A leading cultural historian of premodern Japan draws a rich portrait of the emerging samurai culture as it is portrayed in gunki-mono, or war tales, examining eight major works spanning the mid-tenth to late fourteenth centuries. Although many of the major war tales have been translated into English, Warriors of Japan is the first book-length study of the tales and their place in Japanese history. The war tales are one of the most important sources of knowledge about Japan's premodern warriors, revealing much about the medieval psyche and the evolving perceptions of warriors, warfare, and warrior customs. Read more ASIN 0824816013 ISBN10 9780824816018 ISBN13 978-0824816018 Language English Publisher University of Hawaii Press Dimensions 6.07 x 0.76 x 9.2 inches Item Weight 1.1 pounds Print length 292 pages Publication date July 1, 1994