[quote=@Jbcool]
<Snipped quote by CaptainBritton>

Good question, and most likely one of two (weigh in if you like), those being either the Late Sengoku into Early Edo period - so the intersecting years between the two - or the more general Edo period, essentially when the act of musha shugyō became prevalent due to the arts of war and swordsmanship becoming organised and categorised into schools. I'd also consider the Late Edo period, which would probably end up leading to a 'Last Samurai' sort of thing...without Tom Cruise.

Not sure that actually answers the question, but I am open to opinions and so on.
[/quote]

In that case, what is your stance on Nanban technologies, such as arquebuses shipped through Tanegashima, Portugese-tempered steel, or even Red Seal ships if that were to come into play somehow?