274. The Samurai Didn’t Hate Guns with Matt Okuhara
Episode description
Forget the katana myth — Japan’s samurai didn’t shun guns, they embraced them. 🔥
Were the samurai really noble warriors who turned their noses up at guns? This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with historian, author, and YouTuber Matt Okuhara to demolish the myth of the “honourable warrior.” From matchlocks and martial arts to gun control laws in the 1600s, Matt reveals how Japan’s most famous warriors were some of the earliest adopters of firearms — and how Hollywood got it all wrong.
Matt takes us through the real evolution of samurai warfare — from their rise as Japan’s ruling military elite to the fall of their class during the Meiji Restoration. Along the way, he explains why Tokugawa’s gun laws were among the world’s first, how firearms shaped the great battles of Nagashino and beyond, and why the “sword-only” image is pure cinematic fiction.
If you’ve ever wondered what happened when the sword met the gun in feudal Japan, this is the history lesson you didn’t know you needed.
🎯 In this episode:
- Why the samurai did use guns (and loved them)
- How firearms arrived in Japan in 1543 and changed warfare
- The truth about Bushido and “honourable combat”
- The real reason Japan’s navy lagged behind
- The decline of the samurai — and how they became bureaucrats
- Women warriors, ronin, and Japan’s early gun control laws
📚 Guest Info – Matt Okuhara
Matt is a British historian, author, interpreter, and YouTuber based in Japan. He’s a member of the Matsumoto Castle Gun Corps, one of Japan’s largest historical shooting teams. His work explores Japanese military history, samurai culture, and the global myths surrounding them.
👉 Find Matt Online:
🌐 Website: gunsamurai.com
📺 YouTube: @Gun_Samurai
📸 Instagram: @gun.samurai
🎧 Listen to Related Episodes:
- Ep 154 – India in World War I with Adam Prime
- Ep 213 – Hiroshima with Ian McGregor
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