Samurai and Bushido (Julien)

              So probably if you have some interest in Japan, you’ve heard of the samurai, the not so ancient warrior class of Japan, or bushido: the samurai code, based on Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism. You might be interested to know what role these long dead institutions play in modern Japan? If your fanatical, you might be disappointed to learn that the wearing of samurai swords has been banned in Japan since 1876. You’ll be happy to learn, however, that bushido ethics have well survived into the 21^st century.

              So what is true and false about the samurai? One Western truism goes that all Japanese are, in fact, descended from the samurai. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, samurai only ever made up a minor percentage of Japanese society. Though many claim samurai ancestry, some rightly, most Japanese people are descended from farmers, guildsmen, merchants, and a whole variety of people that made the core of Japan’s class system.

   

So what is true? Samurais were an elite warrior class of Japan that existed up to the late 19^th century. Prior to the Westernization of Japan (i.e the Meiji Period), the samurai’s power was more powerful then the emperor himself. Considering how close this is to the present, it is no surprise that many samurai precepts have influenced the character or modern Japan. The celebrated author, Nitobe Inzao even goes as far as to say that bushido is the soul of Japan. Some of these precepts include: politeness, justice, self-restraint, honor, loyalty, and duty. Today many Japanese, descended from samurais or not, cultivate these virtues. Among the most prominent is putting one’s duty to community or family over one’s self.

              When looking at most Japanese mannerisms, including its alarming suicide rate, something involving bushido can easily be the source. However, you must realize that samurai are not always associated with something good or noble. In many cases their duties took precedence over benevolence. Most Japanese know this. In 1970, a fanatical writer, named Yukio Mishima, unsuccessfully attempted a coup in the name of the emperor and the samurai. He was met with much resistance, and ended up committing seppuku (ritual suicide). Many right-wingers have also taken the concept of the samurai as their own, as have the notorious Yakuza. Therefore, be careful to think about these things before using the loaded term samurai.