This essay deals with the political upheavals which occurred in Japan with the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and its impact on the Samurai Class. This transitional period in Japanese history is portrayed in the film The Last Samurai from 2003, and it's the comparison between this Hollywood production and the current research on the subject on which this essay focuses. Two key figures who are portrayed in the film are Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), an American soldier from the Indian Wars of the 1860/70s who travels to Japan to quell the Samurai rebellion but ends up in captivity; only to learn their codex of honor and way of life and eventually become a Samurai himself. The other character calls himself Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) and becomes the representative of the Samurai's struggle for their existence. Their friendship and cultural exchanges will remain a cornerstone throughout the film. Katsumoto has his historical counterpart in Saigō Takamori – also known as The Last Samurai during the times of the Meiji Restoration and its aftermath. Closely intertwined with the Samurai come ideals in which the warrior must follow specific precepts and behavior patterns both on the battlefield and in civilian life. Bushidō (“the way of the warrior”) and the ritual suicide that is seppuku (“stomach-cutting”) therefore play a significant role in the film and become a symbol of the clash between the old values of the Samurai and the inevitable process of modernization according to Western standards. The film explores both the theoretical and practical dimension of bushidō and is a tribute to the Samurai; their ideals, living and learning philosophy and to their codex of honor. It also depicts the unexpected and forbidden friendship between a Samurai and a soldier with their separate Western and Eastern values – which ultimately results in their common defeat before the new age in Japan.

The samurai has been viewed as the Oriental equivalent of the feudalistic knights of Europe ever since the Europeans of old first landed on the shores of Japan in the 16th century. This comparison was not only because of their positions as the military class of their respective societies, but also because of the similarities in ethics and morality causing them to personify the concept of chivalry. The code of moral principles, based on the influences of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shintoism, which the samurai was either instructed or required to observe, is called Bushidō or the Way of the Samurai. By the application of the theory of conceptual history, the study analysed the three works The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, Hagakure – The Way of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, and Bushido – The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe. The purpose of the essay was to analyse and discuss how bushidō has been defined and explained by the three sources written in different time periods and how these three authors differ in their definitions of bushidō. Furthermore, the definitions were contextualized based on the societal changes of Japan between the time of writing the sources. The results showed how the authors focus on different aspects of what is included in bushidō and how the samurai was supposed to act for the benefit of society. Musashi added more focus on the way the samurai was supposed to excel on the battlefield. Tsunetomo, however, wrote his work while peace in Japan had established itself and thus focused on how the samurai was supposed to behave outside of the battlefield. Nitobe’s definition of bushidō also showed implications of a change in society based on how he chose to explain the concept of what bushidō was, and how it had evolved without the knights who had fostered it. Lastly, the study was discussed within an educational context. The samurai have seen a rise in popular history through games, film, advertisements, and more, and thus the curiosity of students, not only in Oriental culture, but Japanese culture in particular has been acknowledged. Therefore, teachers need further development of their own knowledge within the field of Oriental culture, which this study hopefully succeeds in.