Male members of Japan’s famous samurai class, which took power in Japan at the end of the 12th century, were required to undergo physical, mental and spiritual training that gave them incredible skills in a number of martial arts.
By the 1600s, samurai were also expected to become versed in aesthetics, calligraphy, philosophical matters and writing poetry.
The saga of Saburo [Sah-boo-roh] is a collection of 13 true-to-life short stories of a young boy who opts to become a roving shugyo-sha (shuu-g’yoh-shah), or “samurai in training,” rather than serve a feudal lord, leading him to extraordinary adventures that bring out the culture of his times.
Each story is filled with cultural and historical facts that reveal both negative and positive elements in the lives of the samurai class, with Saburo surmounting those that are negative and eventually finding a master who explains the essence and the purpose of life. The stories are both an educational and an inspirational read for young people, and should be of special interest to those who are into manga, anime, ninja, and action video games.
Each of the stories contains messages of the discipline, ethics and morality that are ideal attributes in people of all ages, in particular the young during their impressionable years. The book is available from Amazon.com.
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