Download The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Meridian) fb2

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 was not sure what to expect when I started to read this book on Japanese culture written by an American scholar of Ruth Benedict. As a Korean, the culture of my country is closer to that of Japan than the States, and I was not sure whether there is something I can learn from the book. I was plain wrong --- I thoroughly learned the value of “outside” opinion. I guess there are points she didn’t get right, but it is her who pointed out many important issues of Japanese culture which people living inside just cannot appreciate. She explained several key concepts which are uniquely Japanese, such as importance of hierarchy (“taking one’s proper station”), debt (on) and repayment (gimu, giri), Also explained are the concept of “giri to one’s name”, and the seemingly paradoxical situation of emphasizing self-discipline and generosity on physical pleasure. What I find particularly helpful are examples, taken from real life in Japan, pertaining to the concept she wants to explain.

This is a classic of mid 20th century sociology when it was still intelligible, but subject to the merits and demerits of the genre and the times — penetrating insights, literary flair, wide-ranging interests, but an inclination towards substantial and possibly unsubstantiated generalisations. However the point of a book like this is to point you in the right direction and to help you think about the issues with which it deals. It was written under rather unusual circumstances: as a primer for the leaders of the US forces occupying Japan (as they did for six years 1945-1951) to help them understand the people they were minding? sorting out? rebuilding? It's very hard to know what the correct verb might be. The book is written with great care and sympathy; and many of its insights, for me at least, are as prescient today as they were 70 years ago.

This is a truly wonderful book whichever way you look at it: information, style, and relevance/impact. It was instrumental in determining the successful approach chosen by the US government in designing its policy towards Japan during its occupation (1945-1952)
To me, as an enthusiastic learner of Japanese, a devoted watcher of Japanese films, and reader of Japanese books (still, alas, in translation),.this book has given a key to understanding some of the dialogues, scenes...
Truly, I recommend reading this book.

Some things can appear as a little outdated but the core remains. Perhaps it's one of the first books to be read by someone trying to understand people from Japan.

Of course, after reading it, some surprises still will be awaiting.

Ruth Benedict is the originator of the terms: Guilt and Shame culture. As a fan of George Fenwick Jones, "Honor in German Literature" & "Honor Bright", it was very helpful to go to the source of those concepts.

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.

Extremely well researched and beautifully written. Very informative and easy to read.