The End of the Samurai in Japan

s. 1, ép. 4: For centuries, Japan had been cut off from outside influence. During that time, much of the rest of the world made extraordinary leaps forward in science, industry and military technology, while Japan remained a feudal medieval society. At the heart of this feudal system were the samurai. But when American steamships arrived on Japan’s shores, the days of the samurai were numbered.