Hagakure: Way of the Samurai

Written by Saga Domain samurai Yamamoto Tseunetomo in the early 18th century, Hagakure is the definitive guide to samurai values and practice. In it, Tseunetomo explicates bushido, the warrior values to which samurai devoted themselves. In a time when the samurai class was changing, Tseunetomo's writing sought to codify bushido and stoke its flame. He warns against the corrosive effects of negligence and carelessness, while exhorting the primacy of discipline, courage, and loyalty. This is the spirit of noble virtue that lives on centuries later as the legacy of the samurai.The ultimate aim of the samurai way of life wasn't fame or glory, it was clarity of character: bravery and honor in life and death. Tseunetomo offers practical advice and interesting anecdotal stories to illustrate this ethos. Hagakure is a glorious record of a time and set of values that represent some of the noblest aspirations in human history." - from the Introduction of Hagakure, Way of the Samurai