Top 14 Best Samurai Books Updated 04 /2024

Hagakure

Hagakure |  Tsunetoma Yamamoto

Hagakure means "hidden leaves." This is likely a reference to a long-hidden code that had been only accessible to people who practiced Bushido. It is the first book on this list, and the best one. Toshio Yamamoto was a samurai when his master died. He became a hermit later in life when his master died.

When Yamamoto's lord died, he said he'd like to go with him into heaven. Junshi is the name of the term for following your Lord into the next world. In the past, it was thought that when your lord died, you would follow him into the afterlife and serve him again. A samurai was not bound to a master for the rest of his or her life, though. He made a promise to serve his Lord until the end of time.

His lord said no, so Tsunetoma left the city to be alone. In his solitude, his thoughts and conversations were put together to make what is ultimately the best source on the samurai and Bushido. In the second half of Yamamoto's life as a hermit, he lived alone.

Shogun

Shogun | James Clavell

When his daughter was in school, James Clavell was inspired to write the book by what she was learning. Samurai became very important to him. He spent all of his time learning more about them.

Despite the fact that Shogun is a story, there are many accurate depictions of the Samurai in it. It's important to keep an eye out for how Samurai characters act and how closely they follow Bushido rules as you read.

If you've seen the movie The Last Samurai, this book has a lot of the same ideas. As of now, the last Samurai and this book are still a long way away from each other. The Shogun is still ahead of them both.

The Book of Five Rings

The Book Of Five Rings | Miyamoto Musashi

There has never been a better swordsman than Miyamoto Musashi. It doesn't even need to be said to make a 14-year-old who is addicted to Xbox stop and start reading this book. You can describe The Book Of Five Rings with that one sentence. Musashi died in 1645, which is the same year that the book was written; it was finished then.

If you didn't know about some of Musashi's achievements, it would be a shame.

People say Musashi killed his first person in a fight when he was 13.

People say that Musashi killed over 60 people in a single fight. This figure is often argued about going higher, not down.

The lack of skill in his opponents made Musashi want to fight them without a weapon. People say that in one famous battle, Musashi killed one of the world's most famous warriors with a wooden boat oar. They were both armed.

The Code Of The Samurai

Code Of The Samurai | Thomas Cleary

If you want to learn more about Bushido, the Code of the Samurai is the best place to start. Over 400 years, the book has been around. It took Code Of The Samurai a long time to get to the West because it was hard to translate from Japanese to English. This is why.

The book does not tell a story.

It's not based on one person.

The Code of the Samurai is very simple: It says what you should do.

Sailor: How must I stay alive?

There are many different types of Bushido, but what is it?

What are my rules and rules for living?

Honor.

If you want a book that goes right to the point, this is it.

Bushido Soul of Japan

Bushido | Inazo Nitobe

A Japanese man living in the United States wrote the book Bushido in the early 1900s, and he called it "Bushido." Japan was becoming less and less like a faraway country in the 1900s and more like the powerful country it is today.

Nitobe talks about more than Bushido in this book. The title may be a little misleading, because Bushido reads like a confessional of sorts about how quickly the country of Japan changed. Beyond Bushido, the Soul of Japan talks about religion, history, and stories that give a lot of depth to understanding what Bushido is.

Even though this book may not have the most warrior context, the beauty of Bushido is that it can tie together all of the parts of Japan and the way of the Samurai.

Bonus

Some stories work better when they are shown. Many times, we need to see, feel, or even touch the information we need to put in our minds. These two graphic novels are based on the books that were above. They are a fun twist on the traditional Bushido philosophy.

N° 7: Taiko by Eiji Yoshikawa

Taiko is one of the best samurai books ever written about feudal Japan, and especially about the "Sengoku" period, which is when the samurai were at their most powerful. Life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the man who went from being a poor warrior to a street vendor to the leader of a whole clan is told in this book. A clever samurai who was able to do what Oda Nobunaga had been trying to do for a long time: unite Japan in a time of chaos and war.

No. 6: Lust, Commerce, and Corruption by An Edo Samurai

Because this book is about samurai, it's not a romanticized picture of Japan in the past. It's the opposite. If you read the title, you'll know that it's written by a samurai from the Edo period. This book is written from the point of view of someone who thought that Japanese society was built on rotten pillars and that chaos could only come from it.

No. 5: Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

A book called Hagakure can be read in many ways: as a love letter to ancient Japan, as a guide to living, or as a guide for how to live. You will be in front of a samurai book whose philosophy and thoughts will change the way you see the world for good.

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