RUTH BENEDICT (1887-1948) was one ofthe most eminent anthro-pologists of the twentieth century. Her profoundly influential books Patterns of Culture and The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture were bestsellers when they were first published, and they have remained indispensable works of cultural studies in the many decades since.

In an eloquent new foreword written specifically for this sixtieth-anniversary edition, Ian Buruma reveals why Benedict's ground-breaking insights remain as relevant now as when they were first published.

A recognized landmark of cultural anthropology, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is essential reading for anyone interested in Japan. In this brilliant analysis of the culture, the world-renowned anthropologist Ruth Benedict offers an invaluable introduction to Japanese character and attitudes as reflected in daily manners, customs, and traditions. Tracing the political, religious, and economic life of the country from the seventh century through World War II, Benedict shows the evolution of Japanese ideology and explores some of the fascinating complexities of the society.

In an eloquent new foreword written specifically for this sixtieth-anniversary edition, Ian Buruma reveals why Benedict's ground-breaking insights remain as relevant now as when they were first published.

  Acknowledgments

Foreword

1. Assignment: Japan

2. The Japanese in the War

3. Taking One's Proper Station

4. The Meiji Reform

5. Debtor to the Ages and the World

6. Repaying One-Ten-Thousandth

7. The Repayment 'Hardest to Bear'

8. Cleating One's Name

9. The Circle of Human Feelings

10. The Dilemma of Virtue

11. Self-Discipline

12. The Child Learns

13. The Japanese Since VJ-Day

Glossary

  Index