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The original was posted on /r/askhistorians by /u/irantuu on 2023-10-06 01:06:08.

Original Title: In the game Ghost of Tsushima the main character is arrested for using underhanded tactics against an invading army. Would the nobility of 13th century Japan truly prefer to lose a war and be conquered to becoming “dishonored”?

The game takes place during the Mongol invasions of Japan, at a certain point in the story Sakai Jin, the player character, fights in a battle during which the Japanese forces suffer great losses mainly due to the fact that they used “honorable” tactics while the Mongols did not.

At this point Sakai decides to play by the same rules and proceeds to sneak into the Mongol camp and kill them all by using poison.

After this he is arrested for his actions, even though they resulted in a crucial victory for the Japanese. Other warriors can later be heard condemning his actions as well.

Would the Samurai and nobility of Japan at the time truly be so devoted to “Bushido” that they’d prefer to be conquered honorably than to dishonorably repel the invaders?