The Japanese word Ronin first appeared in English in T. Harris’s book, Diary; although it was written as “loneen” (this might be because the pronunciation of the r sound in the Japanese character “ro” is somewhere between an r and an l).
The word traditionally refers to Samurai who had lost their masters, either through death or dishonor, but who chose not to commit hari kiri (self-disembowelment) to preserve their honor. Instead, they wandered the land living with their shame, perhaps finding work as a mercenary or even a member of a criminal gang.
Today, the term is also used to refer to junior or senior high school students who have failed to pass their entrance exams. With no school or university to attend or “lead them”, they spend another year studying for the test through alternative channels.
Ronin has also gone on to refer to Japanese salarymen (Japanese white-collar workers) who are looking for employment with a new firm. Like the Samurai warrior who lost his feudal daimyo lord, when the salaryman loses his job, he is left with no one to lead him. Cultural commentators have long drawn similarities between Samurai and Salarymen – the former with his dedication to his missions and absolute loyalty to his daimyo, the latter with the same attributes applied to his job and company. The expression datsu-sara, however, has recently emerged in the Japanese language and it is interesting because it signifies the changing economic and social climate in Japan. Datsu-sara are former salarymen who have quit employment to work for themselves – a kind of new entrepreneurial Ronin class, if you will.
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