The British Museum

The Side of Samurai You Haven't Seen | Curators' Tour of the Samurai Exhibition

The British Museum’s “Curators’ Tour of the Samurai” exhibition reframes the iconic warrior, showing that the popular image of sword‑wielding samurai is a later myth. It traces the class from its birth as mercenary mounted archers in the Heian period through a millennium of political, cultural, and technological change. Objects on display illustrate how armor shifted from the massive ō‑yoroi designed for horseback archery to lighter haramaki and dō‑maru suited to hand‑to‑hand combat, while swords evolved from ceremonial tachi to the shorter katana. The exhibition also highlights the samurai’s non‑military duties—tax collection, poetry, firefighting, and diplomatic missions such as Hasekura Tsunenaga’s 1613 Vatican embassy. Curators point to vivid examples: a bronze breastplate meant to stop match‑lock bullets, a women’s firefighting jacket embroidered with water motifs, and Kawanabe Kyōsai’s satirical frog battle that evaded censorship. A 15th‑century blade carried by General Itagaki during World II underscores how the samurai sword was repurposed for modern nationalism. By exposing these layers, the show argues that the samurai’s legacy is less a static symbol than a flexible cultural toolkit that has been mobilized for statecraft, commercial branding, and global pop culture. Understanding this fluidity helps businesses and creators navigate Japan’s heritage in contemporary design, media, and international relations.