The myth of the honourable Samurai busted?

[Ronin4hire]

I recently came accross the idea that Bushido was a concept invented during the Meiji era.

I've since found several sources on the net that back this up.

Also, considering I have an interest in the study of nationalism it adds to a long list of traditions around the world that are portrayed as "authentic" but are in fact very recent and modern.

Kinda ruins the honourable Samurai myth that is perpetuated not only in Japan but all over the world doesnt it however it does validate further my theory even more that nations, nationalism and the rhetoric surrounding them are at best trivial, and at worst irrational concepts.

[MMM]

You are raising a very interesting topic, Ronin. Please go into more detail. Are you saying Bushido was created after the era of the samurai was over? Can you give some evidence to that?

[redline]

Can you share these sources with us. You've gotten me intrigued.

[Hatredcopter]

There's a very excellent movie from Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi, 'Harakiri', which presents a sort of negative view of Japanese feudal society and its various samurai/daimyo leadership. In the movie, the daimyo of a certain feudal clan tries to present himself and his clan as being honorable and noble, in the Bushido sort of way, but in reality they are greedy and vane.

The story for the movie is fictional, but it was still Kobayashi's intent to persuade people that the idea of the 'honorable Samurai' isn't quite as pure as people like to believe. Regardless if you believe this notion or not, I still highly recommend seeing the movie if you can find it - it's a Kurosawa-quality film.

A quote about the movie from someone who is a much better writer than I am:

Based on a novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi, Harakiri is a scathing indictment on the hypocrisy, repression, and barbarism of codified behavior. Using rigid rectangular framing against fluid tracking shots and exquisitely composed long shots that delineate class station and social disparity, Masaki Kobayashi visually reflects the oppressive confinement and regimentation of the samurai bushido (code of conduct): the title sequence presented against shots of the empty passageways that lead to the sacred chamber of the Iyi clan's ancestral armor; the isolating, diagonal shots of Saito's interviews with Tsugumo and Chijiwa; the repeated image of Tsugumo on a ceremonial mat encircled by retainers. By illustrating the class stratification and imposed social conformity fostered by the Tokugawa shogunate (1600-1867) as a means of retaining and centralizing authority, Kobayashi presents a harrowing indictment of the ingrained cultural legacy of coercive, outmoded rituals, chauvinism, and blind obedience that resulted in the inhumanity and senseless tragedy of the Pacific War.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Hatredcopter

There's a very excellent movie from Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi, 'Harakiri', which presents a sort of negative view of Japanese feudal society and its various samurai/daimyo leadership. In the movie, the daimyo of a certain feudal clan tries to present himself and his clan as being honorable and noble, in the Bushido sort of way, but in reality they are greedy and vane.

The story for the movie is fictional, but it was still Kobayashi's intent to persuade people that the idea of the 'honorable Samurai' isn't quite as pure as people like to believe. Regardless if you believe this notion or not, I still highly recommend seeing the movie if you can find it - it's a Kurosawa-quality film.

A quote about the movie from someone who is a much better writer than I am:

Agreed. This is an excellent film.

[Ronin4hire]

Here's an essay on it

CiNii

Also I encountered the idea in one of my classes at the university Im studying at in Osaka.

The supposed samurai code, or Bushido, was brought into the world in 1900 by Nitobe Inazo in his book of the same name. In Bushido, Nitobe attempted to create a unique Japanese ethical system that would be considered equal to Christianity. He, and other prewar scholars who followed him, formulated their ideology by taking certain exceptional historical incidents involving the samurai, which they then universalized by applying them to all samurai in all ages. The resultant ethical system had remarkably little connection with the actual warrior class which was eliminated in the wake of the Meiji Restoration, and placed far more emphasis on the virtues of loyalty, honor, and self-sacrifice than any of the historical samurai. Bushido, therefore, was one of many "invented traditions" that appeared in all parts of the world throughout the 19^<th> Century. Although Nitobe's original ideology focused more on the supposed ethical aspects of the samurai than the military, Bushido later became a useful tool for Japan's nationalistic and militaristic leadership, who used it to instill loyalty and obedience in both the imperial army and citizenship in general. Unlike many other invented traditions, however, Bushido is still thriving both in Japan and abroad, and has been adopted by Japanese industrialists, foreign economists, as well as writers and other artists. While the Japanese samurai class is not as unique as its mythical image seems to indicate, Bushido is not as singular as Nitobe desired it. It is, in fact, extremely similar to European chivalry in that both of these ideologies have a mythical attraction to great sections of society, despite the fact that neither has a firm basis in historical fact.

[Jaydelart]

This is very interesting.
Although I have yet to see any real evidence to back up this claim, I'm keeping my mind open to the possibility. [no sarcasm intended]

[manganimefan227]

However old it is there are still good morals to learn from it that can be applied in life . . .

[Aniki]

Originally Posted by Jaydelart

This is very interesting.
Although I have yet to see any real evidence to back up this claim, I'm keeping my mind open to the possibility. [no sarcasm intended]

My thoughts exactly.

[Twisted]

Hum, isn't the noble samurai a romanticised version of the real thing?

I mean, I'm a big fan of Samurai flicks (seven samurai is my fave atm, followed by Tommy-boy's "the last samurai".), but in real life wasn't it also about status?

Samurai had high status in society. They also demanded that and could pretty much do whatecver they wanted as long it didn't reflect badly on their lord.

The image of the noble samurai could be true, it could also be pure fiction.

But I agree with Jaydelart. I love that image to much to bust it ^^.