Downloads and Resources
Here are some free downloadable translations and online articles—no sign-up or strings attached. I’ll keep adding more over time, so feel free to check back now and then. If you’d like to be notified whenever new translations or other content is added, you’re welcome to submit your email at the bottom of this page.
Translations:
Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s “Ikun” Final Teachings (PDF)
Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康, 1543–1616) was the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, who unified Japan after centuries of war. His ikun (final teachings) is a set of guiding principles on life and leadership that he left behind as advice for his successors shortly before his death. In Japanese culture, such final teachings from prominent figures often served as enduring lessons on morality and leadership.
Takamatsu Toshitsugu’s Essay: The Path to Happiness (PDF)
Takamatsu Toshitsugu (高松寿嗣, 1889-1972) was a legendary martial artist known for being the soke (headmaster) of several traditional martial arts schools (koryu). This is a new, updated translation of his essay: The Path to Happiness (previously titled “On Happiness”).
Other Downloads:
Yoshida Torajiro (PDF)
“Yoshida Torajiro” is a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, inspired by the life of Yoshida Shoin. The work is now in the public domain, as its copyright has expired.
Online Articles
Zen’s Influence on Samurai and the Martial Arts
An Interview with Former Sumo Wrestler, Takekaze Akira
An Interview with Manaka Unsui, Founder of the Jissen Kobudo Jinenkan
Robert R. Gray 