Samurai

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Everyone recognises the figure of the samurai - a global icon of the fearless, virtuous warrior. But how much of the legend is true?

This February, the British Museum opens Samurai, a landmark exhibition that challenges centuries of misconceptions to reveal the historical reality behind the mask. Join us to hear from Professor Oleg Benesch and curator Dr Rosina Buckland, co-authors of the accompanying publication, as they discuss how the exhibition interrogates the stereotype, moving beyond the battlefield to explore the people behind the armour. Sharing the stories of the stunning selection of objects from international collections - including weaponry, intricate armour, delicate paintings, and immersive contemporary digital media - they will trace the samurai’s dramatic evolution. 

Image credit: Minamoto no Tametomo on the Isle of Demons, Katsushika Hokusai © The Trustees of the British Museum

About the speakers

Dr Rosina Buckland is Asahi Shimbun Curator in the Department of Asia, where she heads the Japanese Section. She is lead curator on the forthcoming Samurai exhibition, exploring the history and myths of the samurai from their warrior origins in the 11th century through to their pervasive presence in popular culture today, and has co-authored the accompanying book with Prof. Oleg Benesch.

She received a BA degree in Japanese Studies from the University of Cambridge, an MA from SOAS, University of London, and a PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She has worked at the National Museum of Scotland and at the Royal Ontario Museum. Her other publications include Shunga: Erotic Art in Japan (2010), Painting Nature for the Nation: Taki Katei and the Challenges to Sinophile Culture in Meiji Japan (2013), and The Splendour of Modernity: Japanese Arts of the Meiji Era.

Professor Oleg Benesch is Professor of History and Head of the Department of History at the University of York. Together with Rosina Buckland, he co-authored the forthcoming book Samurai, accompanying the major British Museum exhibition in 2026. Oleg is also the author of Inventing the Way of the Samurai: Nationalism, Internationalism, and Bushido in Modern Japan (Oxford 2014), co-author of Civilizing Emotions: Concepts in Nineteenth Century Asia and Europe (Oxford 2015), co-author of Japan’s Castles: Citadels of Modernity in War and Peace (Cambridge 2019), and co-editor of Drugs and the Politics of Consumption in Japan (Brill 2023). For more on his research and publications, please see www.olegbenesch.com