What was bushido?
Bushido — 'the way of the warrior' — was the code of conduct governing Japan's samurai class. It emphasized loyalty to one's lord, martial skill, self-discipline, honor, and willingness to face death without fear. Heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism, it shaped Japanese culture far beyond the military sphere.
Bushido, meaning 'the way of the warrior,' was the moral and behavioral code that governed the samurai class in medieval and early modern Japan. It combined martial values — skill in combat, physical courage, and absolute loyalty to one's lord — with philosophical and aesthetic sensibilities drawn from Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto.
The code emerged gradually during the Kamakura period (1185–1333) as the samurai transitioned from provincial warriors to Japan's ruling class. Early bushido was practical and martial, focused on the skills needed for battlefield survival: horsemanship, archery, swordsmanship, and the mental discipline to face death calmly. Zen Buddhism, introduced from China during this period, added a philosophical dimension — meditation techniques for achieving clarity under extreme stress.
Key principles of bushido included: gi (righteousness), yu (courage), jin (benevolence), rei (respect), makoto (honesty), meiyo (honor), and chugi (loyalty). The last was perhaps the most important — a samurai was expected to serve his lord with absolute devotion, even unto death. The practice of seppuku (ritual suicide) was the ultimate expression of this loyalty and honor.
It's important to distinguish between the historical reality and the romanticized ideal. The formal codification of bushido was largely a product of the peaceful Edo period (1603–1868), when samurai needed to redefine their role in a society that no longer required their military skills. Medieval samurai could be pragmatic, treacherous, and self-interested. The idealized version of bushido was partly a nostalgic construction — but one that profoundly influenced Japanese culture, education, and national identity.