Human world
Sengoku Jidai, 'The age of the country at war' (1482-1558)
The Samurai were the military class of Japan.
They were elite warriors and came from noble families. Wars between them feature constantly in Japanese history.
They followed a code called 'bushido' (the way of the warrior). The code told the Samurai how to:
A Japanese warrior showed off his rank and wealth by the armour he wore.
Armour was very expensive. The original cost of the suit shown here would be the same as the price of a private aircraft today. It might take up to a year to make.
Armour was sometimes traded to other Asian countries. It was sent as diplomatic gifts to the leaders of other nations including Emperors of China and James I of England.
Here you can see two styles of armour worn by Samurai. They are from two different periods in Japanese history