Bushido

Bushido (Japanese, “the way of the warrior”), code of ethics observed by the warrior noblemen, or samurai, of feudal Japan. Like the rules of chivalry that prevailed in medieval Europe, Bushido was based on such virtues as rectitude, endurance, frugality, courage, politeness, veracity, and, especially, loyalty to ruler and country. Only through the exercise of these virtues could a knight maintain his honor, and one who had forfeited honor was compelled to commit suicide by hara-kiri. Fully developed by the late 12th century, Bushido became a written code in the 16th century. When feudalism was abolished about mid-19th century, the code was abandoned, but its influence, mainly on the army, persisted.