Analysis of Roots of Bushido - A Path of Samurai in The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe

Bushido is, in a wide sense, a common thought and nationality of Japanese people, while in a narrow sense, it indicates that a systemized ideology based on the standard of ethical and moral values of Japanese warrior, samurai or bushi. The definition of Bushido, however, varies among Japanese, and even in a historical context. This is because unlike Bible and Analects, there is no book illustrating what Bushido is; this moral precept which stems from the root of Japanese people had been inherited by mouth. By the 21st Century, literate Japanese had published works illustrating a mind of Bushido, such as Yamaga Gorui by Soko Yamaga, Bushi Kun by Banryoshi Izawa, Budo Shoshin Shu by Yuzan Daidoji, and Hagakure by Tsunetomo Yamamoto which is famous for the phrase, “Bushido is the way of death.”

Among these, a book written by a Japanese in 1899 got renowned and is still noted not only in Japan but in foreign countries, which is Bushido: The Soul of Japan written by Inazo Nitobe. Since it represents Bushido in a systematic manner and he wrote it in English, it became the suitable resource for Japanology of English speaking people who were interested in Japan by victory of the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. President Roosevelt, who made an effort for Russo-Japanese War end, purchased several books before the Portsmouth treaty conclusion.

However, his book is unworthy of a manual of Bushido from the three perspectives: the author’s illiteracy about Japanese history and samurai, having published it to beautify Japanese and insist on the splendor of Christianity, and contra-Bushido behaviors by Japanese people in historical events. Firstly, I am going to examine how Bushido: The Soul of Japan describes the concept of Bushido. Then, based on his background, his motivations of publishing it and actual samurai behaviors ignoring the philosophy, I am going to criticize his view.

In his book, the author, Inazo Nitobe explains the origin of Bushido, its character, lessons and influence on civilians, and the possibility of its existence in the future. He, in a word, expresses Bushido as “Precepts of Knighthood” and in a French word, “noblesse oblige”, which refers to duty with a person of high social position. Samurai were placed in a higher class than peasants, artisans and merchants, and they possessed a privilege, such as wearing a sword. To restrict them having such a murder weapon, they had to follow some disciplines. Though Bushido is sophisticated moral principles that every samurai had to obey, this was neither written codes nor it was made by one mind, but it represents a Japanese spirit refined and developed in a complex context of Japanese history.

Thus, it is impossible to clarify an accurate origin of Bushido, such as Buddhism offers a mind of tranquility to conform to one’s destiny, Shinto gives loyalty to seniors, respect of ancestors and filial devotion to parents, and Confucianism teaches that conducting right deed is more valued than acquiring knowledge. Bushido consists of seven concepts. They are, “Rectitude or Justice”: the ability of deciding to do with reason, “Courage”: doing what is right, “Benevolence”: the feeling of sympathy, “Politeness”: outward demonstration of love, “Veracity and Sincerity”: being honest, “Honor”: the sense of dignity, and “the Duty of Loyalty”: respecting public than an individual.

These seven moral values had promoted samurai to conduct moral behaviors with responsibility, for example they maintained their equilibrium when committing hara-kiri, seppuku. Even the era of samurai had already finished, Nitobe says, “Bushido as an independent code of ethics may vanish, but its power will not perish from the earth.”

Though he represented the birth and explicit principles of Bushido, by looking at his history from his birth to his publication, I claim that he was neither an expert of Japanese studies nor eligible for explaining it. In 1862, a boy named Inanosuke, later Inazo, was born as a third son in the lineage of a samurai. In a childhood, he learned Japanese and martial arts, such as a way of sword at school. Besides, he could learn English from a doctor who was close with his family. In 1871, when he was nine years old, he moved to Tokyo to study at English school; six years later, he entered Sapporo Agricultural School in Hokkaido Prefecture to learn agriculture. There were not only Japanese but American teachers, most of whom being Christians. Inspired by the Christian teachers and senior students, Nitobe was baptized a Christian and received a baptismal name: Paul. After graduated, as he had the curiosity of Western studies, he decided to study in the U.S.

There, he met an American woman named Mary Patterson Elkinton through a Quaker community. Quakers are members of a Christian group which began in England in the 1650s. For Nitobe, this was the first time to face a relatively new sect of Christianity. Inspired by its teaching, he became a Quaker and married to Mary when he was thirty years old. After the marriage, he went back to Japan with her to work as a professor at Sapporo Agricultural School in 1891. He, however, after only six years, got sick and received medical treatment, which made him resign his work. While in the hospital, he published the Book: Bushido: The Soul of Japan in 1899 when he was thirty-eight year old. Considering his life before the publication, though he was raised as a third son of a samurai family and was literate in many fields, such as English, agriculture, Western culture and Christianity, it was inadequate to publish the book with such a background of experiencing little Japanese education. Bushido, therefore, is not credible as a book interpreting the way of Japanese Warriors and Japanese people’s moral sense, rather, it is more accurate to say that it is a book about the root of Japanese morality from a Christian’s viewpoint.

Moreover, he used few references of other Japanese research books about Bushido such as Hagakure. Hence, it implies that he interpreted Bushido only by his own view without relying on other literates’ works. Moreover, Nitobe said later that he did not know any literature precedents explaining Bushido, and it might be a coinage created by himself. Therefore, what he wrote in his book misinterprets a Japanese spirit inherited from the past. His Bushido was an intentionally-made Japanese tradition. (another place is better??)

Next, I am going to focus on the reasons why he published the book, which are to glorify Japanese people and Christianity. He wrote the book to let western countries appreciate the high nationality of Japanese people. Around the 19’s Century, Japan, located in the far East Asia, was a childish country for developed countries. After the winning of the Sino-Japanese War in 1894 and Russo-Japanese War in 1904, westerners, however, attracted attention to Japanese people because Japan defeated Qing said to be “a sleeping lion.” Some praised the Japanese people’s power and acumen in that a small island overcame two large and civilized nations, while others ridiculed Japanese people as “a barbarian, belligerent race.”

Bushido which was illustrated in his book did not actually exist in the pre-modern Japanese society, but to insist on westerners the high civilization and morality of Japanese people, he created the term and concept of “Bushido.” (武士道概念の史的展開)

Hence, not to be recognized as cruel barbarians, Nitobe wrote this book to emphasize the distinguished characteristic and traditional ethnicity of Japanese people.

Therefore, some of his words were glossed over. For example,

Ex. “Is there any nation more loyal and patriotic?” is a question asked by many; and for the proud answer, “There is not,” we must thank the Precepts of Knighthood. p. 163

Ex. they were usually men of stern caliber, boasting of honorable penury, too dignified to work with their hands and too proud to beg. They were grave personifications of high spirits undaunted by adversity. They were an embodiment of what was considered as an end of all learning, and were thus a living example of that discipline of disciplines, self-control, which was universally required of samurai. p. 102-103(武士道)

The description of Bushido tends to beautify Japan. Also, it is a fact that the way of writing which labels Japanese as a special and excellent race appear several times. It is propaganda of the Japanese beautification for Europe with this book, and it will be natural that there is criticism to let westerners misunderstand Japan. (明治期の武士道についての一考察) In addition, he wrote his book to emphasize the greatness of Christianity.

I believe that God hath made a testament which may be called “old” with every people and nation,−Gentile or Jew, Christian or Heathen. p.11

the ethics of Christ, which deal almost solely with individuals and His personal followers, will find more and more practical application as individualism, in its capacity of a mora factor, grows in potency. p.175 (武士道)

Bushido describes the Japanese moral system based on a mind of Bushido in Edo period, which is extracted by Christian sense of values, and this was written for Christians of the whole world and people with a Christian mentality as readers. This is neither depicting the actual situation of samurai and their history, nor a research book of Bushido. (明治期の武士道における一考察)

Contra-Bushido Behavior

Lastly, I am going to examine Japanese samurai’s behavior in Edo period and warriors’ deeds in wartime in modern era, which were not following Bushido spirits.

“Ako Jiken or Forty-seven Ronin Incident”

This happened in 1701 when Japan was ruled by Tokugawa Shogunate. On March 14th, a lord or daimyo named Asano Naganori suddenly drew his sword and assaulted a court official named Kira Yoshinaka from his back. His attempt eventually failed and he killed himself by committing seppuku (ritual suicide) because this was a grave violation of law. The forty-seven samurai of Asano’s bodyguard who became ronin or masterless samurai after this incident decided to revenge on Kira because of Kira’s deliberate harassment upon Asano before his death. In the morning at the end of January 1703, they entered Kira’s house without any notice and finally killed him. After that, the ronin killed themselves by committing seppuku as they had committed the crime of murder. Although many Japanese people may think that this is a typical case of katakiuchi or revenge and the most famous example of Honor in accordance with Bushido, it is not.

Firstly, Asano’s deed is neither an example of bureiuchi nor kirisute gomen, killing commoners or samurai for perceived affronts. In the samurai society, bureiuchi, despite it killing others, was legal and a privilege for samurai as honorable self-defense if and only if he received rude behaviors. Still, to bureiuchi be recognized as legal, samurai had to abide by some rules, for instance he should kill soon after getting insulted. Based on Asano’s insist, Kira was unfairly treating him in front of other samurai when he was working under Kira, which humiliated him. Thus, he killed, but it was not immediately after the affront; he suddenly assaulted with his sword from the back. Also, we should consider the reason why Asano killed. He committed as he lost his temper by Kira’s harassment upon him. However, in accordance with Bushido, such reason should not be acceptable as a samurai who must remain tranquility. It was not honorable deed for samurai, rather, was merely a murder. Therefore, forty-seven ronin’s incident was not a case of katakiuchi of Asano. Both incidents were selfish killing and what they did were contrary to what Nitobe wrote down in his book. 武士道考)

The Nanking Massacre or known as The Rape of Nanking was an infamous war crime in the capital city of China, Nanking by Imperial Japanese Army forces on December 13, 1937. During the massacre, Japanese soldiers had killed between 200,000 and 300,000 Chinese and raped between 20,000 and 80,000 women. Chamberlain argues that the ideas about the “way of the warrior” explain the behavior of only authentic samurai during the age of fighting, which do not correspond with a code for samurai. He said, “The Rape of Nanking and similar incidents were clearly not condoned by either premodern or modern Japanese warrior philosophy. The military tradition of the medieval samurai has very little in common with the Bushido that was current in the early twentieth century.”

Arguments

Focus on Wartime Misbehavior (Atrocities against civilian populations, mistreatment of prisoners of war) Ex) The Rape of Nanking -Japanese army abuses of civilians-Bushido or Bull?)Citation by Lord Russell of Liverpool)

They looted, they burned, they raped and they murdered. Soldiers marched through the streets indiscriminately killing Chinese of both sexes, adults and children alike, without receiving any provocation and without rhyme or reason. They went on killing until the gutters ran with blood and the streets were littered with the bodies of their victims… At the lowest computation twelve thousand men, women, and children were shot or done to death during the first three days of the Japanese occupation.

“Bushido was unknown until a decade or two ago! THE VERY WORD APPEARS IN NO DICTIONARY, NATIVE OR FOREIGN, BEFORE THE YEAR 1900. Chivalrous individuals of course existed in Japan, as in all countries at every period; but Bushido, as an institution or a code of rules, has never existed. ” The Invention of New Religion).