LONDON - A major new exhibition at the British Museum, Samurai, will trace the evolution of these remarkable figures over the past 1,000 years – and will be ground-breaking as the first to explore how their image and myth was created. From the medieval period to the present day, the samurai have been fabricated, idealised and adapted for many purposes, both within Japan and beyond. Their story spans a millennium of myth and reality.

Bringing together around 280 objects and digital media from the collection and from 29 national and international lenders, Samurai reveals the many identities of Japan's warrior class across the centuries. The samurai – known in Japan as musha or bushi – were engaged in protracted warfare and gained political dominance from the 1100s. During a long era of peace from 1615, they moved away from the battlefield to serve as government officials, scholars, and patrons of the arts, with women making up half of the samurai class. By the late 19th century, their hereditary status had been abolished, and the myth of bushidō – promoting patriotism and self-sacrifice – was promoted. The samurai evolved into the globally recognised image that continues to inspire today.

Many items will be on display for the first time, including an exquisite suit of samurai armour, newly acquired by the Museum. Its prestigious helmet and golden standard, shaped like iris leaves, were designed to make the wearer both identifiable and fearsome.

The exhibition goes far beyond just arms and armour, presenting paintings, woodblock prints, books, clothing, ceramics, photographs, and examples of film, television, manga, video games and contemporary art, including newly commissioned works by the celebrated Japanese artist, Noguchi Tetsuya.

Among the highlights is a vermilion red, woman's firefighting jacket and hood on loan from the John C. Weber Collection, worn by women serving within Edo Castle. Fires were so common in the wooden city of Edo (present-day Tokyo) that they were known as the 'flowers of Edo', and this jacket's design of tasselled grappling hooks amid surging water evokes protection against the flames.

A rare portrait of Itō Mancio by Domenico Tintoretto from Fondazione Trivulzio, Milan depicts a 13-year-old samurai who led an embassy to the Vatican in 1582. The visit marked Japan's first diplomatic mission to Europe and a pivotal moment in the country's encounter with the West, following the arrival of Christianity through Portuguese traders and missionaries in 1545.

Reflecting further on cross-cultural exchange and on loan from Venice's Museum of Oriental Art, the exhibition includes a portrait of Henry of Bourbon, Count of Bardi, who, while visiting Japan in 1889, commissioned himself portrayed as a Japanese warrior. His fascination captures the 19th-century Western idealisation of the samurai at a time when their world was rapidly disappearing.

From a Louis Vuitton outfit inspired by Japanese armour, to the popular video games Assassin's Creed: Shadows (2025) and Nioh 3 (2026), the exhibition traces the samurai's enduring legacy across fashion, film and gaming. These contemporary interpretations are strikingly current, with the latter game title launching just three days after the exhibition opens. Together they underline how the samurai continue to inspire creativity around the world today.

Samurai is a story of myth and memory, of tradition and reinvention. It offers a timely exploration of how history is written and rewritten, and how national identities are shaped through culture, storytelling and global exchange.

Dr Rosina Buckland, Asahi Shimbun Curator: Japanese Collections, said: 'The samurai dominated Japan's history for centuries, but the reality of their lives was often quite different from popular understanding. This is the first exhibition to interrogate the myth, right through to the present day. It will introduce visitors to Japan's rich cultural history by exploring the samurai's multiple roles and the ways they represented themselves and have been shown by others. Due to the light-sensitive nature of Japanese art, this is a rare opportunity to see beautiful works from the Museum's collection, as well as many works on loan never displayed before in the UK.'

Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, Director of the British Museum, said: 'The samurai have long captured the imagination of people around the world, yet much of what we think we know about them is shaped by myth and legend. This exhibition allows visitors to explore the real lives of these remarkable men and women, from the battlefields of medieval Japan to the cultural icons of today, and to see how their story has been continually reinterpreted over a thousand years.'

The Huo Family Foundation said: 'The Huo Family Foundation is delighted to continue its partnership with the British Museum through the support of Samurai. Reflecting our commitment to fostering education, enriching communities, and advancing the pursuit of knowledge, we are proud to help bring to life an exhibition that explores the artistry, purpose and enduring legacy of the samurai. By displaying the Museum’s exceptional Japanese collections and the expertise of its curatorial team, we are thrilled to showcase the many identities of these iconic figures that continue to intrigue and inspire audiences around the world.'

3 February – 4 May 2026

Suit of armour. Iron cuirass and iron helmet trimmed with gilt copper, shoulder-guards and thigh-guards of lacquered lamellae laced with silk braid, sleeves and shin-guards of iron lined with silk, maedate of gold-lacquered wood in form of dragon, sashimono of wood covered in gold leaf; also, leather and wool; with black lacquered wooden storage box, Muromachi Period, Edo Period, 1519 (helmet), 1696 (cuirass). Purchase (2025,3004.1) © The Trustees of the British Museum

While samurai have played different roles in Japanese society, many away from the battlefield, they still required a suit of armour as a symbol of their status. This suit has an iron cuirass based on that of Portuguese soldiers, illustrating that, while the samurai are certainly a uniquely Japanese phenomenon, they are not purely Japanese, having developed through international exchange. The helmet is typically the oldest part of any suit and this one was made by the prestigious armourer Myōchin Nobuie (about 1504–54). The golden standard attached to the back of the cuirass is in the form of iris leaves and was intended to make the wearer identifiable and fearsome.

Painting, six-panel folding screen, pair with Jap.Ptg.Add.382. Plants of spring (cherry blossom) and summer (deutzia), with sun above and brushwood fence in foreground, Kano School or Tosa School, Muromachi Period, Mid 16th century. Ink, colours, gold and silver on paper. Height: 162.50 cm; Width: 55.50 cm (closed); Width: 230 cm (open (approx)); Width: 324 cm (open (straight)); Depth: 11.30 cm (closed); Depth: 1.80 cm (open). Purchase (1965,1012,0.1) © The Trustees of the British Museum

Powerful samurai lords used formal social gatherings to cement relationships with their allies and retainers. The venues for such events were richly decorated with paintings and objects. Hosts sat before folding screens decorated with shimmering gold leaf. This screen shows cherry trees above a stream, denoting spring. On the left, deutzia flowers symbolise summer, with the sun above. These types of screens were immensely popular during the Muromachi period (1336–1573), a time of political turmoil and civil wars.

Domenico Tintoretto (1560–1635), Portrait of Itō Mancio. Oil on canvas, 1585. Property of the Fondazione Trivulzio, Milan.

Christianity reached Japan in 1545 with the arrival of Portuguese traders and accompanying missionaries. Several warlords in south-west Japan converted, together with thousands of their retainers, for reasons of genuine faith and for the advantages of trade and access to weapons. In 1582, three daimyo (samurai lords) sponsored an embassy to the Vatican in Rome, comprising four young samurai. Their official spokesperson was 13-year-old Itō Mancio, who had his portrait painted in Venice.

Jinbaori (surcoat), Japan, Momoyama Period, 1570–98..Pheasant and drake feathers mounted on hemp, with Chinese silk, H. 76 cm; W. 80 cm; D. 11 cm. Donated by: Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, 1897,0318.6 © The Trustees of the British Museum 

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–98) rose from foot soldier – more peasant than samurai class – to the highest rank in the land, thanks to his military ability and political skill. He became a trusted general of Oda Nobunaga (1534–82). After the latter's demise Hideyoshi forged alliances, built palaces and castles, and received the title 'regent'. This jinbaori (surcoat), with a target design, supposedly belonged to him. Originally protective garments to be worn over armour, jinbaori became statements of the personal taste of the wearer. 

Set of archery equipment, Japan, Edo Period, 1800–1900. Wood, lacquer, leather, gold, metal, bamboo, feathers and silk. H. 91 cm (arrows); H. 222cl (bows); H. 230 cm (height incl. stand). Acquisition 1975, OA+.999 © The Trustees of the British Museum 

The establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868) ushered in a time of peace. The new government created a social hierarchy with samurai at the top, followed by farmers, artisans and merchants. The superior social status of the samurai derived from their identity as warriors, so they needed to maintain their military training even during peacetime. In earlier centuries archery had been the primary mode of combat (rather than swordsmanship) and it remained an essential military skill. This set of archery equipment comprises two quivers and two bows, with a bowstring, in a stand decorated with the Tokugawa crest.

Woman's firefighting jacket. Wool, satin-weave silk appliqué, and silk- and gold-thread embroidery, Japan, 1800–50. John C. Weber Collection. Photo © John Bigelow Taylor.

While the imperial court remained in Kyoto, the shogun resided in Edo (present-day Tokyo). Fires occurred so often in Edo, a city built of wood, that they were called the 'flowers of Edo'. The shogunate established firefighting companies, with high-ranking samurai responsible for raising the alarm, supervising firefighting and evacuations, and preventing looting. Women living and working in Edo Castle were similarly trained and needed to protect the women's quarters, where men (apart from the shogun) were banned. This jacket has suitably quenching watery motifs of tasselled anchors among surging waves.

Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), Minamoto no Tametomo on the Isle of Demons, inscription by Kyokutei Bakin and Hirabayashi Shogoro III, Bunka Era, 1811. Hanging scroll painting, ink and colours on silk. Diam. 3.20 cm (jiku); H. 156.50 cm (mount); H. 54.90 cm; W. 104 cm (mount); W. 82.10 cm. Acquisition, 1881,1210,0.1747 © The Trustees of the British Museum 

As the Tokugawa period (1603–1868) progressed, samurai and townspeople alike became fascinated by legendary warriors of the earlier civil wars. People commissioned paintings, prints and books to remember these ferocious fighters. Minamoto no Tametomo (1136–70) was an archer of legendary strength and skill who participated in the war between the Minamoto and Taira clans of the 1150s. The victorious Taira exiled Tametomo to the 'Isle of Demons'. This sumptuous painting by Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) shows Tametomo challenging the island's wild inhabitants to test their strength. 

Portrait of Henry of Bourbon, Count of Bardi, 1889. Ink and colour on silk. Museum of Oriental Art, Venice – Direzione Regionale Musei Vento, by permission of the Italian Ministry of Culture.

In the 1850s Japan was forced to open ports to increased foreign trade. This precipitated the fall of the shogunate, a transformation of society and ultimately the abolition of samurai status in 1876. Foreign visitors to Japan in the late 1800s were often dismayed at the speed of change. They turned to the artefacts of the period before modernisation as confirmation of Japan's unique history and character. In 1887, the Italian count Enrico di Borbone-Parma spent seven months in Japan. He commissioned a painter to imagine him as a Japanese warrior and shipped thousands of Japanese objects back to Italy.

Porcelain dish, Japan, Showa Era, 1939. Donated by David Hyatt King and Anne Hyatt King through Art Fund, 2014,3064.34 © The Trustees of the British Museum 

During the first half of the 20th century there was a rise in nationalism in Japan, centred on the emperor. Nationalists began to celebrate historic samurai who had been loyal to emperors in the pre-modern civil wars. Kusunoki Masashige (1294–1336) was particularly revered as he had displayed exemplary loyalty to Emperor Go-Daigo (1288–1339). This plate incorporates an image of a famous statue of Masashige that stands in front of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The statue aimed to inspire qualities of bravery, valour and strength in the Japanese public. The plate also has a map illustrating the extent of the Japanese Empire in mainland Asia.

Ralph McQuarrie (1929–2012) and John Mollo (1931–2017), Darth Vader costume. Leather, cotton and polycarbonate, US, 1979. COURTESY OF LUCASFILM LTD. LLC. Star Wars © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC.

George Lucas, director of the motion picture Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), drew inspiration for the shape of Darth Vader's helmet from samurai armour – particularly visible in the flared lower section resembling the shikoro (neck-guard). The visor was added to explain how the character could breathe in space. Lucas based the plot of A New Hope loosely on the samurai film Hidden Fortress (1958) by Kurosawa Akira (1910–98).

Key visual from the videogame Nioh 3, 2026. ©KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

Though samurai no longer exist, they live on in popular media. Videogames are one of the most significant incubators of the samurai image today, allowing people to become samurai in their own homes. The popular Nioh franchise integrates magical folklore into videogames. In Nioh 3 you play as the heir of the shogun, tasked with stopping the spread of unhuman powers across different eras in Japanese history, while encountering famous figures, such as the warlord Takeda Shingen (1521–73).