Japan's warrior culture and traditions are generally misunderstood and misrepresented by the non-Japanese writers, movie makers, and even politicians. Few outside of those who lived in Japan for a long time or had done extensive research, seem to understand what constitutes Japanese warrior culture and traditions. It is easy enough to simply lump everything into sword fighting, karate, on to the kamikaze pilots of modern era. In the process everything gets muddled and warrior culture appears to be nothing but militarism and vice versa. In today's western literature and movies, even the Japanese gangsters, the yakuza, are portrayed as having strong ties to warrior culture, which is totally untrue! The yakuza, like the mafia, have their own code. Perhaps they borrowed some things from the warrior code, but it is not a warrior's code! Japanese themselves often portray various violent manga and anime characters as abiding by some sort of code. It seems that anything to do with warrior culture/tradition sells, so why not exploit it!
The ancient Japanese warrior's code, the Bushido (the Way of the Warrior - Bushi is warrior and do is the way), has many strict guidelines by which a true warrior is supposed to conduct himself and live life, or meet death. However, it is highly unlikely that anyone has lived by this code for over several hundred years! When the militarists took over Japanese government in the 1930s, the military leaders in Japan corrupted the code of Bushido and tried to use it to their advantage. Initially they said that all Japanese soldiers, regardless of their social status before, were now warriors (samurai), therefore, they were subject to this code of the warriors, which they conveniently modified to suit their needs. This way, they were convinced, the Japanese Imperial military will have a very high esprit de corps and make for a better fighting force.
When the war started going badly for Japan and the invasion of homeland was anticipated, they declared that all Japanese were subject to this warrior code for it was a Japanese code! No doubt there were some people who bought into this, but vast majority did not. Still, why did so many Japanese commit suicide by jumping off the so-called "suicide cliff" on Okinawa or died in caves by exploding grenades? Most of these civilian deaths had nothing to do with warrior culture or tradition, it was simply fear of more horrible suffering and death at the hands of the enemy, which Japanese propaganda insisted would take place if they were captured.
What of the kamikaze pilots who went to their deaths trying to ram their planes against enemy ships? Vast majority of kamikaze pilots were young kids, mostly of high school age. They were heavily indoctrinated into this "new warrior's code" and told that it was their duty to die for Japan. But, most of these young men simply followed orders. They had been conditioned since childhood to obey the rules of the society, and their military society told them that they had to crash their planes. Their actions were not driven by some desire to abide by the ancient code of warriors or anything like that. It was much more complicated in a sense, since it is all tied-in with Japanese cultural behavior, not anything to do with bushido. The ancient way of the warriors, the culture and traditions, died a long time ago. What survived during World War Two was militarism that was forced upon the population under the guise of the ancient code of warriors and warrior traditions. Don't believe the stuff about how the Japanese businessman has adopted the warrior's philosophy etc. It makes for interesting reading, but has no basis in fact. The ancient Japanese warrior culture and traditions died a long time ago, even before the Meiji Restoration! What remained in the first half of the 20th Century was an attempt by the military leaders of Japan to mix militarism with the warrior code.
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