Imperial Rescript to the Military

• Date: 4 Jan 1882

The Imperial Rescript to the Military, issued on 4 January 1882 is cited as one of the key documents in transforming notions of bushido, or a warrior code, from being values of a samurai elite into being Japanese values, upheld by all Imperial subjects of all classes, and intimately tied into loyalty to the Emperor and to the nation.

The Rescript includes a statement that the military "should be viewed as the reflection of the whole of the subjects of Japan," and indicates that soldiers should strive for loyalty, decorum, courage, faith, and frugality.

References

• Karl Friday, "Bushidô or Bull? A Medieval Historian's Perspective on the Imperial Army and the Japanese Warrior Tradition," The History Teacher 27:3 (1994), 339-349.