The samurai didn’t only stand out for their military functions. Understand the role of the samurai in feudal Japan.

Whenever people talk about samurai, it’s common to associate their name with wars, combats and fights. That’s because the samurai have been distinguished as skilled fighters and the main influencers of the martial arts that still attract practitioners all over the world today.

However, it is important to say that throughout their existence and in the society in which they lived, the samurai performed many other roles besides the military, especially in periods when there were no wars and therefore no reasons to fight.

Understanding this other aspect of samurai life helps us to understand how their philosophy can be incorporated into our personal and professional daily lives.

Beyond military combat…

In a context of peace, the samurai found other duties that were essential to the Japanese society, in order to take on these other roles, it was essential to invest in their intellectual and technical training, so that they were able to carry out tasks in the educational and administrative spheres.

One of these tasks consisted of managing the properties of the Daimiô whom they served. But that wasn’t all. The samurai’s main function was to serve their lord. Therefore, these figures were also responsible for collecting taxes, serving the court and even being messengers.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that many samurai were teachers to members of the elite, teaching martial arts, military tactics, philosophy, moral education and other subjects.

There were also samurai who took on the role of advisors to the emperor and others who became members of the nobility.

What was (is) it like to be a samurai?

The legacy left by the samurai goes far beyond their history and warrior skills. As shown above, at a time when military force was not so necessary, the samurai were able to adapt and prepare themselves to respond to roles and tasks other than war.

This is a fundamental lesson for those of us who live in a world where everything is so volatile and our need to adapt and readapt to the most diverse contexts is a constant.

But the parallels between the responsibilities of the samurai and the needs of today’s society don’t stop there…

In all the roles taken on by these figures, the values of Bushido (which we’ve already talked about on the DOJO) were latent and are principles that remain current and essential in a society that wants to be upright and respectful.

It is often said that one of the problems of contemporary societies (particularly Western societies) is the crisis of values in which they find themselves.

Often, the problem is not having the wrong values, but having no values at all. For their part, the samurai are an example not only of solid, structuring values, but also of respect for those values.

There was nothing that could distract the samurai from their principles. The samurai were willing to give up their lives to defend their master or to avoid calling into question the values they believed in.

In this sense, the social role of the samurai could (and should?) serve as an inspiration to all of us as members of a clan.

Are creatives the samurai of the 21st century?

The samurai presents themselves as a figure not only with values, but also with the ability to solve problems and face challenges.

Making use of physical strength and emotional and strategic intelligence, the samurai was able to adapt to the social changes of their time, becoming a key player in that historical period.

Nowadays, with technological advances, the power of networks and the dominance of digital communication, marketing creatives have become essential elements for the success of all companies that aspire to have a digital presence.

As members of B16 – The Creative Clan, we often feel that, like the samurai, we have a constant need to adjust to the different requirements of those who come to us, as well as to the changing times which, as Luís Vaz de Camões said, also bring new desires.

Like the samurai, we make a commitment of honour and loyalty to every client with whom we establish a collaborative relationship. For us, it is essential that this relationship is based on principles of respect, commitment and transparency.

When we draw up a strategic communication plan for a brand, we are defining the steps to take, just like a samurai studying the steps to take to win a war.

You must be methodical, work as part of a team, be resilient and always want to be better, but you also have to be prepared for unforeseen events and know how to overcome them. You must be fearless or, if you aren’t, you have to deal with it. Find in failure a lesson that will bring success closer and more likely.

That’s why we call ourselves a creative clan. Because if, on the one hand, we work in the field of ideas, innovation and imagination, on the other hand, we identify with the idea of community, of unity, of teamwork towards a common goal, just like in the clans of the samurai.