WHAT? Samurai

WHERE? British Museum, The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG

WHEN? Now until 4th May

WHY GO? To decode the mystery. Japan's noble samurai have captured the imagination of artists and writers alike for centuries and this epic blockbuster helps dispel myths that have long since portrayed them as merely ruthless mercenaries when, in fact, the real samurai were an elite class deserving of far more credit than being wholly depicted as warriors in films like Star Wars.

Curated into three sections, this thrilling samurai exhibition opens when they dominated medieval Japan and relished combat. It showcases their magnificent shiny armour, swords, helmets and all. It then evolves through the peaceful Edo period (1603–1868), culturally centered around the Imperial Court, focusing on scholarly works, and ends as their legacy becomes embedded into modern Japan with references to comics, films and video games like Assassin’s Creed.

As their mystique unravels, it’s surprising to learn that half the samurai elite were women; trained in martial arts yet genteel as hosts of Zen-like tea ceremonies.

Decoding their mystique promises an exciting half term treat with an opportunity to see the original Darth Vader costume up close, and maybe even sample a simple Itsu lunch thereafter?

IN THE KNOW Samurai women demonstrated their bravery by serving as fire fighters. The wooden city of Edo (present-day Tokyo) was constantly ablaze and they became known as the ‘flowers of Edo’. Their distinctive red jackets symbolised protective armour against flames, though it's hard to fathom out how that would work today!