Actual Reason the Samurai Went Extinct

The Samurai is one of the most iconic warriors in history, but the true story of the end of the samurai tradition is a tragic one filled with bloodshed. Don't miss today's epic new video to discover what happened to Japan's fiercest warriors!

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For the record the Samurai did use fire arms, they didn't see the use of firearms as dishonable.

[luodeligesi]

Wait, so Tom Cruise was NOT the last samurai??

Edit: kind of surprised at how many people took it harder than a katana and didn't realize this was a joke...

[corymorimacori]

“A samurai should always prepare for death whether his own or someone else’s.” Stan Sakai

[NB-iqrg]

Saigo Takamori is from my hometown, very famous and respected. My mother taught me about him as I grew up😢

[jaibaba]

Jin sakai was from my hometown.. the unbeaten samurai❤

[YasuraTheDemon]

As a server at a restaurant, i appreciate the fact that samurai = those who serve.

[Mr.Blue.Sky.i]

still being outnumbered that much and still coming out with 40 alive is super incredible.

[Banana_Bread_the_goat]

I still can't believe that samurai couldn't carry their swords. The swords are the soul of the samurai

[trianglminds]

This video is so interesting! It's amazing to learn about the actual reason why the samurai went extinct, and how it was more than just the end of the feudal era in Japan. It's clear that there were a lot of social, economic, and political factors at play that contributed to the decline of the samurai class. This really gives me a new appreciation for the complexity of Japanese history and culture. Thanks for sharing this informative and thought-provoking video!

[Pladak]

This new animations fit really good in this samurai subject. So beautiful. ❤️

[akizeta]

Art note: you commit _seppuku_ with a _wakizashi, _ a shortsword, not a full _katana_ longsword. Because it's effing awkward to stab yourself with a longsword. (To do it honorably, you need a helper to cut your head off with a _katana_ after you've made the fatal cut, but in a mass _seppuku_ the last guy has to die dishonorably.)

[wendyon]

I'll actually be working on Shiroyama tomorrow.

A few facts:

The Samurai on Shiroyama had guns but ran out of ammunition. Saigo was injured in a sword attack on Imperial Army lines. He then went to a cave and commited seppuku. Then Beppu (who cut Saigo's head off after seppuku) took charge, charged Imperial Army lines and was killed. The remaining samurai then attacked with swords and died. Out with a blaze of glory. There is a cemetery nearby holding the samurai remains.

Guns were actually introduced via Satsuma and were called Tanegashima after a local island. Satsuma also sneakily sent people abroad to learn.

[robthenorm]

Sword to gunfight.
Gunfight to drone.

The toys have changed more than the child.

[Vahlsten]

09:05 "Rebel Samurai" if I have understood correctly "Rōnin" would be the term to use here. "Rōnin was a type of samurai who had no lord or master and in some cases, had also severed all links with his family or clan. A samurai becomes a rōnin upon the death of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or legal privilege" the last bit would probably fit the story here, anyways the more you know! Thanks for the great video!

[JC-uzey]

8:40 He was NOT the leader of the Satsuma clan.

9:20 Also forgot to mention that Saigo Takamori was the commanding officer of the Imperial forces from the Chosu, Tosa and Satsuma clans, so he had lots of experience using guns and canon, and only used face to face tactics because he was forced to due to lack of supplies. Saigo Takamori's troops used guns whenever they could, and only went back to traditional weapons after exhausting their supplies.

10:00 How can the infographics show get it wrong that Samurai regarded guns as dishonourable? Is this the American education system on display?

[kauemetzgerotavio]

Lots of love and respect for your work, guys, I'm a subscriber for quite a long time, but as a PhD student specializing in samurai history, I can't agree with the portrayal given here, especially in the first half of the video. I'd seriously recommend books by Karl Friday, Thomas Conlan, Willian Wayne Farris, Jeffrey P. Mass, Constantine Nomikos Vaporis, Eiko Ikegami, Marius Jansen, and other scholars.

[potatomatop]

As an Ancient Legendary Dark Dragon, i can confirm that i ate all of the samurai and their waifus.

[EastTales]

Very well-done video, explained the whole history of samurai and the ancient japan history

[LagunaL]

Sometimes I wonder how much sword techniques were lost.

[baronghede]

Samurai and knights are well trained mercenaries it is just cheaper to have a standing army, Blessed Be.