paints brigs for the British fleet.
THE SHOGUN'S SOLDIERS VOLUME 1
The Daily Life of Samurai and Soldiers in Edo Period Japan, 1603-1721
Tokugawa Ieyasu's decisive victory at Sekigahara in 1600 concluded the civil wars, confirmed his position of military supremacy as shōgun (generalissimo) of Japan, and inaugurated the Edo period (1600-1868), so named because Ieyasu after the battle established his capital in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). By then, Japan was an advanced, outward-looking country. Previously preoccupied by internal warfare, Tokugawa-ruled Japan was unified, strong and technologically developed to a degree inferior to Europe only in certain sciences, such as shipbuilding and artillery. Japan was technologically superior in some disciplines, including the production of firearms, an import the Japanese had mastered very quickly.
This book describes the organization, arms, armor, dress and daily life of samurai, soldiers and commoners in Edo-period Japan. Occasionally the shōgunate military had to intervene, mostly against bandits but also during more serious military incidents, including conspiracies against the shogunate. Moreover, the shōgun's soldiers had to assume a major role in law enforcement and firefighting. The focus of the book is a military and social history of how the formerly so powerful Tokugawa clan army rapidly lost its combat preparedness, and how this persuaded the Tokugawa shōgunate to initiate a policy of enforced seclusion.
Volume 1 introduces the reader to the Edo period with an overview of the city, its population, and how it was run along with an in-depth analysis of the Shôgun's Army. The organization, equipment, uniforms and armor used by the soldiers is covered here in a greater depth than previously attempted. Volume 2 studies the social aspects of the Edo period and how the army, especially the Samurai, were involved in important duties such as the firewatch, policing and justice, and ultimately the carrying out of criminal sentences. The book finally seeks to understand the decline of Japanese martial prowess and that of the Samurai as a class with their integration into civilian society.