The British Museum will host a major exhibition titled "Samurai" from February 3 to May 4, 2026, exploring 1,000 years of samurai history and myth. The show brings together 280 objects including armor, woodblock prints, paintings, ceramics, and contemporary media, with highlights such as a 17th-century suit of armor recently acquired by the museum and Domenico Tintoretto's portrait of Mancio Itō from 1585. Curated by Rosina Buckland, the exhibition aims to interrogate the popular myth of the samurai, contrasting it with historical realities such as women serving as warriors and the class's later roles as government workers and patrons of the arts.
This exhibition matters because it is the first to critically examine the samurai myth across centuries, from feudal Japan to modern film, manga, and video games. By drawing on the British Museum's own collection and international lenders, it offers a rare opportunity to see light-sensitive works shown in the U.K. for the first time. The show also addresses how the samurai image was reworked after their power waned, influencing contemporary culture through figures like Akira Kurosawa and games such as Assassin's Creed: Shadows, making it relevant to both art history and popular culture.