Bushido: The Soul of Japan (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior) [Hardcover]

Inazo Nitobe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002 | Series: Bushido--The Way of the Warrior

A century ago, when Japan was transforming itself from an isolated feudal society into a modern nation, a Japanese educator queried about the ethos of his people composed this seminal work, which with his numerous other writings in English made him the best, known Japanese writer in the West during his lifetime.

He found in Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, the sources of the virtues most admired by his people: rectitude, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, loyalty and self-control. His approach to his task was eclectic and far-reaching. On the one hand, he delved into the indigenous traditions, into Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism and the moral guidelines handed down over hundreds of years by Japan's samurai and sages. On the other hand, he sought similarities and contrasts by citing not only Western philosophers and statesmen, but also the shapers of European and American thought and civilization going back to the Romans, the Greeks and Biblical times.

This book is a classic to which generations of scholars and laymen alike have long referred for insights into the character of the Japanese people. And all of its many readers in the past have been amply rewarded, as will be all those who turn to its pages in the next and future decades.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Very strongly recommended reading for students of Japanese cultural history and the martial arts, Bushido: The Soul of Japan is a powerful presentation and a moving book with ideas as relevant today as they were 100 years ago." -Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

The Sword, The Soul of the Samurai

[an entire chapter, minus one footnote and the original italics]

Bushido made the sword its emblem of power and prowess. When Mahomet proclaimed that "the sword is the key of Heaven and of Hell," he only echoed a Japanese sentiment. Very early the samurai boy learned to wield it. It was a momentous occasion for him when at the age of five he was apparelled in the paraphernalia of samurai costumes placed upon a go-board[1] and initiated into the rights of the military professions by having thrust into his girdle a real sword instead of the toy dirk with which he had been playing. After this first ceremony of adoptio per arma, he was no more to be seen outside his father's gates without this badge of his status, even though it was usually substituted for everyday wear by a gilded wooden dirk. Not many years pass before he wears constantly the genuine steel, though blunt, and then the sham arms are thrown aside and with enjoyment keener than his newly acquired blades, he marches out to try their edge on wood and stone. When he reaches man's estate, at the age of fifteen, being given independence of action, he can now pride himself upon the possession of arms sharp enough for any work. The very possession of the dangerous instrument imparts to him a feeling and an air of self-respect and responsibility. "He beareth not the sword in vain. What he carries in his belt is a symbol of what he carries in his mind and heart, -- loyalty and honour. The two swords, the longer and the shorter, -- called respectively daito and shoto or katana and wakizashi, -- never leave his side. When at home, they grace the most conspicuous place in the study or parlour; by night they guard his pillow within easy reach of his hand. Constant companions, they are beloved, and proper names of endearment given them. Being venerated, they are well-nigh worshipped. The Father of History has recorded as a curious piece of information that the Scythians sacrificed to an iron scimitar. Many a temple and many a family in Japan hoards a sword as an object of adoration. Even the commonest dirk has due respect paid to it. Any insult to it is tantamount to personal affront. Woe to him who carelessly steps over a weapon lying on the floor!

So precious an object cannot long escape the notice and the skill of artists nor the vanity of its owner, especially in times of peace, when it is worn with no more use than a crosier by a bishop or a sceptre by a King. Sharkskin and finest silk for hilt, silver and gold for guard, lacquer of varied hues for scabbard, robbed the deadliest weapon of half its terror; but these appurtenances are playthings compared with the blade itself

The swordsmith was not a mere artisan but an inspired artist and his workshop a sanctuary. Daily he commenced his craft with prayer and purification, or, as the phrase was, "he committed his soul and spirit into the forging and tempering of the steel." Every swing of the sledge, every plunge into water, every fiction on the grindstone, was a religious act of no slight import. Was it the spirit of the master or of his tutelary god that cast a formidable spell over our sword? Perfect as a work of art, setting at defiance its Toledo and Damascus rivals, there was more than art could impart. Its cold blade, collecting on its surface the moment it is drawn the vapour of the atmosphere; its immaculate texture, flashing light of bluish hue; its matchless edge, upon which histories and possibilities hang; the curve of its back, uniting exquisite grace with utmost strength; -- all these thrill us with mixed feelings of power and beauty, of awe and terror. Harmless were its mission, if it only remained a thing of beauty and joy! But, ever within reach of the hand, it presented no small temptation for abuse. Too often did the blade flash forth from its peaceful sheath. The abuse sometimes went so far as to try the acquired steel on some harmless creature's neck.

The question that concerns us most is, however -- Did Bushido justify the promiscuous use of the weapon? The answer is unequivocally, no! As it laid great stress on its proper use, so did it denounce and abhor its misuse. A dastard or a braggart was he who brandished his weapon on undeserved occasions. A self-possessed man knows the right time to use it, and such times come but rarely. Let us listen to the late Count Katsu, who passed through one of the most turbulent times of our history, when assassinations, suicides, and other sanguinary practices were the order of the day. Endowed as he once was with almost dictatorial powers, chosen repeatedly as an object of assassination, he never tarnished his sword with blood. In relating some of his reminiscences to a friend he says, in a quaint, plebeian way peculiar to him: "I have a great dislike for killing people and so I haven't killed one single man. I have released those whose heads should have been chopped off. A friend said to me one day, 'You don't kill enough. Don't you eat pepper and egg-plants?' Well, some people are no better! But you see that fellow was slain himself My escape may be due to my dislike of killing. I had the hilt of my sword so tightly fastened to the scabbard that it was hard to draw the blade. I made up my mind that though they cut me, I would not cut. Yes, yes! some people are truly like fleas and mosquitoes and they bite -- but what does their biting amount to? It itches a little, that's all; it won't endanger life." These are the words of one whose Bushido training was tried in the fiery furnace of adversity and triumph. The popular apothegm -- "To be beaten is to conquer," meaning true conquest consists in not opposing a riotous foe; and "The best won victory is that obtained without shedding of blood," and others of similar import -- will show that after all the ultimate ideal of knighthood was peace.

It was a great pity that this high ideal was left exclusively to priests and moralists to preach, while the samurai went on practising and extolling martial traits. In this they went so far as to tinge the ideals of womanhood with Amazonian character. Here we may profitably devote a few paragraphs to the subject of the training and position of woman.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770027311
• ISBN-13: 978-4770027313
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword, December 5, 2002

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bushido: The Soul of Japan (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior) (Hardcover)

"Bushido: The Soul of Japan" is an interesting book, outlining the codes and ethics of the Samurai warrior class of Tokugawa era Japan. Much like the code of Chivalry of European Knights (of which the book makes comparisons), Bu-shi-do (Military - Knight - Way) lays down stringent rules of behavior towards superiors and inferiors, of behavior in battle and in peace, as well as the minute of life, all as a way of taming and ordering this privileged warrior class which sprang from the most brutish, most barbarian roots.

Written in 1900, the book uses the writing style common at the times. "Bushido" was written as a means to educate an educated Western audience about the soul of Japan and eliminate common prejudices towards the Japanese civilization. As Nitobe writes for a 1900s Western educated audience, he takes it for granted that the reader is familiar with Shakespeare and often uses Shakespearian characters as mouthpieces for the Western point of view. "As Iago said...."

Nitobe does an excellent job explaining the code, and uses fables and examples to illustrate his points. He clearly sees the value in this military way of life, and waxes poetic from time to time. There are no insights into modern Japan to be gained from "Bushido," anymore than you can understand modern London by reading "Le Mort D'Arthur." It is, however, a great resource for understanding historic Japan and the Samurai cast.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good material, but a peculiar rendering, September 25, 2004

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bushido: The Soul of Japan (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior) (Hardcover)

The Bushido - the Warrior's Way - is one of the wonderful, unique features of Japanese culture, still important in the modern world. It has inspired many books, spanning several centuries. This book, written around 1905, is distinctive for being addressed to a Western audience.

It was written by a Japanese scholar in Europe, educated (possibly over-educated) in Western ways. As a reader of my own era, I would say that bushido can only be understood in the terms that it sets out. The reader must knock down the Western tradition, from medieval mythos forward, and accept wholly Asian premises for the bushido to make sense. This author, instead, tries to describe the bushido in Western terms. The result is paltry and grotesque.

Nitobe is a product of the bushido, and I am not. He is also a product of the late 19th century, writing in the first few years of the 20th, and writing with English learned at the end of the Victorian era. He explains the bushido in terms of the Old Testament, Shakespeare, Aristotle, and Cervantes. He speaks eloquently to his audience, men who are rigidly Christian and just plain rigid.

I find an unhappy desperation in this book, where the author tries to justify a profoundly Japanese culture in un-Japanese terms. This was the era just after Legge, Hearn, Burton, and FitzGerald. There was an influx of Eastern culture, but it was filtered so that proper English could disuss in their own terms. I am afraid that the filter stopped out all that was truly Japanese.

The serious sudent should read this book, but not to understand Japanese culture. Instead, the reader should try to understand the Western culture that this book addresses. Even now, we are afflicted by Victorian translations of Eastern classics. This book, working from East to West instead, shows just how dire that affliction had become.

//wiredweird

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not only historic Japan, but also Japan at present, April 6, 2006

By 

Takashi Mura (Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bushido: The Soul of Japan (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior) (Hardcover)

I am a Japanese graduate student, aged 24, who studies molecular biology. I would like to add to the excellent reviews so far that this book is full of insights to understand not only historic Japan but also Japan and Japanese people at present.

The first reason is that most Japanese know Nitobe's name, face and act of writing this book. It is because his portrait was featured on the 5000 Yen banknote printed from 1984 to 2004.

The second reason is that many leaders at present, including, as far as I know, Masahiko Fujiwara, a mathematician, who wrote a recent Japanese best-seller titled Kokka no Hinkaku (Style of a nation) and some professors in my department's faculty, admire this book.

The third reason is that, though modernization and westernization wiped out the great fraction of Bushido customs, its spirits prevail in the minds of Japanese people. You may ask 'How is it possible without Bushido customs?', as M. de Laveleye, a Belgian jurist, asked Nitobe in the preface of the book, 'How do you impart moral education without religion?'. The answer, Masahiko Fujiwara points out, lies in people's reading classics, such as Genji Monogatari, Heike Monogatari, poems by Matsuo Basho and so on. In fact, as I see it, Bushido characteristics mentioned in this book, rectitude, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, the duty of loyalty, and self-control, still remain in Japan.

I agree with Dr. Fujiwara in general, but, I regard Manga (comic books) and Anime, now summed up as Otaku or Akihabara culture, as the main source of the Japanese moral for the younger generations. People of my age did not read much of original classics, when they are children. Instead, we have been surrounded by and soaked with many classics reproduced as Manga or/and anime (eg Nihon Mukashi Banashi (Japanese folklore), Asaki Yumemishi (Genji Monogatari), Vagabond (the story of Miyamoto Musashi, a famous Samurai), and so on). Some people despise Manga as picture books, but it is not. It is a powerful media of information that is easy to read and, therefore, rapidly, widely, and voluntarily read. So, Bushido spirits prevail in the minds of Japanese people much more deeply than you imagine.

For the reasons above, I assure you that reading this book will greatly enhance your understanding of both historic and present Japan and Japanese people.