Samurai culture

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Samurai culture embodies ideas about self-sacrifice and courage. But Japan's warriors - who rose to power in the 1100s - went on to become an elite social class who valued the arts as much as swordsmanship. Chris Harding, from the University of Edinburgh, has written books including Japan Story, The Japanese: A History in Twenty Lives and The Light of Asia. He visits the British Museum's new exhibition, which aims to expand our image of the Samurai by exploring their links with Kabuki theatre, drumming and performance. We hear from one of the curators of the show, Dr Rosina Buckland, and the co-author of the catalogue, Professor Oleg Benesch, from the University of York, and some of the specially curated sound effects used in the show, plus part of a performance of drumming given by Tengu Taiko Drummers from York. Producer: Simon Funnell New Generation Thinkers is a scheme run by the BBC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to showcase research on radio.