The Life of a Samurai

Luke Roberts, professor in the History department at UCSB, kicked off April with a First Thursday presentation on the life of samurai, Mori Yoshiki. Although Yoshiki was an average samurai, he was exceptional in his documentation of his life through personal diaries, letters and accounts from family and friends. Roberts outlined the daily life of samurai, including philosophies of child-rearing, architectural features of samurai houses, common hobbies and the rules by which samurai must live. Ultimately, Luke emphasized the constant conflict between the philosophy of violence within samurai culture and the reality of peace throughout most of Yoshiki’s lifetime.