Samurai 侍  bushi 武士

Although the origins of a Japanese warrior elite can be traced back to the 3rd century, the terms bushi (“military” and “nobleman”) and samurai, derived from the verb saburu / haberu (“to serve”), have only been used to describe the Japanese warrior, the military henchman par excellence, since the Edo period (1603-1868). Historians assume that the Samuari made up about 10% of the total population at that time. In nationwide festivals and processions, e.g. at the epochal festival in Kyôto, the Samurai are always revived.