Analysis of The Samurai Spirit - Article Example

Analysis of The Samurai Spirit Probably few aspects of Japanese life have captured the imagination and admiration of the West than the life and culture of the Japanese warrior. During the cyber journeys, one of the topics of great interest is the lifestyle and spirituality of the Samurai, which is generally regarded with deference and a sense of mystique. Due in part to the manner in which the legendary Samurai had been rendered by Hollywood motion pictures, from 1954 (Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto) until 2003 (The Last Samurai) (Grabianowski, 2012), the contemporary image of the Samurai as warriors centers on their fierce single-mindedness, loyalty and bravery. Paradoxically, a more careful study of the Samurai, their code of conduct, and their philosophy shows their way of life to be simple, austere, balanced, and contemplative. These attributes are reflected in their customs, art and architecture. The Samurai originated as Japan’s pre-modern warriors who quelled the uprising of the native Emishi tribe during the Heian Period. Subsequently, these warriors found themselves in the hire of wealthy landowners (known as feudal lords) who grew apart and eventually declared themselves independent from the central government and raised their own private armies. When the country was finally reunited again late in the 1500s under the Edo period, the Samurai were positioned at the top of the social caste system. Because of their mandate to defend their feudal lord or emperor, the Samurai developed an unquestioning loyalty and a reputation for fierce fighting skills and, therefore, were regarded In order to preserve the caste distinctions that emerged during the Edo Period, the Samurai were forced to reside in districts designated for them, in homes with a characteristic architectural style. The typical Samurai residence (sometimes called Samurai castle) is expansive and spacious, partly because the Samurai is accorded a level of prestige, and partly because he housed a sizeable retinue. As an illustration, the Aizu Bukeyashiki (Aizu Samurai residence) is depicted in the pictures shown at the end. This edifice served as the quarters that housed the highest rank and most revered Samurai, his family, employees, and servants (Japan-Guide.com, 2012). There are a variety of rooms and section, numbering several dozen; these would include a teahouse, gardens, an archery range, a rice mill, and of course several guest rooms. The Samurai are also known as ‘bushi,’ from the term Bushidō which literally translates to “The Way of the Warrior” (some bifurcations of the word could be more closely translated to “way of the sword” - Marshall, 2012). The Bushido is the unwritten code of conduct and morality that embodies the standards of moral principles by which the Samurai were sworn to live by. The code, while evolving through the centuries, manifests the profound influence of Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism. These elements may be found in the painting, poetry, and lifestyle of the Samurai; for instance, the preparation and serving of tea (a Chinese legacy) has been elevated into an art form in the cha no yu or ‘tea ceremony’. The cha no yu is a metaphor for the Zen Buddhist influence in the Samurai lifestyle as well as the Japanese way of life – ‘Complicated and yet utterly simple, at once straightforward and deep’ (West & Seal, 2012). As with all aspects of the Samurai lifestyle, the tea ceremony evolved from being a custom engaged in by the wealthy, towards a practice associated with a simpler, more austere lifestyle: the elegant but expensive Chinese utensils were replaced with simple practical utensils, and the showy teahouses of the elite were replaced by Sōan, the ‘grass hut’ style teahouse (West & Seal, 2012). Another unique art form influenced by the Samurai is the rock garden or karesansui, which are small stylized landscapes comprised of arrangements of rocks, water, moss, pruned trees and bushes (bonsai plants), and gravel or sand which are raked in such a way as to represent ripples in water (Kenkichi & Edwards, 2010). Again as with the tea ceremony, the designs of these gardens are described paradoxically as being both minimalist and intricate, resulting from ‘the application of intentional, complex design principles, with anticipated visual effects’ (Van Tonder & Lyons, 2005, p. 353). Examples of the rock garden, the teahouse and the tea ceremony are shown at the end of this discussion. The bravery and loyalty of the Samurai are legendary, and have served as the model of the Japanese warrior for centuries until modern times. It was the spirit of the Samurai which inspired the Japanese fighting forces during World War II, particularly the kamikaze pilots who fought to the death and struck fear into the hearts of Allied forces. In peaceful times, the Samurai code remains relevant. It is no surprise that martial arts disciples (which include many non-Japanese who were attracted to the Samurai way of life) stress the principles of the Bushido, but more remarkably, even modern businessmen use the Bushido as ‘a guide to living an honorable life’ (Grabianowski, 2012). The national and cultural identity of Japan, as viewed by the peoples of other countries, is inextricably connected to the essence of the Samurai and the spirit of the Bushido. It is in her factory workers, engineers and technicians, entrepreneurs, industrialists, agricultural workers and practically every sector of society. The attributes of discipline, loyalty, perseverance, and a continuing drive for excellence and perfection, have instilled in the Japanese people the extraordinary resilience and resourcefulness that has enabled them to recover from any calamity, whether the man-made disaster of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, or the natural disaster of the tsunami of 2011. Japanese technological and business acumen have flooded the world with revolutionary products and services; likewise, the Japanese cultural influence proliferates through anime, cuisine, martial arts, just-in-time management, karaoke, and a hundred uniquely Japanese elements that people worldwide have embraced as their own. The centuries-old Samurai spirit has not only survived to this day, but has created an enduring impact in every other culture of the modern world. References Grabianowski, E. (2012) ‘How Samurai Work.’ How Stuff Works. Retrieved 20 October 2012 from http://people.howstuffworks.com/samurai9.htm Kenkichi, O and Edwards, W. (2010) ‘Bilingual (English and Japanese) Dictionary of Japanese Garden Terms.’ Retrieved 20 October 2012 from http://www.nabunken.go.jp/org/bunka/jgd/index.html Marshall, S.J. (2012) ‘Calling crane in the shade.’ Yijing Dao. Retrieved 20 October 2012 from http://www.biroco.com/yijing/index.htm Matrasko, C. (2012) ‘Bushido, Warrior Code of Conduct: Bushido Origins’ Aikido World Web Journal. Retrieved 20 October 2012 from http://www.aikido-world.com/articles/Bushido-Code%20of%20the%20Warrior-Origins%20of%20Bushido.htm Prabhu, N. (2012) ‘Tea Ceremony!’ MB4 Travel. Retrieved 20 October 2012 from http://www.mathrubhumi.com/travel/article/travel_blog/tea_ceremony/108195/ Van Tonder, G.J. & Lyons, M.J. (2005) ‘Visual Perception in Japanese Rock Garden Design.’ Axiomathes. 15, 353-371. West, C.E. & Seal, F.W. (2012) The Samurai Archives Japanese History Page. Retrieved 20 October 2012 from http://www.samurai-archives.com/index.html A Japanese Samurai in armor, Samurai Art, Aizu Bukeyashiki (Samurai Mansion). Japan-Guide.com < http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7707.html> Detail of Garden with Buddha in Aizu Bukeyashiki http://files.myopera.com/gdare/albums/651977/Aizu%20Wakamatsu_bukeyashiki_Buda.jpg Room opening to garden in Aizu Bukeyashiki < http://ih0.redbubble.net/image.6788656.5350/flat,550x550,075,f.jpg A contemporary Japanese Tea House overlooking a Zen rock garden in the Ōita Prefecture, Japan The Tea Ceremony (Prabhu, 2012) Read More