Hoken Seido Tarot - The Samurai

Hoken Seido tarot series is a collection of 10 tarot cards inspired by the feudal system in Japan. In Japanese history, Hoken Seido (feudalism) was the arrangement between lords and vassals where the former gave favor by way of land, titles, or prestigious offices in exchange for military service (giri) from the latter.

The samurai (or bushi) were the warriors of premodern Japan. Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns, but their main weapon and symbol was the sword.

Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior. Many samurai were also drawn to the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism.