Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Japan has a long tradition of playing with history by fusing real events with myth, drama, and imagination through prints, kabuki, film, and now video games.
Join Joe Nickols, Project Curator of the Samurai exhibition at the British Museum, as we explore how samurai history is reimagined in modern games. Visit real locations, meet historical figures, and discover samurai legends. Along the way, we discuss artefacts, cultural context, and how centuries old stories continue to evolve on screen.
As an expert in Japanese history, culture, and all things samurai, how will Joe fare in the digital battlefield? Can a samurai historian master the way of the warrior?
CONTENT WARNING:
This video contains depictions of combat and violence.
It may also include moments of questionable gameplay skill. Viewer discretion is advised.
00:00 Intro
00:43 Nioh 3 | Samurai training
04:00 Heian period & Samurai history vs myth
07:50 Sengoku period & Takeda Shingen
12:15 Castle strongholds
14:20 Bakumatsu period & arrival of guns in Japan
16:50 Ghost of Tsushima | Mongol Invasions
19:00 Bushido Code myth
21:35 Samurai archery and horsemanship
23:40 Stealth vs honourable confrontations
28:28 Assassin’s Creed Shadows | Yasuke & Oda Nobunaga
30:51 Samurai armour and weapons
32:07 Firearms in Japan
34:36 Iga province, shinobi and stealth
36:22 Tea ceremony & Sen no Rikyu
40:43 The Honnō-ji Incident & Seppuku
45:15 Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening
45:50 How Samurai governed Japan
50:50 Final thoughts
51:20 British Museum Samurai Exhibition
The Samurai exhibition runs from 3 February until 4 May. Tickets are available here: britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/samurai
This video is not sponsored, but access to the games were provided by:
Koei Tecmo & Team NINJA, Sony Interactive Entertainment & Sucker Punch Productions, Ubisoft Entertainment
Japan has a long tradition of playing with history by fusing real events with myth, drama, and imagination through prints, kabuki, film, and now video games.
Join Joe Nickols, Project Curator of the Samurai exhibition at the British Museum, as we explore how samurai history is reimagined in modern games. Visit real locations, meet historical figures, and discover samurai legends. Along the way, we discuss artefacts, cultural context, and how centuries old stories continue to evolve on screen.
As an expert in Japanese history, culture, and all things samurai, how will Joe fare in the digital battlefield? Can a samurai historian master the way of the warrior?
CONTENT WARNING:
This video contains depictions of combat and violence.
It may also include moments of questionable gameplay skill. Viewer discretion is advised.
00:00 Intro
00:43 Nioh 3 | Samurai training
04:00 Heian period & Samurai history vs myth
07:50 Sengoku period & Takeda Shingen
12:15 Castle strongholds
14:20 Bakumatsu period & arrival of guns in Japan
16:50 Ghost of Tsushima | Mongol Invasions
19:00 Bushido Code myth
21:35 Samurai archery and horsemanship
23:40 Stealth vs honourable confrontations
28:28 Assassin’s Creed Shadows | Yasuke & Oda Nobunaga
30:51 Samurai armour and weapons
32:07 Firearms in Japan
34:36 Iga province, shinobi and stealth
36:22 Tea ceremony & Sen no Rikyu
40:43 The Honnō-ji Incident & Seppuku
45:15 Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening
45:50 How Samurai governed Japan
50:50 Final thoughts
51:20 British Museum Samurai Exhibition
The Samurai exhibition runs from 3 February until 4 May. Tickets are available here: britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/samurai
This video is not sponsored, but access to the games were provided by:
Koei Tecmo & Team NINJA, Sony Interactive Entertainment & Sucker Punch Productions, Ubisoft Entertainment
