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112 reviews for:
Art Of The Samurai: Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure
Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Barry D. Steben
3.64 AVERAGE
112 reviews for:
Art Of The Samurai: Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure
Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Barry D. Steben
3.64 AVERAGE
2 parts Eastern philosophy (1 part specifically Confucian piety), 2 parts toxic masculinity. To sum up the whole of the book very briefly: because piety many people committed seppuku, also don't yawn in public.
The first third of this book was fairly interesting, but by the end, it has devolved into descriptions of random acts of barbarism. Servants committing suicide over petty failures, arbitrary executions, spontaneous killigs fueled by nothing but a hurt ego, page after page. No context to them, no system behind them, and on a few occassions I didnt even know what lesson the author wanted me to learn. Most of the ones I did understand were about death-worship, how to be subservient to your master, and how to be liked by your peers.
Granted, this book had considerable humorous value. A man whose spinal cord was severed in battle put his head back in place with his hands, was treated with oil and resin, and recovered completely. An incident with a kaishakunin who, upon hearing a comment on his skills at beheading, lost his temper, ripped off the head of the corpse of someone who had just committed seppuku and held it up in the air was described as "rather chilling". There's a page dedicated to explaining why cowardice is the only reason why one wouldn't want to behead a criminal, and a description of how one can flay a decapitated head, by - among other things - urinating on it. The latter is seen by the author as "information to be treasured".
This level of brutality and disregard for life seems to me to be well beyond what was usual at the time. The feuds and territorial wars common in Europe, especially some centuries earlier, were far more civilized than what Hagakure preaches and praises. As the book did have some interesting bits, and as the writing style itself wasn't unpleasant, I'll still rate it with two stars instead of one, despite the immorality and blandness of its philosophy.
Granted, this book had considerable humorous value. A man whose spinal cord was severed in battle put his head back in place with his hands, was treated with oil and resin, and recovered completely. An incident with a kaishakunin who, upon hearing a comment on his skills at beheading, lost his temper, ripped off the head of the corpse of someone who had just committed seppuku and held it up in the air was described as "rather chilling". There's a page dedicated to explaining why cowardice is the only reason why one wouldn't want to behead a criminal, and a description of how one can flay a decapitated head, by - among other things - urinating on it. The latter is seen by the author as "information to be treasured".
This level of brutality and disregard for life seems to me to be well beyond what was usual at the time. The feuds and territorial wars common in Europe, especially some centuries earlier, were far more civilized than what Hagakure preaches and praises. As the book did have some interesting bits, and as the writing style itself wasn't unpleasant, I'll still rate it with two stars instead of one, despite the immorality and blandness of its philosophy.
I just read Hakagure: The Book of the Samurai. "When faced with a crisis, if one puts some spittle on his earlobe and exhales deeply through his nose, he will overcome anything at hand. This is a secret matter. "
Puanım 3/5 (%62/100)
Genel olarak hoşuma gitmiş olsa da İthaki Japon Klasikleri serisinde en sevmediğim kitap oldu sanırım. Bu da seride gerçekten çok önemli ve "güçlü" kitapların/yazarların olmasından kaynaklanıyor. Hagakure ile ilgili birçok olumsuz yorum da gördüm. Bazıları çok yermek için yermiş olsa da bazı eleştirileri de haklı buldum. Kitap için Tsunetomo'nun tecrübelerini ve dönemini anlattığı bir günlük diyebiliriz. Ben daha çok ilk 2 bölümü sevdim çünkü orada genel ve birçoğu yararlı öğütler verilmiş (düzenli, çalışkan ve hırslı olmak, materyalist olmamak vb.). Bundan sonraki bölümler daha çok tarih dersi gibiydi ve ara ara sıkıldım. Zen Budizm ve Konfüçyüs etkilerini de görmek mümkündü. Kitabın başındaki önsözü de okumayı unutmayın.
Kitapta sevmediğim yerlerden birisi de bazı öğütleri kişisel olarak saçma bulmam. Mesela: Kitap okuduktan sonra yakmanız lazım çünkü sadece soylular kitap tutabilir veya bir savaşçı aynı zamanda sanatçı olamaz veya sürekli ölümü düşünmeniz ve onun üstüne gitmeniz gerek gibi. Ama yazıldığı zamanı ve ortamı düşündüğümde bir yere kadar anlam veriyorum. Yine de böyle ilkeler yüzünden (savaşçı kodu veya buşido ne derseniz) belki de çok başarılı ve iyi insanların ölmüş olması düşüncesi üzdü beni. Genel olarak güzel bir kitap, seriyi tamamlamak için alınıp okunabilir.
Genel olarak hoşuma gitmiş olsa da İthaki Japon Klasikleri serisinde en sevmediğim kitap oldu sanırım. Bu da seride gerçekten çok önemli ve "güçlü" kitapların/yazarların olmasından kaynaklanıyor. Hagakure ile ilgili birçok olumsuz yorum da gördüm. Bazıları çok yermek için yermiş olsa da bazı eleştirileri de haklı buldum. Kitap için Tsunetomo'nun tecrübelerini ve dönemini anlattığı bir günlük diyebiliriz. Ben daha çok ilk 2 bölümü sevdim çünkü orada genel ve birçoğu yararlı öğütler verilmiş (düzenli, çalışkan ve hırslı olmak, materyalist olmamak vb.). Bundan sonraki bölümler daha çok tarih dersi gibiydi ve ara ara sıkıldım. Zen Budizm ve Konfüçyüs etkilerini de görmek mümkündü. Kitabın başındaki önsözü de okumayı unutmayın.
Kitapta sevmediğim yerlerden birisi de bazı öğütleri kişisel olarak saçma bulmam. Mesela: Kitap okuduktan sonra yakmanız lazım çünkü sadece soylular kitap tutabilir veya bir savaşçı aynı zamanda sanatçı olamaz veya sürekli ölümü düşünmeniz ve onun üstüne gitmeniz gerek gibi. Ama yazıldığı zamanı ve ortamı düşündüğümde bir yere kadar anlam veriyorum. Yine de böyle ilkeler yüzünden (savaşçı kodu veya buşido ne derseniz) belki de çok başarılı ve iyi insanların ölmüş olması düşüncesi üzdü beni. Genel olarak güzel bir kitap, seriyi tamamlamak için alınıp okunabilir.
reflective
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
This is a book full of bizarre tales, ranging from how to remove skin from a skull to reminding a samurai to carry make-up in case his complexion is poor. Some are pithy, several are obscure, many are about ritual suicide.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Very fun read. Great for anyone interested in the samurai or feudal Japan.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, War
This review is of the translation by Barry W. Steben.
Steben's is a partial translation, and thus really ought to be discounted out of hand. The parts that are included are decently translated, so I don't know why Steben decided not to finish the whole thing. I don't like it.
Steben's is a partial translation, and thus really ought to be discounted out of hand. The parts that are included are decently translated, so I don't know why Steben decided not to finish the whole thing. I don't like it.
This review is of the translation, not the actual content.
The Hagakure (葉隱, lit. leaf / conceal), written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo (山本常朝) and compiled by Tashiro Tsuramoto (田代陣基) between 1709 and 1716, is both a practical "handbook" (武士道) and a quasi-nationalistic political tract. (The difficulty of maintaining a class of warriors in the absence of war led the author into nostalgia for an imagined past, to put it simply.) The book was then promptly ignored for a couple of centuries until the Asia-Pacific War, when both Japanese and Western men became very interested in the idea of a secret guidebook for How To Be A Samurai. Mishima Yukio, who was basically the book's target audience, was obsessed with it. Its popularity is currently much higher in Western countries than in Japan, due to its associations with nationalism. But that's all water under the bridge, so to speak; this is Wikipedia-type info. I can talk about different translations. These are those which I've read.
The Hagakure (葉隱, lit. leaf / conceal), written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo (山本常朝) and compiled by Tashiro Tsuramoto (田代陣基) between 1709 and 1716, is both a practical "handbook" (武士道) and a quasi-nationalistic political tract. (The difficulty of maintaining a class of warriors in the absence of war led the author into nostalgia for an imagined past, to put it simply.) The book was then promptly ignored for a couple of centuries until the Asia-Pacific War, when both Japanese and Western men became very interested in the idea of a secret guidebook for How To Be A Samurai. Mishima Yukio, who was basically the book's target audience, was obsessed with it. Its popularity is currently much higher in Western countries than in Japan, due to its associations with nationalism. But that's all water under the bridge, so to speak; this is Wikipedia-type info. I can talk about different translations. These are those which I've read.
TAKAO MUKOH (1980)A reprint version of Takao Mukoh's translation was published in 2000 (the original is out of print). This translation isn't great; it doesn't include the full text, and it's from the 1980s, so you can't really expect much. Plus, it's pretty expensive and difficult to find. I'd say you can safely skip this one.
WILLIAM SCOTT WILSON (1992)Wilson's translation is one of the more popular ones. Personally I find it inferior to Bennett's in essentially every way. But don't take it from me: here's the second bit from the first book, in Wilson's and then Bennett's translations.
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. To say that dying without reaching one’s aim is to die a dog’s death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one’s aim.Compare Bennett's version:
We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line. To die without gaining one’s aim is a dog’s death and fanaticism. But there is no shame in this. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by setting one’s heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling.
2. The Way of the warrior (bushido) is to be found in dying. [NB:But it's up to you which you find more appealing.If one is faced with two options of life or death, simply settle for death. It is not an especially difficult choice; just go forth and meet it confidently. To declare that dying without aiming for the right purpose is nothing more than a “dog’s death” [NB:Spoiler
34 This is undoubtedly the most famous phrase in Hagakure. There are differences in modern Japanese and foreign language translations of exactly how it should be interpreted. Some prefer “I have found the Way of the warrior is in death.” It seems that the verb mitsuketari (“found”) is either attached to the author’s discovery of the meaning of bushido, or that the meaning of bushido is found in embracing death. I prefer the latter interpretation, but either is possible linguistically.] is the timid and shallow way of Kamigata warriors. [NB:Spoiler
The word used here is inu-jini (犬死), a term that was widely used during the Tokugawa period to express the pathos of a wasted or meaningless death.Whenever faced with the choice of life and death, there is no need to try and achieve one’s aims. Human beings have a preference for life. As such, it is a natural tendency to apply logic to justify one’s proclivity to stay alive. If you miss the mark and you live to tell the tale, then you are a coward. This is a perilous way of thinking. If you make a mistake and die in the process, you may be thought of as mad (kichigai), but it will not bring shame. This is the mind-set of one who firmly lives by the martial Way. Rehearse your death every morning and night. Only when you constantly live as though already a corpse (jōjū shinimi) will you be able to find freedom in the martial Way, and fulfill your duties without fault throughout your life.Spoiler
The term “kamigata” usually refers to the Osaka and Kyoto region, but in this case also implies the city of Edo. The word is often mentioned in Hagakure to contrast the mannerisms of sophisticated, urban warriors with the rustic ways of samurai in the Saga domain.
D.E. TARVER (2002)One thing I appreciated about Tarver's translation is that he notes, before beginning,
Although I use masculine pronouns in this book, I am greatly aware that the title warrior is not gender specific.I would have preferred if Tarver had just used gender-neutral pronouns, but it's better than nothing. Tarver gives each section titles (of his own selection), which usually align with the relevant content. His version of the second section of the first book:
I have come to understand the heart of bushido. The way of the warrior is fulfilled in death. When you are in a situation where your death will benefit your cause, you should instantly choose death. This will not be a difficult choice if you are truly committed beforehand. The saying "To die without achieving your goal is to die a meaningless death" is the foolish prattling of those who sit around thinking and never do anything. Of course, we all want to live, and this side of our nature will never fade. It is easy to reason your way into clinging to life, but if you remain alive without achieving your goal, you are a coward. Before accepting you should know what your objective is and achieve your goal before your last breath. But if you sacrifice everything to obtain your goal and die short of fulfilling it, you have nothing to be ashamed of. To lay down your life for you beliefs is a noble death that few can understand. This is the way of the warrior.As you can probably already tell, Tarver takes a much different tone from other translations. I don't care for it personally, but that's merely my opinion.
In order to fulfill this calling you must lay your life down every morning and night and live as though you are already dead. Strive everyday to free yourself from the things that distract those caught up in living, and you will know the freedom of the warrior. If you do this you will be able to live your life above blame and will serve your lord without shame for the remainder of your days.
TANAKA MINORU (2003)The available version of this translation has been edited by Justin Stone, who offers an introduction which manages both to glorify and condescend to Japanese culture both ancient and modern. I have no doubt that both are unintentional, but it's disconcerting to say the least. Tanaka's actual translation is... fine, I guess. There are plenty of footnotes, which is a nice touch. I'd put this translation behind Bennett's but above most others.
BARRY D. STEBEN (2008)Steben's is a partial translation, and thus really ought to be discounted out of hand. The parts that are included are decently translated, so I don't know why Steben decided not to finish the whole thing. But I digress: here's section 79 from the first book, in Steben's translation:
There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.Compare Wilson's translation:
There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.Bennett's:
79. There is a lesson to be learned from a downpour of rain. If you get caught in a sudden cloudburst, you will still get a drenching even though you try to keep dry by hurrying along and taking cover under overhangs of roofs. If you are prepared to get wet from the start, the result is still the same but it is no hardship. This attitude can be applied to all things.Subtle differences, but perceptible.
ALEXANDER BENNETT (2014)Bennett's translation not only covers the complete text (all three books, not just the third) but also discusses at length the historical context, which is of course necessary in order to understand completely the text. He further describes the Hagakure's influence on popular culture both Japanese and foreign, as well as detailing some of the difficulties in accurately translating the work (contradictions within the original text, different manuscripts, disagreements about definitions, etc.). The notes are also incredibly helpful in providing detailed, comprehensive, and interesting commentary on the various passages of the text: historical context; backgrounds of namedrops; explanations of philosophical, political, cultural details, etc. (Even native Japanese speakers will likely not be enmeshed in 18th-century feudal Japanese culture to the depth that would be necessary to understand the text without any help.) Bennett's is, in my opinion, the definitive English-language translation available of the Hagakure, serving excellently as an academic edition but also accessible to the layperson.