Greetings!
My name is Kanbe Usaburō Munemori 神戸 卯三郎 宗盛 and I’d like to welcome you to “Be a Samurai.”
Let me tell you a little bit about myself… and, “Be a Samurai.”
Having read hundreds of historical Samurai novels and specialized books about the history of Japan, I’ve become quite familiar with the structure and etymology of Samurai names over the years. Because of that, I’m in a rather unique position to honor the strict and traditional rules of Samurai naming. Wiith “Be a Samurai,” I can gift you with a one-of-a-kind… and, genuine Samurai name that will originate from the sole specifics of your personal history. Only you will have this traditional Japanese honorific.
Personally, I’m fortunate to be a descendent of Samurai — namely, Yabe Yamashironokami Sadatoshi 矢部 山城守 定利. Yabe Yamashironokami Sadatoshi was an influential Samurai because he was Hōkōsyū 奉公衆, a military guard for the Shogun 将軍 – the de facto rulers of the country.
For example, the logo on this site is the family crest of Yabe 矢部, Sumiiri no Omodaka 隅入りの沢瀉; it is one well-used among Samurai because the shape of its leaves look like arrowheads, suggestive of victory in battle.
| Pride to all Samurai
This is my mission.
There are two steps you must take in order to be the true embodiment of Samurai. First, you need to announce your Samurai name, and then, most critically, be true to your Samurai name.
In the 16th century when Samurai were most active, there were countless individuals welcomed into the Samurai class through nomination and application, as opposed to having earned the distinction through lineage. For example, Saitō Dōsan 斎藤 道三 became Samurai from an oil trader, Konishi Yukinaga 小西 行長 from an apothecary, Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣 秀吉 from a peasant, and so on. The only thing they did was firstly announce their Samurai-styled name, then build up small efforts to be granted with honor and credit.
From that point on, they paid strict attention to this honor bestowed upon them, and exercised great caution in all acts to ensure their name was always associated with the Japanese core value expressed by “Na koso oshikere 名こそ惜しけれ,” which means “put all your soul and strength into what you are doing, take all responsibility under the name, and never do a base action to shame the society you belong to.” This idea became a cornerstone of Bushido 武士道 or, the way of Samurai.
So, as you can see, by adhering to these principles and acting with a genuine Samurai name, you too can join the histories of Samurai.
“Be a Samurai” will help you achieve this honor held by only a select group of special individuals by researching thoroughly, and respectfully, your rightful Samurai name.
| Who is Kanbe Usaburō Munemori?
When I was young, I was fascinated by a manga series about Japanese history. I was enraptured while reading these stories — especially the books in which Samurai grew in number, power and importance from the 10th century to the end of the 19th century. From this study, I always received high marks on my history tests from elementary school onward. Ever since, Samurai history, lineage and its specific codes and honorifics have become my passion.
When computer gaming seemed to be everywhere in Japan, I dove deep into historically simulated PC games that focused on Samurai. Because of this intense interest, by the time I turned nine, I had even memorized the kanji names of around 700 characters from one specific series! I also worked hard on my academic studies… learning Samurai kanji on my own, and began to dig deep as to how Samurai was named, when the names were to be changed, how to pronounce the kanji characters in each case, and so on.
After graduating from college, I became a HR consultant for some of the top companies in Japan. I worked day and night, every day… and to make a long story short, I got sick from overwork. It was then that I experienced a moribund four-year struggle against the symptoms of this overwork. I nearly lost hope many times, but through the way of the Samurai I was able to save my mind and begin successful treatment. Fortunately, I’ve largely recovered from this illness that sapped my energy and well-being. Being a Samurai truly made a difference in my life, and I believe it can make a difference in your life as well. Perhaps can I help you?
In fact, this very idea of helping others gain strength from being a Samurai came from friends who thought I might be able to do just that with a service centered around Samurai. So, here I am! Through my knowledge, I am very confident that I can help you to create a Samurai name suitable to your identity and life story.
This is how “Be a Samurai” was born.
