Living and dying with bravery and honor is at the heart of Hagakure, a series of over 1,300 short texts written by eighteenth-century samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo. These texts illuminate the classic Japanese concept of bushido (the Way of the Warrior), which dictated how samurai were expected to behave, conduct themselves, live, and die. Acclaimed translator William Scott Wilson has selected and translated here three hundred of those texts to create an accessible distillation of this guide, making it one of the most thorough and astonishing windows into the captivating world of the samurai available.

This edition includes an introduction that delves into the Zen concept of muga, or death of the ego, and gives an in-depth historical and philosophical background for the more metaphorical reading of Hagakure, based on Tsunetomo’s reference to bushido as “the Way of death.” Through this lens, the classic takes on a fresh and nuanced appeal.

This book was previously published under the title Hagakure.