Inazo Nitobe's Bushido: The Soul of Japan

This paper is a study of Inazo Nitobe's Bushido: The Soul of Japan, an elegant explanation for Western audiences of the fundamental code guiding the life of Japanese civilization. A respected scholar and a Christian convert, Nitobe sought to define a philosophy that was understood well by his countrymen but which remained mysterious to outsiders. Published less than 50 years after Commodore Perry forced Japan to open trade with the West, The Soul of Japan offers a glimpse into a culture dominated by a carefully evolved code of behavior. Bushido is the name for the system of chivalry practiced by the warrior class. As Nitobe explains, it is also the key to understanding how the nation was so well able to weather the enormous cultural forces that made Japan's entry into the the modern age one of the most dramatic stories in world history of the last century. At the time of its publication, Japan was in the middle of a remarkable upheaval. The Soul of Japan reflects this astonishing moment in history.

As European explorers expanded trade routes during the sixteenth century, they came in contact with the great civilizations of Asia. Slowly, over the next several hundred years, East and West began to interact cautiously. Japan, because of its geographical isolation, was able to stay more aloof from Western overtures; several fortuitously timed storms at sea over the subsequent centuries enabled the nation to believe itself protected by the gods from too much foreign invo

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led Bushido published in 1899 [the foreword to the Tuttle edition says 1905] by Dr. Nitobe (9). The samurai, Japan's warrior class, originally formulated bushido as a guide to ethical conduct. The nation as a whole eventually embraced bushido principles as the ideal for behavior in all situations. According to Nitobe, bushido's roots lie in the calm trust in fate of Zen Buddhism, the placid belief of Shintoism in the inherent goodness of humanity, and the proverbs and teachings of Confucius. From this solid base, the samurai created a code stronger than its individual parts; Kita Ikki writes, "Though the teachings of Confucianism and Buddhism have been followed, these have been transcended" (Tsunoda 284). Nitobe emphasizes that knowledge for the sake of facts is abhorrent to the Japanese, while a thorough understanding of the wisdom of Confucius is essential. Nitobe spells out the essential elements of bushido, starting with rectitude, or justice, "the most cogent precept in the code of the samurai. Nothing is more loathesome to him that underhand dealings and crooked undertakings" (23). This is the root of all Japanese behavior. Balance and fairness form the blueprint for all other ways of acting. The next principle

Category: Foreign - I