Yamamoto Tsunetomo

In the book Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, many of the reflections emphasize how loyalty is important. One example of this is “Loyalty is said to be important in the pledge between lord and retainer” (Tsunetomo) this is a very significant point because during the period of the samurai loyalty between the daimyo and his vassal was stressed beyond belief. It is known

Envisioning that each moment is crucial is an interesting approach to modern awareness. Unlike dueling, in business there are plenty of chances to fail quickly and recover. Yet often there is hesitation to do so. Like all samurai in his era Yamamoto Tsunetomo was an administrator and also a warrior. Yet after a political situation the leader he diligently served was killed. Being barred from committing ritual suicide as tradition dictated, he retired, changed his name and “was hidden under leaves

Samurai In this text, the Yamamoto Tsunetomo describes various attributes that a samurai must have in order to serve their lord fully. These skills range from having wisdom, to having courage for every task that must be done. The reason that these virtues are important is because they exemplify the samurai of old, who were decreasing in number. Each virtue Yamamoto describes is important to a samurai, since it would form the keystone of his values. As such, Yamamoto starts out with why a samurai

Have you ever heard of the medieval knights from Europe or the medieval samurais from Japan. Both warrior served a important role in defense for their region. In fact both knights and samurais played a role in a social system known as feudalism. Feudalism began in Europe as early as the 8th century and began in Japan in about 1185 A.D both due to the lack of security. In a one-on-one battle, a samurai would win because of their strong weapons, enforced training, and the acceptance of death. The first

he would be more cautious and have more defense than offense. The knight would be more careful while in battle to try to make sure he would get out alive. An additional piece of evidence that supports this claim is in document A2 written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo it states, “If by setting one's heart right every

one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling. (Wilson, 17) The samurai had extreme religious ideals. One samurai in particular, Tsunetomo, he began to despair of ever gaining a position as a retainer, and her began to visit a man who was to have no small influence on his life. This was the Zen Buddhist priest Tannen (? – 1680), a man of unbending integrity and will, who had resigned

Who Will Win?: Samurai vs Knight There is a dispute on whether knights or samurai would win in a battle. The samurai come from Japan, the knights come from Europe. Clearly they were not close to each other which means that they have different customs, armor, training, beliefs, etc. Although this would never happen, in a one on one battle, the advantage would be to the knights and this can be seen in training, armor, and beliefs from various documents. The first reason why knights would have an advantage

The code of the samurai expressed loyalty overall, including loyalty to the leaders and country. This created a sense of nationalism within the samurai as they carried their country above any other aspects of life. In an excerpt from Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo (a retired samurai) quotes “I have found the way of the samurai is death.” Samurais were strictly trained to die for their lords and their countries as samurais “…throw away [their] body and mind in a single-minded devotion to the service of

Like many other forms of Japanese media and culture, Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is undeniably influenced by Western literature. The most immediate and recognizable influence being the name of the heroine, Nausicaa, taken from Homer’s Odyssey. In both Miyazaki’s and Homer’s work, Nausicaa is a princess who averts danger and destruction, helping Odysseus return home in The Odyssey and mollifying the Ohm’s rampage in Miyazaki’s film. Furthermore, Miyazaki draws blatant parallels

Shaun Gunter Bushidō: Honor Culture of Japan Personal honor and behavior governed by a specific code are signature characteristics of Japan's storied warrior-scholars: the samurai. This code, known as Bushidō (literally "Way of the Warrior"), governed a way of life that separated the samurai from the rest of Japanese society. However, Bushidō would, ultimately, influence the entire nation. This paper examines the origins, functions, and impact of Bushidō in the context of samurai culture