"This extensively illustrated catalogue is published in conjunction with the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to the arts of the samurai, including the finest examples of swords - the spirit of the samurai - as well as sword mountings and fittings, armor and helmets, saddles, textiles, and paintings. The works in the catalogue, drawn from public and private collections in Japan, include 34 officially designated National Treasures and 64 Important Cultural Properties, the largest number ever to be shown together at one time. Dating from the 5th to the early 20th century, these majestic objects offer a complete picture of samurai culture and its unique blend of the martial and the refined." "Many of the greatest Japanese swordsmiths are represented in this volume, from early masters such as Yasuie (12th century) and Tomomitsu (14th century) to the Edo-period smiths Nagasone Kotetsu and Kiyomaro. The blades by these and other masters, cherished as much for their beauty as for their cutting efficiency, were equipped with elaborate hilts and scabbards prized for their exquisite craftsmanship and fine materials such as silk, rayskin, gold, lacquer, and certain alloys unique to Japan. Japanese armor is also fully surveyed, from the rarest iron armor of the Kofun period (5th century) to the inventive ceremonial helmets made toward the end of the age of the samurai." --Book Jacket.

Introduces the 18 traditional Japanese martial arts and provides readers with a deeper understanding of the styles formulated in the samurai era - both those that are little known and those still being taught today.

This extraordinary publication presents, for the first time, the samurai armor collection of the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum in Dallas. The Barbier-Mueller has selectively amassed these pieces of armor over the past twenty-five years, ultimately forming one of the largest and most important collections of its kind in the world. It is composed of nearly three hundred objects, several of which are considered masterpieces, including suits of armor, helmets, masks, horse armor, and weaponry. The objects date from the 12th to the 19th century, with a particularly strong focus on Edo-period armor. Offering an exciting look into the world of the samurai warrior, the book begins with an introduction by Morihiro Ogawa. Essays by prominent scholars in the field highlight topics such as the phenomenon of the warrior in Japan, the development of the samurai helmet, castle architecture, women in samurai culture, and Japanese horse armor. The book's final section consists of an extensive catalogue of objects, concentrating on 120 significant works in the collection. Lavishly illustrated in full color, each object is accompanied by an entry written by a scholar of Japanese armor.

Kuniyoshi was a master of the warrior woodblock print — and these 18th-century illustrations represent the pinnacle of his craft. Full-color portraits of renowned Japanese samurais pulse with movement, passion, and remarkably fine detail.

In today's times, with it's plethora of quick-fix self help books, which for the most part seem to excel in non-directive, mundane advice, it is a pleasure to read a book that reaches back through the centuries to offer sound advice on how to live your life. It is this particular aspect that places it above Sun Tzu's 'Art of War' and Musashi's 'Book of Five Rings', all fine books, but more designed for group or individual warfare tactics. This masterpiece of the former samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo is a treatise written 300 years ago, preserved for generations in northern Kyushu by warrior chiefs as moral and practical instruction for themselves and their samurai retainers. Closely guarded as secret teachings and shown only to a chosen few, the manuscript became generally available only in the postsamurai Meiji era (1868 onwards). The Hagakure offers a fascinating insight into Japanese "warrior-ness". This was a culture in which death was embraced rather than feared. Yamamoto tells his readers how to foster courage, how to serve selflessly, how to become a skilled master of your own destiny, and how to infuse life with beauty while acknowledging its transience. Yamamoto's penetrating insights and profound aphorisms reflect important moral principles that still apply to us today. This illustrated edition of the ancient classic will enlighten anyone with an interest in Japanese culture and world literature.

Limited Time Promotional Offer The Book of Five Rings In "The Book of Five Rings," Miyamoto Musashi takes the reader into a world filled to the brim with devotion, self-respect, discipline, honesty and purity of thought. Written originally for warriors and samurai in a completely different time and culture, Musashi's book provides a remarkable source of inspiration for self-development today. His teachings are concise and to the point. He uses phrases like "you must understand this" and "you must practice diligently" and explains only general, but unquestionable and fundamental, concepts of the Way of the Warrior. While some of his guidelines are are not directly applicable in our time and age, those about striving to achieve improvement on the inside as well as the outside couldn't be more on target. Taken literally this book is about how to become an efficient, albeit enlightened, killer. It's value comes from reading between the lines... lines which speak volumes. About Miyamoto Musashi: Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), was a Japanese swordsman and ronin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. The founder of a style of swordsmanship, he also wrote The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today. Miyamoto Musashi is widely considered a Kensei and one of the greatest warriors of all time.

The Samurai Series brings together three of the most important books dealing with the Samurai path and philosophy into one deluxe, illustrated hardcover volume. The Book of Five Rings was written by Miyamoto Musashi, a Samurai of legendary renown, about 1645. It is a masterpiece of simple exposition written by a master swordsman, who, near the end of his spectacular life, tried earnestly to explain the essentials of individual combat and the essence of being a Samurai. His book is widely considered to a cornerstone of the philosophy of Bushido. Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai, which means: "Hidden by Leaves," was composed from dialogs by the famous Samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo, by a scribe, Tashiro Tsuramoto, about 1716 AD. It explains the major ideas and philosophy that are essential to the "way of the Samurai", by which is meant the "way of dying". It contains numerous tales of various Samurai and their deeds which illustrate their philosophy and practice. Bushido - The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe was first published 1899. It is an extremely literate presentation by a Japanese intellectual who wished to present Japan and its fundamental philosophy in a way that could be understood by Westerners. It describes how the Shinto religion and Buddhism are the underpinnings of the essentially militaristic view of honor and life that are inherent in Bushido, the Samurai code. Excerpt from The Book of Five Rings. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. The Gaze in Strategy The gaze should be large and broad. This is the twofold gaze, "Perception and Sight". Perception is strong and sight, weak. In strategy, it is important to see distant things as if they were close, and to take a distanced view of close things. It is important in strategy to know the enemy's sword, yet not be distracted by insignificant movements of his sword. You must study this. The gaze is the same for single combat and for large-scale strategy. It is necessary in strategy to be able to look to both sides without moving the eyeballs. You cannot master this ability quickly. Learn what is written here; use this gaze in everyday life and do not vary it...

A foremost scholar of samurai texts approaches this martial arts classic as a meditation on the Zen concept of “death of the ego”—offering a fresh translation unlike any other. Discover what it takes to be a samurai with the 18th-century martial arts treatise that delves into minds of legendary Japanese warriors. Living and dying with bravery and honor is at the heart of Hagakure, a series of texts written by an eighteenth-century samurai, Yamamoto Tsunetomo. It is a window into the samurai mind, illuminating the concept of bushido—the Way of the Warrior—which dictated how samurai were expected to behave, conduct themselves, live, and die. While Hagakure was for many years a secret text known only to the warrior vassals of the Nabeshima clan to which the author belonged, it later came to be recognized as a classic exposition of samurai thought. The original Hagakure consists of over 1,300 short texts that Tsunetomo dictated to a younger samurai over a seven-year period. William Scott Wilson has selected and translated here three hundred of the most representative of those texts to create an accessible distillation of this guide for samurai. No other translator has so thoroughly and eruditely rendered this text into English. For this edition, Wilson has added a new introduction that casts Hagakure in a different light than ever before. Tsunetomo refers to bushido as “the Way of death,” a description that has held a morbid fascination for readers over the years. But in Tsunetomo’s time, bushido was a nuanced concept that related heavily to the Zen concept of muga, the “death” of the ego. Wilson’s revised introduction gives the historical and philosophical background for that more metaphorical reading of Hagakure, and through this lens, the classic takes on a fresh and nuanced appeal.

Presents a translation of Tsunetomo Yamamoto's "Hagakure," which formed the basis of behavior, values, and etiquette for samurai warriors.

Few books have continued their bestselling status centuries after their author's death. Like other classics, such as the Gospels of Jesus, and Lao Tze's Tao Te Chung, there is much discussion of who actually wrote them and how. What is important is how such books are used. Because only extremely useful books continue in demand at bookstores, especially over generations. This book is entitled A Samurai Master Class, as two additional classics, "The Book of Five Rings" and "Bushido, the Soul of Japan" have been included. No study of this period would be complete without understanding the strategies, tactics, and ethics of the Samurai. All of us have our journey to follow. In this, the Art of War can become the Way of Peace. This is presented as the old Japanese proverb told, "There are many paths up the mountain." In that spirit, this book is humbly presented for your use. Scroll Up and Get Your Copy Today!