The Bushido Code Analysis

Musui’s Story The Bushido code can be witnessed in Musui’s Story, which is an autobiography of Tokugawa Samurai. This autobiography documents the life of Katsu Kokichi, who was a samurai in Japan’s late Tokugawa period. This story gives excellent examples of how Katsu Kokichi broke and disrespected the Bushido code along with disrespecting himself from early childhood till his death. Some of the behavior that Kokichi did to disrespect the Bushido code was lying, cheating, and stealing. For example, when Kokichi was young, he admits that he took from his mother. Kokichi explains, “My mother would put away sweets and cakes that people would give us. I would steal them” (Katsu, 32). This admission by Kokichi is an apparent volition of the Bushido code. Nevertheless, one could say that taking not only broke one of the Bushido code principles but a majority of the Bushido’s codes. Further on into Kokichi’s autobiography there is evidence of more violations of …show more content…
Kokichi explains, “I went to a brothel in Tokiwa-Cho and called for a woman to pass the time “(Katsu, 97). It has to be noted and is important to realize that a brothel is not a place or establishment that promotes womanizing but does promote drinking a gambling. Drinking and gambling are not the right code of conduct that a samurai who follows the Bushido code should be partaking in. Musui’s Story provides an excellent insight into Katsu Kokichi’s life as a Japanese samurai and the Tokugawa period of Japan. However, the story also gives the reader a view of how Kokichi disregarded and disrespected the Bushido code. Throughout this story, Kokichi disrespected himself and the Bushido code with his unlawful behavior, which is not the real behavior of a samurai of this time. Nevertheless, Kokichi forgot to address his commitments to the Bushido code not only as a young man but throughout his life.
The 47 Ronin