Code of the Samurai: A Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke

Thomas Cleary

Jun 2011 · Tuttle Publishing

About this ebook

Immerse yourself in the world of the Samurai with this classic text, translated and interpreted for the modern reader.

Code of the Samurai is the four-hundred-year-old summary of the rules and expectations embodied in Bushido--the ancient Japanese "Way of the Warrior." Bushido has played a major role in shaping the behavior of modern Japanese government, corporations, society, and individuals, as well as in shaping modern Japanese martial arts within Japan and internationally.

This accessible and enjoyable translation is by Thomas Cleary, the foremost translator of Asian martial classics, accompanied by the powerful line drawings of master illustrator Oscar Ratti, and a number of color photos. A new foreword by Alexander Bennett, a leading expert on Samurai history, explains the lasting importance of this classic work and its place within the canon of Japanese literature.

This accesible classic is an indispensable resource to the corporate executive, student of the Asian Culture, martial artist, and those interested in Eastern philosophy or military strategy, as well as for those simply interested in Japan and its people.

Ratings and reviews

It wasnt Ieyasu who created the hereditary scale it was Hideyoshi Ieyasu named himself shogun and when became too old appointed his Son to take over as to avoid a power struggle

Cool

Excellent

About the author

Thomas Cleary is one of the best known and most accomplished translators of the wisdom of Asia. He holds a doctorate in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University. Cleary has translated Soul of the Samurai, Samurai Wisdom, The Art of War and Secrets of the Japanese Art of Warfare, as well as over 70 other titles on martial arts philosophy, Buddhism, Taoism and religion.

Oscar Ratti co-authored Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere and Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan, and was a frequent contributor of artwork and essays to major publications.