The Japanese notion of way of the warrior. The samurai code until 1868, which taught personal loyalty to a master, death rather than capture/surrender, and stoic indifference to material goods - a product of Confucian ethics. Like European knights, samurai rode into battle in armour. The bushido tradition is still seen in modern times, eg Japanese officers carried swords in World War 2. Its more positive influence is seen in the ethics of Japan's popular martial arts.
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."
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.
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. 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.
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.
In The 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".
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.
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.
Other examples of the evolution (though it has been suggested constancy) 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, reverence to the Emperor.
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:
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 TairTenets
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).
In an excerpt from his book Samurai: The World of the Warrior, historian Stephen Turnbull describes the role of Seppuku in feudal Japan:
Seppuku is a more correct expression for an act of suicide performed by the process of cutting open the abdomen.
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.
However, Seppuku is not the sole emphasis of the Bushido philosophy.
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 – Chū – Loyalty -Translations from: Random House's Japanese-English, English-Japanese DictionaryOthers that are sometimes added to these:
孝 - Kō - Filial piety 智 - Chi - Wisdom 悌 - Tei - Care for the agedModern bushido
Some people in Japan as well as other countries follow the same virtues listed above under the philisophical term modern bushido.
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.
The full article and others can be found at http://www.bugei.com/article.html
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