Finally serious!

This "Hagakure" is the supplied I know in French translation book, it indeed offers 250 sections of approximately 1,300 of the original work. It should be noted that the book offers a great introduction to the work, necessary and very useful introduction to Western readers unfamiliar with Japanese culture.

In this introduction we learn that the original text dictated by Yamamoto Tsunetomo his disciple Tashiro Tsuramoto has not been found and that the various books that come out under the title of "Hagakure" have sources for a few dozen copies, more or less complete and properly made. Added to this, for non-Japanese readers, to any translation-related problems ... It is therefore not surprising for example that the first sentence of the first sections of this edition and is "J I discovered that dying is the heart of the Bushido "is found translated in another way, less weighted, with" I discovered that the way of the samurai is death "in other editions.

The reading of such a work is not easy. That's why we can advise those who are really interested in this topic to read the book of Yukio Mishima entitled "Japan and modern samurai ethics"! This book, published by Gallimard-Arcades, is perhaps the best introduction possible hagakure: Japanese author has continued to consult this book for twenty years. Mishima who ended his days as "seppuku" in November 1970 at the headquarters of the Japanese forces ...

For those who have a good knowledge of English it should be noted the translation proposed by William Scott Wilson Editions "Kodansha International." This edition offers 300 sections and often refers to non-Japanese. To continue the comparison begun earlier we can give the sentence quoted above, and which is the best known of Hagakure, in this English edition: "The Way of the Samurai is found in death" ...

Good walk on the Way ...