It was developed in Japan during the 9th and the 12 centuries but was believed to have reached the 16th century. It was a complex concept but one way of understanding the code is that it is a way of maintaining peace with the use of strength.

Influences of the Bushido Code:

The bushido code was an unwritten Japanese code that was influenced by several Asian religions. These religions were the teachings of Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism.

Zen Buddhism is the one responsible in teaching the samurai about submission without complain or unavoidable necessity. Because of their genuine respect for life and death, they maintained this stoic temperament.

Shintoism also influenced the Bushido code. It was considered to be a religion of the heart that pervades the life of the Japanese by a natural and real spiritual force. One of the fundamental virtues of Shinto ethics is purity bringing the samurais a sense of belonging through knowing one’s self, ones weaknesses and strengths.

The major influential factor was Confucianism. Confucianism’s major contribution to the Bushido code was the “filial piety” which necessitates that one must fulfill their duties with honor even to the point of death.

The seven virtues that make up the Bushido code are:

1. Rectitude (GI) means conforming to the regulations of principles by adhering to what is righteous and morally right.
2. Courage (YU) is the eminence of psyche and strength of mind that makes a human face obscurity, and peril.
3. Benevolence (JIN) is a desire to do well to others that is confounded by an act of kindness by being charitable.
4. Respect (REI) is considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability that is wielded by honor, admiration and a high regard.
5. Honesty (MAKOTO) is the quality or fact of being truthful through an act or condition.
6. Honor (MEIYO) a sense of loyalty and honesty or having integrity in ones beliefs and actions.
7. And the Last, Loyalty (CHUGI) is the adherence to a sovereign, government, allegiance to the laws of the country, being faithful in commitments or obligations to a person or a cause.

The Samurais were so deemed on fulfilling their code that when they failed they would resolve to Seppuku (the formal term for Hara-kiri or ritual suicide) with the belief that this would somehow be an atonement for the disgrace that they have brought upon the house.

The bushido code was centralized on honor and freedom from the fear of death. This code emphasized to the Samurais the qualities which are advocating their duty, preserving their honor, demonstrating tremendous courage, remaining obedient, filial piety, and self sacrifice.

A shogun’s office or administration was termed bakufu in Japanese which literally means “tent office” and in English it was known as “shogunate”. Minamoto Yorimoto established this during the Kamakura shogunate. There was never a stationary shogunate; each was dynamic with power continuously changing with an indefinite authority.

During the 1st millenium, the shoguns held momentary power but in due course, it turned out to be a representation of military control over the county. The end of the 12th century marked the beginning of the 700 year reign of the samurai’s over Japan until the middle of the 19th century which was the Meiji Restoration.

During the Heian period (794-1185) the north-eastern Emishi people defied against the Kyoto-based imperial court governance. Because of this, the shogun title was given to the military commanders. This was the time when they control of the whole government. Sakanoue no Tamuramaro (most famous of these shoguns) triumphed over the Emishi bringing the name of the Emperor Kammu and also conquered over the Ainu. However the title was abandoned in the later Heian period. This gave way to the appointment of Minamoto no Yoshinaka during the Gempei war who was killed soon by his distant cousin, Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

During the 11th century, (kamakura shogunate 1192-1333) daimyos and the samurais came to take over. Two of Japans most influential families (the Taira and Minamoto clan) battled for supremacy of which the Minamoto triumphed and eventually overturned the emperor and became the dictator and instituted a feudal system. Stripping all Emperors of Japan all political powers and granting them to the samurais. Minamoto bestowed the title of Sei-i Taishogun.

With the fall of Kamakura (1933) and the destruction of the Hōjō Regency, two royal families, Go-Saga (senior line) and Go-Daigo (junior line), had both rights to the throne. This predicament was worked out with the mediation of the Kamakura shogunate. It ended with the banishment of the Go-Daigo but during 1334-1336, they were aided by Ashikaga Takauji to redeem the throne. With the dispute of the people with claims to a meager source of land, Ashikaga Takauji turned against the Emperor. In 1336, this paved the way for the new emperor.

Prince Moriyoshi (or also known as Prince Morinaga) was the short-lived shogun who rose after the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate in 1933 (Kemmu Restoration). He was the son of Emperor Go-Daigo but was later seized in his home and was killed by Ashikaga Tadayoshi.

Seppuku is the Japanese ritual term for suicide (Hara-kiri) which was an important part during the time of feudal Japan. It became an extension of the bushido code and the samurai warrior class discipline.

The samurai were very powerful in many ways as they were men of great honor, extreme courage, and loyalty. Their strong will to follow their code was a demonstration of their character that when seppuku was ordered as penalty or of preference to a shameful death at the disposal of the opponent, was an unquestionable expression of their will to uphold their name as a samurai.

The samurai’s concept of life was upholding their giri (another word for duty), being reputable and shameless always. Their strong belief in preserving their integrity as this encompassed maintaining a decent and honorable life. Honor for them was as important as life. That even when they committed something accidentally that disgraced them, suicide or self-destruction would be the only right thing to right their wrong.

Hara-kiri when translated in English meant “stomach cutting”. The ritual was an excruciating method of self- destruction which the Japanese was totally oblivious to until the appearance of the professional warrior class of the samurai. The ritual required keeping composure without recoiling during performance of the disembowelment. It was a ceremonial ritual that held much preparation. The location for the formal procedure was usually at the temple, in the garden or villas and inside homes. Size of the area was as important as it reflected the high rank of the samurai.

The whole ceremony is to be carried out in a detailed manner. The assistant, termed kaishaku (kie-shah-kuu) in Japanese is the one who cuts off the victim’s head after cutting the abdomen open is commonly the associate or close acquaintance of the damned.

When ordered by a feudal lord or the shogun (who were high on the hierarchical structure of feudal Japan) demanded an exceptionally official rite which required certain decorum, the presence of witnesses and substantial preparation. However on the battleground, they would perform hara-kiri without hesitation.

But these were not only the reasons why seppuku was practiced by the samurai. There were other reasons as well why a samurai deemed justice in committing seppuku. These were to show disrespect and hatred towards the enemy, a demonstration of protest against discrimination as a means of getting their superior to reassess his decision or as a way of saving others.

However it wasn’t practiced by all Japanese samurais. Nevertheless because it was very brutal it was finally issued a proclamation forbidding the performance of hara-kiri to both secondary and primary retainers. However, hara-kiri was still being performed by others even with the release of the decree.

Hence, the shogunate administration deemed it well to release another issue still barring the ritual but engraining the initiative of punishment for those caught disobeying. Even with joint efforts to prohibit the performance of the act, still it continued throughout the Tokugawa reign but eventually slowly declined with the passing of time.

The feudal superior provided security, perhaps provisions and occupancy of his land to his subordinates in return for the military services rendered. During the time of feudalism in Japan, the hierarchical structure was dominated by military strength in which they used religion to inspire the armed forces. This gave the samurai the drive to fight for their beliefs.

The hierarchical structure consisted of 2 major classes which were the nobles and the peasants. The nobles made up a small portion of the whole population of these were the emperors and the samurais.

The bigger portion of the population was composed of the farmers, commoners and craftsmen belonging to the peasant class. The order of the hierarchical structure is the emperor, shogun, daimyo, samurai, peasant then the merchant. The peasants on the other hand were also divided into a series of classes of which the farmers as the highest and the merchants the lowest.

The Daimyo which when translated meant “great name”. The Japanese daimyo were considered the influential landholders of feudal Japan. They were usually clothed in purple, ranging from dark to light depending on their rank. Purple was preceded by green, red and then finally black. The highest in rank were already considered nobles.

After the shogun, the daimyos were the most powerful feudal rulers from the 10th to the 19 century in Japan. During the feudalism era, the daimyos owned lands, built castles and employed warriors, craftsmen, and peasants. Daimyo was also at times used to call the chief figures of such clans, also the term “warlords”.

During this time, the daimyos fought against each other that it was termed the civil war era. This ended when the first of the Tokugawa shoguns (Tokugawa leyasu) defeated his rival warlords and became ruler of Japan. This marked the beginning of the unification of the country and the establishment of a centralized government. However that the daimyos were still present under the Tokugawa shogunate, they remained subordinates to the government in Edo (present day Tokyo).

The daimyos were divided into two groups namely fudai and tozama (inner and outer). Tozama daimyos had a few boundaries such as being unable to hold a post in the shogun’s government while the fudai daimyos took positions in the Edo shogunate. The ownership of the national lands were based on hierarchy and the loyalty of the daimyos to the shogun. Those who were dubious in character and of doubtful loyalty were consigned to the lands far from Edo.

Although the daimyos had certain autonomy within their respective han, they were still subjected to the government rules. They were unable to create coalition in strategically planned weddings, construction of castles and disagreements over succession.

This also was the rise of the realization of the Sankin kotai system which meant “alternate attendance” requiring the daimyos to sustain habitation in Edo. As well as the system of hostages the shogun ensured holding power such as keeping in captive a son of a daimyo with questionable loyalty to the shogun. The shogun never trusted the daimyos as they continuously kept spies to keep track of their activities.

These samurai warrior’s lives are ruled by these codes of ethics called “bushido”, which means, the way of the warrior. Every samurai warrior must have the loyalty to their master or what they call “daimyo”.

A famous facet that these Japanese samurais follow with the ethics is the tradition of suicide after being defeated, which is called “seppuku”. In this ritual, they are subjected to cut their stomach or abdomen with their own sword.

There are some short history of the Japanese warrior which includes the Heian period (794-1185) where in powerful daimyos started to hire these samurai warriors, Kamakura period (1192-1333), Muromachi period ( 1333-1573), Azuchi-momoyama period(1573-1603) and Edo period(1603-1868).

The history of a samurai sword started at about 240 – 280 A.D when Himeko, the queen of Japan, got a gift from china which is two double edged tsuguri swords. Around third and fourth centuries, they had known that the art of molding steel into a sword. It was introduced from china to Japan, while “chokuto” swords were introduced in the fifth century.
The style of hardening of steel was shown in Japan at the sixth century. In the eight century, which is the beginning of the Heian period, the style of fighting was changed and these warriors started fighting in horseback. Because of the change, the tradition of the straight swords was also changed by curved and longer sword which is called “tachi”.

Aside from chokuto and tachi, some famous swords was also introduced which includes kogarasumru (a short sword with 2 sharp edges) and kenukigatatachi. However, there are also curve swords known as Japanese swords which are called the “nipponto” or “nihonto”.
During the Heian period, different methods and styles were introduced from china which was improved by Japan to adopt them in Japanese culture.

It is also in Heian period that smiting swords in Japan was introduced for the reason that, the core stayed soft and the surface remain rough. A folded steel samurai sword which comes under the Tachi class was also manufactured in this period. It is also in this period that signature in the sword’s blade was placed in it, and it was first done by Namihira Yukimasa.

When minamoto yoritomo defeated tiara clan, the kamakura period started. It is in this period that samurai warrior class has taken the power. More and more advanced swords were made in all points which also include the aesthetic swords. There are a lot of changes in the sword’s blade in terms of its width. The blade’s shape was also changed which is in ikubi type that means bull nape. 2 mongol invasions in 1274 and 1218 took place when kamakura period ended. New weapons and technologies were introduced that had proven that tachi swords still has its weak points.

For a trainee to have a great knowledge about samurai, you may also train for samurai mental training. For you to be unflappable in a battle, you must be mentally trained to have the effect of fearlessness face on a battlefield. Training of samurai things, you must remember to build up your character, intelligence and dialects.

What does a samurai really do? A samurai is known to be an all time warrior. However, what is the most objective that differ samurais from other warriors? Others think that wearing armor and having a sword is enough to be a warrior. Actually, this thought is wrong.

As a samurai, it is identified that he or she is well trained and highly skilled warrior. Samurai’s lives are commanded by “bushido” which is a strict warrior code, which focuses with honor. Even if it takes his or her life, a samurai must serve his or her “daimyo” or master, with pure loyalty well in fact, “samurai” means “those who serve”.

With those low-class families, sons and daughters are sent to village schools for basic education. However they learn their samurai training with their older brother, uncles or fathers. While for those child of rich families, they are sent to those high class academies and taught with literature, the arts and military skills. A child which trains to be a samurai can protect himself or herself from the surrounding dangers, family enemies conflicts, and robbers. Knowledge about samurai can give advantage in his or her workplace, which builds a solid moral and ethical approach to life that brings them to guarded and lively existence in the world. Samurai trainings can also provide an exercise which can diminish stress both physically and mentally.

Most people are attracted with those eye-catching samurai swords. However, using these swords has a proper way in swinging it. It may be hazardous but, it can be a life saver. If you want to use a samurai sword and planning to buy one, you must put in mind that you have to check if the samurai sword is properly manufactured with its purpose having a sharp blade. A samurai sword has two popular styles: the Kantana which is the longest sword and the Wakizashi, which is the shortest.

There are repetition movements that samurai warriors use, and it is called “kata”. They do these movements slowly at first, to make sure that it is perfectly done. It is done faster afterwards to improve his or her speed and accuracy. The swinging of the sword at an imaginary enemy can also help your training. This method is called “suburi”. There are a lot of training you have to undergo in order for you to be a good samurai warrior. You just need to be patient, have a lot of discipline and especially impose hard work.