The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture

It's supremely dodgy as anthropology--researched from across the Pacific, the main informant a disgruntled nisei, and ultimately even when it has real insights mistaking a profoundly dislocated, damaged point in Japanese social history for business as usual--but so much of this has been so influential on my life: a myth of Japan that became a myth of another way to be, a way of stepping away from the things my own culture and upbringing took as so obvious as to be invisible. Looking into a mirror to see your soul; self-respect being not holding to a set of personal morals, but behaving appropriately, cleaving to the circumstances--the ultimate in/flexibility--and never letting the strain show; "thank you" as "It cannot be borne, the show more burden you place on me by putting me in your debt." This all remained latent as long as life was selfish and easy, but as I've tried to be a dad in difficult circumstances and work with my son's mum so carefully and cause no harm, it's come up again and again. I mean this book may only say an indeterminate amount about Japan, but it's the closest thing I've found to a manual for being stronger than you are. show less

Es un libro interesante, aunque me costó ponerle puntaje.
Lo mejor es sin duda alguna la descripción de las diversas obligaciones que tiene el japonés: para con el emperador, su familia, su «buen nombre», etc. También se destaca de manera especial el capítulo sobre la educación de los niños.
Lo peor es, bueno, cierto bias, algo de esperar en un ensayo realizado a) sin poner un pie en Japón; y b) comisionado por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos.
Hubo muchas partes que me resultaron algo densas y descoloridas; el capítulo sobre el Zen me resultó particularmente aburrido, y en general terminé este libro porque me lo puse como meta. No termina de ser una lectura entretenida, pero contiene información muy valiosa que, si bien show more puede intuirse, uno no alcanza a procesar con los pocos datos recogidos tras ver anime o leer a Murakami. show less

An excellent really engrossing exploration of the perplexing, contradictory Japanese mind and culture. This is really WW II, post- and the near term after the occupation. It makes me more interested to know more, if I ever could --- The complete comprehension of such an intriguing and different world can only be truly understood over a lifetime I am sure, but this book is a fascinating vista into this unique and incomprehensible culture.

Really good examination of Japanese values and character right after World War 2 ended. Makes it clear why they did not become vindictive.
I have read elsewhere that it has errors in terminology, etc., but it is still one of the best on Japan. It is a classic.

A tad dry sometimes, but nonetheless a very interesting read. I had trouble understanding Japanese stories in books and movies, but I think I'll be able to understand them a bit better.

This was a really interesting read, I learned a lot. But I wonder how accurate it is sixty years on?

This is an analysis of Japanese culture written during World War II and published just after the war during the occupation of Japan by American forces. Ruth Benedict never traveled to Japan, so her analysis is based on secondary sources, as well as interviews with Japanese and Japanese-Americans. Because of the indirect nature of the research, one should probably take the findings with a grain of salt. However, I still found the book enlightening and believe it will be useful in my travels to Japan and interactions with Japanese people. The main focus is the system of obligations that a typical person in Japan lives under. "On" is an obligation passively incurred; that is, when someone does something for you. Doing someone a nice turn show more can create an obligation from them to you that the recipient feels burdened to meet. That's something a Westerner should remember before offering a helping hand in Japan. Another form of obligation is "gimu," an obligation to the emperor, your parents, or to your profession. Since the war, the government has emphasized this form of obligation over "giri", which is an obligation to to honor one's name and to clear any insult or failure. Giri was apparently responsible for a lot of bloodshed in samurai times. Also, inability to clear one's name can lead quickly to suicide, and Japan certainly has a reputation for a high suicide rate. Benedict also includes an interesting description of how personal freedom in Japan traditionally decreases with age. A child has almost complete freedom, whereas an adult is extremely confined by the network of obligations he must operate within, and then in old age the network of obligations dissipates to again allow a great deal of freedom.

Benedict's analysis of Japan's behavior following the war is based on these concepts. She also makes predictions about Japanese economic success based on Japanese culture that proved to be true, at least until the real estate bust and deflation that occurred in the 80s and 90s. show less