The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (Illustrated Collector's Edition)

Author: Ruth Benedict, translated by Tang Xiaopeng and Wang Nan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: "Chrysanthemum" was originally the emblem of the Japanese imperial family, while "sword" symbolized the culture of Bushido. American anthropologist Ruth Benedict used The Chrysanthemum and the Sword to reveal the contradictory nature of the Japanese character, or the dual nature of Japanese culture (such as loving beauty yet being militaristic, valuing etiquette yet being aggressive, embracing novelty yet being stubborn, and being obedient yet unruly). Before World War II, the United States formulated its foreign policy toward Japan based on conventional thinking, but the Pearl Harbor attack declared these policies a complete failure. Therefore, the U.S. wartime intelligence agency commissioned anthropologist Benedict to write a report on the national character of the Japanese. Published publicly in 1946, the book was titled The Chrysanthemum and the Sword. Over half a century later, it is still widely cited as an important work on the study of Japanese national character, demonstrating its enduring academic vitality. The classic edition of The Chrysanthemum and the Sword launched jointly by Xianheng Library and Sina Network has specially invited renowned painter and expert in Japanese art history, Mr. Mei Zhongzhi, to select over a hundred rare preserved Japanese paintings. These works are presented in chronological order to showcase the development of Japanese painting and to provide a purely sensory corroboration for some of the book's famous arguments.