Bushido — The Way of the Warrior

Bushido — "the way of the warrior" — was the code of conduct governing the samurai class in medieval and early modern Japan. Emphasizing loyalty, martial skill, self-discipline, honor, and willingness to die for one's lord, bushido shaped Japanese culture in ways that persist to this day.

The code emerged gradually during the Kamakura period (1185–1333) as the samurai transitioned from provincial warriors to the ruling class of Japan. Early bushido was practical and martial — focused on horsemanship, archery, and swordsmanship. Zen Buddhism, introduced from China during this period, added a philosophical dimension: meditation techniques for battlefield calm, aesthetic sensibilities that produced the tea ceremony and ink painting, and an acceptance of death that became central to samurai identity.

It's important to note that bushido as a formal, articulated code was largely a product of the peaceful Edo period (1603–1868), when samurai needed to redefine their identity in a society that no longer required their military skills. The classic text Hagakure (1716) and later the Meiji-era romanticization of bushido created the version most people know today. The historical reality was more complex — medieval samurai could be pragmatic, treacherous, and self-interested, just like warriors everywhere.