Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally “Month one”, February is “Month two”, etc. However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar). The monthContinueContinue reading “弥生 (yayoi) “March” (archaic)”
Tag Archives: Japanese history
Which Japanese Camera Company is Named after the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy?
The inspiration for the name of a famous camera company. Image by ftanuki from Pixabay. This article was originally published on Medium here. Mitsubishi. Kikkoman. Nintendo. Many Japanese companies are household names in the West. This article looks at the intriguing background behind the names of five of the most globally successful Japanese brands. Read on to findContinueContinue reading “Which Japanese Camera Company is Named after the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy?”
如月 (kisaragi) “February” (archaic)
Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally “Month one” 一月, February is “Month two” 二月, etc. However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).ContinueContinue reading “如月 (kisaragi) “February” (archaic)”
忠義 (chūgi) “responsibility” – the seventh virtue of 武士道 (bushidō)
The seventh virtue is “The Duty of Loyalty”, which I have translated as “responsibility”.
In its simplest form, “the Duty of Loyalty” refers to the fierce loyalty that samurai had to their lords and their clan.
I have translated this as “responsibility” because this implies far more than just standing by one’s superiors and coworkers.
We are all part of something bigger than ourselves, be it a family group, a company, or wider society. We all have responsibilities to others. “Responsibility” also means being responsible to oneself and any projects or undertakings that one has agreed to.
誠 (makoto) “sincerity” – the fifth virtue of 武士道 (bushidō)
The fifth virtue is “Veracity or Truthfulness”, which I have translated as “sincerity”, for reasons explained below.
These 8 virtues were first mentioned in Nitobe Inazao’s 1899 book “Bushido: the Soul of Japan”.
Nitobe writes: “Lying or equivocation were deemed equally cowardly…. Bushi no ichi-gon—the word of a samurai…. was sufficient guaranty of the truthfulness of an assertion. His word carried such weight with it that promises were generally made and fulfilled without a written pledge, which would have been deemed quite beneath his dignity.”
I have “translated” this as “sincerity”, which has the nuance of not only being honest per se but also of having honest intentions. Living so honestly that “keeping your word” is not even an issue requires consciously acting with sincerity. In this way all of your words and actions are coloured with 礼 (rei) respect (see the previous entry).
礼 (rei) “respect” – the fourth virtue of 武士道 (bushidō)
The fourth virtue is “Politeness”, which I have translated as “respect”, for reasons explained below.
These 8 virtues were first mentioned in Nitobe Inazao’s 1899 book “Bushido: the Soul of Japan”.
Nitobe states that the “courtesy and urbanity of manners which has been noticed by every foreign tourist as a marked Japanese trait” is often criticised by foreigners as “absorbing too much of our thought and in so far a folly to observe strict obedience to it.”
He defends his countrymen by asserting that “Politeness will be a great acquisition, if it does no more than impart grace to manners; but its function does not stop here. For propriety, springing as it does from motives of benevolence and modesty, and actuated by tender feelings toward the sensibilities of others, is ever a graceful expression of sympathy.”
Hence, “politeness” is considered a way of showing sympathy and 仁 (jin) compassion (see the previous entry). In modern Western society, this would be termed “respect”, and indeed Nitobe says “Modesty and complaisance, actuated by respect for others’ feelings, are at the root of politeness”. (Italics mine).
仁 (jin) “compassion” – the third virtue of 武士道 (bushidō)
The third virtue is “Benevolence, the Feeling of Distress”, which I have translated as “Compassion”.
These 8 virtues were first mentioned in Nitobe Inazao’s 1899 book “Bushido: the Soul of Japan”.
Nitobe writes: “Benevolence to the weak, the downtrodden or the vanquished, was ever extolled as peculiarly becoming to a samurai.” He illustrates this by recounting an event from the 12th century in which a warrior slays an adolescent (he’s pretty much compelled to because if he doesn’t do it, his comrades will), and feels so bad about it afterwards that he becomes a wandering monk.
Make of this what you will, but it does illustrate that “benevolence” is more complex than mere kindness. For this reason I have translated this virtue as “compassion”, which is more than kindness; it also requires seeing the “larger picture”, and understanding the world from others’ points of view.
勇 (yū) “courage” – the second virtue of 武士道 (bushidō)
Bushidō comes with a handy list of 8 virtues that one can follow to lead one’s best and most noble life. You may not have been born a samurai, but you can still live like one by following this code.
The second virtue is “Courage, the spirit of Daring and Bearing”.
These 8 virtues were first mentioned in Nitobe Inazao’s 1899 book “Bushido: the Soul of Japan”.
He describes “courage” as “bearing” as well as “daring”, which suggests that courage has a broader meaning than merely courage in battle; it also includes enduring difficult situations.
He goes on to say: “Courage was scarcely deemed worthy to be counted among virtues, unless it was exercised in the cause of Righteousness.” This implies that true courage comes from knowing what is right, having the clear-sightedness to understand one’s own values and to hold by them, whatever the situation. It is necessary for courage to be informed by 義 (gi) integrity .
義 (gi) “integrity” – the first virtue of 武士道 (bushidō)
The first virtue is ““Rectitude or Justice”, which I have “translated” as “integrity”, for reasons below:
Historically in Japan, opinion on what was “right” or “moral” was fairly uniform.
In modern Western countries, people of many different cultures and backgrounds live side by side, so it is neither possible nor desirable for individuals to always look to their societal norms for moral guidance.
These days what is considered “right” is often something that one must decide for oneself.
However, the ideal of sticking to one’s values even when it is difficult is still considered a virtue: that of having personal integrity.
The eight virtues of Bushidō – were they ever really a thing?
Bushidō. Often referred to as “the samurai code of chivalry”, it stirs up images of noble and fearless warriors, fiercely loyal to their comrades, living and dying by the sword, choosing death over dishonour.
There is no doubt that the way of the samurai continues to have a hold on the public imagination. But what exactly was bushidō?
Calligraphy by Vicky 