The classic samurai-era text that fused Japanese swordsmanship with Zen philosophy—written by the incomparable Zen master Takuan SohoWritten by the seventeenth-century Zen master Takuan Soho (1573–1645), The Unfettered Mind is a book of advice on swordsmanship and the cultivation of right mind and intention. It was written as a guide for the samurai Yagyu Munenori, who was a great swordsman and rival to the legendary Miyamoto Musashi.Takuan was a g...

Along with Sun Tzu's The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings is considered to be one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asia. Composed in 1643 by the famed duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was a mastery of the mind rather t...

do you need a laugh to brighten your day? then crazy proverbs is the answer. i have taken time honored sayings, changed the odd word and drawn you a brand new proverb. when the cats away the mice will play, turns into, when the rats are gay the mice will pay. these cartoons will dispel the gloom from the room and leave you with a smile.

A foremost scholar of samurai texts approaches this martial arts classic as a meditation on the Zen concept of “death of the ego”—offering a fresh translation unlike any other.Discover what it takes to be a samurai with the 18th-century martial arts treatise that delves into minds of legendary Japanese warriors.Living and dying with bravery and honor is at the heart of Hagakure, a series of texts written by an eighteenth-century sa...

A real-life samurai’s Zen teachings on sword training as a spiritually transformative practice—essential reading for aspiring martial artists and strategic thinkers alikeThe legendary seventeenth-century swordsman Yagyu Munenori was the sword instructor and military and political adviser to two shoguns—and a great rival to Miyamoto Musashi. Despite his martial ability and his political power, Munenori’s life was spent immersed in Zen teachings. These teachings form...

Step back into old Japan with this fascinating travelogue of the famous Kiso Road, an ancient route used by samurai and warlordsThe Kisoji, which runs through the Kiso Valley in the Japanese Alps, has been in use since at least 701 C.E. In the seventeenth century, it was the route that the daimyo (warlords) used for their biennial trips—along with their samurai and porters—to the new capital of Edo (now Tokyo). The natural beauty of the route is r...

At once profound, spiritual, and witty, Master of the Three Ways is a remarkable work about human nature, the essence of life, and how to live simply and with awareness. In three hundred and fifty-seven verses, the author, Hung Ying-ming—a seventeenth-century Chinese sage—explores good and evil, honesty and deception, wisdom and foolishness, and heaven and hell. He draws from the wisdom of the "Three Creeds"—Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism—to impress upon us that by combini...

An expert on samurai history paints a vivid, multi-faceted portrait of feudal Japan and Miyamoto Musashi—the legendary swordsman who wrote the classic martial arts treatise, The Book of Five RingsBorn in 1584, Miyamoto Musashi was the legendary samurai known throughout the world as a master swordsman, spiritual seeker, and author of the classic book on strategy, The Book of Five Rings. Over 350 years after his death, Musashi and his legacy still f...

In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.Amid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga, whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. At the opposite pole...

What does it mean to be a samurai in Japan when there are no battles to be fought? During the 17th century, Daidoji Yuzan set about to address the paradox of the existence of a warrior class during peacetime. His text, written for the education and guidance of Japanese warriors, set down rules intended to delineate their obligations, ethics, morality and daily duties.Now, these samurai guidelines are available in English for the first time as an e-book! Translator William Scott Wil...

Words of wisdom from great samurai leaders: A collection of inspiring essays and aphorisms from Japan's leading warriorsSamurai warrior leaders had to deal with grim conditions of life, death and survival. But such men were not simply rough uneducated fighters: they often personified the Far Eastern ideal of balancing cultural awareness and artistic expertise with high martial abilities. Their sayings, precepts and the anecdotes about them are informed by a broad s...

An extraordinary collection of Japanese ghost stories, many in English for the first time!This spine-chilling anthology of 77 spooky stories from the Japanese collection Tales from Shinshu is compiled and edited by award-winning author Noboru Wada. It features traditional tales of yokai, ghosts, mountain witches, demons and apparitions frequently sighted in and around the mountainous Shinshu region in central Japan.The terrifying tales in t...