A Brief Annotated Bibliography On Bushido

Key terms: bibliography, Bushido

No matter the art, at some point, martial arts students become curious about the study of Bushido. This mountainous topic can seem impossible to scale because of the volumes of work online and in print. What’s more, because the quality of scholarship on the topic varies greatly, it can be easy for readers to wander from quality reading. This brief list includes some of the most robust works on the study of Bushido.

To keep this reading list brief, it will only include works with the main drive of analyzing or contributing to the explicit study of the intellectual history of samurai.

Benesch, Oleg. Inventing the Way of the Samurai: Nationalism, Internationalism, and Bushido in Modern Japan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

A thorough academic work, Benesch seeks to trace bushido as a tool of the post-Meiji Restoration government of Japan—an “invention of tradition.” Benesch argues the invented tradition of Bushido was Designed to inculcate the populace with a sense of duty, nationalism, and as a response against foreign threats, or national “popular narcissism.” To accomplish this mission, Benesch draws upon a plethora of primary and secondary sources in both English and Japanese, ranging from government documents to cultural studies. Rich in source material and thorough in addressing some of the most preeminent authors on the subject, Benesch’s work will undoubtedly move the scholarship of Bushido forward.

Bennett, Alexander. Bushido and the Art of Living: An Inquiry into Samurai Values. Tokyo: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture, 2017.

An accomplished scholar and martial artist, Bennett takes on a scholarly and critical analysis of Bushido. The work begins with a brief yet informative intellectual history of Bushido, divided into four phases of development, framed by the social, political, and military events around each. A key argument implied in this section, and carried over into the next chapter is the idea that Bushido is an ever evolving philosophy and not one easily marked off a checklist set in stone. As the work proceeds, Bennett interweeves his studies with ideas such as zanshin and koyo-gunkan, as well as examining central works often cited in Bushido research: Hagakure and Budo-Shoshinshu as well as The Life Giving Sword. Finally, Bennett concludes the work with a critical analysis of bushido in modern Japan as told through interweaving his analysis with his experiences as both a kendo and university student. This is a rich, thorough work, appropriate for novice or experienced readers alike. Bennett’s mastery of the content is second-to-none, and his ability to convey complex ideas and events succinctly makes this work informative and pleasurable at the same time.

Interestingly—perhaps, appropriately—Bennett’s work stands as a bookend to Nitobe’s. Nitobe, a Japanese author, wrote his Bushido first in English for foriegn audiences only to later have a Japanese-language edition published; Bennett, a New Zealand-born author, first wrote his work in Japanese for a Japanese audience, only later to issue an English language edition.

Boylan, Peter. Musings of a Budo Bum. Peter Boylan, 2017.

Largely concerned with matters that would interest modern martial artists, Boylan’s work consists of a number of essays based on his experiences studying a variety of martial arts, including Judo, Jodo, and Iaido, in the United States and Japan. While themes in Bushido thread throughout the work, the last section, “Philosophy,” is most closely connected to the study. Here, Boylan examines a number of topics shared by ancient and modern scholars alike, from what makes an effective martial art, to what does it mean to be an instructor versus a professional. Throughout the works, Boylan references a handful of important primary sources for readers to examine, both Chinese and Japanese. At its core, this work stands as a text for others in martial arts today—it is not intended as a thorough, academic treatment of philosophy or intellectual history. It is critical for this list, however, in that it helps to demarcate a critical element of the post-war intellectual history of Bushido as a primary source.

Buke Shohatto

Laws of the Military Houses (Buke Shohatto)—this collection of laws put forth by Tokugawa Ieyasu exemplifies what the Tokugawa Shoguns expected of retainers. Reading through it, Tokugawa’s concern of control and stability become clear, as a number of items prevent the consolidation and spread of power. What is most important for the study of Bushido is how this document outlines the roles and relationships that samurai had to follow (this, itself, was reinforced by the Tokugawa’s implementation of New-Confucianism during their rule). A reasonable edition can be found here: https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2016/04/buke-shohatto-laws.html


Cleary, Thomas. Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook. Boston: Shambhala, 2009.

Translated and edited by the prolific author Thomas Cleary, Training the Samurai Mind collects excerpts from several important primary sources in the intellectual development of samurai philosophies from the 14th- through 19th-centuries. While this 500 years of coverage does not address the same expanse of time other authors investigate, it does cover the core of an intellectual golden age in Japanese philosophy. Cleary’s expertise in both Chinese and Japanese texts shows through in his translations, though at times he seems to place an emphasis on spirituality that other authors do not. The work includes a thorough glossary as well, to help readers explore more complicated elements of the text. Unfortunately, it includes neither footnotes nor endnotes—a quite peculiar feature for Cleary.

Friday, Karl F. “Bushidó or Bull? A Medieval Historian’s Perspective on the Imperial Army and the Japanese Warrior Tradition.” Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences (March 2011): accessed August 27, 2019, https://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_friday_0301.htm.

In this article, reprinted from The History Teacher, Volume 27, Number 3, May 1994, pages 339-349, Friday argues that the Bushido ideals used by early twentieth century imperialist leaders in Japan had no connection to any code or philosophy of the samurai. He further goes on to note that the Bushido of Imperial Japan was, in actuality, an invention of both western observers and the Japanese state to motivate and direct the Japanese people in wartime. In making his argument, Friday begins by reviewing briefly the history of the term Bushido and providing critical historical background to the issue, brief analyses of critical works often used when examining the topic. Perhaps most importantly in this section of the work, Friday notes that the use of philosophical or legal texts to outline a code of behavior like bushido does not adequately examine the day-to-day lives of samurai. From there, Friday uses his established history to examine the case against Imperial Japan’s supposed continuation of bushido to great effect. While this work is 25 years old, it stands as a critical work in the English language scholarship on Bushido—indeed, it may well be the spark that lit the fire of critical review of this topic.

Nitobe, Inazo. Bushido: The Soul of Japan. Tokyo: Kodansha, 2002. Other editions available.

First composed around the turn of the 20th-century, Nitobe’s work has one of the more curious histories of texts. Originally composed in English for Western audiences, Nitobe hoped Bushido would act as a bridge to help Western nations better understand Japan. Using a mixture of cultural references from both hemispheres, Nitobe creates a thoughtful essay to explain what he sees as the foundation of Japan’s moral philosophies. The first half of the text aligns closely with Confucian principles; the second half contains a chapters on “Suicide and Redress,” the sword as a national symbol, and the role of women. The final three chapters seek to outline the past, present, and future of bushido in Japan, c. 1900.

When working with Nitobe’s Bushido, it is critical to keep in mind the intent, the method to deliver the content, and the time period that gave rise to the text.

Yamamoto, Tsunetomo. Hagakure. Translated by William Scott Wilson. New York: Kodansha, 1992.

This short treatise, recorded from the words of Yamamoto Tsunetomo, describes in no particular order the expected behavior of samurai of Nabeshima. This work is a relatively geographically localized in that it did not see widespread publication or reading until the Imperial Era and has since gained a reputation as a work associated with Japanese militarism. While an often-cited work, in the larger historical context, Hagakure is of little import. Because of its promulgation during and after World War II, it is a boom readers may see reference towards made.