“True samurai, according to author Nitobe, disdained money, believing that “men must grudge money, for riches hinder wisdom.” Thus children of high-ranking samurai were raised to believe that talking about money showed poor taste, and that ignorance of the value of different coins showed good breeding: Bushido encouraged thrift, not for economical reasons so much as for the exercise of abstinence. Luxury was thought the greatest menace to manhood, and severe simplicity was required of the warrior class … the counting machine and abacus were abhorred.”

Have to do with Honesty and Sincerity? I don’t get it…

This concept of grace through submission is a very different conceptualization of masculine virtue that Americans probably find very troubling. To understand the role that homosexuality played in Japanese society and in defining masculinity, check out this book:
Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan [Paperback]
Gary Leupp (Author)

As a gay, fourth generation Japanese-American, I found this book very important as it reconciles the splits in my own self-definitions of what it means to be a man and masculine. Gay is not weak. Asian is not feminine. Gay and Asian can be as manly as manly gets -if you know your history and the way that my ancestors created a world that astonishingly was not afraid of homosexuality between men; and in fact, promoted it.