The+Bushido+Code-+Spreading+Through+Japan+and+Effecting+On+Modern+Technology

**Thesis:** The values of the Bushido Code were able to spread through Japan and make all Japanese adopt to them. Before, there was a time which big families trying to kill each other off and to gain rulership. The Bushido Code was a warrior code developed by a big family. The big family trained their kid into the samurais, and beat the other families. Which Japan is now ruled by the Bushido Code's developer. This helped shaping Japanese culture a lot. The code was based on 4 religions, which the citizens were encouraged to believe in those 4. Also, the Japanese also had an "outside force", which was a common enemy for everyone. And, some Japanese people can actually see the values benefit the samurais. These are the reasons why the values of the Bushido code were able to spread through Japan. **Support #1: Their Religion** The Bushido code was a combination of 4 religions, Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Shintoism. Buddhism teaches believed that if they die, their soul won’t die so they will live again, which makes them don’t fear of death. Zen teaches taught them not to limit themselves but go to the point where “words can’t describe it anymore”, to go over your limits. In this way, the religions made them strongest warriors. The principles of Confucianism are: humanity, loyalty, morality and consideration on an individual and political level. Shintoism gives the samurais confident to do anything. The teaches kept on telling them that they are the best, they can do everything, so the samurais take that positive thoughts everyday which they will be confident on everything even it’s a hard challenge. Therefor, the bushido fucked shit up. Some warriors in other countries might think that they can’t do it during the training so they give up easily. Compare to the samurais, they would train very very hard because they know they don’t have limit, and so they never give up, and never think it’s too hard. The warriors also took some of the positive spirits from 3 other religions, for example, they don’t fear about death because they believed as Buddhism teaches, they think if they work hard, they will get another life and live again with better life that has money and power. Buddhism was brought by the Koreans through some gifts of bronze Buddha image and some religious writings. Which the gift is accepted and a temple is also built for putting the Buddhism gifts. Zen was introduced by a guy called Do-sho. He went to China and met a friend, and his friend let him study Zen in a Zen school and then bring back to Japan. After him there are several Zen teachers came to Japan to teach more about Zen. Confucianism has been brought by China people during 551~479 BC. Shintoism is the oldest native Japanese religion, but it received its name and became a well-known religion during 700s AD. Although Japanese citizens think they are not very religious, but they go to temples every week or so, and the religions helped on shaping Japanese culture. So they already know the values and spirits of all these 4 religions. Japanese people were able to embrace those religions because the family which had won by using the samurais, believed in those 4 religions. When the religions were introduced so early to the Japanese people already. They were taking them easily when they were hoped to do so. **Support #2: The Outside Force** There were many outside forces, a force from outside that it very strong. Which makes the Japanese people must work together to defeat it. For example, the Mongolians were attacking Japanese people around 1200s AD. Long time ago, there were 2 big families killing each other for the power to rule. The bushido code was developed up by a big family which was trying to kill another big family to gain power. They developed this code and then they trained all their kids and men into samurais. One family finally won, the sword they were using was now the samurai sword. Which when they began ruling, they give the sword to warriors. Samurais are militaristic. They are skilled in martial arts. They can use bow arrows and all those far ranged weapons, they also can fight when they are riding a horse, the most important thing is, they were known for their swords. They like to fight one on one. When they killed an enemy, they usually cut the head of and bring it home to show his victory. If they almost got caught, they will just suicide themselves so they think they are die of justice, and so enemies can’t torture him. People all know that Samurai must have a sword, the sword was less of a weapon but more like a soul to the Samurai. They treated their swords so well that they are always shiny and clean. During a fight, they try to “finish” an enemy for the shortest time because they don’t want their sword to be in the air for too long, wind and some rock might hurt it and reduce it’s strength. They kept on fighting each other until the 1200 ADs as I said, when Mongolians started to attack. The Japanese people finally realized that they must unite, but not killing each other off. They must forgive each other and fight together in order to defeat the strong outside force. That’s how Japanese people can develop this code and be so into it that no one is left from the big team. In Mongolia during the time, the rich people are treating poor people bad as slaves. Which they don’t have the max number of fighters, the poor people are slaves, they are helpless in fighting. Which in Mongolia, some poor people are fighting with the rich people, because they don’t want to be slaves anymore, maybe they want to fight. Which they are fighting within themselves. Unlike Japanese people, rich people need poor people, and poor people need rich people, so they are together as a team. Rich people has the money to provide the poor people’s armor and weapons, and also try to save them from starving. Usually there are more poor people than rich people, so the poor people’s population is very large. When a war is going on, they need lots of people to fight. If there are also poor people fighting instead of only rich people, their population of samurais can grow like 3 times bigger or even more. That’s why they need each other and value the same thing. When they value the same, they are able to work together even though someone’s poor or someone’s rich in the group. **Support #3: Willing to Sacrifice for Their Country** When Japanese people were fighting against outside force, they needed lots of people to fight. Therefor, if they have healthy men in each of the families, they must attend military training into a samurai to fight. They were so into the fight that they were able to sacrifice themselves to protect their homeland. No other country’s warriors can do that, they always think their family must be the most important. They think if their country has been attacked they can still escape to other countries. But because Japanese are so into their religion and their goal is to prevent the outside invasions, they were willing to sacrifice for their country. They think the safeness of the homeland is more important than their families. They think if their homeland is not safe, their family won’t be safe in the country because Japan is an island, they can’t escape to somewhere else like other warriors’ families. The samurais go home and invent their new ways to fight, which they already have innovation during ancient time. When they go to a war next time, they don’t use the same technique but newer and more powerful one. For example, this time they learned how to concentrate on one enemy and kill it very soon, next time they must work on how to fight with two enemies at the same time. Although they like 1 on 1 fighting, their enemies might not like it so 1 on 2 skills for samurais are still very important to learn. So enemies won’t know their ways to fight and don’t know they are so powerful, no one will know they have the ability to fight 2 at the same time. If not because they know they can go over their limit, they already gave up, but they won’t because they know they can succeed in every challenge The values make them obey in rules, they are clam all the time even during fighting. They only do things when they think it’s honorable. Which make them have positive thinkings, they never give up, and try to improve their skills.. That’s how the values effect on them.
 * The Bushido Code, Part I, Spreading Through Japan (By Gene Shiue) sandwiches and tacos**

Based of the 4 religions, they valued discipline, determination, and innovation. They also valued like justice and all other positive values of life. They were the only type of warriors on the world who have those values during that time, because some other nation didn’t have their outside force or maybe they already gave up on fighting. Some other countries think they have many people to fight so they can win easily by the population and do not need to train the warriors. Japan is different, they never gave up to fight back, they knew they have little population compare to big countries so they know they need to train their warriors. Which made them special and powerful. The samurais trust these quotes: “Go to the battlefield firmly confident of victory, and you will come home with no wounds. Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death. When you leave the house determined not to see it again you will come home safely; when you have any thought of returning you will not return.” They think differently from others, they are braver at fighting! Because samurais are the most honorable fighter in Japan, every citizens know about them. Also, nearly every family has more than one samurai in their houses. In order to defeat the outside force, they can’t attack within themselves with other Japanese people, but with outside force. They know they are the best and when people know about them, they will get their values and become more positive about their lives.

http://edtech.suhsd.k12.ca.us/inprogress/act/dfickett/japan/iaido_samurai.html [|http://theholisticwarrior.com/Bushido%20-%20The%20Way%20of%20the%....htm]


 * The Bushido Code, Part II, Effecting On Modern Technology (By Ray-Ray)**

**Thesis:** How did Japanese use their values in making them becoming the most high-tech nation? **Support #1: Samurai Sword** Japanese constantly use their value to create the ultimate samurai swords; first they started off smiting Samurai Sword by the age called Heian-period. They had the technology to make the sword. The idea they get from was the western countries, since the western country had the heavy double-handed sword. ( [|http://www.japanesesamuraiswords.com/] )The black smiths changed the idea and refine it to create a sword for slashing instead of stab, so they make one side of blade real sharp and they make it really light weighted. The other idea was the Japanese people to Japanize all of its imported things so this would make them become distinct from each other. This invention used the value “innovation”, because they have need for change and if they stop changing. They would be behind every countries technology very soon. So Black smith in Japan made the first sword called “Koto.” Then by the age of Kamakura-Period, they made new improvements. (Reason is because the Mongols, check the Kamakura period on the web page. [|http://www.japanesesamuraiswords.com/] )They made this for a purpose, because at that age, the Mongolians were attacking them. So they improve on it and called it “Tanto.” It was 30cm long, the cons of it is that it’s heavier than the old one. But in other thinking, they can use it for further development. Then by Muromachi-Period they had more improvements. During this age, they had constant corruptions between the warlords in Japan. The governments needed more weapon due to the civil war in Japan, they mass produce the sword. This also means the quality decreases. The sword for this age was called “Uchigatana,” this sword was about 60cm long, on the edge, some new invention was made. They mad a cutting edge upward, so when the cut and pull, it results in a sword stroke. T his is also a need of change because other countries have bigger weapons, and they have tiny one. That’s why they changed. By the Momoyama-period, it was a much peaceful period because the government managed to create farmer class and samurai class. (check Muromachi period [|http://www.japanesesamuraiswords.com/] )The samurai had to live in the castles, this was also a benefit in developing the Japanese art of sword making too. During this age, Japanese then smith two new types of sword called "dildo,” and a small one called “Wakizashi.” It was a pair, for example if they lose the long sword in the battle; they continue fighting with the short one. Through out these developments of new types of swords; all types of swords shared the same Japanese value. It was “innovation,” They used this value so well, so by every age, they can smith a new type of sword. This is also an example of how the values helped in Japan grow in their society. The other value was “determination,” they never give up on the things that they want to be the best, so they will try to create the best. A very good example is their art of swords making, they practice this art to make them become the best sword making country. This needs a lot of determination for its spirit. People without the spirit, they would just give up in the end because it simply just too hard for them to reach. But Japanese people today are trying their best to beat U.S.’s technology. By being determined could help them in proving to the whole world that this small piece of land on the world map, could have a very advance technology. **Support #2: Toyota** From the history of the Japanese people they have a very interesting history.One of the biggest failure in Japanese car industry was during the 1900s to 1960s, because they were very small and didn’t see the whole world, they failed in making cars, one example is the GM that imported to Japan, they beat the Japan cars at that time because they simply created better car then the Japanese did, but in 1960s-today, they set foot in U.S. car selling by creating small cars, these cars were effectively used and is suitable for small families. Also the price was low too, this way almost all U.S. citizens could buy a car from Toyota. It’s not those fancy cars and good looking cars that “Pwned” the other car companies; it’s about quality. The modern example of how they used their values was Toyota; they now climb on top of every car companies’ head. It had the power to do so was because they used their ancient Japanese values, and put effort into developing a car. In their company, almost no employees were fired. Because everyone does their best, Japanese people are unique; they do best to increase their repuatation about their country. I think about dick and nipples? What would happen to Toyota? The rumor would start going around the world that they produce bad cars. (The article about Toyota http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=14712 ) They do what other countries can’t do. They have high self-status; they improve every day to keep other people stay on the tail of them. Oh and, they have another force that drives them forward. It was failure, once they fail. They climb up and try to make a change in the cars. That’s why Toyota becomes the world’s best car selling company. the end

[|http://www.japanesesamuraiswords.com/] [|http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=14712