What was it like to be a teenage samurai?

A teenage samurai would likely have been born into a samurai family, as the status was largely hereditary.

Young boys were trained for a life of military service and loyalty to their lord (daimyō).

By the time they reached their early to mid-teens, most often between 12 and 16, they would be considered old enough to begin more structured military and ethical training.

This was known as genpuku, a coming-of-age ceremony where a boy officially became an adult and could take on responsibilities as a warrior.

During this ceremony, he would receive an adult hairstyle, adopt a new name, and sometimes gain the right to carry the two swords known as daishō. 

Life for these young samurai was strict and heavily focused on discipline. They were trained daily in martial arts such as archery (kyūdo), swordsmanship (kenjutsu), and horseback riding, as well as in the use of the spear (yari).

They practiced strategy, sometimes studied Chinese classics on warfare and learned to read and write.

Their education included Confucian ethics, Zen Buddhism, and bushidō, the samurai code that emphasised loyalty and honour grounded in self-discipline.

In fact, bushidō ideals influenced how they thought about death, duty, and service to their lord, under which they were taught to value honour even above their own life. 

Teen samurai were also expected to serve in their lord’s household, sometimes as attendants or pages, where they could observe courtly manners, learn about political dealings, and slowly build relationships with other warriors.

They might perform tasks such as delivering messages, assisting in ceremonies, or preparing armour for their seniors.

These years were both about military skill and social training, how to act in ways that were loyal and respectful and that showed honour. 

However, life was not just training. Many samurai boys read classical Chinese texts like The Analects of Confucius and Japanese works such as The Tale of Genji.

They were often encouraged to write waka poetry, practice calligraphy, and study painting or the tea ceremony, because cultural skills were seen as an essential part of a warrior’s education. 

Importantly, teenage samurai could be called to battle, particularly in the Sengoku era of constant warfare in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Boys in their mid-to-late teens might be required to take part in fighting, though command at that age was unusual and was reserved for rare cases.

Uesugi Kenshin, for example, began his military duties in his mid-teens when he defended a castle at age fifteen, before he rose to greater importance as an adult leader.

Death in battle was seen as glorious if it was in service to one’s lord, and a teen samurai would be expected to show bravery and self-control in life-or-death situations. 

For many, adolescence ended quickly because marriage could occur in the late teens, especially for those from powerful families.

Marriage was usually arranged to strengthen alliances between samurai families, securing political power and property rather than affection or romance.