The Samurai Ethics: A Paradigm for Corporate Behavior by Shinya Fujimura
In this article, Fujimura advocates for the adoption of the samurai moral and ethical values into the corporate world. The author suggests that the integration of these values by corporate and businesses in wealthy countries such as the US and the UK would aid them in dealing with economic vicissitudes. Apparently, the ancient Japanese samurai culture exemplifies the importance of a society that is driven by loyalty, benevolence, and duty.
Fujimura studied for his master degree in public administration at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government where he focused on social change (Fujimura 212). Fujimura also worked for Bain & Company as a managing consultant (Fujimura 212). His working experience exposed him to a wide array of companies from different industries. As such, he is conversant with the corporate culture and its negative aspects.
Being a Japanese, Fujimura has been exposed to the modern economic culture of his mother country. He is also well versed with the old ethical elements of the samurai warriors, Bushido, which has trickled down to the present generation of the Japanese people. Chugi, a core principle of Bushido focuses on loyalty. The author attributes the economic success of Japan, which are sometimes seen as miraculous, to a workforce that is reliable and loyal regardless of the nature of the salary. This principle also explains the structure of the Japanese corporate that is driven primarily by social responsibility and not by economic gains (Fujimura 213). According to Fujimura, egalitarianism characterizes the current Japanese economy (213). However, despite its focus on loyalty, this culture does not advocate for employers exploiting their employees. The somewhat balanced nature of this aspect of Chugi has contributed to Japan’s economic prosperity significantly.
Other elements of Bushido that Fujimura focuses on include seihin and jin. Seihin is an egalitarian element that promotes honorable poverty. This principle encourages humility among leaders. Consequently, greed is a not a popular vice because the Japanese people do not view prestige is terms of wealth as is the case in the Western world. Jin is a principle Samurai value that requires leaders to be generous and concerned about the greater good of the society. This ethical concept encourages corporate leaders to empathize with their workers. As a result, business leaders ensure that profits are shared among shareholders, executives, as well as the staff. Bushido promotes income equality as well as a social and contentment that is lacking in other Western economies (Fujimura 214).
Fujimura extensive experience at Bain & Company and as an independent managing consultant provides him with first-hand interaction with the Western corporate system and culture. As such, his assessment of the ethical shortcomings this system is accurate. This background also makes his recommendations insightful, appropriate, and relevant.
It is clear that Fujimura is balanced and subjective in his recommendation of the adaption of the Samurai code of ethics. He does not have an unprecedented preference of the Japanese way of conducting business. His unbiased evaluation is evident in his presentation of the negative effects that Bushido has had on the Japanese economy. According to Fujimura, systemic loyalty contributes to the prevalent overwork and job stagnation that is evident in many Japanese organizations (213).
Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe
In this book, Nitobe illustrates the various values that characterize Bushido, the code of conduct that the ancient Samurai warriors followed. Having been born and raised in Japan, Nitobe has a wealth of knowledge in the Japanese way of life. He is conversant with the ethics and morals that are held in high regard in this Asian country originating from Samurai knights.
The book highlights the various virtues and value codes that comprise the Bushido. These values include courage, honor, veracity, sincerity, benevolence, and politeness. The Bushido requires leaders and warriors to possess the above values. These values become so ingrained in the Japanese culture that they were passed from generation to generation almost effortlessly. Nitobe also connects the origin of the Japanese ethical to several indigenous social systems such as Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shintoism. The Samurai knights adopted their calm and stoic composure from Buddhism, loyalty and devotion from Shintoism, and respect for practical wisdom from Confucianism (Nitobe n.p).
As indicated in the preface, Nitobe wrote this in an attempt to respond to questions and surprised remarks he got from foreigners who did not understand how moral values were taught in Japan. Nitobe’s wife, friends, and colleagues from the West failed to relate with the high moral values and the lack of religious education in Japanese schools. This book provides the answers by revealing the solid basis that the bushido values have in the Japanese culture such that children adopt them from their seniors passively without formal education. Thus, the ethics are passed from generation to generation through practical life lessons.
Nitobe lived in the years before the modern revolution of the Japanese culture. Therefore, he provides insight into the Japanese lifestyle and observation of the bushido virtues before the Western culture diluted them. As such, his views on the Japanese traditional code of conduct are reliable. However, Nitobe points out that writing in a language that is not his mother tongue limits his communication prowess. As such, this book might not reflect the actual meaning of some samurai terms and facts.
Making a Samurai Western: Japan and the White Samurai Fantasy in the Last Samurai by Shin, Mina.
Shin is an Asian American scholar affiliated with the University of Southern California. In this article, Shin examines the depiction of the Japanese Samurai warrior in the American films. She focuses on the American movie, The Last Samurai, in light of the other films and the dynamic relationship between the United States and Japan. According to Shin, the fantasy of creating a White Samurai is symbolic of the American desire for Japan’s alliance. This complicated relationship fuels the many and diverse depiction of the samurai warrior in American cinemas. These films portray the samurai as barbaric, exotic, sneaky, mysterious and ruthless (Shin 1065 & 1066).
Shin is thorough in relating the fantasy samurai in the American pop culture to the political history of Japan and the USA. She has cited several historians such as John W. Dower, David P. Cook, Walter LaFeber, Richard Slotkin, Noel Perrin, and Chalmers Johnson among others (Shin 1065, 1067, 1068, 1071 & 1075). The author gives a detailed and diverse examination of history, militarism, and film production. Consequently, she uncovers the various biases and historical events on which the American samurai movies are based on.
She also succeeds in revealing the current state of the Japan-USA and its contribution to samurai themes in cinemas. She compares the political history of America and Japan. She shows interesting similarities between America’s Wild West and the transformation of the Japanese military. This comparison prompts the reader to examine the similar historical background of both countries critically to unveil the reasons behind the complicated alliance between the two states. This article shows the author’s in-depth examination and critique of the romanticized depiction of Japanese ancient bushido culture. This publication is insightful in its historical perspective.
Yasouka Masahiro’s ‘New Discourse on Bushido Philosophy’: Cultivating Samurai Spirit and Men of Character in Imperial Japan by Brown, Roger H.
Brown’s article examines the Bushido philosophy and its transformation into a national ideology. The author discusses the role of Yasuoka Masahiro in promoting the adoption of bushido by the warriors of the Imperial government. Brown examines how Yasuoka’s belief in Confucianism drove him to instill the samurai spirit and disdain for materialism in Japanese men (Brown 107). The clear and straightforward manner in which Brown discusses Yasuoka’s influence in bringing the change in the Japanese national ideology is impressive.
This article presents insights into the reasons behind the Japanese rejection of the materialistic ideas and the modern urban lifestyle. In his selfless to Japan, Yasuoka urged men to adapt the values and ethics of the samurai warriors. He instilled self-sacrifice and loyalty to the nation and the emperor. This article assists the reader to understand why aspects of bushido are still prevalent in the Japanese society and the impacts that the Bushido ideology has had on the Japanese political history.
Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture by Ben-Ari, Karl, and Seki.
Unlike other Western researchers and scholars who look at the samurai as a warrior and martial arts master, Ben-Ari and his co-authors examine the entire lifestyle and roles of the samurai. Apart from being a warrior, the samurai had other roles as a philosopher, feudal lord, literateur, and landowner (Ben-Ari et al. 116). These authors bring forth a comprehensive evaluation of the samurai lifestyle. Thus, we can comprehend the mystery of the ancient Japanese knights fully. Karl Friday, a Japanese historian and scholar, presents his research and fieldwork that shows the Japanese martial culture as an intrinsic combination of physical, ethical, and spiritual elements.
This publication broadens the concept of bushido as an ancient culture and as an ideology. Seki Humitake, a martial arts master, biologist, and headmaster, presents a case studt of Kashima-Shinryu. The examination of this martial arts school demystifies the extraordinary and complex nature of training that combines philosophical, physical, and mental aspects of martial arts education. The authors reveal and illuminate the various component of the Japanese culture and its reliance on the virtues of the traditional bushi.
Works Cited
Ben-Ari, Eyal, Karl F. Friday, and Seki Humitake. "Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture." Pacific Affairs 72.1 (1999): 116. Web.
Brown, Roger H. "Yasuoka Masahiro’s ‘New Discourse on Bushidō Philosophy’: Cultivating Samurai Spirit and Men of Character for Imperial Japan." Social Science Japan Journal 16.1 (2013): 107-129.
Fujimura, Shinya. "The Samurai Ethics: A Paradigm for Corporate Behavior." Kennedy School Review 11. (2011): 212-215. Print
Nitobe, Inazo. Bushido: The Soul of Japan. New York: Start Publishing LLC. Print.
Shin, Mina. "Making a Samurai Western: Japan and the White Samurai Fantasy in The Last Samurai." The Journal of Popular Culture 43.5 (2010): 1065-1080. Web.
