Bushid

Bushido (Japanese lit. "way of the warrior",bushidō), was an ethical code of conduct, developed between the 11th to 14th centuries and was formalized during the opening years of the Tokugawa shogunate for the members of the Samurai class. According to the Japanese Dictionary Shogakkan Kokugo Daijiten: "Bushido is defined as a unique philosophy (ronri) that spread through the warrior class from the Muromachi (chusei) period."

Inazo Nitobe, author of "Bushido: The Soul of Japan" describes Bushido as an unwritten code: "...Bushido, then, is the code of moral principles which the knights were required or instructed to observe. It is not a written code; at best it consists of a few maxims handed down from mouth to mouth or coming from the pen of some well-known warrior or savant. More frequently it is a code unuttered and unwritten, possessing all the more the powerful sanction of veritable deed, and of a law written on the fleshly tablets of the heart. It was founded not on the creation of one brain, however able, or on the life of a single personage, however renowned. It was an organic growth of decades and centuries of military career."

The famous warlord Imagawa Ryoshun would write in 1412: "In Governing the country, it is dangerous to lack even one of the virtues of humanity, righteousness, etiquette and wisdom. It is forbidden to forget the great debt of kindness one owes to his master and ancestors and thereby make light of the virtues of loyalty and filial piety.....There is a primary need to distinguish loyalty from disloyalty and to establish rewards and punishments.....it is written in the Four Books and Five Classics as well as in the military writings that in protecting the country, if one is ignorant in the study of literature, he will be unable to govern. Just as Buddha preached the various laws in order to save all living beings, one must rack one's brains and never depart from the Ways of both Warrior and Literary Man."

Imagawa Ryoshun was a leading general and strategist of his time. He wrote prolifically despite being posted to military hotspots by the Shogun. His job was to suppress rebellion by rival samurai clans. Famed for his writings "Nan Taiheiki" and "Michiyukiburi", he penned THE REGULATIONS, to his brother Tadaki in traditional Kanbun script. They were a required study for traditional Japanese as a guide to proper moral behavior. Widely respected, THE REGULATIONS remained popular until World War II. Having taken Buddhist vows, Ryoshun is greatly admired as having achieved the warrior ideal—striking a balance between the military and literary arts.

Several famous Sengoku Daimyo mention Bushido in their writings. Lord Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611) orders his men to follow it: "If a man does not investigate into the matter of Bushido daily, it will be difficult for him to die a brave and manly death. Thus it is essential to engrave this business of the warrior into one's mind well.....One should put forth great effort in matters of learning. One should read books concerning military matters, and direct his attention exclusively to the virtues of loyalty and filial piety.....Having been born into the house of a warrior, one's intentions should be to grasp the long and the short swords and to die."

In August 1600, Lord Torii Mototada cited Bushido as his reason for staying behind in a doomed castle with his 1,800 man garrison, knowing that Ishida Mitsunari's 40,000 soldiers were approaching: "I will stand off the forces of the entire country here....and die a resplendant death....It is not the Way of the Warrior to be shamed and avoid death even under circumstances that are not particularly important.....Even if all the other provinces of Japan were to unite against our lord, our descendants should not set foot inside another fief to the end of time....."

Torii Mototada's 10 day siege likely changed the course of Japanese history, enabling Ieyasu Tokugawa to win the Battle of Sekigahara. Fushimi Castle would fall after its defenders fought heroically to the last man and as was custom, Torii Mototada would kill himself rather than be taken alive.

In 1645 A.D. the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi would write in his famous book Go Rin No Sho (A Book of Five Rings): "It is said the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways. Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way. Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death."

In the 14th year of Genroku, the 47 Ronin of Ako would cite Confucian edict as the reason for their famous vendetta. (As Translated by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford (1837-1916), Lord Redesdale, British Ambassador to Japan in his book "Tales of Old Japan")

still we, who have eaten of your food, could not without blushing repeat the verse, 'Thou shalt not live under the same heaven nor tread the same earth with the enemy of thy father or lord,' nor could we have dared to leave hell and present ourselves before you in paradise, unless we had carried out the vengeance which you began."

In the 1860's, Lord Redesdale lived in a house within sight of Sengaku-ji where the 47 Ronin were buried. Impressed by the loyalty displayed by the ronin, he toured Sengaku-ji and finding tattered and yellowed letters amongst the relics, he translated them for his book "Tales of Old Japan." Each of the ronin carried letters spelling out their intentions in case they were captured or killed. Also translated were the receipt provided by the relatives of Lord Kira for the return of his head and the final statement placed by the men on Lord Asano's tomb before surrendering for court martial.

Some people live all their lives without knowing which path is right. They're buffeted by this wind or that and never really know where they're going. That's largely the fate of the commoners--those who have no choice over their destiny. For those of us born as samurai, life is something else. We know the path of duty and we follow it without question."

Today, Sengakuji is a national shrine. Visitors to the temple at first notice what appears to be fog, but is actually the smoke from incense which has not gone out in hundreds of years the men have been buried there. Each year, thousands of people from around the world come to pay respects before the headstones of the faithful men. The 47 ronin are considered national heroes, forever guarding the honor of their beloved Lord Asano.