Yamamoto Tsunetomo - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Yamamoto Tsunetomo (山本常朝, 1659-1719) was a Japanese samurai of the Saga Domain and the author of "Hagakure" ("Hidden by the Leaves"), a seminal work that would posthumously become one of the most influential treatises on samurai philosophy and bushido. Though he never engaged in direct combat himself, Tsunetomo's writings would paradoxically become synonymous with the warrior's path, offering insights into both the practical and spiritual dimensions of samurai culture during Japan's peaceful Edo period.
Born into a period of profound transition, Tsunetomo served as a retainer to Nabeshima Mitsushige, the third daimyo of Saga Domain. Following his lord's death in 1700, Tsunetomo was prevented from following the traditional practice of junshi (ritual suicide to follow one's master in death) due to an edict issued by the Tokugawa shogunate. Instead, he retreated to a Buddhist temple where, between 1709 and 1716, he dictated his thoughts to a young scribe named Tashiro Tsuramoto, forming what would become the Hagakure.
The work's creation presents an intriguing paradox: a meditation on warfare and death composed during an era of unprecedented peace, by a man who never saw battle. Tsunetomo's philosophy emphasized absolute loyalty, the acceptance of death, and the importance of acting decisively—captured in his famous dictum "The Way of the Samurai is found in death." His teachings, though largely ignored during the Edo period, experienced a dramatic revival during Japan's militaristic period in the early 20th century, particularly influencing writer Yukio Mishima.
Tsunetomo's legacy continues to resonate in unexpected ways, from corporate leadership manuals to popular culture, where his principles have been both celebrated and critiqued. Modern interpretations often struggle to reconcile his emphasis on absolute loyalty with contemporary values, while others find in his writings a deeper philosophical framework for understanding dedication, purpose, and mortality. The enigma of Tsunetomo—a peaceful man advocating warrior principles, a traditionalist born in changing times—raises enduring questions about the nature of duty, the relationship between thought and action, and how ancient wisdom might be interpreted in modern contexts.