The Way of the Samurai

Inazo Nitobe

Okt 2020 · Arcturus Publishing

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"Chivalry is a flower no less indigenous to the soil of Japan than its emblem, the cherry blossom; nor is it a dried-up specimen of an antique virtue preserved in the herbarium of our history. It is still a living object of power and beauty among us"

To many people, the word samurai conjures images of menacing masks, long blades and elaborate armour. However, this classic text by Inazo Nitobe reveals the greater depths to samurai culture - they were not simply warriors but an aristocratic class who practiced literary and military arts in equal measure.

Essential to this way of life was the samurai's moral code and the quality of bushido, roughly translated as chivalry. The Way of the Samurai provides an intriguing exploration of bushido and other valued qualities such as rectitude or justice, courage, politeness, veracity, honour, loyalty and self-control. It also explores the Samurai's more violent traditions, such as the chilling act of hara-kiri or self-immolation.

This mixture of chivalric principles with brutal warfare is fascinating. While many aspects of Samurai culture have disappeared, its principles still have resonance in modern Japanese society and around the globe.

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Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933) was scholar and an educator. After studying at John Hopkins University he maintained his links with the US and tried through his academic career 'to become a bridge across the Pacific'. He wrote Bushido: The Soul of Japan, published here as The Way of the Samurai, in 1899 and the book established his reputation in the West.