I have been reading through the book Bushido written by Inazo Nitobe. First published in 1900 written originally in English, the author of Bushido was Under Secretary General of the League of Nations.
One of my Japanese friends Mr. Hiranuma Yoshiaki suggested this book for reading, when I expressed my desire to learn more about the history of Japanese culture, mind and behavior. Mr. Yoshi is a nice gentleman working in firm engaged in education planning and research.
I have been almost with full admiration and surprise ever since I heard of Japan and the nature of Japanese people from a friend in my native village who was working with a Japanese bank at New Delhi. It is a coincidence that I got a chance to live in Japan.
One of my Japanese friends Mr. Hiranuma Yoshiaki suggested this book for reading, when I expressed my desire to learn more about the history of Japanese culture, mind and behavior. Mr. Yoshi is a nice gentleman working in firm engaged in education planning and research.
I have been almost with full admiration and surprise ever since I heard of Japan and the nature of Japanese people from a friend in my native village who was working with a Japanese bank at New Delhi. It is a coincidence that I got a chance to live in Japan.
My first encounter with a Japanese dates back to 12 April 1996, when I visited UN headquarters at Geneva. I was in Switzerland to visit a fiber optic cable production machine manufacturer at Lousanne, 100 km away from Geneva. The Japanese national was very happy to meet an Asian at Geneva. We became friends easily and talked about the culture and society of India and Japan. She was alone on her travel to Europe. That also excited me as generally even the highly educated Indian women are very conservative in nature and would not dare to explore the world alone.
It all surprised me to think what is special with Japanese people? Who taught them to become self disciplined? Japanese people are so disciplined by themselves that they do not need many of the external policing or separate rules to keep the society and environment clean. Majority of Japanese people are self ruled with high morals. There may be few exceptions as is with every culture and society. But the percentage of good people – that makes the difference to a society.
It all surprised me to think what is special with Japanese people? Who taught them to become self disciplined? Japanese people are so disciplined by themselves that they do not need many of the external policing or separate rules to keep the society and environment clean. Majority of Japanese people are self ruled with high morals. There may be few exceptions as is with every culture and society. But the percentage of good people – that makes the difference to a society.
Majority of the Japanese people are not seriously religious. Religion has taken a third or fourth place to many of the Japanese. God is not a great thing in Japan. Still Japan has the lowest crime rate. Low records of violence. High morals at public places and high levels of self discipline are observed in Japan. Japan prompts to think: Is religion a necessity to make a good society? No! my experience in Japan tempts me to say this.
Coming back to Bushido, the book has good forward by Yoshio Hatano who was former Ambassador to the UN. The book is titled as BUSHIDO – The soul of Japan – An exposition of Japanese thought. My friend recommended a bilingual version of the book. The Japanese translation is done by Tokuhei Suchi.
It is interesting to mention how excited the author himself was when he travelled through the history of Japan and explored fine reasons to justify many of the present day Japanese behavior. Though it may seems his over anxiousness to prove his nation and people extra ordinarily, whoever lived in Japan and have chances to interact with Japanese people can not possess much different concepts as expressed in Bushido.
Woven with the history, psychology, culture and social systems Bushido is more or equally beautiful like a Japanese kimono. If borrowed from Bushido, Japanese psyche is represented by Sakura flowers!
I could complete reading the 299 page book. Now reading it once more gives more insight to minute details of reason. Bushido is interesting and a must read book. I may explore more on the Japanese psyche by reading Bushido once more.
Coming back to Bushido, the book has good forward by Yoshio Hatano who was former Ambassador to the UN. The book is titled as BUSHIDO – The soul of Japan – An exposition of Japanese thought. My friend recommended a bilingual version of the book. The Japanese translation is done by Tokuhei Suchi.
It is interesting to mention how excited the author himself was when he travelled through the history of Japan and explored fine reasons to justify many of the present day Japanese behavior. Though it may seems his over anxiousness to prove his nation and people extra ordinarily, whoever lived in Japan and have chances to interact with Japanese people can not possess much different concepts as expressed in Bushido.
Woven with the history, psychology, culture and social systems Bushido is more or equally beautiful like a Japanese kimono. If borrowed from Bushido, Japanese psyche is represented by Sakura flowers!
I could complete reading the 299 page book. Now reading it once more gives more insight to minute details of reason. Bushido is interesting and a must read book. I may explore more on the Japanese psyche by reading Bushido once more.
I recently discovered your blog and have become a frequent visitor. I've read too many sarcastic, cynical blogs about Japan, and it's great to come across one that is full of joy. I smiled broadly when I read your entry about snow in Tokyo. I come from a very warm area where it only snows on the highest mountains, and this magic white stuff fascinates me. Whenever it snows in Tokyo, I'm out there in the streets making a fool of myself. Anyway, please continue writing and having fun!
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