"Bushido: The Soul of Japan" written in 1900 by Inazo Nitobe is a study of the way of the samurai.As Japan underwent deep transformations of its traditional lifestyle while becoming a modern nation, Nitobe engaged in an inquiry into the ethos of his nation, and the result of his meditations was this work.

Inazo Nitobe (1 September 1862 – 15 October 1933) was a Japanese agricultural economist, author, educator, diplomat, politician during the pre-WWII period.