Bushido and Food

The way of the samurai, or "bushido", talks about living one's life as if already dead. But what does it mean to live as if already dead? To answer this question, we need to look at the training one undergoes as a samurai. Beyond swordplay and other martial arts, samurai studied Buddhism and Confucian classics to understand social etiquette; they often picked up hobbies such as calligraphy or pottery. In these extracurricular activities, they would strive for mastery just as they would in the study of war.

In the Netflix series, "Samurai Gourmet", two characters spend each episode enjoying new and different foods. The main character, a recent retiree named Kasumi Takeshi, visits different restaurants each day and faces a different social conflict that interferes with the enjoyment of his meal. Every time he feels this apprehension, a nameless samurai appears to resolve the situation. Though he appears to do things with little regard for social decorum, the samurai ultimately helps Kasumi see that he should focus less on the problem, and more on the food. From this, he is able to wholeheartedly enjoy his meals, and he regularly shows his enjoyment very clearly.

What does eating have to do with bushido? To live as if already dead, one is emotionally prepared to die. Living that close to death, not unlike a person with a short time left to live, one would most certainly have a great appreciation for many experiences, such as eating good food. Regarding this, Kasumi embodies the samurai spirit by experiencing and enjoying his meals to the utmost.