Muromachi and Edo period, around 1530 (helmet), 17th-18th century (armour).
Japan holds special memories for me and I love the culture, food and history of the country. It is 4 years since I visited Japan. A trip that would change my life and the reason I ended up in Switzerland. But that’s another story!
I was excited to hear that the Bernisches Historishes Museum was to put on a special exhibition about Samurai. Like many people, my impressions of samurai have been gained mainly through film and popular culture. My idea of them is that they are fearless, honourable fighters who wear impressive armour and wield even more impressive swords!
But how accurate is this perception? Surely there is more to these mighty warriors than weapons and warfare. This is what the museum has set out to show in this exhibition. Whilst planning the exhibiton they asked local people what their views on samurai were and asked them to send in related objects. A selection of these are shown in the final section. These show the influence of the samurai legend in today’s popular culture and how ‘samurai sells’ from films such as Star Wars and Kill Bill to Pokemon and Manga heros.
Muromachi & Edo period, c.1400 (helmet), 18th century armour 
Lucario Pokemon (Samurai version), Sir Fox Cosplay, 2019
The history of these warriors spans more than 700 years and the exhibition shows how they changed and evolved and how Japanese culture and society developed in this period.
Each section of the exhibition takes a different theme or time period and tells not only the role of the samurai at this time but how society was evolving. The word samurai comes from the verb saburau and means ‘to serve’ or ‘to attend to’. This represents their original role in the imperial court, where they were initially servants who also performed protective duties. This is where the exhibition begins and tells the story of why cherry blossom is so important to Japanese culture.
Cherry blossom motifs were often featured on the armour as seen on this 17th century helmet. The symbol represents the warrior’s willingness to sacrifice themselves. This samurai legend was used as propaganda in the Second World War where young Japanese soldiers were asked to sacrifice themselves in the name of honour and loyalty. Cherry blossom symbols were painted on to their planes.
Helmet with Flower Crest, 17th century 
Kobayashi Kiyochika, Farewell Poem under Cherry Flowers, 1902 (reproduction)
There is no denying that the armour is the star of the exhibition. A core part of the exhibition is a stunning array of suits of armour, swords and helmets from the Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection in Dallas, Texas. This complements the museum’s own collection, which is one of the largest in Switzerland.
The suits of armour are complex structures made of many individual parts and weighing between 10 and 20 kilos. This display (first left) shows many of the separate pieces and also a diagram demonstrating how everything fits together. Suits of armour were handed down from father to son and parts of old suits and helmets were often repurposed into new suits.
The Portuguese introduced guns and gunpowder to Japan and this also resulted in a change in how the armour was designed. It now needed to be bullet proof and included solid iron plates to protect against bullets.
In the Edo period Japan is at peace and the role of the samurai changes. This is reflected in the armour which is more ceremonial. As can be seen in the elaborate example, second from the right.
For some samurai peacetime spells disaster as they feel that they have lost their purpose and become lazy and directionless. They turn to the pleasure houses known as ‘floating worlds’ and become addicted to gambling. Many were forced to sell their amour and weapons for money and were left destitute. These samurai are known as Ronin.
In one of the central rooms of the exhibition you are confronted by three models of samurai on horseback which gives a sense of how imposing they would have looked in real life. Behind them there is a huge display of helmets in different styles, the detail and craftsmanship is impressive. It is really interesting to see the influence of western cultures, in particular the Portuguese who were the first european traders to arrive in Japan.
Ribbed helmet and half mask, late 16th century. Features a figure of the Buddhist king of wisdom, Fudo Myoo. This was a favourite motif and it was thought that he protected against evil powers. 
Full mask, the throat guard is based on western models. Momoyama to Edo period, early 17th century 
Portuguese style helmet, around 1600 
Half Mask with long nose, Momoyama period 1573-1603. This design is poking fun at the comparatively long nose of the westerners and was how Japanese artists often portrayed them. 
Head-shaped helmet, 18th century
The samurai sword or katana is legendary. There are 180 blades on display alongside descriptions of how the swords were made and stories about the rules and rituals involved in their production. One sword with an interesting history was brought back to Bern in the 17th century by a mercenary. It is thought to be the first samurai sword to make its way to Switzerland, quite a souvenir!
I particularly loved the use of large scale reproductions of woodcut prints and paintings. These really brought the exhibition to life for me and added to the atmosphere of the exhibition.
There are some fun activities and I guarantee that adults will be queuing up to try them just as much as kids. You can test your sword skills in a VR experience and try on a replica set of armour. There’s also a manga style activity trail for kids.
The audio guide (available in English) is narrated by the exhibition curator, Alban von Stockhausen, it provides just the right amount of information to help you on your journey through the displays.
© Bernisches Historisches Museum, Bern. Photo: Stefan Wermuth 
© Bernisches Historisches Museum, Bern. Photo: Stefan Wermuth
There is an extensive events programme to accompany the exhibition too. The exhibition will be open until 21.30 on Wednesday nights until 23 February with events such as Manga drawing, sake tasting and drumming to name just a few. They are likely to be popular so make sure you reserve a place ahead of time.
I loved the exhibition and will definitely be back to discover more and taste some sake on one of the Wednesday evening openings. Whether you want to find out more about the samurai and their way of life or just want to admire the craftsmanship of the arms and armour then I encourage you to visit this exhibition. I promise that you won’t be disappointed!
The exhibition runs until 5 June 2022. For more information visit the museum’s website.
