The Chrysanthemum and the Sword - by Ruth Benedict (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The classic study of Japan and Japanese culture--now reissued with a new foreword by Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney!

THE CHRYSANTHEMUM AND THE SWORD is the classic work that has defined our understanding of Japanese culture- of why it is seemingly self-contradictory, and how and why it differs from our own. The book focuses on the heart of Japanese social structure-hierarchy, marriage and family, filial piety, self-discipline and other core values--explaining the fact that while much has changed, much also remains the same.

Although Japan has changed drastically over the years, this masterpiece remains unsurpassed in its keen observations about Japanese culture. By shedding light on the set of core values that make the Japanese way of life unique, it reveals a great deal about culture in general and provides a lens through which to view ourselves.

About the Author

Ruth Benedict (1887-1948) was an American anthropologist and a key figure in the development of cultural anthropology. She earned her doctorate from Columbia University, where she remained throughout her entire career. She is best known for her pioneering work Patterns of Culture (1934), where she explores how individual societies form unique patterns of values, beliefs and practices.

Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney is William F. Vilas Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin. She is a member of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has won several prestigious awards for her scholarship including a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship. She is the author of fourteen books including Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections on Japanese Student Soldiers and Rice as Self: Japanese Identities Through Time.