Did you know Inazo Nitobe?
Born in Morioka, he is called the first Japanese internationalist and is a key figure who founded ICIC, the predecessor of UNESCO. 
In the late 19th century, he went to study in the West at a time when the world was enthusiastic about Japonisme. Inazo said that Westerners, fascinated by the mysterious culture of a mysterious country, saw Japan from two perspectives. It was a deep interest in a specially evolved culture and a desire to westernize it.
Inazo was asked this by them. “Why is Japanese culture so irrational? Where’s the morality? I can’t believe Japanese people have no faith. We need to westernize Japan as soon as possible.”
At that time, Japanese studying abroad in the West were lonely and difficult. But, he thought, “I must translate the truth of Japan,” without giving in to the difficulties. That was the birth of the book “Bushido” written in English. 
What is Bushido? 
“Bushi” means warriors such as Samurai. “Do” means way. it means the way of warriors.
But that doesn’t explain it enough. At that time, Japan was ruled by Samurai. Those who were strong in battle were considered to have high spirituality and were entrusted with political and social education initiatives.
They imposed a strict discipline on themselves to take on that heavy responsibility. Therefore, to be precise, it means “the way to become a role model for people”. 
The reason why the Japanese “Bushido” became English as it is is because it could not be translated into other languages. Chivalry is the closest thing to bushido, but it was a unique Japanese culture that did not match chivalry. 
In other words, Bushido is a policy of moral education in Japan. But the mystery still continues. Surprisingly, Bushido has no scriptures or governing bodies. There are no set rules! Despite this, even in 2023, moral education and social rules based on Bushido are working effectively!
One reason is that, as an island nation with a high degree of homogeneity, tacit understanding is highly developed, and we share rules through nonverbal communication. “If you’re Japanese, of course you know that.” Just like how crypto assets work. 
You should already know why they are rated as irrational, immoral, and without faith. Because they are non-verbally hidden and unproven. The reason why Inazo published Bushido may be because he wanted to build evidence.
If you are considering a trip to Japan, reading Bushido will help you understand the whys of Japanese culture. This is the manual of the origin of Japanese culture. I will summarize some of them. 
“義 Gi” Rectitude
This is the core idea of Bushido. It is the most important concept for Bushido. This requires universal good will. In addition, there is the implication that personal interests should not be given priority. It teaches that sometimes self-sacrifice is required for the sake of universal good will.
“勇 Yuu” Courage and Perseverance
Courage and perseverance must be exercised in order to do the universal good. Courage here means anger management in modern times. It is also found in Zen teachings. Even if a crisis comes before them, they are required to remain calm at all times. This requires patience training.
“仁 Jin” Benevolence
The two above are sociability, but this meaning refers to personal compassion. In addition, it is said that without Jin there is nothing. It means the origin of human beings.
”礼 Rei” Politeness
It’s probably the clearest concept you’ll see on your trip to Japan. This is considered to be a necessary concept to unify various ideas of Bushido and give back to society. This is also why Japanese names require honorific “San” titles.
“誠 Sei (Makoto)” Veracity and Sincerity
Deception has been forbidden in Bushido. However, the necessary lie is not included. Those who broke this vow committed seppuku. Same meaning as “Ritter wort” in German. A samurai’s remarks had the same effect as a signed contract.
“名誉 Meiyo” Honour
This is considered more important than life. Seppuku was a ritual performed to protect one’s honor even if one died. Even today, being stigmatized is one of the causes of mental illness, stress and depression.
”忠義 Chugi” The duty of loyalty
This is the furthest thing from Western thought. It means to pledge allegiance to the representative of the community. Western religion is an individual contract, but Japanese faith is a contract with a leader. As modern Japan has become more westernized, although it has faded in modern times, it was a thought necessary for passing on the teachings of Bushido like cryptocurrency. However, even today, the custom of determining and following leaders in communities and groups still persists.
At that time, Japan had a class system. Samurai had the highest status and were in charge of politics and education. The lowest class was the merchant. It was a system where the more money you made, the lower your status, and the poorer you were, the higher your status would be. This limited the control of power. It’s the opposite of modern. 
The above are the main ideas of Bushido. Inazo summarized the invisible unique rules. Why did he see through it? This is because his family in Morioka was a samurai family and was involved in the politics of Morioka. He was also a person who practiced Bushido.
His long journey abroad was very difficult, but with courage, perseverance and philanthropy, he continued to introduce Japan to the world in order to protect its honor. 
In the next installment, we will talk about the story of Tono, where scholar Kunio Yanagita conducted his first folklore fieldwork in Japan on the recommendation of Inazo.
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