Bushido Code History

For centuries the Japanese have been known for developing fierce warriors known as the samurai. So what is a samurai? According to Merriam-Webster.com a samurai is “A military retainer of a Japanese Daimyo practicing the code of conduct of Bushido.” The Bushido Code is an honor code developed by the samurai class in the Japanese military and is comprised of eight virtues which are Rectitude or Justice, Courage, Benevolence or Mercy, Politeness or Respect, Honesty, Honor, Loyalty, and Character and Self-control. The Bushido Code was developed during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) alongside with the practice of seppuku (ritual disembowelment) which was a way for a samurai to regain his honor, however the code was not used by many until the 16th
This period saw the rise of the samurai, samurai started to become more numerous and influential. According to Colcutt (2000), “The Kamakura regime was overthrown in 1333, replaced briefly by a restored imperial government headed by Emperor Go-Daigo, who was, in his turn, removed by the Ashikaga warrior leaders who had brought him to power” (Colcutt, 2008). It was during the Ashikaga shogunate the samurai became organized into vassal hierarchies and swore loyalty to a daimyo (feudal lords). The samurai also began to develop their own value system the Bushido code, at the time it was comprised of three virtues honor, loyalty, and courage however more virtues will be added later on. Around the fifteenth century the Ashikaga shogunate was not able to maintain control and fell into civil war until the sixteenth century, this period in Japan was known as the warring states, Sengoku Jidai (Colcutt, 2008). According to Khan Academy, “In September of 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu won a decisive victory over rival daimyo factions, including supporters of Hideyoshi’s heir, Hideyori” (“An introduction to the Samurai,” n.d.). The Ashikaga fell and the Tokugawa rose to power and move the capital to Edo (Tokyo), Japan had peace for roughly 260 years. Peace was established through social control of the entire population (“An introduction to the Samurai,” n.d.). Since this was such a
In 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry led a squadron of black ships to the coast of Japan, threatening to use military force unless Japan ended its policy of national seclusion. The Tokugawa shogunate ended their state of national isolation and let Perry enter Japan. This encouraged the samurai from southwestern domains to overthrow the shogunate (“An introduction to the Samurai,” n.d.). When the rule was restored to the emperor the samurai were stripped of their power and force to lay down their weapons, the samurai lost many stipends which some samurai were not too happy with. The samurai who opposed this change started a rebellion led by Saigô Takamori in 1877, but the rebellion failed and 40,000 samurai were defeated by the imperial army (Gordon, 2008). The Meiji restoration abolished the samurai and transformed Japan from feudal warrior state to a parliamentary government. There are eight virtues in the Bushido code, rectitude or justice is the most important virtue of the eight because it allows the samurai to make decisions following a certain conduct corresponding with reason, without wavering. Rectitude is the structure for a human to become a samurai. Courage is a virtue that is hesitantly counted among the others and only if it was exercised in cause of righteousness it will count. Courage can be defined as knowing was is right and doing it because it is right. Benevolence or mercy is also important