武士道bushido
Quick definition:Bushido is the way of the warrior, a code of conduct associated with Japanese samurai that emphasises loyalty, courage, honour and self-discipline, and a frequent theme in samurai fiction.
Meaning
Bushido means the way of the warrior, and it names the ideals of behaviour associated with samurai. The code is described as including loyalty, courage, honesty, respect and self-control, and it is often linked with fighting skill, duty to a lord and willingness to face death without fear. In popular culture it stands for honour and discipline.
Historians point out that bushido was not a single written code that every samurai followed. Ideas about warrior conduct changed over the centuries, and the term became widely used mainly in the modern era, when writers presented it as a national tradition. The reality was more varied than the popular image.
Anime and manga use bushido as a theme in samurai stories and in modern settings such as martial arts clubs and sports teams. A character may follow his own code, struggle with a conflict between duty and feelings or be tested on whether he lives up to the ideal. The word is also used for a person's strict personal principles.
Origin:Bushido is made of bushi, meaning warrior, and do, meaning way or path. The word was used in some writings of the Edo period, but it became famous in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when authors wrote about it as the moral foundation of Japanese society. English-speaking fans learned the term through samurai films and anime. Example:A young swordsman refuses an easy win through trickery, saying that he must fight with honour. His master nods in approval, and a rival who once mocked him begins to respect his principles. Samurai stories often use such a choice to show the ideal the hero follows.
Did you know?The word appears in the titles of many books, games and sports clubs, and many martial arts schools use bushido as a way of describing their training philosophy. The idea of a code of honour is also found in other cultures, such as the knightly ideals of medieval Europe.
