The Chrysanthemum And The Sword

This 70-year-old book almost defies categorization, for its stunning discoveries and – perhaps even more – for the cultural understanding it fostered (which carries on to the present day). If the practice of “anthropology” brings to mind picking at dusty ruins, its offshoot “cultural anthropology” might conjure up studying tribal rituals in a native habitat. Remarkably, Ruth Benedict called herself one of this odd breed and her task (begun soon after the empire of Japan was defeated in World War Two) would daunt anyone, regardless of occupational labels: report to the occupying US military how to understand and rehabilitate a defeated nation whose traditions in every walk of life were – by admission on both sides – inexplicably alien to Americans. That Ms. Benedict succeeded represents a remarkable achievement and deserves celebration – and not just among anthropologists.War always imposes strange tasks, from deciphering codes to building unprecedented weapons. But Benedict’s task might top them all for hubris: the thought that the culture, mores and traditions of the Japanese nation could, not only be laid bare, but actually *understood* by foreigners for the purpose of recommending how to reconstruct it after a devastating world war. Add the fact that this was requested by the conquering military and subject to bureaucracy and deadlines and the odds against its success look distressingly high.But Benedict succeeded not only in her primary task but set a gold standard for cultural understanding. In a new foreword to this edition, noted Japan scholar Ian Buruma (author of “Inventing Japan”, among many others) rightly lauds how Benedict seemingly didn’t have a biased bone in her body: she approached Imperial Japan utterly fresh, not seeing it through a Western (or any other cultural tradition) lens. Her job required she not only see the world as the Japanese did at the time, but *how* that worldview led to their empire’s wartime actions and *what* could therefore be done to stop (or at least ameliorate) it – thereby ensuring that it didn’t happen again.To these ends, some of the detail Benedict unearths still has the power to astound – consider:Imperial Japan didn’t attack China, other East Asian countries, or even the United States to conquer land or achieve some other aggressive purpose; rather, its stated wartime aim was to simply “restore its rightful place in the world” (which was seen at the time as insufficiently lofty). Benedict points out the Japanese placed immense stock in the world being in “proper balance” and their view that every nation must “take its proper place in the world”. She notes Japanese envoys – on the very day Pearl Harbor was attacked by Imperial Japan – handed an explicit example of this as a memorandum to American Secretary of State Cordell Hull: “The Japanese government cannot tolerate the perpetuation of the present situation since it runs directly counter to Japan’s fundamental policy to enable each nation to enjoy its proper station in the world.”Other cultural markers are subtler but no less revealing. Whether it’s living one’s life as if in constant emotional – or even physical – debt (*on*, or obligations passively incurred), attempting to ease such debts to authorities (e.g., the emperor, one’s parents), or repaying debts via duties (*giri*) to the world (!) and one’s name (reputation), the mid-century Japanese view of life was, to put it mildly, radically different from anywhere in Europe or America. Benedict is numbingly thorough in explaining how a society – and by extension a government and military – functioning along these lines found its way into a global war.I found very little here to dislike; as noted, Benedict succeeds in her near-impossible task so well it seems unduly argumentative to quibble. About the only perspective I found myself wanting was more comparisons with western societies around the same time (e.g., late ‘40s); this would be especially useful for a reader (like your reviewer) reading this over seven decades later. Admittedly this would have made for a much longer book and would have begged differences between Europe, America and others.No matter. ‘The Chrysanthemum and the Sword’ holds up supremely well and reads as a veritable textbook of cultural research. In a world where misunderstandings across nations can have ever-graver consequences, rehabilitating the humble role of cultural anthropologist might pay some unexpected dividends – providing those taking it on have a reasonable fraction of Ruth Benedict’s insight.

I skipped the first third of the book and almost gave up, but then the author finally started talking about traditions, culture of Japan, going back into history, often comparing Japanese and Chinese ways of life. It was very interesting. I learned a lot.

I am heading to Japan with my son later this week. I've been reading a set of books to get ready, and this one is one of the best for preparing for the journey. It's my fourth time in Japan, and I wish I had read this book before my first trip. I know Japan has changed, but many things have stayed the same. This book is very well-written, a pleasure to read, and informative.

bought this 15 years ago for east asian history class, it was the most enjoyable book of the course. recommend for casual reading.

This book is a classic review of the characteristics of traditional Japan. Even though much of it is out of date today the information will be an excellent historical background for a visit to Japan

Any westerner who's ever been to Japan may have felt at one moment or another that he or she has landed, not only in a different country, but in quite a different planet. If you're taking a trip to Japan, the cultural tips you find in a quick reference tourist guide might suffice for travel, but if you're planning to live in Japan or study any particular topic of its culture, you'll definitely have to dig way deeper."The Chrysantemum And The Sword" is a classic text of Cultural Anthropology written around the end of WWII, and althought its author, Ruth Benedict, wrote it whithout ever setting foot in Japan, it's remarkable how far she went to understand the underlaying values of a culture like this, at times fascinating, and at times shocking. It was written in 1946, but it's still a book some people in Japanese universities suggest as a reference to understand some key aspects of this amazing culture. I'd also say this book is a must-read for anyone interested in humanity in the middle of war.

When I started doing some business with the Japanese, I figured this was a logical starting point as it was hailed as a groundbreaking work in its time and a classic that endured until today. Maybe my expectations were set too high, but this book left me flat - frankly the prose was hard to read, it was boring, and there was not much in the way of new insights. And while I'm sure when it was written it illuminated a subject completely unknown to most Americans, by now I think the work comes off as dated and now there are better, more modern takes on the same subject.When I purchased this I had also recently bought "The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture" by Roger Davies, and found that book to be far superior in explaining the history and the concepts underlying Japanese culture, with additional emphasis on modern cultural practices. I'd strongly recommend that alternative to those looking for a good book on this subject.

Thanks Don Draper for this recommendation.I've always had an interest in Japan and Japanese culture. Found this book quite educational regardless of how old it really it is. At times the book can get complicated and it is easy to get lost but Japanese culture is not a cut and dry subject. Book really gave me insight into all the different cultural norms of Japan. And with this information in hand one can understand why Japan did not fight the American occupation at the end of WW2 and played a part in how they became such a great post war nation. What is missing is how much of this book holds true in today's modern Japan. But of course there are other books out there that get into the modern aspects of how Japan is today. But overall, enjoyed this book.