The Hagakure - Yamamoto Tsunetomo

[Tsujigiri]

The Hagakure was published on September 10th 1716 and is a collection of the philosophical meanderings of Yamamoto Tsunetomo who was a retainer of Nabeshima Mitsushige, who was the third ruler of what is now called the Saga Prefecture. The book was scribed by one Tsuramoto Tashiro after Yamamoto retired to a mountain cabin following the death of Nabeshima in 1700.

The name Hagakure translates as ‘Hidden Behind the Leaves’

The book was written during a time of peace and as such is a curious anachronism reflecting Yamamoto’s desire to be a Samurai of Old.
During this time of peace the samurai of Japan led a sedentary lifestyle, there was literally nothing for them to do, no glorious battles to be fought or victories to be claimed; they were faced with the dilemma that faces all peacetime warriors, which is how to remain a disciplined and proud warrior who has a respected place within his society!

The philosophies found within the Hagakure are a mixed collection of writings, occasionally profound, sometimes insightful and occasionally absurd.
Students of the martial arts tend to be drawn to the book as a guide to how a samurai would have lived. There are ambivalent views on the historical accuracy of this opinion as the book and indeed the code of Bushido was a matter of little concern prior to 1930.
The Hagakure was made famous in film recently when selected texts were used in the film Ghost Dog http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165798/ this interest further encouraged martial arts students seeking guidance to embrace its rambling philosophies.
The philosophies themselves are a melange of the Zen and Confucianism that was ubiquitous to Japan during the Edo Era (1600-1968) and was originally

Tsunetomo believed and advocated that a Samurai should become one with death, or assume that he was already dead in order to better survive battle.
For example ‘If one considers oneself already dead then one has nothing to loose in battle’.
This point of view for a Samurai who never knew a time of war or battle has been a matter of some debate amongst historians and modern day students of the martial arts.

For those interested in obtaining a copy of the Hagakure you can order one from Amazon by clicking on the following link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...116334-7496615