Japanese Four Books: Four texts that provide insight into the characteristics of the Japanese nation

Author: Benedict (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The vicissitudes of the early and late 20th centuries, as well as the interactions between China and Japan, and the United States and Japan, gave rise to The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, Bushido, Japan (by Tatsuo Doi), and The Japanese—the four major texts that Americans, Japanese, and Chinese used to understand the characteristics of the Japanese nation. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, written by the renowned American anthropologist Benedict in 1944 for wartime government decision-making, carries significant political and academic tension. Bushido, written by Tatsuo Doi, a Japanese student in the late 19th century, in 1899, delivered an excellent defense of Bushido, the soul of the Japanese nation, and is considered Japan's "flower of evil." Japan (by Dai Jitao), written by the founding father of the Republic of China in 1928, reflects Dai's insights into Japan during the modern era of Sino-Japanese conflicts, showcasing the handwriting of a statesman. The Japanese, written by a Chinese military officer and the of a Japanese woman at the beginning of the eight-year War of Resistance against Japan, became highly sought-after media texts at the time, praised as "paper bullets," and can be regarded as a prophecy book for the anti-Japanese strategy. Today, these four classics have been compiled into one volume, with a new translation and editing, accompanied by illustrations, and renamed The Four Books of Japan. It is dedicated to readers of the new century as a reference text for understanding Japan, and it is unlikely to be without benefit.