registered on the census and are therefore not bound to a fixed address and land. As you say it does use the imagery of something afloat, propelled by waves to describe their situation. I understand this term was used during the Tang dynasty to which Japan had sent ambassadors in the 7th century and thereby have entered Japan’s clerical vocabulary. Indeed this is what we see in Emperor Temmu’s mikotonori: 凡浮浪人其送本土者，猶復還到，則彼此並科課役, ordering whosoever being AWOL from their land should be subject to tax if returned.
I’m really happy that you chose to teach all of this stuff. I really enjoy your stuff
Thank you, as always, very informative. I have learned much following this channel, & look forward to learning more.
I would love to see a video on Christian samurai clans ?
Thank you very much for doing site. This Awesome information, and the way you lay everything out. Keep it going, please.
I actually wrote my final for a film course on yojimbo and how it blends aspects of traditional samurai films and westerns. But even after all that research there is still so much I didn’t know until I found your videos
It is very possible that many ronins were used by various lords for things that oficial samurais could not do for the fear of implied their lord,like:theft,assasination and many other things like this.Many ronins coukd had also become hired muscles or bodyvuards for rich merchants and others like them,who a samurai would not serve.
Sengoku period has to be the most interesting bit of human history. Nearly 200 years of almost constant warfare involving millions like shogun 2 was under estimating every thing and it only made them stronger. Sayian genkai boost is real.
Great Video. Thanks for covering this topic...
Isn't the term still used today but means something like unemployed? I saw a video of someone recommending westernes not to have the term printed on shirts when visiting japan...
I could be wrong but I think it also might depend on the kanji used as well
@@TheShogunate ah I see thank you
Lang Ren (Ronin) is an old Chinese term which basically meant "vagrant / homeless / bum". It was also often used to refer to refugees from wars, famines, etc.
It was never used in any type of a positive manner
During the sengoku jidai the need for warriors was great especially the need for experienced warriors.
Excellent as always.
Were some Ronin good, nobel and have a code or some form of honor? Yea sure but I'm certain if you watch this channel you've watched more than a few films from Japan and you have to admit sometimes Ronin was associated with a scoundrel,or even straight up dishonorable sort of person so it wasn't all peaches and cream to use an old expression.
What I always got out of it was a Ronin was a thing that happened and while it wasn't outright bad it also wasn't really something a guy aimed to do or wind up as on purpose,more of a there's no other choice kind of thing.
Have you covered the Shimabara Rebellion in depth?
He will soon he's already in the EDO period
Isn't Ronin also a business term for a freelance worker in modern Japan or do I have my information on that wrong?
Considering how it is still very much a majority fixed contract society where company loyalty is very much presumed and expected, it wouldn't surprise me if freelancers were labelled as ronin
It could be in the right context, especially if someone is neither in school nor the labor force and is just looking for the next gig. My understanding is that it is used to refer to such people.
I’m glad ronin could find new jobs especially since there were no job ads back then saying “ronin seeking employment for wealthy daimyo. Has 15 years experience “
watching this while playing ghost of tsushima and wearing ronin attire lol, nice video
I actually had no idea what a Ronin was till this video!
So they were freelancers, unemployed soldiers looking for work, very common throughout history.
You mentioned that after the siege of Osaka, there were restrictions put on Ronin, could you elaborate on that?
Great video. Besides gunslingers of the Wild West, ronin were also similar to medieval knights errant. In the modern context maybe a whistleblower who loses his job could be seen as somewhat ronin-like.
時代劇の浪人だと、長屋で侘しく内職の傘貼りとかしてるイメージが強い
(in feudal Japan) ronin means a wondering samurai who had no lord or Master.
"I was Ronin through the six with my woes..." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War
You're not like us - Hattori Hanzo
I'm a ronin. After taking care of my parents, they were my masters. Now I ride my horse(car) everyday to deliver goods for whatever master pays the highest price. Whether it would be doordash, uber, walmart, or Amazon. I serve who I wish and I work when I want. I am masterless.
please do video essays on samurai anime
The Road to the Bakumatsu begins with the disband of vassal armies and the demolitions of fortifications
I haven’t seen the original Harakiri but I’ve seen the newer one, and it is by far one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. If this new one has anything to do with the old one (I’m not sure if it’s a remake or not) than it’s probably the best samurai movie of all time
I think you need a part 2 as you really didn’t cover much in this video. The most glaring thing is you mention how someone was able to recruit a massive army of samurai ronin and what did that mean/how did it happen.
Did you know that in Japan today they still call young men sometimes ronin but the modern ronin are guys without a job, without a uni or vocational training etc. The parallel should be obvious.
Slightly different. Nowadays "ronin/浪人" has two meanings - 1. A young person who failed the entrance/certificate examinations and is trying to have another exam next year to go to school or get job. 2. A person who is temporarily away from jobs.
@@atsukorichards1675 Thanks for the details Atsuko
Interesting how the famous "Seven Samurai" is mentioned here, I think the part of the film I loved most was where the old samurai disguised himself as a monk to save a child from a kidnapper. Such an act of humbleness and humility, he showed that he'd rather ensure the kid lives another day than save his own honor hence the removal of his "chonmage".
7 Samurai actually makes a good depiction of how widely ronin varied in what they chose to do, with the titular 7 ronin choosing to act as mercenary guards for the setting village to ward off the band of ronin that had turned to banditry in the area.
The comparison to the American cowboy is one way to think about it, another is that of the Knight Errant
Before there was Yojimbo and Musashi, there was Authurian Legend, and fencing masters like Fiore De Libre, which followed a very similar path, and are very similarly romanticized.
Ever thought about covering animes like Samurai Champloo or Rurouni Kenshin? Ohhh or Shigurui: Death Frenzy?! In some capacity at least. I know it's more pop culture but you'd be humoring some samurai fans from all around.
Or the manga Blade of the Immortal. Mmm gore.
Idk but I would assume that mercenaries would be pretty far form there home as the old saying goes war must never come to urbino
Thanks for the video I hope more people know the truth about the Ronin 👊🏻
I think Ronin are romanticized just as much as Samurai because they are like the Anti hero version. They are flawed and therefore more relatable. They are portrayed as no longer blindly following a hypocritical ideology. They are very similar to outlaws in the Wild West in that regard.
True
I always wonder if there was more to the term ronin and now I learn that it's meaning varies depending on the situations
Imagine you work at a car dealership in a small town. Every day you go in, and you're dedicated to that car dealership. It's your world. You're basically married to that job and care more about it than anything in life. You're just selling cars left and right, every day chucking Kia Souls like they're frisbies. And you're rewarded well for it too! You make bank, and here in Littleville Ohio you can have your pick of any fat girl in town on Friday night... But one day you go into work... The lights are off. It's quiet. Big Ron's car dealership is closed. All of a sudden, Jerry comes out of the back with some guys in suits. "We're done for man. Big Ron has been embezzling money this entire time!" Now you're a social outcast. No matter how many cars you sold for Ron, you can't seem to get a job anywhere else... You are a wanderer... You are the Ronin...
What in the America lol
The values of modern people and those of the past seem to be different.
Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (1559-1636), Spanish soldier, lawyer and colonial official "In no European country did the warrior class much exceed one percent."
"The Japanese were such formidable fighters, and islands are by nature so hard to invade." "The Portuguese never even considered trying."
"A Spanish royal decree of 1609 specifically directed Spanish commanders in the Pacific 'not to risk the reputation of our arms and state’ against Japanese soldiers."
"There was one engagement between Spaniards and some Japanese irregulars (mostly exile samurai of the kind called ronin) in Siam in the 1620s, and it was the Spanish who lost."
"At the very mention of the Japanese, the people in the street became so excited that women and children held their breath in alarm."
Spanish missionary Francis Xavier (1506 - 1552)
"We shall write to you about Japan just as far as we get acquainted with it, and what we ourselves have learned. place, the nation with which we have had to do here surpasses
in goodness any of the nations lately discovered. that among barbarous nations there can be none that has more natural goodness than the Japanese.
position, not at all given to cheating, wonderfully desired of honor and rank. Honor with them is placed above every thing else. There are a great many poor among them, but
poverty is not a disgrace to any one.
them of which I hardly know whether it is practiced anywhere among Christians. The nobles, however poor they may be, receive the same honor from the rest as if they were rich ; no can any noble, however poor and needy, be induced to con
tract marriage with even the richest plebeian. by coming down to ally themselves with plebeians they lose a great deal of dignity and estimation, and thus it is that they
despise riches in comparison with dignity. many observances of courtesy among themselves. very fond of arms and weapons, and rely upon them very much.
The highest and lowest alike always wear their swords and daggers-even boys of fourteen years of age. an insult either in word or deed.
The common people pay very great respect to the nobles, and these in their turn think it a great honor to themselves to wait on the Kings and Princes and obey their word.
to me to do this rather from their desire of honor than out of fear, lest by not behaving thus they should lose anything of their own dignity not in drink. The wine they drink is made of rice, for here there is no other. highly disgraceful, because gamers are greedy of other men's goods, and their desire of gain leads them on to the desire of stealing.”
British soldier and explorer Sir Edward Michelbourne (1562-1609) "The Japanese seem to have been feared throughout Asia."
"The Japons are not suffered to land in any port in India (Asia) with weapons; being accounted for a people so desperate and daring, that they are feared in all places where they come."
Chinese Ming Dynasty military strategist Heliang chen's military book Zhen ji"The Japanese thief's attack is only hit twice or three times with katana,
Often I can't prevent it.
You should know the ingenuity of their katana sword technique.
明 何良臣 阵纪
军中诸技，惟刀剑法少传。若能滚入，使长短兵不及遮拦，便为熟矣。如日本刀不过三两下，往往人不能御，则用刀之巧可知耳。
Thank you. Very educational.
Most european societies had warrior class at higher than 1%. It was usually 2-5%.... Poland at one point it was 10%
The Shimabara Rebellion(1637-1638), a civil war in the early Edo period, attracted roshi from all over the country in search of a place to play an active role.
Many roshi joined both the side of the Shimabara and Amakusa revolt forces and the Shogunate on their own accord, making the war even more chaotic and large-scale.
So, in terms of basketball, they are just unrestricted free agents of the samurai workd, right?
Ronin was always depicted as a Masterless Samurai or exiled. But many Japanese I know say it was more of a way of life rather than a profession. Let’s say there was a Shogun that you were against his methods or ruling, you would not commit to his army. This created many Ronin factions. As video explains, if you were apart of a clan that was disbanded or killed, you were statured a Ronin if you were a samurai with goal to get work again. As I type this I see at 5:30 you were already way ahead explaining that some Ronin did in fact choose to be Ronin. (Japanese wars were extremely brutal and often killing in the name of the emperor of its own people and clans...) I like the think of some ronin were definitely “good guys” that chose not to be a “Working Samurai” under an incompetent and unjust ruling.
My question is were they paid in actual money or was it like room and board, food etc.?
Because if they were getting war spoils and a salary, that sounds like poor planning on them that they didn't stash away some gold or silver coins or bars or whatever those weird looking things that are metal currency in like the old Shaw Bros films like 7 deadly Venoms. Ingots? Idk. They look like a little boat with feet and a mini thatched pagoda as the top. Or those papers that look like entire pages that I guess were bills...
Hallo Muho, bin nächsten Monat auf Japanreise, kann man bei dir in Osaka im Schlosspark eine Runde Zazen mitsitzen ? :)
Wasn't Musashi a ronin? What kind of ronin was he?
an overrated one
Well Akira Kurosawa was influenced by Western (both the style and source) movies, after all.
And in post WWII Japan many movies were making commentary on the society that got into the war.
It’s very unfortunate Japan 🇯🇵 & USA 🇺🇸 had to become Enemies 😢
The most famous samurai was a Ronin - Himura Kenshin 😅 I mean Miyamoto Musashi 😊
A question about the exiled samurai: are where were they exiled to? or was that more like being outlawed?
They were usually sent to a temple, a mountain, or an island
I can relate to the ronin very often
Where is the woodblock photo of the Ronin pulling up his sleeves from?
Is ronin more like Freelancers?
Some japanese ronin travel outside japan to be a mercenary like Yamada Nagamasa his statue is in southern province of Thailand.
Did they remake Harikari? Where they use the wooden sword ?
I'm honored to be Japanese. I love our cultuer I love our food I love our warrior's. Japan is one of the few pure nations.
Yours is one of the most sexually depraved cultures in the world. 😂
There is definitely a lot to live about japan.
Pure nation what do you mean
In Japanese TV dramas, the typical ronin of the Edo period lives in a commoner's apartment called a nagaya.
Although his ultimate goal is to become a civil servant, he earns money by making umbrellas and insect cages and guarding merchants depending on the temporary employment agency.
Finally someone helping debunk the bushido myth!
What about ronins before Sengoku? What was their life then?
You should be for the least careful about your cooperation with Anthony Cummins (Samurai and Ninja History). I admit that I share some of his views about what ninjutsu really was and I got few of his books. Tough, the man used his opposition to Bujinkan as a marketing tool while showing poor understanding of japanese culture and history, being a really poor martial arts practitioner and sometime lying to validate his theories and stories. From the few I saw of his channel, he seems to have improved a bit, but I will always have a hard time trusting someone calling himself an historian while being more passionate than objective.
I understand the problems people have with Antony and I'm not going to argue with anyone on their opinions about him. He's always been a good friend to me and someone who I am happy to work with regarding historical topics like this.
3:01 like Michelangelo in The Last Ronin
If you were going to be poor in Japan, ronin would be the best possible choice. Being educated, trained in martial arts, able to carry a sword, all gives you opportunities if you are willing to take them
Im here after playing fromsoftware games and seeing this referenced a lot...
Thanks for the refresher. I knew that the Hollywood version of Ronin was too glamorized to be real, I mean they are always awesome at combat and have a devil may care attitude. I like your analogy of westerns, like put Clint Eastwood in samurai armor and he’d be your typical Ronin. But yeah, I like the symbol of Ronin and actually can relate to some of the varied characteristics and situations they had to endure, or chose to endure.
Shima Sakon was a Ronin, but I see him less as a Masterless Samurai and more a Vagabond Mercenary.
Can we have a video about the onna musha, please talk about sasaki rui and nakazawa koto who were famous swordswomen. I am the other viewers would agree with me
something like a hedge knight?
erm a "knight errant"
why happened to samurai's family when he became Ronin or committed seppuku?