History Literature / TheHagakure

One should meditate upon being ripped apart by [[NoKillLikeOverkill arrows, rifles, spears, and swords, being carried away by surging waves,]]\\

* {{Badass}}: Several appear throughout the book. One case involves a BattleCouple embarking on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge on a bunch of thugs for insulting the husband's honor. Another involves a [[DavidversusGoliath thirteen year old boy, armed with only a short sword, squaring off against two experienced, burly wrestlers]]. [[CrowningMomentofAwesome He won.]]

* MadeOfIron: Some accounts have a few samurai surviving mortal wounds. In particular, one low-ranking samurai-- [[AlmightyJanitor formerly a cook]]-- ran straight into enemy lines to kill as many enemies for his lord as possible. When the fight was over and he was pulled out of the fray, he suffered numerous lacerations. [[BadAss He lived.]]

* KnightInShiningArmor: Taken to the extreme with a certain Tazaki Geki who wore an overly decorated and pompous armor, which displeased Lord Katsushige and prompted him to compare everything he saw as showy to Geki's armor.

The ''Hagakure'' (meaning "Hidden by the Leaves"), or ''Hagakure Kikigaki'', is the Book of Bushido. It is a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior, drawn from a collection of commentaries by the samurai [[OldRetainer Yamamoto Tsunetomo,]] former retainer to [[FeudalOverlord Nabeshima Mitsushige]], the third ruler of what is now the Saga prefecture in Japan. The book was written over a period of seven years, after Tsunetomo retired as a samurai and lived in semi-seclusion as a converted buddhist. An old friend by the name of Tsuramato Tashiro, a younger samurai, would frequently visit. Over the course of seven years (1709-1716), he had dictated every personal thought, recollection, anecdote or philosophical musing Tsunetomo had. It would be published several years later, well after the older samurai was dead. Obscure at the time of publication, it has since become one of the most influential treatises on the {{samurai}} way of life, alongside other integral works as {{Miyamoto Musashi}}'s ''Literature/{{The Book of Five Rings}}'' and ''Literature/{{The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War}}'' by Yagyu Munenori.

A must read for historians, fans of Japanese culture and {{Samurai}}, and for those who even practice the art of Bushido. Also keep in mind that the translations of the Hagakure are only a small part of the original book- William Scott Wilson's translation is composed out of roughly 300 fragments, and the original text out of 13000.

* WarriorPoet: A strange ZigZaggedTrope. Tsunetomo speaks out against the arts as being the samurai's primary concern or interest, yet he's very philosophical about the nature of death and loyalty. Other passages speak how a samurai should refine his mind through poetry, yet-- as said-- "artistry" is reserved for "other classes."

* Cultured Badass: See WarriorPoet

* Badass On Paper: This is what Tsunetomo accuses the vast majority of young samurai from his era to be. He is particularly resentful about the fact that said young samurai are becoming increasingly materialistic, with their thoughts becoming despicable and their sense of duty faltering.
* Battle Couple: Aside from the aforementioned husband and wife and their little asskicking spree, Tsunetomo believes any samurai should feel this way towards his HeterosexualLifePartner or lover.
* Beware the Nice Ones: In one anecdote a samurai offers advice on a go game, causing the losing player to slash him. He receives a mortal wound to his thigh but manages to make it seem as if he was uninjured, and furthermore says that the incident is no big deal. A bit later when the other samurai who had attacked him approaches him to offer sake, he is promptly beheaded. The injured samurai then reveals his wounds to the others present and tells them that he could save just enough energy to get his revenge, and dies.

* {{A Father To His Men}}: This attitude is encouraged. According to Tsunetomo, a leader should treat his men with respect and compassion, fostering morale and a powerful connection amongst all comrades.
* {{Author Tract}}: Tsunetomo clearly longs for the old days, before the Tokugawa period, and is quick to decry the "weakened" samurai of the next generation.
* {{Back From The Dead}}: A certain samurai by the name of Ōno Dōken had been condemned to death by burning, and he was reduced to a charred corpse. When an official came by to inspect his remains, what remained of Ōno reportedly sprang up to its feet, grabbed the official's sword and stabbed him to death before collapsing to ashes.
* {{Badass}}: Several appear throughout the book. One case involves a {{Battle Couple}} embarking on a {{Roaring Rampage of Revenge}} on a bunch of thugs for insulting the husband's honor. Another involves a [[DavidversusGoliath thirteen year old boy, armed with only a short sword, squaring off against two experienced, burly wrestlers]]. [[CrowningMomentofAwesome He won.]]
* {{Badass Creed}}: Look at the page quote. There are a couple scattered throughout the book.
* {{Badass Crew}}: "The Men of Seven Spears," a band of famous warriors who led a charge at the battle of Shizugatake.

* {{Badass Grandpa}}: Nabeshima Naoshige, first daimyo of the clan. He actively fought and commanded men during the Sengoku era, and was part of Hideyoshi's Korean campaign as a commander. He later saved his clan from annihilation with some wise advice to his son whose decision to side against Tokugawa in the Battle of Sekigahara would bring the wrath of the victorious Tokugawa. It is claimed that his personal kill count is in the hundreds. On top of all this he lived for roughly 8 decades and his sayings had lasting effects on his son Lord Katsushige, grandson Lord Mitsushige and Tsunetomo himself, who immortalized many of Naoshige's maxims inside the Hagakure.
* {{Badass Preacher}}: Two prominent standouts.
** Crosses over with {{Badass Pacifist}}. A priest known as Ungo of Matsushima is passing through the mountains at night when he's suddenly surrounded by bandits. Calmly, Ungo says, "I am a man of this area, not a pilgrim. I have no money at all. But I have these clothes, if you want. Please, spare my life." The bandits put their weapons away and say, "Our efforts have been in vain. We have no need for clothes." And as they ride off, Ungo calls out to them, "I have broken the commandment against lying. In my confusion I had forgotten I had one piece of silver in my moneybag. I am truly regretful that I had said nothing at all. I have it here now. Please, take it." The bandits, impressed and shaken by the priest's humility, [[HeelFaceTurn bow down to him]]. They shave their heads and join Ungo as his disciples.
** As noted below, Denko [[BewareTheNiceOnes the buddhist monk gets his hands on a sword to kill the man who murdered his mother, nephew and younger brother.]] Unfortunately, his order banishes him for breaking his oath and he's forced to forsake monkhood... [[CrowningMomentofHeartwarming but that doesn't stop his old parishioners from protecting him, travelling with him as he leaves town. They knew that killing two men who were the son of a ronin and had connections with local samurai might have triggered a violent retaliation, but they stuck by the monk regardless. Tsunetomo notes he lived the rest of his life peacefully, warmly received as a hero in every town he visited. The story had circulated everywhere.]]
* {{Badass On Paper}}: This is what Tsunetomo accuses the vast majority of young samurai from his era to be. He is particularly resentful about the fact that said young samurai are becoming increasingly materialistic, with their thoughts becoming despicable and their sense of duty faltering.
* {{Battle Couple}}: Aside from the aforementioned husband and wife and their little asskicking spree, Tsunetomo believes any samurai should feel this way towards his {{Heterosexual Life Partner}} or lover.
* {{Beware the Nice Ones}}: In one anecdote a samurai offers advice on a go game, causing the losing player to slash him. He receives a mortal wound to his thigh but manages to make it seem as if he was uninjured, and furthermore says that the incident is no big deal. A bit later when the other samurai who had attacked him approaches him to offer sake, he is promptly beheaded. The injured samurai then reveals his wounds to the others present and tells them that he could save just enough energy to get his revenge, and dies.
* {{Blood Knight}}

* {{Cultured Badass}}: See {{Warrior Poet}}
* {{Death Seeker}}
* {{Determinator}}: "''Even if one’s head were to be suddenly cut off, he should be able to do one more action with certainty.''"
* {{The Dragon}}: Loyal retainers will become this to their [[BigBad lords]].
* {{Dying Moment of Awesome}}: All samurai want this end.
* {{Face Death With Dignity}}
* {{Fate Worse Than Death}}: To shame one's family house and soil one's honour? If not rectified, it will haunt the family for future generations.
* {{The Fettered}}: The ideal samurai.
* {{Fright Deathtrap}}: One anecdote tells of a man in China who ''really'' loved dragons. To make him happy, the Dragon god sent an underling to the man, giving him the chance to see a real dragon. His plan backfired when the man instantly died of fright.

* {{Handicapped Badass}}: A thief tries to steal from a sick samurai suffering a hard fever. Do the math.
* {{Heroic Sacrifice}}: One anecdote tells of a retainer who dives inside a burning mansion to recover his lord's genealogy. Unable to escape the flames, he cuts his stomach open and places it inside to shield it. He dies, but the genealogy is recovered intact.
* {{Het is Ew}}: Men and women? Bah, they'll never have the same "true" love as men have together.

* {{Heterosexual Life Partners}}: Another attitude encouraged. It makes sense, given the author's take on homosexuality and male bonding.
* {{Honor Before Reason}}: A major theme, obviously.
* {{How Unscientific}}: Tsunetomo mentions that it is absurd to claim that rare or unexpected events (like solar eclipses, comets, strangely shaped clouds, etc.) are portents of future events.
* {{Important Haircut}}: Or, rather, important moustache cut. While the samurai valued their hair as a symbol of their status as warriors, it's recounted that many would cultivate moustaches so their [[OffWithHisHead decapitated heads would be identified after the battle]]. Although it's pointed out the enemy would often [[KickTheDog shave the moustaches, just to pour salt in the wound.]]
** It was more of a matter of having the guarantee that your head would be preserved by the enemy and not thrown away, as only the heads of males were kept as kill trophies. The nose and ears were cut off, but the head would be definitely kept if a moustache was present.
* {{Karmic Death}}: Goroemon and his brother are rightfully slain.
* {{Kid Samurai}}: One anecdote tells of a 13-year old youngster who, after hearing Takeda Shingen's proclamation of a big reward for any man who could kill Lord Ieyasu, becomes Ieyasu's servant and then attempts to kill him, but fails and gets caught. Ieyasu is greatly impressed by his motives and sends him back to Takeda.

* {{Last Stand}}
* {{Made of Iron}}: Some accounts have a few samurai surviving mortal wounds. In particular, one low-ranking samurai - [[AlmightyJanitor formerly a cook]] - ran straight into enemy lines to kill as many enemies for his lord as possible. When the fight was over and he was pulled out of the fray, he suffered numerous lacerations. [[BadAss He lived.]]
** Another example is about a man named Horie San'emon, who was sentenced to death by torture. All the hairs on his body were burnt off, his fingernails pulled out, his tendons cut and his body bored with drills. He reportedly didn't even flinch. So he was subjected to a number of other tortures, and in the end he was boiled in soy sauce and his back was bent into two, at which point he probably died.
* {{Manly Gay}}: You're a [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy samurai]], you're contractually obligated to kick some ass, and chances are you have a male lover (a very popular trend among the samurai). You're this by default.
* {{Manly Tears}}: Lord Naoshige says that it is normal and understandable for one to shed tears out of a sense of ''giri''.
* {{Master Swordsman}}: A few are seen here and there.
* {{My Master Right or Wrong}}: A major theme of the Hagakure.
* {{Off with His Head}}: Averted by a certain Nitta Yoshisada, who after realizing that he and his forces were surrounded by the enemy, ''beheaded himself'' and buried his head before dying.
* {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}: An entire book about how to properly live as one.
* {{Real Men Wear Pink}}: Even though it's a book on the philosophy of the samurai... it's also a book on proper etiquette. Hey, they're samurai, they're [[JustifiedTrope noblemen.]]

* {{Redemption Equals Death}}: The logic behind {{seppuku}}. Also counts as {{Forgiveness Requires Death}} in samurai culture.
* {{Revenge Before Reason}}: Both this and the trope right below are often subverted by Tsunemoto. The act of revenge is an ugly thing, and may tarnish one's honor. Played straight with the Denko the monk's story.

* {{Roaring Rampage of Revenge}}

* {{Seppuku}}: Many instances throughout the book, but curiously averted with the author. Around his time, the practice of ''tsuifuku''-- the servant committing seppuku at the death of his lord-- was prohibited by the Tokugawa Shogunate and by Lord Mitsushige himself. It was thus illegal to commit seppuku for that reason, thereby he couldn't die with his lord. If he did, we never would have had the Hagakure. Therefore, {{Author Existence Failure}} [[AvertedTrope averted!]]

* {{The Siege}}
* {{Single Stroke Battle}}: [[TruthInTelevision And you thought it was just a cliché in film and anime, huh?]]
* {{The Stoic}}: One samurai comes back home to catch a strange man in bed with his wife. He promptly kills the man, then damages a wall in his house and so makes the incident pass as though he had killed a robber. After some time he divorces his wife.
* {{Taking You With Me}}
* TrueCompanions: According to Tsunetomo, a samurai should always make more friends than enemies. Examples of samurai being asked to be ''kaishaku''s (meaning that they will take on the act of beheading their comrade after he cuts his belly open) by their friends who have been ordered to commit {{seppuku}} also pertain to this.

* {{Victorious Loser}}: Even if slain in battle, face the opponent. Never falter. Never close your eyes. Even if your head is cut off, it is certain the body can be capable of one last action.
* {{Warrior Poet}}: A strange {{Zig Zagging Trope}}. Tsunetomo speaks out against the arts as being the samurai's primary concern or interest, yet he's very philosophical about the nature of death and loyalty. Other passages speak how a samurai should refine his mind through poetry, yet - as said - "artistry" is reserved for "other classes."

* {{Who Wants To Live Forever}}: An anecdote tells of a small story of Lord Nabeshima travelling with his men across the country. Stopping by an old house, one of his men proceeds to suggest the lord should meet the oldest man in the region. His age? Ninety-eight years old. The advisor claims it's a wonderful thing for a man to have lived so long (especially given this is seventeenth century Japan). Nabeshima, however, is skeptical that longevity is a gift. He's quick to point out that the old man must be old enough to have outgrown most - if not all - his friends and family, arguing prolonged life is tragic, worthless and isolating. This ties in with the book's overall theme of embracing death. To run away, an act of cowardice according to Tsunetomo, is to not fulfill life itself.

* {{Redemption Equals Death}}: The logic behind {{seppuku}}. Also counts as {{Forgiveness Equals Death}} in samurai culture.

* {{Seppuku}}: Many instances throughout the book, but curiously averted with the author. Around his time, the practice of ''tsuifuku'' -the servant committing seppuku at the death of his lord- was prohibited by the Tokugawa Shogunate and by Lord Mitsushige himself. It was thus illegal to commit seppuku for that reason, thereby he couldn't die with his lord. If he did, we never would have had the Hagakure. Therefore, {{Author Existence Failure}} [[AvertedTrope averted!]]

* {{Determinator}}: "''Even if one’s head were to be suddenly cut off, he should be able to do one more action with certainty.''"

** Crosses over with {{Badass Pacifist}}. A priest known as Ungo of Matsushima is passing through the mountains at night when he's suddenly surrounded by bandits. Calmly, Ungo says, "I am a man of this area, not a pilgrim. I have no money at all. But I have these clothes, if you want. Please, spare my life." The bandits put their weapons away and say, "Our efforts have been in vain. We have no need for clothes." And as they ride off, Ungo calls out to them, "I have broken the commandment against lying. In my confusion I had forgotten I had one piece of silver in my moneybag. I am truly regretful that I had said nothing at all. I have it here now. Please, take it." The bandits, impressed and shaken by the priest's humility, [[HeelFaceTurn bow down to him]]. They shave their heads and join [[TheMessiah Ungo]] as his disciples.

The ''Hagakure'' was written a century after the start of the Tokugawa era. As a time of relative peace and stability, society was changing, and with a total lack of large scale wars [[EndofAnAge the samurai were transforming from warriors to administrators of the land.]] The book outlines what the author felt should be the true role of the warrior in society. His work represents one approach to the problem of maintaining military preparedness and a proper military mindset in a time when neither has much practical application.

The ''Hagakure'' (Kyūjitai: 葉隱; Shinjitai: 葉隠; meaning "Hidden by the Leaves"), or ''Hagakure Kikigaki'' (葉隠聞書?), is the Book of Bushido. It is a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior, drawn from a collection of commentaries by the samurai [[OldRetainer Yamamoto Tsunetomo,]] former retainer to [[FeudalOverlord Nabeshima Mitsushige]], the third ruler of what is now the Saga prefecture in Japan. The book was written over a period of seven years, after Tsunetomo retired as a samurai and lived in semi-seclusion as a converted buddhist. An old friend by the name of Tsuramato Tashiro, a younger samurai, would frequently visit. Over the course of seven years (1709-1716), he had dictated every personal thought, recollection, anecdote or philosophical musing Tsunetomo had. It would be published several years later, well after the older samurai was dead. Obscure at the time of publication, it has since become one of the most influential treatises on the {{samurai}} way of life, alongside other integral works as {{Miyamoto Musashi}}'s ''Literature/{{The Book of Five Rings}}'' and ''Literature/{{The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War}}'' by Yagyu Munenori.

[[FaceDeathWithDignity This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai.]]''\\

-- '''The Hagakure'''

* {{Karmic Death}}: [[CompleteMonster Goroemon]] and his brother are rightfully slain.

* {{Beware the Nice Ones}}: In one anecdote a samurai who receives a mortal wound to his thigh manages to make it seem as if he was uninjured. When the other samurai who had attacked him approaches him to offer sake, he is promptly beheaded. The injured samurai then reveals his wounds to the others present and tells them that he could save just enough energy to get his revenge, and dies.

* {{Cultured Badass}}: See {{Warrior Poet}}.

* {{Determinator}}

* {{Fright Deathtrap}}: One anecdote tells of a man in China who ''really'' loved dragons. The Dragon god sent one of his servants (a dragon, of course) to the man to make him happy by giving him the chance to see a real dragon. His plan backfired when the man instantly died of fright.

** Note however that Tsunetomo has very strict conditions and advice for people considering getting into homosexual relationships.

* {{Ronin}}

* {{Seppuku}}: Many instances throughout the book, but curiously averted with the author. Around his time, the very act of seppuku was prohibited by the Tokugawa Shogunate and by Lord Mitsushige himself. It was, in fact, illegal to commit seppuku, thereby he couldn't die with his lord. If he did, we never would have had the Hagakure. Therefore, {{Author Existence Failure}} [[AvertedTrope averted!]]

* {{Can't Catch Up}}: Averted as Tsunetomo says that a talentless servant with will and dedication can catch up to or surpass one with natural talent. One anecdote tells of Yagyu Munenori immediately certifying a complete newcomer without any previous martial arts experience. This was because the newcomer had since long internalized the principles of martial arts but wasn't really aware of it.

* {{Badass Grandpa}}: Nabeshima Naoshige, first daimyo of the clan. He actively fought and commanded men during the Sengoku era, and was part of Hideyoshi's Korean campaign as a commander. He later saved his clan from annihilation with some wise advice to his son whose decision to side against Tokugawa in the Battle of Sekigahara would bring the wrath of the victorious Tokugawa. It is claimed that his personal kill count is in the hundreds. On top of all this he lived for roughly 8 decades and his sayings had lasting effects on his son Lord Katsushige, grandson Lord Mitsushige and Tsunetomo himself, who immortalized many of Naoshige's maxims inside the Hagakure.

A must read for historians, fans of Japanese culture and {{Samurai}}, and for those who even practice the art of Bushido.

* {{Author Tract}}: Tsunetomo clearly longs for the old days, before the Tokugawa period, and is quick to decry the "weakened" samurai of the next generation.

* {{The Fettered}}: The ideal samurai.

* {{Seppuku}}: Many instances throughout the book, but curiously averted with the author. Around his time, the very act of seppuku was prohibited by the Tokugawa Shogunate. It was, in fact, illegal to commit seppuku, thereby he couldn't die with his lord. If he did, we never would have had the Hagakure. Therefore, {{Author Existence Failure}} [[AvertedTrope averted!]]

* TrueCompanions: According to Tsunetomo, a samurai should always make more friends than enemies.

* {{Het is Ew}} Men and women? Bah, they'll never have the same "true" love as men have together.

->The Way of the Samurai [[DeathSeeker is found in death.]]\\

[[FaceDeathWithDignity This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai.]]\\

* {{Nakama}}: According to Tsunetomo, a samurai should always make more friends than enemies.

The Hagakure (Kyūjitai: 葉隱; Shinjitai: 葉隠; meaning "Hidden by the Leaves"), or Hagakure Kikigaki (葉隠聞書?), is the Book of Bushido. It is a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior, drawn from a collection of commentaries by the samurai [[OldRetainer Yamamoto Tsunetomo,]] former retainer to [[FeudalOverlord Nabeshima Mitsushige]], the third ruler of what is now the Saga prefecture in Japan. The book was written over a period of seven years, after Tsunetomo retired as a samurai and lived in semi-seclusion as a converted buddhist. An old friend by the name of Tsuramato Tashiro, a younger samurai, would frequently visit. Over the course of seven years (1709-1716), he had dictated every personal thought, recollection, anecdote or philosophical musing Tsunetomo had. It would be published several years later, well after the older samurai was dead. Obscure at the time of publication, it has since become one of the most influential treatises on the {{samurai}} way of life, alongside other integral works as {{Miyamoto Musashi}}'s {{The Book of Five Rings}} and {{The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War}} by Yagyu Munenori.

The Hagakure was written a century after the start of the Tokugawa era. As a time of relative peace and stability, society was changing, and with a total lack of large scale wars [[EndofAnAge the samurai were transforming from warriors to administrators of the land.]] The book outlines what the author felt should be the true role of the warrior in society. His work represents one approach to the problem of maintaining military preparedness and a proper military mindset in a time when neither has much practical application.

* {{What Are You in the Dark}}: Two samurai have a conversation about one's character "in the darkness of battle."

* {{Complete Monster}}: In one story, a grandmother and her grandson are murdered in cold blood by a thug named Goroemon. Why? The child had [[DisproportionateRetribution accidentally stepped on his foot]]. The child's uncles, one of them a monk named Denko, grab swords and [[RoaringRampageofRevenge seek vengeance]]. [[WhatTheHellHero The father does nothing.]]
* {{Crowning Moment of Awesome}}: Many.
** The existence of the Men of the Seven Spears.
** Most of the fights listed and detailed.
** A thirteen year old gets into a fight with two older thugs. He wins. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And then]] becomes a [[RealMenWearPink well known masseur.]]
** Husband and wife team up and kick ass.
** The best of the book. To settle a rivalry, Matsuda Yohei challenges his enemy to one final showdown. They both bring along partners, making it a two vs. two battle. On their way, Yohei and his friend Jinku find the bridge to the fight in disrepair, think about how petty the rivalry was to begin with, and decide to head back. But then, travelling back down the road, they're caught by the rival and his comrade. Turns out they've been stalking them for some time. Yohei tells Jinku there's no turning back now, and they might as well make their last stand. The fight lasts awhile, but both friends come out victorious... as for the aftermath of the duel... see {{Crowning Moment of Heartwarming}}.
* {{Crowning Moment of Funny}}: Two men (Matsudaira Izu no kami and Master Mizuno Kenmotsu) have this conversation.
--> '''Matsudaira:''' "You're such a useful person. It's [[JerkAss shame that you're so short."]]
--> '''Master Kenmotsu:''' "That's true. Sometimes somethings in this world don't go the way we would like. [[CrossesTheLineTwice Now if I were to cut off your head and attach it to the bottom of my feet, I would be taller]]. [[DeadpanSnarker But that's something that couldn't be done]]."
* {{Crowning Moment of Heartwarming}}: See {{Badass Preacher}}.
** Continuing from {{Crowning Moment of Awesome}}, Yohei was ordered to commit seppuku for appointing a pointless dual that led to the death of two samurai. Jinku was spared from this. [[BittersweetEnding The two shared a toast of wine together before the appointed execution.]]

* {{Ho Yay}}: Love between men is "the purest love."

* {{Values Dissonance}}: The author is not kind to women.