Hideyoshi's Reforms and Seven Samurai
Through the analysis of the social order portrayed in Seven Samurai, the problems that contributed to Japan’s age of warring states are readily apparent. A combination of lawlessness, constant warfare and a lack of central authority are evident within the film. Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s reforms served to address these problems and helped establish a general peaceful order that would last over 250 years. By establishing and freezing the social classes, disarming all but the samurai and conducting extensive surveys of Japan’s domains, Hideyoshi was able to strengthen the ruling class and weaken its subjects, thus putting an end to the strife of the Sengoku period and creating a stable social order that would serve as the backbone of the Tokugawa shogunate.