Bushido

Every time I go to Japan, I’m really impressed by their work-ethic. I respect the ever hardworking and industrious quality of its people.

Every foreigner is curious to find out and understand what really drives the Japanese people forward from within themselves. This country has been progressing and perfecting its living environment, not only in the years of its rapid economic growth, but also in the last decades of economic decline. Like we said in socialism times, “Capitalism is decaying, but its odor is so nice”. 
The tangible things they have created and designed with awesome intelligence and cleverness, including their infrastructure, their air, water and land road networks, their water supply system, circulation system, and unpolluted air in the biggest city in the world – Tokyo, in its parks, micro-surroundings, and buildings. If you pour over all these things, you really cannot find any mistake or defect in them at all– all things have been “Japanized” to perfection.

Japan is the brightest example of that the achievements of any nation, the quality of material and intellectual products consumed by its population and their social living conditions are all determined by the spirit of their individuals.

No matter which social class you are a member of, all Japanese strongly believe that they have a compulsory duty to finish any work they started to perfection. In any place you visit, you won’t see any single person who is not totally concentrating on his work, or anyone who is trying to put other things above the job he is currently working on. 

The essential spirit and root soul that forms the social life of this nation is called “bushi-do”. This is the code of conduct observed by the Samurai, which ruled Japan for over eight centuries until 1868. The philosophy and spirit of Bushido lives on, and has not disappeared like the Samurai’s themselves. Instead, it has been enriched further in terms of its concept and content, and as time goes by, by becoming the source of national energy and power of the Japanese people, and it is in all of their blood, as if it will never disappear and perish so long as the Japanese people still exist. This philosophy serves as a foundation for the present day philosophy and belief of the Japanese people, and as the principle of human relationships, which further directs and navigates all spheres of their lives, including families’ everyday life, dressing, working standards, esthetic sense, and the ability to live on only a minimal demand, even in their leisure and holiday practices. 
The Japanese understand from ancient times that tangible and intellectual worlds are closely interconnected, and if they are separated apart, or become imbalanced, then they will not comply with, or compliment each other. They believe that they must develop their intellectual minds while collecting more experience, in order to make a living. Bushi means “a warrior”, and means a way, a philosophy, collectively, that the warrior lives his life by.

A foreign man who lived in Japan for a long period of time once said to me that a major principle and doctrine of each Japanese man who managed to achieve big success in his business, is the Bushido. The seniority principle of Japanese management administration is that each boss is personally responsible for every one of his actions, treats people in an open, sincere, equal and loyal way, respects his authority and reputation, and mobilizes his strength without any limits.

Previously in Samurai times, the Japanese would serve for their lords under bushido philosophy, but today’s bushido is different now, in that now they serve for their clients and customers. Recently, Toyota president A.Toyoda has demonstrated the bushido mantra of the Japanese people, when he testified before the American congress regarding recent safety recalls.
The ethic or code of conduct that is widely accepted and observed by all in Japan, originated from the Samurai’s principle to behave in a modest way, and not to draw others’ attention on themselves, and not to boast about his skills, nor to relish his achievements gained, and always to respect others’ achievements. A popular beer ad said “A real man is always silent. Sapporo”.
If we can understand, feel and respect this philosophy of the Japanese people, we can boost and maintain our own cooperation with Japan in a complete way. If we, the more courageous and celebrated Mongolians, can write down our own form of Mongolian “bushido” – the expression of our own spirit - in a simple and understandable way, to which we must obey, in every aspect of our lives, and settle it inside, then it can significantly assist our progress and further achievements, hopefully.