Armed with the longbow ashigaru archers grew in importance from the 14th century when the tactic of mass volley fire was employed against the newer and larger armies that were beginning to appear.

Once the arquebus came to Japan in 1543 it changed Japanese warfare forever and by the 1570s it was a common sight among the ranks of the ashigaru.

An important part of a Japanese army was its spearmen. They gave defensive and offensive support for all the other elements but they had to be well trained and disciplined to be used effectively.

Along with the samurai the shinobi, or ninja, are well known in the Western world. They were assassins, arsonists, saboteurs and spies rolled into one. Clad in black so that only their eyes were seen their ability to despatch targets without being seen gave them a supernatural image that has endured to the present day.

The samurai were the warrior nobility of Japan and are probably most famous for their code of honour and loyalty and their consummate ability to wield the famous katana.

The warrior monks were adherents of Buddhism and between the 10th and 16th centuries they were very powerful and were a match for the samurai who courted their military skills but also sought their destruction. They were also at the forefront of technological development and the monks of Negoroji in particular were renowned for their skills with firearms.