Bushido, the Soul of Japan: with 13 full-page colour illustrations from the time of the Samurai. (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781911405436)

Born in 1862, Nitobe Inazo was a Japanese polymath (holding five doctorates) and Christian convert who travelled widely in both Europe and America. In 1900, he published his seminal work Bushido, the soul of Japan, an attempt to explain his country to the western mind via the tenets of Japan's warrior caste, the samurai.

Nitobe places Bushido firmly in the western concept of Knighthood, using an eclectic sample of western philosophy and history to draw out similarities in terms of courage, honour, endurance and loyalty. At the same time he calls upon the eastern philosophies to explain the apparently bewildering differences that exist between the occidental and oriental mind-set: why, for example, westerners bestow expensive gifts to demonstrate how much they value a friendship, and the Japanese offer small presents for exactly the same reason.

Engaging and beautifully written, Bushido has remained a best-seller for over one hundred years, and continues to offer readers one of the most insightful analyses of the Japanese martial way, and its affects on the conduct and character of the people of Nippon. Enhanced with 14 full-page, colour block prints and photographs from the 1800s, this is a 'must-read' for all those interested in the martial arts and Japanese culture.