Product Description

Hagakure ("In the Shadow of Leaves"') is a manual for the samurai class, consisting of a series of short anecdotes and reflections that give both insight and instruction in the philosophy and code of behaviour that foster the true spirit of Bushido - the Way of the Warrior. The work represents an attitude far removed from our modern pragmatism and materialism, and possesses an intuitive rather than rational appeal in its assertion that Bushido is a Way of Dying, and that only a samurai retainer prepared and willing to die at any moment can be totally true to his lord. While Hagakure was for many years a secret text known only to the warrior vassals of the Hizen fief to which the author belonged, it later came to be recognized as a classic exposition of samurai thought and came to influence many subsequent generations, including Yukio Mishima. This translation offers 300 selections that constitute the core texts of the 1,300 present in the original. Hagakure was featured prominently in the film Ghost Dog by Jim Jarmusch.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5652 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-03
• Original language: Japanese
• Binding: Paperback
• 180 pages

Review
"Hagakure became a kind of magical discovery for me, and 'hidden under its leaves' were some important gifts." --Jim Jarmusch, Director of Ghost Dog

"A classic of Japanese thought Poetic, robust a feast of aphorisms and martial anecdotes." --New York Review of Books

"The most influential of all samurai treatises ever written." --Ivan Morris, author and teacher in the field of Japanese Studies

Prof. Ivan Morris
"The most influential of all samurai treatises ever written. "

From the Publisher

An invaluable guide to the discipline of thought and action required of those seeking to realise a focused and uncompromising life.

Customer Reviews

One of my favourite books
Despite being written 300 years ago in Japan, this book contains so much wisdom and insight that can be successfully applied to modern life. It is very easy to read because it is made up of short passages usually only a paragraph long, so it is excellent to read a few pages at a time for a little inspiration. The stories are sometimes funny, and frequently confusing and illogical to the western mind which makes it a great read. This book is a great insight into the philosophy and mindset of the samurai. I would recommend it to anyone, and it makes a great gift.

Learn the true meaning of Seppuku
Hagakure may be familiar to anyone who has seen the film 'Ghost Dog'. It contains anecdotes relating to the way of the samurai, but can be (unfairly) summarised as follows: the way of the samurai lies in death, death must be contemplated on a daily basis, even the slightest example of disrespect should be met by immediate and fatal remedy. In particular, seppuku (hiri kiri) is the noble and glorious end to virtually all anecdotes.

It is a remarkable book, and probably the most interesting of the Samurai guides (eg Book of Five Rings). However, it should be remembered that Hagakure was considered exceptionally fundamentalist when it was written (17th century) and was disapproved of due to its overemphasis on death.

It was also a favourite text of Yukio Mishima, which if you know about Mishima, tells its own story.

Face death with dignity
The beauty of this book is the fact that it can be picked up and opened at any page and you will find a paragraph or event that will captivate you and urge you to read on, discovering an insight to the bottled up world of feudal Japan, from the sacred code of the Samuari to the work of an ordinary peasent.

As you make your way through the book you can easily relate some of the events to your own everyday encounters with the world (with exempt to cutting down passers by over seemingly minor reasons), this is a book that dosent try to educate or be something its not but is naturally bursting with politeness and touching to read.

This book has great meaning to me as it helped my way of thinking. Do not hesitate buy this book, you wont regret it.