WIRED Japanese Expert Historian Talks About Samurai

[@metatronyt]

Link to the original video kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3bTlWWJi9xjfJo Also if you like what I do and wish to support my work to help me make sure that I can continue to tell it how it is please consider checking out my patreon! Unboxings are Patreon exclusives! www.patreon.com/themetatron Join this channel to get access to more old school Metatron videos the algorithm wouldn't prioritize! kzbin.info/door/IjGKyrdT4Gja0VLO40RlOwjoin

[@jensbond93]

@@metatronyt at 24:00 you messed up the camera. Can you add subtitles?

[@brokeandtired]

Translated to American...Spear = M16, Sword = Pistol....you can carry a sword everyday, but when you war you use the Spear. The Sword like a Glock today is a sidearm.

[@augustozambrano]

I am not involved with any agenda. So, please take this seriously: I ask you to think very hard about the topic of race in Egypt and update your views to better represent the historical facts. The reason I ask you this, is that I believe this is the single most important topic you've discussed in your channel, and after further investigating it, I decided to invite you to offer your many viewers an updated top quality well researched video; and I think this topic deserves the absolute best you are capable of.

[@arielquelme]

I think you should put similar Criticism towards Thomas Lockley

[@augustozambrano]

@@arielquelme Acknowledging the truth won't cure cancer, if that's your point, but it won't hurt anyone either. Furthermore, I only heard of those black channels because of Metatron. I went there looking to have a laugh, thinking that they were woke idiots, and what I found out, I don't want to say it, but it shocked me. I will be VERY honest here: I am a racist. I do not hate or try to hurt anyone, but I accept facts regarding IQ studies. Likewise, I invite you to do the same and embrace the truth wether you like it or not. Do not create EXCUSES. Kidnapping history is EVIL and UGLY. Full period.

[@Glegionar]

This is something that people keep missing when talking about a samurai. Samurai existed for something about 1000 years! How could you expect to give a general answer to questions about them without specifying which period we are talking about?

[@moiseman]

less than that

[@hype3074]

​@@moiseman Samurai were born in Japan during the Heian period 794-1185 and existed until the Civil War of 1877, so they have been around for about a thousand years.

[@moiseman]

@@hype3074 lol no, the term appeared at the end of the heian period. That's effectively 600 years, not 1000

[@debishvebishwish4839]

@@moiseman600 years is still too many years lol

[@Glegionar]

@@moiseman do keep in mind that I'm talking about the people owing land and weapons that are commonly referred to as samurai even though the word appeared much later and it meant the actual job of serving (in arms) someone of higher status. And they appeared around the ninth century. So yeah, it is a thousand years, but even 600 hundred years, man, that's a lot of time too! Think about the history of your nation and how much it changed in 600 hundred years.

[@thomaspunt2646]

1:00 Correct me if I'm wrong, but the stigma behind tattoos in Japan is because tattoos are heavily connected with the Yakuza.

[@LordSleven]

That's what I was told too

[@somedude7938]

Yes, but the practice of tattooing repeat offenders predates the Yakuza (by a 1000 years, conservatively). So while you are of course correct, a more accurate (pedantic) way to put it is that tattoos are heavily connected with criminals in general, the Yakuza being the most prominent and visible of that category.

[@Scopatone]

That's the modern day stigma yes. The caveat is that obviously nobody thinks a foreigner is Yakuza or a Japanese person with a butterfly tattoo is Yakuza. When you're denied entry to places for having tattoos, majority of the time its a precaution to not make other customers uncomfortable and lose business. I got compliments on my tattoos from random people on the street, from young to elderly, every few days in the 2 years I lived there. It's mostly a business precaution.

[@TheMasterblah]

​@@Scopatone yeah, denying service to avoid making their customers uncomfortable is pretty common. At least in Okinawa we'd get refused service in some places because the local regulars didn't like us lol

[@onliwankannoli]

@@TheMasterblahI got kicked out of a bookstore in Tokyo (in Akihabara, of all places) basically for being a foreigner. The owner/manager came up to me and said “No English!” I thought at first he was just saying he didn’t have books in English, but then he got up in my face and said it a second time, making himself very clear. So I left.

[@kenwarren9450]

I'm an old dude, and it's rare for me to see/read/hear about something totally new...but I had absolutely no idea that "Samurai swimming techniques" was a thing. Thank you! Nothing is more fun than learning something unexpected!

[@Riceball01]

They need to do the same with HEMA now.

[@kaltaron1284]

I learned this by pure accident in Tokushima IIRC. It wasn't a very widespread thing.

[@sanguinembwun6475]

@@Riceball01it was probably the same in Europe and everywhere else they wore armor! It would be a necessity to know how to swim in armor so that troops didn’t drown in costal battles and river crossings!

[@GuitarsRockForever]

Swimming in metal armor is badass no matter who did it.

[@FoxToxic-l8e]

Huh. Anyone remember the movie "The Profesional"? Samurai: First the bow, then the spear, then the sword. The Profesional: First the sniper rifle, then the pistol, then the knife.

[@calibri1182]

Leon. Great film.

[@andyking957]

Urushi laquer still is widely used in Japan for different traditional laquer work widely, also for eating and tea bowls. It is not toxic at all, but the unhardened resin highly allergic for a number of people. But if you are not allergic to it, you still migth develop allergy but until then are in no danger at all. The hardened laquer is not dangerous. At least as important is the loss of artisans who can do a proper urushi laquer.

[@kohakuaiko]

It's still very popular in the fountain pen community. Namiki makes some beautiful urushi pens (that are far outside my price range).

[@tsukuneboy]

Japanese watch companies also use it

[@outboundflight4455]

Isn't Urushi lacquer also used on Nihonto? What lacquer is used today?

[@trenae77]

Define transformative work - we come for a video on Samurai; we leave with a lesson on Japanese culture and a deeper appreciation of both the original presenter and Metatron as well.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

I thought this video is just Metatron practicing his Japanese that and advertisement for pitch accent could do a collaboration with Dogen.

[@captaindanger13]

@@southcoastinventors6583 yo that would be epic if he did a collab with Dogen

[@quicksimplebeauty]

your comment about Japanese people saying "I think" as a way of being humble and polite: now I understand when I listen to Hiroyuki Sanada interviews and he says "I think" after a declarative statement...💡🤯 makes sense now. :D thank you

[@Frank_Costanzas_Lawyer]

It's just not the same without Metatron reminding us that he's spread his wings.

[@PeteDeKiwi]

Yet another deep dive reaction that builds on the knowledge gained. Thank you. Looking forward to part 2.

[@whatisgoingonherebruh1]

Deep dive? Half the video this white guy is talking about whether the JAPANESE guy is speaking proper Japanese. And surprise surprise, he is 🤯

[@grawman67]

​@@whatisgoingonherebruh1What's with the attitude? Why make it about race?

[@whatisgoingonherebruh1]

@@grawman67 I knew some obtuse catamite was gonna come here with some moronic reply. NON-japanese guy... better?

[@nickwells20]

The swimming in armor is very impressive. Most people don't even realize that trying to swim fully clothed with jeans and shirt and boots or leather dress shoes is much more difficult than just a bathing suit. Especially when it comes to the footwear you are wearing. Your feet become cinder blocks and treading water becomes a brutal task very quickly lol.

[@AJ-HawksToxicFinger]

exactly. The rumor is the dungarees they issue in the US Navy have bell bottoms so you can easily remove them in the water- least that's what they told us in boot camp back in the day

[@sethprice241]

I learned that in the Boy Scouts back in the '80's. Also how to turn your blue jeans into a flotation device. Back when they actually taught you survival skills.

[@grawman67]

​@@sethprice241That would be very handy. Makes me wish I stick with the Scouts longer

[@alexanderren1097]

I bet I know how that armor swimming thing started: A bunch of young Samuai sitting around a campfire next to a river or lake, bored because they’re not expecting any fighting any time soon, one of them says “Here hold my sake. Hey y’all watch this!” Either that or it was a dare or bet.

[@kwangsoo515]

Fits with human nature, the European tale of Beowulf included a swimming contest with the men wearing armor. If I remember correctly.

[@alexanderren1097]

@ Hah! I think you’re right. I forgot about that

[@Pedro_Colicigno]

A few minutes into it an officer comes by and sees them all wet and in armor and asks what they were doing: "Er, we were training, sir! Yeah, training how to... uhm... cross a river in battle to help... uhm... encircling, sir!". And then they had to show to the rest of the unit hahaha

[@alexanderren1097]

@@Pedro_Colicigno Officer: “Good work boys! I’m giving you a field promotion to training the rest of the army how to do this!”

[@johnrobinson3117]

HA the naginata! Apparently "Wired" was a bit "tired" that day. It's also worth pointing out "jujutsu" wasn't even in the lexicon for most of samurai history; it began with kogusoku - the concept of being "disarmed" in battle or being "underarmed" in a domestic setting and trying to win with shorter edged weapons.

[@caan_69420]

one day metatron will remember the exact ratio between gunners and archers, but today is not that day

[@kaltaron1284]

Although as usual the answer is "It varied." So we'd have to look at specific examples.

[@lolnoobus]

After 1700 it was 1 bow per 3 guns, that what i thinked... but I failed to find gun range in Nissinkan, while it looks like they haved open archer field. What the fuck? While in other place it was 3 gun ranges and one archer field. It looks like guns and bows was a rare for a samurai.

[@kaltaron1284]

@@lolnoobus Are we talking the Nisshinkan in Aizu-Wakamatsu? That was established in 1801 and the schools mandate was "to prepare boys for future careers serving Aizu as samurai-administrators".

[@lolnoobus]

@kaltaron1284 May be Information about samurai in english are... they put this Nisshinkan right next to samurai military school (?) with gun training field in other part of the country without any explanation, damn it, and then, like "you see, the samurai was are warriors and their training was sooo diverse and they studied all of this". And I was like - Wha...! Something is wrong!

[@kaltaron1284]

@@lolnoobus Unfortunately I have quite some trouble understanding you.

[@shidoumezawa]

When you mentioned swiming in samurai armor, i thought of some sort of scrooge mcduck kind of thing, jumping into a pile of samurai armors 😂

[@moristar]

Interesting point on politeness in not being too certain. Norwegian culture also has a lot of this. It is common to say "Jeg tror at" (I believe that) when you are saying something that is absolutely a fact. The language expects to be indirect and always leaving room for others to exit an awkward situation.

[@O_Nao-Conformista]

I watched this expert answers video and my immediate reaction was "Metatron must react to this"

[@whatisgoingonherebruh1]

Why is that? This white dude spends half the video om whether or not the JAPANESE dude is speaking proper Japanese lol. Nobody gives a fk if he lived in Japan for a few years or whether or not the japense guy is using a proper word. He should just talk about the fking video if hes gonna do 0-effort content like react videos

[@bestthingsinceslicedrice]

"Too much confidence is considered rude" As an Asian who immigrated here in America and came accross people that speak to the point they act like they know it all and shocked about the amount of arrogance displayed most of the time. When you mention the cultural aspect on that. It confirmed my sanity

[@outboundflight4455]

Japanese integrity and etiquette is the peak of human behavior. We should all follow its example.

[@mandowarrior123]

It's confidence building towards others, not arrogance per se, culture clash issue. Sometimes it is arrogance, but if you aren't very socially aware it can be tricky to differentiate.

[@bestthingsinceslicedrice]

"but if you aren't very socially aware it can be tricky to differentiate" Thats what I have seen with some Americans I have encountered. They are very unaware or dont care how they come of when they should be capable to discern something as basic as that. Think Frank Dux/Steven Segal levels of arrogance as if they are still in elementary trying to impress others so bad to the point they love hearing themselves talk. Its quite cringey

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

Maybe they do know it all. Europeans generally like to express themselves without having to kowtow and kiss arse.

[@bestthingsinceslicedrice]

@Ponto-zv9vf what ever happened to modesty, being respectful specially to older generation and lastly being open minded to other possibilities? Virtues used to be present in the West and if you dont have this you are considered uncivilized.

[@Josqua-93]

Hey Metatron, would you be interested in making a Video about Nioh 2? I've seen you got a rather old and quite short one about the first game already and I'd be interested in seeing your review as well as commentary on the historical accuracy of the depicted events and characters and the accuracy in the depiction of mythological events and yokai in the game. Nioh 2 is already a few years old now as well (2020), so I'm not sure how well such a video would do, but I would definitely be interested in a more in depth experience than your video on the first Nioh game this time.

[@grawman67]

Agreed. Seeing him discuss Ghost of Tsushima would be great too

[@TalesofDawnandDusk]

This video was so perfectly acceptable that there really isn't much to say about it that I have nothing much to say about it despite running in Japanese history circles. Well done video, I only wish I had more to say.

[@batbite_]

24:00 *untranslated Japanese* - "nice"

[@seymourfields3613]

I'm seven minutes in and everything has either been, "Guy talks, Raph reiterates in English." Or I'm just sitting here thinking, "Those are definitely the noises and cadence of a language."

[@batbite_]

@seymourfields3613 24:00 gonna be... something then 🩷

[@mrkiky]

@@batbite_ He says "tsugi no go-shitsumon" which means "next question" and then proceeds to read the question which is "what period did samurai used katana the most and what was the main weapon before that?"

[@vgb3693]

I think how jiujitsu is pronounced is also connected to how bartitsu uses itsu at the end, both have roots in juujutsu. maybe westerners at that time have trouble saying the utsu so became itsu for more simplicity based on how their tongue is used to. Jiujitsu has japanese same as bartitsu, jiujutsu is established by brazilians and bartitsu is by englishman.

[@tomriddle3784]

I knew you were going to cover this when I watched it last night, haha

[@Enochulator]

I liked the bit where we got a full screen of Metatron watching the video.

[@songyani3992]

21：28 Just to make an addition, toyotomi hideyoshi was the person who banned peasants from wearing samurai swords and clothes. He did it despite or because of his own rising from peasant status.

[@outboundflight4455]

Exactly. He only wanted that honor for himself. It's also possible he didn't want to be associated with his peasant past once he assended.

[@songyani3992]

@@outboundflight4455 I would also think having obtained the top place in the social hierarchy he knew how easy it is to crumble because he himself was able to break the obstacles. If he can do it anyone can and I think he‘s afraid to lose all those power. “Protecting the establishment” I should say

[@outboundflight4455]

@songyani3992 I see, good point. He was gatekeeping his path to success.

[@mandowarrior123]

​@@outboundflight4455'pulling up the ladder' it is called. For example Peter Dinklage refused to work on Snow White unless he was the only dwarf they hired.

[@DieGoetterdaemmerung]

Oddly enough the etymology of Knight in english is similar, coming from the german Knecht which describes a servant, in german though a knight was a Ritter which specifically referred to them being on horseback and a men at arms would be a Waffenknecht, a Weapon-servant, although a men at arms on horseback would still be a Waffenknecht regardless. It's just odd that Knecht/Knight became the word for a lower nobility social class in english while the same word was used for exclusively those who did not belong to said social class in german.

[@christiansorensen7567]

It's amazing watching the historical archer training in Japan. They train to pull their bow arm in immediately after loosing arrows, so the armor-gap in their armor is not exposed for any longer than it has to be. Without the basics on the armor, like he's teaching, you can't appreciate the tradition of the training.

[@LastGoatKnight]

Now this reminded me of something. I live with my family and thus I have access to toys that my siblings own technically. One such toy is a "ninja sword", a plastic replica of a Wakizashi (of my size, so an average height 20yo). For multiple times, as someone who never wielded a sword in their lives, it was so natural to unsheet the blade, cut with it and put it back that I didn't have to think at all. Which means that I either have an innate natural talent with the blade or the blade it was replicated from is such a good design. But then again, it's just a cheap analog for a real blade, which doesn't mean anything but still.

[@fattiger6957]

drawing and sheathing a curved blade is just easier than with a straight sword.

[@grawman67]

The design is why. A curved blade is much easier to unsheath

[@balintkovacs4089]

Let us not forget that for the samurai, learning these things was career AND lifestyle. For the modern practitioner, it is 'only' a career at most, but for the majority a hobby or exercise or skill learning. And the dividing factor is time: the warriors of historical ages could dedicate their entire day to the aspects of their profession - not only the physical of course - whereas people today are like "yeah I can manage a couple hours 1-2 times a week for a hobby or maybe a couple hours daily if I do it more seriously, but then I got job, kids, travel, etc to do". Ironically the more productive our world gets the less free time we allow ourselves.

[@maximusd26]

14:35 Hideyoshi, the monkey-faced sandal bearer, must have had one of history's greatest ascension to power

[@fattiger6957]

He also seemed to go more than a little crazy after he attained that power. I've heard speculation that he invaded Korea with the end goal of installing himself as Emperor of China. I can't speak for the voracity of that, but based on his action Hideoyoshi didn't seem like a very nice person (no worse than the other 2 great unifiers, though)

[@josecoronadonieto6911]

​@@fattiger6957 Loved his representation in Nioh 2, i still consider it one of the best games of all time

[@Zetact_]

​@@fattiger6957 There's a figure named "Mashiba Hisayoshi" who is obviously a thinly veiled version of Hideyoshi as an antagonistic force is present in many kabuki plays.

[@loneshinobi2682]

@@josecoronadonieto6911there’s even a great piece of dialogue in Nioh 1 when Anjin is being shared Nobunaga’s guardian spirit and Nobunaga explains to Anjin that his path is one that is now treaded by the monkey and the tanuki which is a reference of course to Hideyoshi and Ieyasu

[@outboundflight4455]

As well as Hitler, failed university art student turned leader of 1940s Germany.

[@dotanon]

I think a lot of the points of disagreement stem from one focusing on the idea of a full scale battle on even terms. But the reality of warfare is, that's a lot less common than the constant tiny scuffles that happen day to day. A party encountering a small enemy force, intercepting supply caravans, attacking smaller groups on the outskirts of a hot area, etc. I can imagine that might be where saying that they didn't generally use katanas comes from. If you can win a battle without it getting to that point, you'll 100% do it that way. This makes sense especially if you think of it in terms of the lifestyle rather than the big defining battles.

[@amacadre]

Mononofu was also used commonly for warriors. Musha was still used in the context of martial arts, for musha shugyo, travelling across the country to train at several dojo. By the way, urushi is still used. It irritates the skin when not cured, but it is safe to eat from lacquered dishes. New armour made in the traditional way, and dishes, etc. are still made with urushi. There IS cashew lacquer which is less toxic and cures faster and more easily. Prof. Conlan reported data for wounds. There was a trend for arrow and sword wounds first (14th century) that evolved into arrows, spears, and guns.

[@aegishjallmur8827]

23:59 it appears you've forgotten to switch to the video :p

[@augustleo8368]

This is a more appropriate video to ask my question. While you were living in Japan, Metatron, did you ever play the game Go; and what did you think of it? Also known as Igo, Baduk, and Weiquei.

[@grawman67]

I'd love to see Raf discuss various old games from different ancient cultures. Go is a lot of fun

[@minoru-kk]

Bushis role as horse archers should be better known

[@andreavyas7480]

You are correct. That image is not a yari, but a naginata.

[@1208muciek]

Superb show! I love Japanese and Japan... Despite the fact I know almost everything but still fun to watch!

[@P.T.S.E.]

24:00 The video turns Souls-like for me, who is not understanding Japanese and trying to figure out what is being said from Metatron's reactions.

[@Regalia85]

Am I the only time traveller from 1855?

[@grawman67]

Sorry, I'm from 1755...

[@RavenOConnor]

The Wired arc continues! :D

[@zdkygnofda]

Hey Metatron, I'm Japanese and I'm always amazed at your knowledge. When you were talking about beards, do you know where that picture of Hideyoshi Toyotomi with a thick beard that you showed on Google came from?I thought it was very different from the Toyotomi Hideyoshi paintings we Japanese know, and the art style seemed a bit different from the Japanese ones.If you could look into it, please do!

[@FENomadtrooper]

16:30 I'm learning Jp and wondered why he said "I think" thanks for clearing that up.

[@TheGhost-7002]

Metatron, since you are who likes to speak of historical truths and avoiding the spread of myths, misconceptions, and lies, PLEASE check out the Shogunate’s interview with Thomas Conlan (the one where they are discussing his role as a historical advisor for the game Warlord Awaji). He says A LOT of stuff that goes against what many, including yourself, have believed about the Samurai. There are a lot of misconceptions and historical myths that he clears up that you yourself have repeated (particularly regarding the Takeda). I found it a massive Eye opener and I am eager to see your POV on what he has to say.

[@Perceval777]

I've read most of Thomas Conlan's publications and have watched many interviews/lecture videos with him. He is correct about many things and has done great work in samurai history, but is also many times wrong. He is wrong about Medieval Japan being some kind of multicultural society (the Korean artisan migrants would have already been Japanese by that time), he is wrong about women samurai, and he does not understand how bows work (I don't mean to be rude, I just know because I practice archery and have real life experience, while he could not explain the difference between a short composite bow and the Japanese longbow during one lecture). In his 2003 book on warfare, he is wrong on many levels about the weapons and how they perform (he claimed you couldn't use naginata and nagamaki on horseback and that naginata and axes would break easily because they had a wooden shaft - statements that have aged really poorly). His take on the Takeda during the Shogunate's interview was probably more to provoke people and he probably meant the Takeda as a whole during all of their history, not Shingen specifically. Oda Nobunaga himself said in a letter that the only man he is afraid of is Takeda Shingen - why would Nobunaga say such a thing if the Takeda were weak? In addition, Tokugawa Ieyasu had to run for his life from them after their crushing victory (and he even soiled his pants - a true story). Also, Conlan is right that Takeda's lands were poor but that's exactly what made them more resilient, hardy and expansionist. The Takeda during Takeda Shingen specifically, were absolutely a very powerful clan. Karl Friday is a better historian when it comes to samurai history and warfare, and even Stephen Turnbull in his latest books has been a lot more right than wrong. If you go through the samurai history, martial arts and warfare pages and groups in Facebook, you'll see that many learned and educated people disagree with Conlan and question many of his statements.

[@amacadre]

​@@Perceval777what did you think about his paper on the limits of loyalty, and the one about the Ouchi plan to move the emperor to Yamaguchi ? I have only read him and Friday, and a bit Souyri. I dismissed what I read from Turnbull because he made several weird mistakes in his book on katana, and did not seem to use primary sources in his Osprey book on samurai.

[@Perceval777]

@@amacadre Was that the paper from 1999? I suppose you mean the one about how some samurai would turn up for a battle, give their document as proof they're taking part, and then leave right before the battle, and how many samurai were first and foremost loyal to their families, not their lords, so they switched sides often - I think that's some of Conlan's great work. Samurai being loyal to their family in order to insure its long-term survival in times of constant turmoil is quite understandable and human, if you ask me. I still haven't read his newest book - I think that's where he's written about the Ouchi and their plans about the imperial family. He just mentioned it briefly in the interview, it was the first time I heard it and was very interesting. Concerning Turnbull - yeah, he's made lots of mistakes, not just about the katana. But most of his newer books (from about 2020 onward) are much better researched and he does use many primary sources, his "Ninja: Unmasking the Myth" from 2018 and "Weapons of the Samurai" from 2021 are good examples. He still relies a bit too much on literary, fictional sources which exaggerate and dramatize, but still not bad overall. Also, Turnbull actually understands what's the difference between the short composite bow and the longbow, so he gets points from me for that as well, hahah.

[@amacadre]

@Perceval777 the paper by Conlan about loyalty was in 1997 in the book The origins of Japan's medieval world. The Ouchi story is from 2015. I enjoyed them both very much (although I don't have the background to check the sources) since they give a lot of nuance and humanity to the bushi world (as in not fanatically loyal and not all complete turncoats either). Thank you for the info on Turnbull, I will check his recent work. By Conlan, I recently read Samurai and the warrior culture of Japan 471-1877, and like you said, some of his interpretations were strange (he seems to find it strange that warriors had no issue using the "sneaky" bow, but despised the naginata).

[@lordvlygar2963]

28:30. I thought they had shields that were almost as tall as the person and it was attached to their back. It was removable and tapered at the bottom so it could be driven into soil. What am I thinking of then?

[@EternalVirgin]

I think that's pavise shields which were used by crossbowmen in Europe as a portable makeshift barricade. If I remember correctly the Japanese quickly phased out from developing shield technology after only utilizing tedate (literal meaning "hand-shield"), a small buckler-sized rectangular shield commonly used only for scaling ladders during a castle assault. They instead shifted to develop their armors which is why their oo-yoroi (at least the first types) have so many large flat surfaces, so it kind of functions as a "portable shields attached to your body".

[@flea874]

I was surprised that I felt completely comfortable with the Japanese pronunciation and intonation. I am Japanese, so I could only understand the English part through the translation function, but at least I could understand that they were not saying anything wrong. I am sorry if there are any strange parts because I am going through a translation tool.

[@Eldiran1]

Even if it's not on the other channel, i like when you correct pitch or give so explanation about it. Also i didn't know about the tradition of swiming in armor, it's an interesting one.

[@johnhodgdon2434]

Spears are like the ultimate melee weapon, they are just op, you only abandon your spear if it's damaged or someone manages to get past the lethal part and you need a closer defense, bows are like the penultimate ranged weapon because very few people can dodge or deflect arrows.

[@mandowarrior123]

What are arrows if not spears with slightly longer range? And are swords not simply spears with short handles and long heads? And is an axe not merely a short poleax? And that is essentially just a type of spear.

[@user-qr5kg8qf2w]

Old swims from the days of the Samurai still take place in Japan. Perhaps travelers can also participate. However, the application form is mostly in Japanese.

[@stanislavkolacny609]

I love Your short commentary in Japanesse during his talking.

[@gattaca5911]

I would not translate "jutsu" as "art" in this context (technique, skill) because there is a distinction between justsu & "道" post warring states period where it changed from "jujutsu" to "judo" (more like "art" / "way").

[@Grosswick]

I had some lifeguard training when I was younger, and our trainer asked us once to bring extra set of clothes. He asked us to do our regular routine swimming schedule, or more like a warm-up if the full clothing. Oh boy. This was like swimming with another person on your back trying to pull you down under. This was meant to show us how stupid it is to jump into water in clothes, and also to show us that someone may make saving them harder when you try to pull them out, even if unintentional (they may panic or be scared of you, or don;t know how to swim at all). That said, seeing people jump into water in freaking suit of armor? This is more challenging than it may look like!

[@zachm2331]

Did Stuart figure out that the title said ‘Wired expert’ and not ‘weird expert?’

[@eranshachar9954]

Metatron you know I like you but I want to give you some constructive feedback so please take it seriously- If you'd be so kind to let the experts talk first, finish what they have to say and then start talking. If there are points you want to talk about and afraid you would forget, you can write in down quickly in your phone or even a paper note whatever. Not that you are not interesting because you are, otherwise I wouldn't be here.

[@mandowarrior123]

Unfortunately that is not possible in online discord due to content detection algorithms.

[@eranshachar9954]

@@mandowarrior123 Oh I see. I thought he was doing this on purpose.

[@richardtreat7955]

I got yelled at buy a Armorer in Yokosuka Japan. I almost touched, the suit of Samurai armor on display in his shop. It was beautiful.

[@josecoronadonieto6911]

Metatron really writing in mayus block

[@bushy9780]

metatron really exhibiting his breadth of knowledge in this video. Learned a lot from this one.

[@stevemann6528]

I reckon the problem is the shows format the Historians have to give quick form answers after each question which stops the speaker going into any sort of depth.

[@jakepistolero]

i guess the japanese watching samurai swimming might feel similar mexicans watching the traditional mesoamerican ball game, nice. good for them, keeping traditions alive

[@theguyfromsaturn]

The samurai swimming competition answered a question I always had. I get that it's hard to swim, you probably couldn't do it for long, but it always bothered me that whatever the degree of coverage, Hollywood always kind of had an armored dude in the water=dead dude. I had a feeling it wasn't the case, but no way to confirm.

[@TheUnhappyTroll]

"It is a common misconception that Zanpatsu Datto Rei by all mean ordered the forcible hair cutting by forbidding topknots, but rather, it conveyed a freedom of hairstyle. People like Kenkichi SAKAKIBARA kept his topknot even after the edict was officially announced, but was not punished in any ways. "

[@VariantAEC]

When people say I have a baby face, I'm going to give them a link to the first Japanese historians' video.

[@NathanAdams-v4c]

I Bow to the long forgotten, the great Oda Nobunaga

[@mrkiky]

I mean, he's anything but forgotten. He's quite famous.

[@grawman67]

Nobunaga is very famous. The fact we know who he is in America shows that. Let alone the countless literature, films and shows, and video games about him in Japan

[@dante040]

The fact metatron was watching a gaming historian video just tickles me for some reason

[@grawman67]

Raf is a big gamer and has a second channel called the Protectorate where he talks about retro gaming. It's awesome!

[@chuiduma]

Great video except for the end where i had no idea what you were talking about lol. At least you eventually realized but missed out on a whole segment before that 🙃

[@hound3000]

I really appreciate your opinions on this.

[@davidfromkyushu6870]

Living in Japan, I've found that when someone says "maybe" they're making a hard factual statement. It took awhile to get used to, because my girlfriend (now wife) would do this when I asked her a question. "Maybe the shop is closed. Maybe the sign on the door says 5 PM. Maybe I have a picture of the sign."

[@mrkiky]

What kind of "maybe" do you mean? Or do you mean in English?

[@davidfromkyushu6870]

@@mrkiky In English; Metatron was talking about how even an expert will say "I think" when discussing something he knows for certain. This was my personal experience with that way of speaking with my girlfriend.

[@mrkiky]

@@davidfromkyushu6870 So you're talking specifically about "to omoimasu" ? Because I don't really get "maybe" vibes from that.

[@dotanon]

@@mrkiky to omoimasu is just saying "i think". I think is simply expressing that you aren't confident enough to say something with 100% certainty. Maybe also expresses uncertainty. Strictly semantically it's different, but if you look at language as symbols being used pragmatically then it makes perfect sense. You hear Japanese people use "tabun" as well, which is similar.

[@emmettturner9452]

So in the music video for Daft Punk - Infinity Repeating, the flooded walking samurai was accurate? Who knew.

[@arielquelme]

I think you should put similar Criticism towards Thomas Lockley

[@kingcyberkawaii5981]

I wish you do a video on musashi miyamoto, keiji maeda, and tadakatsu Honda. Would love to see a video on those 3 maybe even kojiro musashi most famous duel

[@fmas1978]

17:05 looking back at my forty six years on this rock I must admit, the "polite Japanese expressions' are The UItimate of Politeness of This World

[@jensbond93]

24:00 any subtitles? Can't see the video...

[@ntema3475]

かとおもいますーーを、歴史資料から推測するため断定しない事まで説明される、メタトロン先生は素晴らしいですね！！　　丁寧な解説と翻訳、ありがとうございます！ 呪術＝Jujutsu　　　Sorcery 柔術＝Juujitsu・Jiu-jits 弓術＝Kyujutsu　　traditional education in archery

[@gattaca5911]

You said "paper" as if it was silly but Yakuza still use "paper" in their sarashi to protect against stab wounds....

[@everdinestenger1548]

Didn't Japanes horsemen use silken capes to shield the from arrows? Because the capes were floating there was nothing for the arrow to pierce.

[@amacadre]

It's held at several points on the back so it inflates with the wind like a balloon, yes, to stop arrows.

[@everdinestenger1548]

@@amacadre You put it into words better than I did 👍

[@roll-panna]

For exactly the purpose you describe,ancient riding warriors sometimes wore a cloak called a "holo" on their backs. 　During the Sengoku period, a bamboo frame was placed inside the cloak and the holo was round like a balloon. 　There was a small elite team of mounted samurai known as the "holo-shu," about ten of the most martial and talented samurais were selected for the holo-shu from among the vassals. Being selected as a holo-shu was the highest honor for a vassals. 　Holo-shu were allowed to wear a special color holo.Famous holo-shu were Nobunaga's "red holoshu" and "black holoshu" and Hideyoshi's "yellow holoshu. Among the famous samurai, Toshiie Maeda was from the red holo-shu and Narimasa Sasa was from the black holo-shu. Now,You can see red holoshu,japanese reading AKA HOLO SHUU,at the Hyakumangoku procession in Kanazawa in June. thank you for interested in japanese history!

[@everdinestenger1548]

@@roll-panna Thank you for the information, I never knew these were elite samurais.

[@lauralackner6856]

I wouldn't get into a pool covered in phone books 😅

[@pinocciokun]

You are right. Samurai did use swords. May be he wanted to correct the false image of samurai using swords as a main weapon in every battle fields. Well, It depend on where they fight. On the field or in the building.

[@gagamba9198]

Samurai synchronised swimming.

[@ScottyAlmondjoy]

daiyo = innit

[@mrkiky]

"da ne" would be closer to "innit"

[@kohakuaiko]

だよ is more like "I'm telling you, man"

[@angelhurtado55]

17:17 wonder how well does that work in court for a lawyer?

[@kaltaron1284]

AFAIK the -jitsu thing comes from Brazil. I wonder where that swimming event was held, maybe someone can tell from the mon or the banners. IIRC I learned about this in Takamatsu. I thought the tsukaeru he used meant 使える to be used but could also be 仕える to serve, to work for. Japanese is fun. Kizoku 貴族 literally means noble/esteemed/precious family. Yeah, Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose up incredibly far. Then burnt the ladder behind him so to speak. And then his son got betrayed at least in part because of his low origin. IIRC Hideyoshi was most famous for his organizational talent. Do you remember the story of the three unifiers and the nightingale? That tsuba in the picture looks a bit bigger than modern ones. Interesting for another recent topic. I guess it's fair to say that when most people hear Samurai they will think of the way they at the end of the Edo Jidai or Bakumatsu. Those rules had been introduced by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Iyeyasu and kept more or less unchanged for over 200 years. They were so rigih and ingrained into the people that when the Bakufu ultimately lost, some people were in shock. There was a short-lived phenomenon call Ee ja nai ka (ええじゃないか, lit. 'isn't it good' more like "does it matter?") . Another way to get swords and other weapons was of course the looting of battlefields. I disagree a bit that there were no wars but they were local upraisings and small compared to the chaos of the Sengoku Jidai. Great video. Both the original and the reaction.

[@shoecheto]

I love how you pronounce Latin and Japanese.

[@boraonline7036]

Metatron: "He is speaking about castles now, so I should call Shad..." Me: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!""

[@Likexner]

Dread it, run from it, it will come all the same. MACHICOLATIOOOOOOOON-ZAH!!!

[@unisophia]

why did they use laquer on their armour instead of bluing it?

[@MrHalcyon89]

Possibly prettier? Same way many European armours were painted before victorian collectors 'restored' them.

[@mrkiky]

Maybe they didn't have the chemicals for bluing, and also bluing is not that corrosion resistant, especially on an island nation.

[@amacadre]

​@@mrkikythey had, artisans use several mixtures to form stable iron oxide to protect from rusting. These are used for iron tsuba and cast iron items like kettles. It's usually controlled rusting followed by baking on oil or lacquer.

[@amacadre]

Waterproof and more colours. It can also be used on leather.

[@mrkiky]

@@amacadre I can only imagine because lacquer would not be able to last on those items and maybe moisture was more manageable on a tsuba compared to on an entire armor.

[@edoardoprevelato6577]

If Shiroyama by Sabaton isn't quoted, we riot

[@nLocky]

Is it? Do we riot now?

[@chase5298]

sabaton fans are so cringe lol

[@edoardoprevelato6577]

@@chase5298 how so?

[@JackoBlades]

The dawn of destiny draws near, imperial force defied, facing 500 samurai

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

My knowledge come from films. You have done reactions to Gladiator, maybe do reactions to the way Samurai are depicted on film.

[@tindekappa9047]

My main issue with this show is they make it seem like it's their fans who asked them these questions but sometimes the tweets they respond to are like 10 years old. Meaning they make their guests respond to some 10 year old tweet about the Roman Empire from a guy with 2 followers.

[@StacyBaldwin-qv5cj]

My friend the Marine Corps doesn't have soldiers, they have Marines. The army has soldiers.

[@python27au]

25:06 sorry dude, I don’t speak Japanese so i’m kinda lost without the subtitles.

[@bcan664]

At 24:00 - can we get subtitles… not Japanese fluent 😅

[@kevinzanuar5492]

Please react to their Wild West Episode, it's genuinely one of the most fun episode they have.

[@caravaneerkhed]

Technically jujutsu and the more common western jiu jitsu is not the same thing. As jiu jitsu is formed in Brazil and I think it’s more based in judo then Japanese jujutsu. I may be wrong about that but regardless that’s why there is a difference in pronunciation.

[@sasshiro]

Anyone in 1600?

[@TheBakaslayer]

metatron have you watched much anime ? how about a list of good period anime? you like kenshin?

[@crbgo9854]

You should ask sensei la Dew about samurai

[@maholob3302]

メタトロンさんの知識量は素晴らしい。異文化の事を把握するのはとても難しい事だと思うけど、貴方のは把握能力はとても正確。

[@mm-yt8sf]

judging from the armor on the table few people know that samurai were a little over a foot tall...but they were fierce! people kept petting them so they had to wear angry looking monster masks to deter that

[@スカシレコクサモナカ]

Judging by the matchlock gun on the table, I think the samurai was about 6 inches tall.

[@chichiboypumpi]

Just ask Shogo

[@Mel-he9dh]

That would be legendary

[@nny2055]

He's not the best. He's a Japanese guy who speaks English, but he doesn't really know much about anything.

[@LastGoatKnight]

​@@nny2055he knows just enough

[@nny2055]

@LastGoatKnight Yeah, he is just normal guy.

[@kaijuslayer3334]

@LastGoatKnight He tends to regurgitate the more stereotypical stuff about samurai and feudal Japan. Like emphasis on the sword and Bushido being a very hard set rule that dictated everything the samurai did. I guess his info isn’t bad looking at late Edo period, but what he says hardly applies well to the Sengoku or earlier periods. Especially in regard to him talking about Ninja.

[@janwojtyna3392]

How bout story about Legio IX

[@jeffzeiler346]

Fascinating. I knew much of the lecture content, but none of the linguistic details and social minutiae. Thanks.

[@The7thSid]

Great work as always, Metatron. I understand it's fairly common practice to refer to the members of a given nation's military as "soldiers" at large, but wanted to gently point out that U.S Marines in particular get prickly about being called "soldiers". No offense offered and none taken, of course, just a fun little cultural touch stone I thought I'd pass along.