Editing Samurai (section)

===Education===
[[File:Koan Ogata 1901.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Kōan Ogata]], a samurai, physician and rangaku scholar in late Edo period Japan, noted for establishing an academy which later developed into [[Osaka University]]]]

In general, samurai, aristocrats, and priests had a very high literacy rate in [[kanji]]. Recent studies have shown that literacy in kanji among other groups in society was somewhat higher than previously understood. For example, court documents, birth and death records and marriage records from the Kamakura period, submitted by farmers, were prepared in Kanji. Both the kanji literacy rate and skills in math improved toward the end of Kamakura period.<ref name=Matsura>Matsura, Yoshinori Fukuiken-shi 2 (Tokyo: Sanshusha, 1921)</ref>

Some samurai had ''buke bunko'', or "warrior library", a personal library that held texts on strategy, the science of warfare, and other documents that would have proved useful during the warring era of feudal Japan. One such library held 20,000 volumes. The upper class had ''Kuge bunko'', or "family libraries", that held classics, Buddhist sacred texts, and family histories, as well as genealogical records.<ref>Murray, S. (2009). ''The library : an illustrated history''. New York: [[Skyhorse Pub.]]; Chicago : ALA Editions, 2009. p. 113 {{ISBN?}}</ref>

<blockquote>There were to Lord Eirin's character many high points difficult to measure, but according to the elders the foremost of these was the way he governed the province by his civility. It goes without saying that he acted this way toward those in the samurai class, but he was also polite in writing letters to the farmers and townspeople, and even in addressing these letters he was gracious beyond normal practice. In this way, all were willing to sacrifice their lives for him and become his allies.<ref>Wilson, p. 85</ref></blockquote>

In a letter dated 29 January 1552, [[St Francis Xavier]] observed the ease of which the Japanese understood prayers due to the high level of literacy in Japan at that time:

In a letter to [[Ignatius of Loyola|Father Ignatius Loyola]] at [[Rome]], Xavier further noted the education of the upper classes:

<blockquote>The Nobles send their sons to monasteries to be educated as soon as they are 8 years old, and they remain there until they are 19 or 20, learning reading, writing and religion; as soon as they come out, they marry and apply themselves to politics.</blockquote>