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Bushidō, or the Idealized Way Bushidō, or the Idealized Way
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Bushidō, or the Idealized Way

The Myth of the Japanese Samurai
Piotr Żelazny
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time 16 minutes
Piotr Żelazny:
was born in 1982. From 1983, he wanted to become a sports journalist, which is why he allowed himself the luxury of studying philosophy. Not content with simply founding the independent football magazine “Kopalnia – szuka futbolu”, he also writes for, edits and publishes his creation.

When Theodore Roosevelt, president of the United States, read Bushido: The Soul of Japan, he had 60 copies of the book delivered to him so that he could distribute them among his friends. Several decades later, the title fascinated yet another American leader, John F. Kennedy. The founder of the Scout movement, Robert Baden-Powell, also lists Bushido as one of his most important inspirations. What charm lingers around the samurai code? And how does it relate to history?

Samurai constituted a social class from the turn of the 7th and 8th centuries, when feudal structures subordinate to governors began to form in Japan. The emperor quickly ceased to hold sway over them, even while landowners retained private units of qualified warriors. The modern name ‘samurai’ derives from the Old Japanese verb saburau, which through phonetic evolution became samurau over time, meaning ‘to serve the master’. From the 12th century and the reign of the shoguns, the importance of warriors grew steadily.

And yet the book Bushido (from Japanese: bushi – ‘warrior’, dō – ‘way’) was not printed until 1899. The most important set of samurai rules saw the light of day three decades after the outlawing of this community and the banning of warriors from wearing the most important sign of belonging to the caste: a sword known as the katana. Japan was going through a major transformation and accelerated modernization at the time. The country, which had been closed and isolated for over 200 years, was forced to open its borders, and thus came a sudden change of social mores. In 1853, four American steam ships, led by Commander Matthew C. Perry, entered the port of Edo (today’s Tokyo). The Americans brought the emperor a letter from the president demanding the opening of ports and trade. The mere ability to navigate without sails, as well as the thick smoke coming from the chimneys, terrified the Japanese, therefore Perry’s crew did not even have to fire the guns on their ‘black ships’, as they were christened by the local people.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the European and American elites still knew little about the Japanese. Bushido: The Soul of Japan showed them in a new light and immediately became an international bestseller. The image of the samurai emerging from it

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Piotr Żelazny:
was born in 1982. From 1983, he wanted to become a sports journalist, which is why he allowed himself the luxury of studying philosophy. Not content with simply founding the independent football magazine “Kopalnia – szuka futbolu”, he also writes for, edits and publishes his creation.
Translation: Karolina Sofulak
Publish date: 19.03.2021

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The Secret to a Long Life
Aleksandra Reszelska
Aleksandra Reszelska:

is a journalist and writer; she graduated from Japanese Studies at Oxford University. A seeker of Zen among the chaos of everyday life. She lives with her family in Sydney.

On the Japanese island Okinawa, which is hot like lava and full of ghosts, soldiers and blissful views, people live much longer than in other parts of the world. What is the secret behind their longevity? With a dose of dark humour typical of the Japanese, my friend once told me something that stayed in my memory for a long time: “If you were born in Okinawa, and you happen to sneeze, there will always be someone to respond: a soldier from the military base, a family member, or a stray ghost.”

I remember this joke, since it perfectly captures the spirit of Okinawa – its local nature, unique history and love for folklore. Hailed as the ‘Japanese Hawaii’ or the ‘Galapagos of the East’, it’s a fascinating place full of paradoxes. Its tropical climate and azure waters intermingle with memories of the bloody battles of World War II. In the Okinawa Prefecture, there are still 26,000 American soldiers, which accounts for more than half of the US troops now stationed in Japan (their military presence is disapproved of by 80% of the Japanese). Located south of the island of Kyushu, Okinawa is closer to Taipei (645 kilometres) than Tokyo (1555 kilometres). Until the mid-19th century, it was an entirely separate country known as the Ryukyu Kingdom, with its own language and rich culture. Nowadays, the Okinawan economy is weak, which comes as no surprise, since only 49 out of the 160 islands that make up its archipelago are populated. Perhaps this is why the idea that there is something ‘non-Japanese’ about the Okinawans is so deeply-rooted here?

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