Japanese samurai in armor, 1860s. Photograph by Felice Beato

Bushido (武士道, Bushidō^?), meaning "way of the warrior", is a Japanese code of conduct and a way of life, loosely analogous to the European concept of chivalry. Bushido developed between the 11th to 14th centuries as set forth by numerous translated documents dating from the 12th to 16th centuries (as mentioned below). According to the Japanese dictionary Shogakukan Kokugo Daijiten, "Bushido is defined as a unique philosophy (ronri) that spread through the warrior class from the Muromachi (chusei) period." Image File history File linksMetadata Samurai. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Samurai. ... Felice Beato, self-portrait, c. ... Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene. ... Every learner of Japanese and scholar of Japan-related topics will have recourse to using a dictionary on countless occasions throughout his or her career. ... Nihon kokugo daijiten (日本国語大辞典, Tokyo, Shogakukan, 1974) is sometimes translated as The Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Japanese Language. The daijiten is the largest and most authoritative Japanese dictionary for Japanese-literate readers. ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Muromachi period (室町時代, also known...

The core tenets of Bushido date from as early as the 12th century as demonstrated by the earliest translations of Japanese literature and warrior house codes. Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, Bushido became formalized into Japanese Feudal Law. The Tokugawa shogunate or Tokugawa bakufu (徳川幕府) (also known as the Edo bakufu) was a feudal military dictatorship of Japan established in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family until 1868. ...

Inazo Nitobe, in his book Bushido: The Soul of Japan, described it in this way. "...Bushido, then, is the code of moral principles which the samurai were required or instructed to observe... More frequently it is a code unuttered and unwritten... It was an organic growth of decades and centuries of military career." Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933) Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933) Inazo Nitobe (新渡戸 稲造; Nitobe Inazō, September 1, 1862 - October 15, 1933) was a Christian Japanese agriculturist, philosopher, educator and international political activist from Morioka, Iwate. ...

Historical development

Early history

There is evidence of Bushido in Early literature to suggest that the stylings of Bushido have existed in the Japanese literature from the earliest recorded literary history of Japan. Kojiki is Japan's oldest extant book. Written in 712 AD, it contains passages about Yamato Takeru, the son of the Emperor Keiko. It provides an early indication of the values and literary self-image of the bushido ideal, including references to the use and admiration of the sword by Japanese warriors. Yamato Takeru may be considered the rough ideal of the Japanese warrior to come. He is sincere and loyal, slicing up his father's enemies "like melons", unbending and yet not unfeeling, as can be seen in his laments for lost wives and homeland, and in his willingness to combat the enemy alone. Most important, his portrayal in the Kojiki shows the ideal of harmonizing the literary with the martial may have been an early trait of Japanese civilization, appealing to the Japanese long before its introduction from Confucian China. // Early Literature Kokjiki The Kojiki is Japans oldest extant book. ... Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記) is the oldest surviving historical book dealing with the ancient history of Japan. ... Yamato Takeru subjugates Kumaso Takeru. ... Emperor Keikō (景行天皇 Keikō Tennō) was the twelfth imperial ruler of Japan to appear on the traditional list of emperors. ...

This early conceptualising of a Japanese self-image of the "ideal warrior" can further be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early history of Japan written in the year 797. A section of the book covering the year 723 A.D.is notable for an early use of the term bushi in Japanese literature and a reference to the educated warrior-poet ideal. The term bushi entered the Japanese vocabulary with the general introduction of Chinese literature and added to the indigenous words, tsuwamono and mononofu. The Shoku Nihongi（続日本紀）is an imperially commissioned history of Japan written in the early Heian period. ...

In Kokinshu (early 10th century), the first imperial anthology of poems, there is an early reference to Saburau — originally a verb meaning "to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society". In Japanese, the pronunciation would become saburai. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became synonymous with bushi almost entirely and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class. Kokin (waka)shu (古今(和歌)集 kokin (waka)shū, collection of ancient and modern poems) is an early Heian waka anthology, conceived by Emperor Uda (r. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ...

13th to 16th centuries

From the Bushido literature of the 13th to 16th Centuries, there exists an abundance of literary references to the ideals of Bushido. // Early Literature Kokjiki The Kojiki is Japans oldest extant book. ...

Written in 1371, the Heike Monogatari chronicles the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century—a conflict known as the Gempei War. Clearly depicted throughout the Heike Monogatari is the ideal of the cultivated warrior. The warriors in the Heike Monogatari served as models for the educated warriors of later generations, and the ideals depicted by them were not assumed to be beyond reach. Rather, these ideals were vigorously pursued in the upper echelons of warrior society and recommended as the proper form of the Japanese man of arms. The Tale of the Heike (Japanese 平家物語, Heike monogatari) is an epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century. ... The Genpei or Gempei War (源平戦争)(1180-1185) was a war of ancient Japan, fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans. ...

Other examples of the evolution (though it has been suggested constancy^{[citation needed]}) in the Bushido literature of the 13th to 16th centuries included:

• "The Message Of Master Gokurakuji" by Shogunal Deputy, Hōjō Shigetoki (1198-1261 AD)
• "The Chikubasho" by Shiba Yoshimasa (1350-1410 AD)
• Writings by Imagawa Ryoshun (1326-1420 AD)
• Writings by Governor of Echizen, Asakura Toshikage (1428-1481 AD)
• Writings by the Samurai general Hōjō Nagauji (1432-1519 AD)
• The warlord Takeda Shingen (1521AD-1573 AD)
• The Precepts of Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611 AD)

This period of early development of Bushido, as depicted in these various writings and house codes, already includes the concepts of an all encompassing loyalty to their master, filial piety and reverence to the Emperor. It indicates the need for both compassion for those of a lower station, and for the preservation of their name.^{[citation needed]} Early Bushido literature further enforces the requirement to conduct themselves with calmness, fairness, justice, and politeness.^{[citation needed]} The relationship between learning and the way of the warrior is clearly articulated, one being a natural partner to the other. Finding a proper death in battle, for the cause of their lord, also features strongly in this early history.^{[citation needed]} Imagawa Sadayo (1326-1420), a renown poet and military commander, served as tandai, or constable, of Kyushu under the Ashikaga Bakufu from 1371 to 1395. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

17th to 19th centuries

Although Japan enjoyed a period of peace during the Sakoku ("closed country") period from the 17th to the mid-19th century, the samurai class remained and continued to play a central role in the policing of the country. It has been suggested that this period of relative peace led to the refinement and formalism of Bushido can be traced back through the era of feudal Japan, or the Edo Period. Literature of the 17th to 19th Century contains many examples of the philosophy of Bushido. This includes: now. ... The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Edo Period. ... // Early Literature Kokjiki The Kojiki is Japans oldest extant book. ...

• The Last Statement of Torii Mototada (1539-1600 AD)
• Kuroda Nagamasa (1568-1623 AD)
• Nabeshima Naoshige (1538-1618 A.D.)
• Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings) by Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645 AD)
• Bushido Shoshinshu (Bushido for Beginners) by Tair

Kuroda Nagamasa (1568-1623) Kuroda Nagamasa, the son of Kuroda Kanbei. ... Nabeshima Naoshige (1537-1619) a retainer of the Ryuzoji clan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. ... The Book of Five Rings (五輪の書, Go Rin No Sho) was written by Miyamoto Musashi. ... Miyamoto Musashi killing a nue, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861). ...

Tenets

Bushido expanded and formalized the earlier code of the samurai, and stressed frugality, loyalty, mastery of martial arts, and honor to the death. Under the Bushido ideal, if a samurai failed to uphold his honor he could regain it by performing seppuku (ritual suicide). Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... Honor (or honor) comprises the reputation, self-perception or moral identity of an individual or of a group. ... Seppuku with ritual attire and second (staged) General Akashi Gidayu preparing to commit Seppuku after losing a battle for his master in 1582. ...

In an excerpt from his book Samurai: The World of the Warrior, historian Stephen Turnbull describes the role of Seppuku in feudal Japan: Dr. Stephen Turnbull is an expert on samurai. ...

Seppuku is a more correct expression for an act of suicide performed by the process of cutting open the abdomen. Seppuku is better known in the West as hara kiri (belly-cutting), and is a concept so alien to the European tradition that it is one of the few words from the world of the samurai to have entered foreign languages without a need for translation. Seppuku was commonly performed using a dagger. It could take place with preparation and ritual in the privacy of one’s home, or speedily in a quiet corner of a battlefield while one’s comrades kept the enemy at bay. In the world of the warrior, seppuku was a deed of bravery that was admirable in a samurai who knew he was defeated, disgraced, or mortally wounded. It meant that he could end his days with his transgressions wiped away and with his reputation not merely intact but actually enhanced. The cutting of the abdomen released the samurai’s spirit in the most dramatic fashion, but it was an extremely painful and unpleasant way to die, and sometimes the samurai who was performing the act asked a loyal comrade to cut off his head at the moment of agony.

Bushido was widely practiced and it is surprising how uniform the samurai code remained over time, crossing over all geographic and socio-economic backgrounds of the samurai. The samurai represented a wide populace numbering between 7 to 10% of the Japanese population, and the first Meiji era census at the end of the 19th century counted 1,282,000 members of the "high samurais", allowed to ride a horse, and 492,000 members of the "low samurai", allowed to wear two swords but not to ride a horse, in a country of about 25 million.^[1]. Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Meiji period (Japanese: Meiji Jidai 明治&#26178... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

However, Seppuku is not the sole emphasis of the Bushido philosophy. Other points are made to include methods of raising children, appearance and grooming, and most of all, constant preparation for death. One might say that death is at the very center of Bushido as the overall purpose- to die a good death and with one's honor intact.

Seven virtues

• 義 – Gi – Rectitude
• 勇 – Yū – Courage
• 仁 – Jin – Benevolence
• 礼 – Rei – Respect
• 誠 – Makoto or 信 - Shin– Honesty
• 名誉 – Meiyo – Honor, Glory
• 忠義 – Chūgi – Loyalty

-Translations from: Random House's Japanese-English, English-Japanese Dictionary

Others that are sometimes added to these: Virtue (Greek αρετη; Latin virtus) is the habitual, well-established, readiness or diposition of mans powers directing them to some goodness of act. ... Fortitudo, by Sandro Botticelli Courage, also known as fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. ... Benevolence characterizes the true goodness of the mind and spirit, the unbiased kindness to do good. ... Respect is an attitude of acknowledging the feelings and interests of another party in a relationship, and of treating as consequential for the self the helping or harming of the other. ... Look up Honesty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Honor (or honor) comprises the reputation, self-perception or moral identity of an individual or of a group. ... Loyalty is faithfulness or devotion to a person or cause. ...

• 孝 - Kō - Filial piety
• 智 - Chi - Wisdom
• 悌 - Tei - Care for the aged

Filial piety is extended into the afterlife. ... Personification of wisdom (Greek Σοφια) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey Detail from the Allegory of Wisdom and Strength by Paulo Veronese (c. ...

Modern bushido

Some people in Japan as well as other countries follow the same virtues listed above under the philisophical term modern bushido. The idea was derived from the fact that the Japanese male should be able to adapt his beliefs and philosophies to a changing world.

In an excerpt of James Williams' article "Virtue of the sword", a fairly simple explanation of modern bushido can be found:

The warrior protects and defends because he realizes the value of others. He knows that they are essential to society and, in his gift of service, recognizes and values theirs... take the extra moment in dark parking lots at night to make sure that a woman gets into her car safely before leaving yourself. Daily involvement in acts such as these are as much a part of training as time spent in the dojo, and indeed should be the reason for that time spent training... When faced with a woman or child in a situation in which they are vulnerable, there are two types of men: those who would offer succor and aid, and those who would prey upon them. And in modern society, there is another loathsome breed who would totally ignore their plight!

The full article and others can be found at http://www.bugei.com/article.html

Major figures associated with bushido

• Miyamoto Musashi
• Morihei Ueshiba
• Yamaga Soko
• Yamamoto Tsunetomo
• Kato Kiyomasa
• Torii Mototada

Miyamoto Musashi killing a nue, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861). ... Morihei Ueshiba 植芝盛平 (December 14, 1883 – April 26, 1969) was a famous martial artist and founder of aikido. ... Yamaga Soko (September 21, 1622 - October 23, 1685) was a Japanese philosopher and strategist. ... Tsunetomo Yamamoto (12 June 1659 - 1719) was a samurai of the Saga domain in Hizen Province under his lord Mitsushige Nabeshima. ... Statue of Kato Kiyomasa in front of Kumamoto Castle Katō Kiyomasa (加藤清正, Katō Kiyomasa, July 25, 1562-August 2, 1611) was a daimyō during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods of Japanese history. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ...

See also

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Precepts of Kato Kiyomasa

• Aikido
• Battōjutsu - Japanese Martial Art - The Art of Cutting with the Sword
• Chivalry
• Hagakure
• Iaido - Japanese Martial Art - The Art of Drawing the Sword
• Japan
• Kendo - Japanese Martial Art - The Way of Sword
• Ju-Jitsu - Japanese Martial Art - "Gentle Art" an Unarmed Self Defense Art of the Samurai
• Judo - Japanese Martial Art - "Gentle Way" a Modern Sport Art derived from Ju-Jitsu
• Samurai
• Shogun
• Virtue
• Zen
• Zen at War

Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Aikido is a modern Japanese budō, developed by Morihei Ueshiba between the 1920s and the 1960s primarily from Daitō-ryÅ« aiki-jÅ«jutsu. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene. ... Hagakure, or Hagakure Kikigaki (葉隠-In the Shadow of Leaves) is a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior, drawn from a collection of commentaries by the former samurai, Yamamoto Tsunetomo, retainer to Nabeshima Mitsushige, the third ruler of what is now the Saga prefecture in Japan. ... Respect shown to the sword (To-ne-rei) before and after practice. ... Kendo ) or way of the sword, is the martial art of Japanese fencing. ... Jujutsu (also jujitsu, ju jitsu, ju jutsu, or jiu jitsu; from the Japanese 柔術 jūjutsu gentle/yielding/compliant Art) is a Japanese martial art. ... Judo , gentle way) is a martial art, combat sport, and philosophy which originated in Japan. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ... Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate For other uses, see Shogun (disambiguation). ... Personification of virtue (Greek ἀρετή) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey Virtue (Latin virtus; Greek ) is moral excellence of a person. ... Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that places great importance on moment-by-moment awareness and seeing deeply into the nature of things by direct experience. ... Zen at War is a book written by Brian Daizen Victoria, published in 1998. ...

Further reading

• William Scott Wilson, Ideals of the Samurai: Writings of Japanese Warriors (Kodansha, 1982) ISBN 0-89750-081-4

• John Allyn, "Forty-Seven Ronin Story" ISBN 0-8048-0196-7

• Imagawa Ryoshun, The Regulations of Imagawa Ryoshun (1412 A.D.) [1]

• Torii Mototada, The Last Statement of Torii Mototada (1600 A.D.)

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Final Statement of the 47 Ronin

• Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale, Final Statements of The 47 Ronin (1701 A.D.)

• The Message Of Master Gokurakuji--Hōjō Shigetoki (1198A.D.-1261A.D.) [2]

• Sunset of The Samurai--The True Story of Saigo Takamori Military History Magazine [3]

• Onoda, Hiroo, No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Trans. Charles S. Terry. (New York, Kodansha International Ltd, 1974) ISBN 1-55750-663-9 [4]

This page is a candidate to be moved to Wikisource. ... Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford (1837 - 1916) of Batsford Park, Gloucestershire, and Birdhope Craig, Northumberland, was an English diplomat, collector and writer. ...

External links and further reading

• An interview with William Scott Wilson about Bushido

• Bushido Website: a good definition of bushido, including The Samurai Creed

• The website of William Scott Wilson A 2005 recipient of the Japanese Government's Japan’s Foreign Minister’s Commendation, William Scott Wilson was honored for his research on Samurai and Bushido.

• Hojo Shigetoki (1198-1261)and His Role in the History of Political and Ethical Ideas in Japan by Carl Steenstrup; Curzon Press (1979)ISBN 0-7007-0132-X

• A History of Law in Japan Until 1868 by Carl Steenstrup; Brill Academic Publishers;second edition (1996) ISBN 90-04-10453-4

• Bushido--the Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe (1905) (ISBN 0-8048-3413-X) —

• Budoshoshinshu - The Code of The Warrior by Daidōji Yuzan (ISBN 0-89750-096-2) —

• Hagakure-The Book of the Samurai By Tsunetomo Yamamoto (ISBN 4-7700-1106-7 paperback, ISBN 4-7700-2916-0 hardcover) — Complete text online: The Hagakure Kikigaki

• Go Rin No Sho - Miyamoto Musashi (1645 A.D.) (ISBN 4-7700-2801-6 hardback, ISBN 4-7700-2844-X hardback Japan only) — Complete text online:

• The Unfettered Mind - Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword master by Takuan Soho (Musashi's mentor) (ISBN 0-87011-851-X) — Complete text online:

• The Religion of the Samurai (1913), study of zen philosophy and discipline in China and Japan, by Kaiten Nukariya, professor of Kei-o-gi-Jiku University and of So-To-Shu Buddhist College, Tokyo — Complete text online

• Tales of Old Japan by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford (1871) reprinted 1910 -- Complete text online

• Sakujiro Yokoyama's Account of a Samurai Sword Duel
• Death Before Dishonor By Masaru Fujimoto--Special to The Japan Times: Dec. 15, 2002 [5]

• Japanese Feudal Laws John Carey Hall, The Tokuagwa Legislation, (Yokohama, 1910), pp. 286-319