Bushidō
lit. “way of the warrior”
The samurai code — loyalty, honour, courage, and willingness to die rather than disgrace one's lord.
Origin
A code that developed over centuries among the samurai class, codifying virtues like loyalty (chū), honour (meiyo), courage (yū), and rectitude (gi). Much of the version known abroad comes from Nitobe Inazō's English-language book Bushido: The Soul of Japan (1900), written for Western readers and somewhat idealising the tradition. In World War II, militarist Japan repackaged bushidō to justify kamikaze tactics and refusal to surrender.
Modern usage
Cited in business and leadership writing as a model of disciplined, honour-driven conduct. The video-game series Ghost of Tsushima and various martial-arts schools keep the term in active circulation. Often romanticised — actual historical samurai violated the ideal as often as they embodied it.
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