bushido

Bushido, meaning "the way of the warrior," refers to the set of ethical norms and conduct associated with the samurai of feudal Japan. It is not a single codified law but a collection of ideals and social expectations that evolved over centuries, blending elements of Zen Buddhism, Shinto, Confucian ethics, and martial tradition.

Its development spans the late Heian period through the Sengoku and Edo periods. In the early modern era, daimyo and various martial and Buddhist schools helped formalize a code emphasizing loyalty to one's lord, courage in battle, and personal discipline. The degree of emphasis and the specific rules varied by clan, region, and era.

Core virtues commonly cited in discussions of bushido include loyalty, justice (or rectitude), benevolence, courage, respect, honesty, and self-control. Duty to lord, family, and community was central, and personal honor and reputation mattered, sometimes culminating in ritual acts such as seppuku to atone for failure or disgrace.

Influential texts and figures shaped popular understanding. The Hagakure and other samurai writings, along with Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings, contributed to later, increasingly romanticized notions of bushido. In practice, samurai trained in martial arts while also engaging in poetry, calligraphy, and governance.

In modern times, bushido influenced national identity and military ethos during the Meiji restoration and beyond, but historians view it as a fluid ideal rather than a fixed code. It has been criticized as a retrospective construction that simplifies diverse regional practices and overlooks contradictory aspects of samurai life.