<P> Following the Battle of Hakusukinoe against Tang China and Silla in 663 AD , which led to a retreat from Korean affairs , Japan underwent widespread reform . One of the most important was that of the Taika Reform , issued by Prince Naka - no - Ōe ( Emperor Tenji ) in 646 AD . This edict allowed the Japanese aristocracy to adopt the Tang dynasty political structure , bureaucracy , culture , religion , and philosophy . As part of the Taihō Code of 702 AD , and the later Yōrō Code , the population was required to report regularly for the census , a precursor for national conscription . With an understanding of how the population was distributed , Emperor Monmu introduced a law whereby 1 in 3 -- 4 adult males were drafted into the national military . These soldiers were required to supply their own weapons , and in return were exempted from duties and taxes . This was one of the first attempts by the Imperial government to form an organized army modeled after the Chinese system . It was called `` Gundan - Sei '' ( ja : 軍団 制 ) by later historians and is believed to have been short - lived . The Taihō Code classified most of the Imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks , each divided into two sub-ranks , 1st rank being the highest adviser to the Emperor . Those of 6th rank and below were referred to as `` samurai '' and dealt with day - to - day affairs . Although these `` samurai '' were civilian public servants , the modern word is believed to have derived from this term . Military men , however , would not be referred to as `` samurai '' for many more centuries . </P>
<P> Following the Battle of Hakusukinoe against Tang China and Silla in 663 AD , which led to a retreat from Korean affairs , Japan underwent widespread reform . One of the most important was that of the Taika Reform , issued by Prince Naka - no - Ōe ( Emperor Tenji ) in 646 AD . This edict allowed the Japanese aristocracy to adopt the Tang dynasty political structure , bureaucracy , culture , religion , and philosophy . As part of the Taihō Code of 702 AD , and the later Yōrō Code , the population was required to report regularly for the census , a precursor for national conscription . With an understanding of how the population was distributed , Emperor Monmu introduced a law whereby 1 in 3 -- 4 adult males were drafted into the national military . These soldiers were required to supply their own weapons , and in return were exempted from duties and taxes . This was one of the first attempts by the Imperial government to form an organized army modeled after the Chinese system . It was called `` Gundan - Sei '' ( ja : 軍団 制 ) by later historians and is believed to have been short - lived . The Taihō Code classified most of the Imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks , each divided into two sub-ranks , 1st rank being the highest adviser to the Emperor . Those of 6th rank and below were referred to as `` samurai '' and dealt with day - to - day affairs . Although these `` samurai '' were civilian public servants , the modern word is believed to have derived from this term . Military men , however , would not be referred to as `` samurai '' for many more centuries . </P>
when did the first samurai exist in japan
when did the first samurai exist in japan
702 AD
702 AD