Final answer:
Samurai in Feudal Japan were expected to be fiercely loyal to their lord, uphold bushido, and be skilled in both martial and cultural arts. With the Meiji Restoration, their roles shifted to bureaucratic positions as feudal privileges were abolished. Their legacy persists in modern media through notable films.
Step-by-step explanation:
Expectations of Samurai in Feudal Japan::
During the Sengoku period and leading into the Tokugawa era, the expectations of the samurai were deeply rooted in the bushido code, which emphasized loyalty and honorable conduct. Samurai were expected to serve their daimyos or shogun with absolute fidelity and were skilled in martial arts, including archery and swordsmanship.
They not only upheld peace and enforced the law but also engaged in more refined pursuits, such as tea ceremony and Nō theater. Due to bushido's influence, seppuku was considered an honorable death for samurai who failed in their duties. However, with the fall of feudal Japan and the Meiji Restoration, samurai privileges were abolished, leading many to become bureaucrats or take other professional roles, as the class system dismantled and conscription into a national army began.
Samurai culture has continued to impact modern media, with films like Akita Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai portraying the samurai's life, helping to form a global understanding of this warrior class. These films and others have been influential even in Hollywood, with westerns such as The Magnificent Seven and A Fistful of Dollars being inspired by Kurosawa's work.