Bushido

In eighteenth-century Japan, Tsunetomo Yamamoto created the Hagakure, a document that served as the basis for samurai warrior behavior. Its guiding principles greatly influenced the Japanese ruling class and shaped the underlying character of the Japanese psyche, from businessmen to soldiers. Bushido is the first English translation of the Hagakure. This work provides a powerful message aimed at the mind and spirit of the samurai warrior. It offers beliefs that are difficult for the Western mind to embrace, yet fascinating in their pursuit of absolute service. With Bushido, one can better put into perspective Japan's historical path and gain greater insight into the Japan of today.

Born in 1659, Tsunetomo Yamamoto devoted his adult life to the service of his Shogun master, Lord Mitsushige Nabeshima, and his clan, rising to become a highly respected samurai warrior. Upon his master's death in 1700, Yamamoto renounced the world and retired to a hermitage. While at his retreat, a close friend and disciple recorded Yamamoto's thoughts and ideas on what it meant to be a Japanese warrior. Although Yamamoto requested that the work never be published, the Hagakure -- literally meaning "hidden behind the leaves" -- did survive, influencing the development of a culture and serving as the basis of Bushido, the way of the samurai