Alphabetically arranged entries along with primary source documents provide a comprehensive examination of the lives of Japan's samurai during the Tokugawa or Edo period, 1603–1868, a time when Japan transitioned from civil war to extended peace.

• Highlights important events related to the samurai and overviews the background of the samurai

• Offers more than 100 alphabetically arranged reference entries for authoritative information about the samurai and their world

• Includes sidebars of interesting facts, notes the role of the samurai in popular culture, and mentions various tourist sites for readers to visit

• Provides suggestions for further reading, and an end-of-work bibliography directing users to other important works about the samurai

• Features more than 50 photos related to the samurai and their world