Bushido: The Classic Portrait of Samurai Martial Culture

Justice. Courage. Benevolence. Politeness. Sincerity. Honor. Loyalty.These are the seven precepts of bushido— the code of the samurai. Together, these seven values create a system of beliefs that is unique to Japanese culture— and is still alive today.Bushido: The Classic Portrait of Samurai Martial Culture written by Inazo Nitobe, one of Japan's foremost scholars, thoroughly explores each of these values and explains how they differ from their western counterparts. Until you understand the philosophy behind the ethics, you will never fully grasp what it meant to be a samurai—what it meant to have bushido.First published in 1905 as Bushido: The Soul of Japan, this book is an essential guide to the very essence of samurai and Japanese cultures and represents one of the most popular and authentic depictions of samurai-era philosophy.Chapters include: •Bushido as an Ethical System•Sources of Bushido•Honor•The Education and Training of a Samurai•Self-Control•The Influence of Bushido•The Future of Bushido