Like the European knights the Japanese samurai owed allegiance to the lord or Daimyo. In the early years manpower being short, entry into this group was relatively open. But gradually it became a closed caste. The samurai developed their own code of ethics known as Bushido.
Bushido: Bushido, the ethical code of Samurai, the warrior class of Japan, is reminiscent of the 'chivalry' of feudal Europe. Bushido, however, was exclusively Japanese and developed through years.
The above picture is the picture of the rules in Bushido.
Loyalty was the cardinal virtue of bushido. A Samurai must be prepared to sacrifice his life and even his family for the sake of his Simple living, indifference to wealth and maintenance of dignity self-control even in the midst of worries and distresses. Honour was and prestige were the other features of bushido. The warrior exercised lord. ignominy, dearer than life and self-destruction was preferred to a life of
Every samurai was trained to perform the ritual of harakiri. The word harakiri means 'belly-cutting. It is a ceremonial suicide undertaken by the members of samurai. This was committed to wipe out the dishonour of defeat in a battle or by war of protest against grave injustice done by his lord and for similar other reasons. Harakiri was a slow and extremely painful means of self-destruction (suicide), meant to demonstrate the military virtues of great courage and extreme self-control.
The wife of a samurai was also influenced by bushido. She was to hide all traces of grief and suffering. She was also taught how to end her life if necessity arose. The code of bushido also influenced the Japanese society. It fostered devotion to one's parents and ancestors. It helped to maintain family unity through the performance of duties of brothers to one another.