Itinerant Samurai in Feudal Japan

This 1840s painting depicts rōnin, masterless samurai in feudal Japan. The term rōnin, meaning ’wave man,’ signifies their drifting life after losing their lords. Deprived of samurai privileges, many lived in poverty, some becoming mercenaries or bandits. Others adopted the life of Komusō, wandering monks who played the shakuhachi flute.