Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Biography
Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659–1719) was a samurai of the Saga Domain in Hizen Province under his lord Nabeshima Mitsushige. After his lord's death in 1700, Tsunetomo was forbidden from committing seppuku (ritual suicide) by the Shogun's decree, which prohibited the practice of junshi (following one's lord in death). Consequently, he retired to a hermitage in the mountains near Saga, spending the next two decades in contemplation and conversation. During this period, from 1710 to 1716, he recounted his thoughts and experiences to a young scribe named Tashiro Tsuramoto, which were later compiled into the influential treatise, Hagakure ('Hidden by the Leaves' or 'In the Shadow of Leaves'), a foundational text on the samurai code of Bushido.
Selected Thoughts
«Bushido is realized in the presence of death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between death and life. There is no other reasoning.»
«A man is a man because he is a person who has guts.»
«The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance.»
Writing Style
His writing style, as recorded in 'Hagakure', is aphoristic, didactic, and intensely personal. It presents a stark, uncompromising vision of Bushido, emphasizing the immediacy of death, absolute loyalty, and the pursuit of honor above all else. The language is often direct, forceful, and at times paradoxical, reflecting a deeply held philosophical commitment to the samurai's way of life and death.