However, samurai clans still exist to this day, and there are about 5 of them in Japan. ... The current head of the main clan is Tokugawa Tsunenari, the great-grandson of Tokugawa Iesato and the second cousin of the former Emperor Akihito from the Imperial Clan.

Do the samurai still exist?

Although samurai no longer exist, the influence of these great warriors still manifests itself deeply in Japanese culture and samurai heritage can be seen all over Japan - be it a great castle, a carefully planned garden, or beautifully preserved samurai residences.

What happened to the samurai clans?

The End of the Samurai. Tokugawa and his descendents ruled over a peaceful Japan for two and half centuries. The role of the samurai in peacetime declined gradually over this period, but two factors led to the end of samurai: the urbanization of Japan, and the end of isolationism. ... In Perry's wake, a split grew in Japan ...