The Way of the Samurai

This classic text by Inazo Nitobe defines the moral code of the warrior class or Samurai. Conjuring up a world of chivalric principles and brutal warfare, The Way of the Samuraiprovides a window into Japan's fascinating culture and dramatic history.

An aristocratic class who practised literary and military arts in equal measure, the samurai were more than warriors, as Inazo Nitobe shows. His text explores bushido, roughly translated as chivalry, alongside qualities such as justice, courage, honour, loyalty and self-control, and the more violent tradition of hara-kiri.

Chivalry is a flower no less indigenous to the soil of Japan than its emblem, the cherry blossom; nor is it a dried-up specimen of an antique virtue preserved in the herbarium of our history. It is still a living object of power and beauty among us.

To many people, the word samurai conjures images of menacing masks, long blades and elaborate armour. However, this classic text by Inazo Nitobe reveals the greater depths to samurai culture - they were not simply warriors but an aristocratic class who practiced literary and military arts in equal measure.

Essential to this way of life was the samurai's moral code and the quality of bushido, roughly translated as chivalry. The Way of the Samurai provides an intriguing exploration of bushido and other valued qualities such as rectitude or justice, courage, politeness, veracity, honour, loyalty and self-control. It also explores the Samurai's more violent traditions, such as the chilling act of hara-kiri or self-immolation.

This mixture of chivalric principles with brutal warfare is fascinating. While many aspects of Samurai culture have disappeared, its principles still have resonance in modern Japanese society and around the globe.

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