Bushido: The Soul of Japan

by Inazo Nitobe, Kenichiro Higuchi (Translator)

Overview

This book on Bushido, a code of moral principles, is a notable contribution to the reconciliation and unity of the East and West, explaining and defining the chivalry which lies at the heart of the Japanese soul.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9784896846928
Publisher:	IBC Publishing, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2008
Series:	Bilingual Nippon Sosho
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	4.45(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.00(d)
Language:	Japanese

About the Author

INAZO NITOBE was born in 1862 and began the study of English at the age of nine. He entered the Sapporo Agricultural College in 1877, and in 1883 Tokyo Imperial University. In the United States, he studied politics and international relations at Johns Hopkins University from 1884 to 1887. In Germany from 1887 to 1890, he studied at several universities, receiving a doctorate (the first of five) in agricultural economics.

As an educator, Nitobe first taught at Sapporo Agricultural College. Between 1903 and 1919, he held a professorship at Kyoto Imperial University, was headmaster of the First Higher School in Tokyo and then a professor at Tokyo Imperial University. He was also the first president of Tokyo Women's Christian University.

As a public servant, he was a colonial administrator in Taiwan from 1901 to 1903. In 1918 he attended the Versailles Peace Conference, then became the under-secretary of the League of Nations. He was a member of the House of Peers from 1926 to 1933, and from 1929 to 1933 chairman of the Institute of Pacific Relations.

While still at Tokyo Imperial University, Nitobe expressed a desire to become a bridge between East and West. He was on just such a mission, leading a Japanese delegation to an international conference in Canada, when he died in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1933.

Table of Contents

Bushido as an Ethical System 1

Sources of Bushido 7

Rectitude or Justice 14

Courage, the Spirit of Daring and Bearing 17

Benevolence, the Feeling of Distress 22

Politeness 31

Veracity or Truthfulness 38

Honor 44

The Duty of Loyalty 50

Education and Training of a Samurai 57

Self-Control 62

The Institutions of Suicide and Redress 67

The Sword, the Soul of the Samurai 81

The Training and Position of Woman 85

The Influence of Bushido 97

Is Bushido Still Alive? 103

The Future of Bushido 112

Editorial Reviews

"Very strongly recommended reading for students of Japanese cultural history and the martial arts, Bushido: The Soul of Japan is a powerful presentation and a moving book with ideas as relevant today as they were 100 years ago." -Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher