Samurai Classic Shared Japanese Values With West
Inazo Nitobe's 1899 book 'Bushido: The Soul of Japan' found international success due to its expression of moral values, a recent study reveals
In 1899, Inazo Nitobe published a book called 'Bushido: The Soul of Japan', which shared Japanese values with the West. The book describes seven virtues: rectitude, courage, benevolence, politeness, veracity, honor, and loyalty.
The book's international success can be attributed to its expression of moral values, according to a recent study published in PNAS Nexus. The study, conducted by two psychologists at Nagoya University in Japan, Ryota Takano and Minoru Karasawa, used computational language analysis to examine the book's moral values.
The researchers compared 'Bushido' with 30 other English-language books about Japanese culture and found that the more closely a book's mix of moral concerns matched that of 'Bushido', the more widely it tended to be published, translated, and cited in the West.
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt counted 'Bushido' among his favorite books, demonstrating its significant impact on Western readers.
## Why it matters The study's findings suggest that Japanese values may have reached Western readers partly because of how they were expressed in 'Bushido'. The book's success can be seen as a testament to the power of shared moral values in bridging cultural divides. The study also highlights the potential of psychology-based methods in measuring the values expressed in writing, providing new insights into how different cultures understand and appreciate moral values.
The researchers' use of computational language analysis to study the book 'Bushido' demonstrates the growing importance of technology in understanding cultural and moral values. By analyzing the book's language and structure, the researchers were able to identify the key factors that contributed to its international success.
The study's results have significant implications for our understanding of how moral values are perceived and appreciated across different cultures. By examining how Japanese values were expressed and received in the West, the study provides a unique perspective on the complex and nuanced nature of cultural exchange.
