Samurai Tales: Courage, Fidelity, and Revenge in the Final Years of the Shogun

by Romulus Hillsborough, Romulus Hillsborough

The final years of the samurai were an age of unprecedented turmoil and bloodletting in Japan. They heralded the end of nearly three centuries of rule under the Tokugawa Shogun. The rule of law was deteriorating, assassination and murder were rampant, and inner-fighting among the warrior class embroiled the nation. After the United States forced an end of over two hundred years of Japanese isolation, two contrasting philosophies were embraced by the samurai. On one side were those who would overthrow the shogun and restore the Emperor to power. Opposing the revolutionaries were the allies of the Tokugawa Bakufu, headed by the shogun. While the shogun's men clashed violently with the revolutionaries, as samurai they shared with each other an allegiance to an unwritten code of honor which governed the ways they lived and died. Theirs was a stoic system of morals which condoned suicide, vengeance and, in some cases, cold-blooded murder. Samurai Tales is, to quote author Romulus Hillsborough, "accurate portrayals of the heart and soul of the samurai, the social and political systems of whom have, like the Japanese sword, become relics of a distant age, but the likes of whose nobility shall never again be seen in this world." In recounting what he terms "the great epic which was the dawn of modern Japan," Hillsborough delves deeply into the psyche of the men of the samurai class.

Genres: History, Japan, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2010

About the author

Romulus Hillsborough is a leading Western authority on the political upheaval and samurai of nineteenth-century Japan during the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the Meiji Restoration. His fascination with this period spans more than four decades, including sixteen years living in Japan, where he conducted original research and interviewed descendants of Bakumatsu-era figures.

He is the author of several acclaimed books on nineteenth-century Japan, specializing on the Bakumatsu era, including Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai, Samurai Revolution, Samurai Assassins, and the forthcoming Samurai Swordsmen: The Definitive History of the Shinsengumi amid the Fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. His books have been published in nine languages and have been praised for their narrative style, historical accuracy, and cultural insight.

A lifelong practitioner of traditional Japanese martial arts, Hillsborough has trained in Shotokan karate for more than five decades under Tsutomu Ohshima, founder of Shotokan Karate of America and a direct student of Gichin Funakoshi, the father of modern karate.

Reviews

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Samurai Tales" was very good, though not what I had imagined. The primary reason I was a little surprised is due to the fact it started in the 1860s. The tales, short stories, and vignettes are preceded by a brief explanation or outline.

The author, who specializes in Japanese history of this time, wanted to display the unique mindset and customs of the Samurai. As the stories progress we are witnessing the conflict between Shogun and Emperor, as well as the conflicts caused by the coming of the Western Powers. These major conflicts loom in the background of these short stories that emphasize individual samurai, some very famous and others not so much, save to specialists. But they do show the courage and culture of the Samurai warrior class.

But it also shows the arguments for and against modernization, as well as ending with a brief, but enlightening, history of the Meiji Restoration where the Emperor took back control from the Shogun. A very interesting book and one I shall gladly include in my library. If you are interested in the culture and beliefs of the samurai then you will enjoy this book, though be warned-this is set during the twilight of the Samurai and the Shogun.

[Onoskal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite good, if what you're looking for is a guide to how it went when Meiji Restoration is under way. Beware though for those who have vivid imagination and weak stomach; every gory detail is always included, including spurting bloods and broken bones. It adds to the realism of the story-telling though. The annals of history is not filled by flowers and cheers; it is often paved by the blood and the bones of those who live it.

[Tedders · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had highish hopes for this when I picked this up, but was not entirely suprised it did not open well the foreward giving some rather weebish vibes, and from there on decending into boring.

Some of the stories were mildy interesting, but in the end I was glad it was over, and now I think on read Hillsborough's Shinsengumi with aprehension rather than excitement.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book focuses on the period after Matthew Perry landed in 1853 and demanded that Japan open to the West. For the next 15 years there was bloody turmoil as different factions fought each other while Western governments sat back and watched.

The book leans into a sensational 'you are there' style of storytelling, recounting countless tales of assassination, executions by beheading (described in step by step detail), and political machinations. Almost every chapter exults in swordsmanship of some kind. This overshadows any more subtle understanding of Japanese culture or political structure, although the author tries to provide a basic framework.

The chapters are short and jumpy, moving chronologically back and forth to illustrate different aspects of samurai belief and culture as portrayed by notable samurai. It reads as a disjointed account that might have consisted of different essays at different times and stitched together into a book.

The author seems to have done his research, and has history in Japan to back it up, but the presentation is awkward and is unnecessarily difficult in providing a coherent narrative of that time period from 1853 through the late 1860s.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hillsborough brings alive the bloody, brutal world of Bakumatsu Japan in this collection of short true tales recounting bits and pieces of the lives of samurai who experienced it. Some of these stories can be found, pretty much word for word, in Hillsborough's other books - though that is not to say I didn't enjoy this collection.

[Graeme Dunlop · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're genuinely interested in what real Samurai were like, this is a good place to start. Warning, though: if you have a vivid imagination there is plenty of visceral descriptions here. Blood, guts and death.

I found this fascinating. It's a series of stories and vignettes from the 1860's in Japan, a time of turmoil and national change, rooted in xenophobia and sacrifice and clinging to old ideals and trying to embrace the new.

I think the last chapter should have been the first: "A Brief Historical Background of the Meiji Restoration". It might have framed all the preceding stories in a place and time more handily.

It's an absorbing portrait of a country on the brink of enormously disruptive change, and how the samurai of every stripe dealt with it.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always trust Tuttle to put put out informative books on Japan. Samurai Tales is a collection of “short stories” on samurai life and history. It’s not all dry and boring, sometimes there is a little literary flair added in by the author. Romulus Hillsborough seems to be a passionate historian.

The sections that struck me the most were the “To Cut a Foreigner” and the “Cutting Test” which puts into perspective how brutal the samurai could be.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the history of Japan. outlines the lives of Samari from the Edo and Meiji periods, but not to be taken as a scholarly article, as most is written as fiction which has the reader wondering what is true or false. Otherwise a very interesting novel to indulge in if interested about Japanese history!

[Jakub Zahumensky · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a jujitsu student I found this book very interesting. However, seeing how (according to the author) Sakamoto Ryoma got bested by a judo master some 12 years before judo was created, it makes me wonder how many of the other "facts" are subject to poetic license.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very interesting Samurai Tales. Would like to get more Romulus Hillsborough books. Some of the pictures reminded me of Akira's Samurai characters.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and written, this book compiles stories of the men who shaped the final years of the Tokugawa Shogunate. A good book to recommend to anyone interested in Japanese history.

[Christian Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of both sides of the story. A timeline of events as you progress and get a glimpse of how the each of the character in that era has shaped the downfall of the Shogun.

[M.L. Sparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally this book felt a bit like reading an essay and was quite hard going to begin with, especially for someone who doesn't know much about that time period, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. It's basically a collection of short stories that highlight the Samurai code, with the focus often being on seppuka, which is pretty much suicide, but seen as an honourable way to die. 

The politics and all the different players were a bit hard to keep track of at time, but I generally found that if I read each books as separate, without thinking about the one before it, I was generally alright! And despite this method, I did like that different characters appeared in many stories. It really was a fascinating read and a good starting place to learn more about the Samurai way of life, which I found really intriguing, if a little gruesome. Also, I liked that this books didn't shy away from the gruesome facts, to do so would have been a lie in such turbulent times and would have detracted from the stories. I also found it interesting when the author compared Samurai values to the values of people in the future and I agree with what he said in the introduction that it's a bit sad that those customs have all but died out. 

All in all and good read and it's now piqued my interest to find out more on the subject! 

For more reviews, or to see my favourite quotes from this book, check out my blog at http://mlsparrow.wix.com/mlsparrow

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the last years of the shogunate, as seen through the eyes of the main protagonists on both sides of the struggle for power in 1860s Japan. The tales are an interesting way to bring this period to life - not an historical novel, not an academic study, but something quite different. At the same time this is the drawback of the book, not all tales fit equally well together, and the style of writing is not always fluid. But recommended still, a highly original and accessible introduction to one the defining eras of modern history, even when it is not well known in the West.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of tales of real-life Samurai that grows dull by the end. Hillsborough certainly helps establish a "feel" for the lives of Samurai by using actual true stories rather than a straight narrative history. But the lack of coherence made me bored by the end. I did learn from it though and certainly someone with a particular interest in the Samurai of in Japanese history would enjoy reading it.

[Kathryn O'Halloran · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in Japanese history, this is an easy read. It crosses the line between fact and fiction with the author imagining how events played out and adding a storyteller's details. In other parts he retells stories that have been passed down about historical characters. Much better than a dry history book.

[Quicksilver Quill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of samurai tales dealing with the period leading up to the Meiji Restoration. Hillsborough has a nice way of taking you back in time and putting you in the midst of the action. It's an interesting read for anyone who wants to learn more about the samurai during a time of great change in Japan when the old ways and traditions were about to come to an end.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I do like the subject matter, it lacks style and there's little to no personal touch in it. Informative, but very dry and lacking of any charisma.

[Andre Hermanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good:
* Interesting stories about the last samurai.

Bad:
* Due to the short stories format, the book becomes repetitive.