Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
Bushido: The Soul of Japan - cover

Bushido: The Soul of Japan

Inazo Nitobe

Publisher: Wisehouse Classics

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

Bushido: The Soul of Japan is, along with Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659–1719), a study of the way of the samurai. A best-seller in its day, it was read by many influential foreigners, among them President Theodore Roosevelt, President John F. Kennedy and Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts. Nitobe originally wrote Bushido: The Soul of Japan in English (1899), in Monterey, California, though according to the book's preface it was written in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The book was not translated into Japanese until it had been popular in the English-speaking world for several years. As Japan underwent deep transformations of its traditional lifestyle and military while becoming a modern nation, Nitobe engaged in an inquiry into the ethos of his nation, and the result of his meditations was this seminal work. A fine stylist in English, he wrote many books in that language, which earned him a place among the best known Japanese writers of his age. He found in Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, the sources of the seven virtues most admired by his people: rectitude, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor and loyalty. He also delved into the other indigenous traditions of Japan, such as Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism and the moral guidelines handed down over hundreds of years by Japan's samurai and sages. Nitobe sought similarities and contrasts by citing the shapers of European and American thought and civilization going back to the Romans, the Greeks and Biblical times. He found a close resemblance between the samurai ethos of what he called Bushido and the spirit of medieval chivalry and the ethos of ancient Greece, as observed in books such as the Iliad of Homer.
Available since: 05/04/2020.
Print length: 391 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • The Future-Ready Brand - How the World's Most Influential CMOs are Navigating Societal Forces and Emerging Technologies - cover

    The Future-Ready Brand - How the...

    Mitch Duckler

    • 0
    • 1
    • 0
    In The Future-Ready Brand, Mitch Duckler looks to a new set of challenges facing the world’s leading brands and turns to the world’s most influential brand officers themselves to find solutions. Here he goes one-on-one with over 40 Global 1,000 CMOs to discover how they are navigating the confluence of shifting societal forces and emerging technologies that are impacting how every brand will thrive in the future.
    Show book
  • The Intelligent Workforce - How Humans & Machines Will Co-Create a Better Future - cover

    The Intelligent Workforce - How...

    Tim Houlne

    • 0
    • 2
    • 0
    There is a generational transformation in the workforce. But there is good news. Artificial intelligence and machine learning can help improve work processes, thus improving work experience and creating an environment that retains skilled workers.
    Show book