The Knights of Bushido: A Short History of Japanese War Crimes

Product Information

The aging Yamamoto Tsunetomo's interpretation of bushidō is perhaps more illustrative of the philosophy refined by his unique station and experience, at once dutiful and defiant, ultimately incompatible with the laws of an emerging civil society. Of the 47 rōnin—to this day, generally regarded as exemplars of bushidō—Tsunetomo felt they were remiss in hatching such a wily, delayed plot for revenge, and had been over-concerned with the success of their undertaking. Instead, Tsunetomo felt true samurai should act without hesitation to fulfill their duties, without regard for success or failure. [ citation needed] Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth

The Knights of Bushido: A Short History of Japanese War…

Master swordsman Miyamoto Musashi's life exemplifies bushido. [26] Musashi (1584–1645) wrote The Book of Five Rings (Gorin no Sho) around 1643. [26] It consists of five volumes (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Void). The Book of Earth describes the general framework of bushidō. [26] For example: apply skills in any situation, always carry two swords, learn how to effectively use the lance, naginata, bow and arrow, and guns. A daimyo should know the strength of his troops and how to properly deploy them. Devote yourself to training to master a way, avoid evil acts and thoughts, broaden perspectives with arts and knowledge about different professions, make objective judgments etc. [26] Some versions of bushidō include compassion for those of lower station, and for the preservation of one's name. [61] Early bushidō literature further enforces the requirement to conduct oneself with calmness, fairness, justice, and propriety. [61] The relationship between learning and the way of the warrior is clearly articulated, one being a natural partner to the other. [61] It is necessary to have politics, economics, culture, national defence and everything else, all focused on one being, the Emperor, and the whole force of the nation concentrated and displayed from a single point ... reorganized according to the principle of oneness in the Imperial Way. This system is the strongest and the grandest of all ... there is no nation that can compare with our national blood solidarity which makes possible a unification like ours with the Emperor in the centre. In 1551 CE, one of the first western people to visit Japan was the Roman Catholic missionary Francis Xavier. The description of Francis shows that honor, weaponry and warfare were valued of utmost importance in Japanese culture. [43] Bushido regarded surrender as cowardly. Those who did forfeited their honor and lost dignity and respect: [103]During the Genna era (1615–1624) of the Edo period and later, the concept of "the way of the gentleman" (Shidō) was newly established by the philosopher and strategist Yamaga Sokō (1622–1685) and others who tried to explain this value in the morality of the Confucian Cheng–Zhu school. For the first time, Confucian ethics (such as Honor and Humanity", "filial piety") became the norm required by samurai. [73] Yamaga Sokō was widely viewed as the "Sage of Bushidō" in early twentieth-century Japan. [45] :8-9, 12, 31-32, 86. Respected karate‐ka Kousaku Yokota explains how Bujutsu could be considered the "art of fighting or killing" and encompasses a 'win at all costs' mentality required for battlefield survival (Yokota, 2010, p. 185). Conversely, Budo could be considered the "art of living or life" and enables a practitioner to live "honestly and righteously or at least with principles". Expanding on both these points, Deshimaru (1982, p. 11; p. 46) reports that the ideogram for bu means to "the cease the struggle" and that "in Budo the point is...to find peace and mastery of the self" [46] Martial arts scholar Ogasawara Sakuun compiled 20 scrolls called Shoke no Hyōjō about the military arts in 1621. [1] Therein bushido is described as iji (willpower). [1] The scrolls describe the essence of bushido as the strength to not yield to rewards or power, but adhere to personal convictions that dominate one's inner principles. [1] There is no strict definition, and interpretations of the code have varied over time. [11] Bushido has undergone many changes throughout Japanese history, and various Japanese clans interpreted it in their own way. Other pundits pontificating on the warrior philosophy covered methods of raising children, appearance, and grooming, but all of this may be seen as part of one's constant preparation for death—to die a good death with one's honor intact, the ultimate aim in a life lived according to bushidō. Indeed, a "good death" is its own reward, and by no means assurance of "future rewards" in the afterlife. Some samurai, though certainly not all (e.g., Amakusa Shirō), have throughout history held such aims or beliefs in disdain, or expressed the awareness that their station—as it involves killing—precludes such reward, especially in Buddhism. Japanese beliefs surrounding the samurai and the afterlife are complex and often contradictory, while the soul of a noble warrior suffering in hell or as a lingering spirit occasionally appears in Japanese art and literature, so does the idea of a warrior being reborn upon a lotus throne in paradise [127]

The knights of Bushido - Open Library The knights of Bushido - Open Library

In view of the fact that it was proposed several times from the Chinese side that this matter be settled in a peaceful way I phoned staff officer Itagaki and said that since Japan and China had not yet formally entered into a state of war and, moreover, as China had declared that she would act absolutely upon the principle of non-resistance, it was necessary for us at this time to endeavour to prevent the aggravation of the 'incident' unnecessarily and I urged that the matter be handled through diplomatic channels, but the above mentioned staff officer replied that since the matter concerned the prestige of the State and the Army it was the Army's intention to see it through thoroughly. In October 2011, Spain's Prince of Asturias Award for Concord was given to the heroes of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster aka the Fukushima 50. [11] They were praised for their conduct which "embodied the values most deeply rooted in Japanese society" and "courage and exemplary behaviour" with self-sacrifice. [11] This was described by the media as "samurai spirit". [11] Japan Self-Defense Forces [ edit ] JSDF soldiers during a training exercise A man invested with the power to command and the power to kill was expected to demonstrate equally extraordinary powers of benevolence and mercy: Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of Benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul. Both Confucius and Mencius often said the highest requirement of a ruler of men is Benevolence. The 'Positive Policy', nevertheless, had its ups and downs, and when the Cabinet of Prime Minister Tanaka fell in 1929 the new Government resumed the 'Friendship Policy' which the new Foreign Minister, Baron Shidehara, always a thorn in the side of the military faction, had consistently favoured. This was based on goodwill and friendship in all dealings with China.The world of warriors which developed […] in the medieval period (12th – 16th century) was […] placed under the domination of the Buddhist religion […]. Buddhism makes the prohibition of killing living beings one of its main principles. […] Faced with death, some samurai thought they had inherited bad karma […] others knew they were doing evil. The Buddhist notion of impermanence (Mujo) tended to express a certain meaning to the fragility of existence, […]. Beliefs in the pure land of Buddha Amida […] allowed some warriors to hope for an Amidist paradise […]. Zen Buddhism with its doctrine of the oneness between life and death was also appreciated by many samurai […]. The world of medieval warriors remained a universe still largely dominated by the supernatural, and the belief in particular, in the tormented souls of warriors fallen in combat (who) returned almost obsessively in the dreams of the living. This idea also ensured the success of the Noh theater. [ citation needed]

Bushido - Wikipedia

Certain daimyos wrote about moral codes with influence from Zen Buddhism and Confucianism. There was not yet a strong attachment to moral values (apart from honor) in samurai society. Honor, weaponry and warfare were valued of utmost importance in Japanese culture. [43] Low priority was placed on monetary savings. [43] Tenets [ edit ] One of the earliest known usages of bushido is in the extremely influential [12] late 16th century text The Military Mirror of Kai, where it was used to describe unwritten rules in a complex metaphorical way that commoners could purportedly not live up to. [13] In the 10th and 11th century there was the Way of the Man-At-Arms (Tsuwamon no michi), and the Way of the Bow and Arrows (Kyûsen / kyûya no Michi). [ citation needed] At the time of the Genpei War (1180–1185), it was called "Way of the Bow and the Horse" (弓馬の道, kyūba no michi) [1] because of the major importance of this style of combat for the warriors of the time, and because it was considered a traditional method, that of the oldest samurai heroes, such as Prince Shōtoku, Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Minamoto no Yoshiie (Hachimantarō). According to Louis Frédéric, the kyūba no michi appeared around the 10th century as a set of rules and unwritten customs that samurai were expected to comply. [51] There was also "Yumiya toru mi no narai" (customs for those who draw the bow). [1] This shows there was an emerging sense of ideal warrior behavior that evolved from daily training and warfare experience. [42] Two months after the formation of the Cherry Society the Japanese Prime Minister, Hamaguchi, was assassinated, though it took him nine months to succumb from his wounds, but this did not further the designs of Hashimoto and his friends as Foreign Secretary Shidehara became Prime Minister in Hamaguchi's place, and Shidehara had been a long standing opponent of the policy of warlike aggression. There is also ample evidence that the existence of this plot was quite well known in Japan, and known to the Japanese Consul-General in Mukden as early as 8th September. This well meaning official had received information that within a week 'a big incident would break out and that units of the Kwantung Army from Fushan would move to Mukden on the night of 18th September and carry out night exercises'.Bushidō ( 武士道, "the way of the warrior") is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle, [1] [2] [3] formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido which evolved significantly through history. [1] [2] [4] Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. [1] Bushido is also used as an overarching term for all the codes, practices, philosophies and principles of samurai culture. [5] It is loosely analogous to the European concept of chivalry, but there are major differences. [6] [5] Origin [ edit ] Though some scholars have criticized Nitobe’s work as romanticized yearning for a non-existent age of chivalry, there’s no question that his work builds on extraordinary thousand-year-old precepts of manhood that originated in chivalrous behavior on the part of some, though certainly not all, samurai. What today’s readers may find most enlightening about Bushido is the emphasis on compassion, benevolence, and the other non-martial qualities of true manliness. Here are Bushido’s Eight Virtues as explicated by Nitobe: Bushido affects myriad aspects in Japanese society and culture. In addition to impacts on military performance, media, entertainment, martial arts, medicine and social work, the bushido code has catalyzed corporate behavior. It is the mode of thought which historically structured the capitalist activity in the 20th century. Business relations, the close relationship between the individual and the group to which he or she belongs, the notions of trust, respect and harmony within the Japanese business world are based on bushido. Therefore, this is at the origin of the industrial harmony ( ja:労使協調) ideology of modern Japan. It allowed the country to become, with the Japanese economic miracle, the economic leader of Asia in the post-war years of the 1950-1960s.

The Knights of Bushido: A History of Japanese War Crimes

With a new introduction for this edition, The Knights of Bushido details the horrors perpetrated by a military caught up in an ideological fervor. Often expecting death, the Japanese flouted the Geneva Convention (which they refused to ratify). They murdered aircrews, bayoneted prisoners, carried out arbitrary decapitations, and practiced medical vivisection. Undoubtedly formidable soldiers, the Japanese were terrible conquerors. Their conduct in the Pacific is a harrowing example of the doctrine of mutual destruction carried to the extreme, and begs the question of what is acceptable—and unacceptable—in total war. The values that became bushido evolved significantly over the centuries to the present. [1] [45] :14-15. [42] [46] These first appeared as unwritten customs in the 12th century with shogun Minamoto Yoritomo. [47] The written term bushido first appears in the Koyo Gunkan of roughly circa 1616, an account of the military exploits of the Takeda clan. [1] Bushido evolved from being totally devoted to valor in battle into refined types that were more related to moral integrity. [1] [42] The samurai had different types of bushido in each era in history, reflecting changing requirements on the battlefield and in society. [1] [42] The era name should be used to describe the type of bushido. Dai Jitao credited the samurai with sole responsibility for the Meiji Restoration, which enabled Japan's modernization, while the populace merely allowed it to happen. [45] Dai argued that Japanese combative tendency and militarism were purely founded in Japan's socio-religious superstitions centered on the notion of divine authority. [45] :33. It did not exist in Chinese or Indian thought. [45] :33. At 7.30 a.m. on the following morning (19th September) the arsenal and aerodrome were captured. In this assault use was made of heavy guns which the senior staff officer at Mukden, Colonel Itagaki, later admitted had been secretly installed in the Japanese infantry compound a week before the 'Incident'. During this era the daimyo expanded their territory by force and strategy. Battles occurred frequently in various places. The purpose was to expand one's power. The killing of the enemy in a battle led to evaluation.Our nation is a nation of arms. The land to the west [China] is a nation of letters. Nations of letters value the pen. Nations of arms value the sword. That's the way it has been from the beginning... Our country and theirs are separated from one another by hundreds of miles, our customs are completely different, the temperaments of our people are dissimilar – so how could we possibly share the same Way? (Nakamura 1843 cited in Watanabe 2012: 285). [57] [58] Muromachi-Azuchi (1336–1603) [ edit ] The Urge to Punish: New Approaches to the Problem of Mental Irresponsibility for Crime by Henry Weihofen (1957) In Koyo Gunkan (1616), bushido is a survival technique for individual fighters, and it aims to make the development of the self and the clan troupe advantageous by raising the samurai name. He also affirms that he seeks a lord who praises himself for wandering, as reflected in Tōdō Takatora (1556–1630)'s deceased memoir that "A samurai cannot be called a samurai until he has changed his lords seven times." Also, as symbolized by Asakura Norikage (1477–1555), "The warrior may be called a beast or a dog; the main thing is winning." as symbolized by Asakura Norikage, it is essential to win the battle even with the slander of cowardice. The feature is that it also contains the cold-hearted philosophy. These are mainly related to the way of life as a samurai, and they are the teachings of each family, and they are also equivalent to the treatment of vassals. These two estimable concepts, harmless in themselves, have been exploited and misused, again and again, in recent times by those who most urged, in Japan, a policy of territorial expansion. Those who made military aggression the national policy of Japan turned it into a moral issue by invoking the names of Hakko Ichiu and Kodo. In 1685, the ukiyo-e book Kokon Bushidō ezukushi ( 古今武士道絵つくし, "Images of Bushidō Through the Ages" ) by artist Hishikawa Moronobu (1618–1694) was published. [1] It features heroic popular tales of samurai warriors with simple descriptions per artwork. [1] The title includes the word bushido and it was meant for children which shows that it had spread among the general population. [1]