The term "samurai" comes from the Japanese word saburau, meaning "to serve," and was first used in A.D. 702 to describe mid-to-low-ranking court administrators and, later, armed imperial guards.

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito has visited Iwo Jima to pay tribute to Japanese and Americans who died on the island in one of World War II's bloodiest battles.

About 21,900 Japanese and 6,800 US troops were killed. The Imperial couple will leave Tokyo's Haneda Airport on a government plane and arrive at the island in the afternoon. The couple will pay ...