Bushido
Bushido, meaning "Way of the Warrior," is a code of ethics and conduct associated with the samurai, the military nobility of feudal Japan. This concept, while rooted in ancient traditions, was formally recognized during the Kamakura shogunate (1192–1333) and evolved significantly over time. Central to bushido were values such as loyalty, bravery, and honor, emphasizing the duty of samurai to fight to the death for their lords and the severe dishonor associated with surrendering in battle. Ritual suicide, known as seppuku, became a means of restoring lost honor, highlighting the gravity of feudal obligations. The sword was not only a weapon but also a symbol of the samurai's honor and status. By the Tokugawa shogunate in the seventeenth century, bushido's principles became more codified and were deeply woven into the fabric of Japanese culture. In the late nineteenth century, as Japan transitioned into an imperial age, the ethical teachings of bushido expanded beyond samurai society, playing a significant role in national identity and cultural indoctrination.
On this Page
Bushido
Among the privileged class of Japanese warriors called samurai, bushido or the “Way of the Warrior” was a code of etiquette and feudal obligation, comparable to medieval European chivalry. Though the roots of the concept reach back to ancient times, the value system was not known under the name "bushido" until much later. First developed during the Kamakura shogunate (1192–1333), the content of bushido varied considerably throughout the course of Japanese history. Some basic tenets, however, included the necessity of fighting to the death for one’s lord, the ultimate shame of surrendering in battle, and ritual suicide by disemboweling (seppuku) as a means of regaining lost honor. Indeed, yielding to an enemy—and thus failing to fulfill one’s feudal obligations—was considered so dishonorable an act that those guilty of it were deemed unworthy of treatment as human beings. The sword became a central item to samurai, with highly decorated and crafted weapons epitomizing the honor of the warrior. In addition to ideas of loyalty and bravery, bushido often stressed a philosophy of austerity and politeness.
By the Tokugawa shogunate at the beginning of the seventeenth century the various values of warrior life began to be more formally codified and standardized. For several centuries bushido became ingrained in Japanese culture. As Japan entered a new imperial age in the second half of the nineteenth century, the ethical teachings of bushido—now extended beyond the boundaries of samurai society—became an important component of Japanese cultural indoctrination.
Bibliography
Benesh, Oleg. Inventing the Way of the Samurai: Nationalism, Internationalism, and Bushidō in Modern Japan. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2014. Print.
"The Bushido Code: An Overview." Sugihara. PBS, WGBH Educational Foundation, 2005. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.
Cummins, Antony. Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth that Shatters the Bushido Mystique. Tokyo: Tuttle, 2015. Print.
Man, John. Samurai: The Last Warrior: A History. New York: Morrow, 2014. Print.
Nitobe, Inazō. Bushido: The Soul of Japan. New York: Kodansha, 2012. Print.