Hagakure Illustrated

Written in the early 18th century by Samurai retainer Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure is the classic exposition of Bushido, the warrior code of the Samurai, divided into a collection of commentaries. Combining elements of both Zen Buddhism and Confucianism, Hagakure teaches a wisdom centered on loyalty, devotion, purity and selflessness, placing a strong emphasis on the notion of living in the present moment with a strong and clear mind. With a focus on living with honour and a willingness to die at any moment in service of a lord, Hagakure was a popular and widely-read guide to Samurai ethics for Japanese soldiers during World War II. This illustrated edition with a brand new modern translation offers hundreds of selected anecdotes from the original, covering topics as wide-ranging as how to avoid selfishness, the importance of paying respect to elders, teachers and parents, gaining self-knowledge through modestly and discipline, committing to a task no matter what the odds are, and how to achieve the state of a pure and uncomplicated mind. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Hagakure Illustrated is a classic collection of instructive and entertaining sketches, stories and aphorisms reflecting on every aspect of life and death according to Bushido, the moral code of the Samurai.

Yamamoto Tsunetomo (山本 常朝), (1659–1719), was a Samurai of the Saga domain in Hizen province under his lord Nabeshima Mitsushige. He became a Zen Buddhist priest and relayed his experiences, memories, lessons, ideas, and aphorisms to the Samurai Tashiro Tsuramoto, who compiled them under the title Hagakure.