Reviews
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is a book that was considered almost a must-read for anyone wishing to study Japanese studies or anthropology. I hesitated to pick it up for a while due to a somewhat uneasy feeling, but I finally managed to read it. It is said that the author, Ruth Benedict, wrote this book because of the military objectives of the U.S. military during the Pacific War; despite the impossibility of fieldwork during the war, she reportedly wrote the book by researching and
Understanding Japan and Japanese people has been very helpful in understanding cultural differences.
Ruth Benedict: Chrysanthemum and Sword
Annotated Translation of *The Chrysanthemum and the Sword*, a Classic of Japanese Cultural Studies. *The Chrysanthemum and the Sword* is the first book to analyze the key elements constituting the characteristics of the Japanese people, providing a fundamental framework necessary for understanding Japanese culture. It is a highly influential work in Japanese anthropological research both domestically and internationally, and is regarded as a crucial classic for understanding Japan. This annotated translation rejects the conventional understanding that the title "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" reveals the dual nature of the Japanese people, instead viewing Benedict as having used the metaphor in a multi-layered manner. It argues that while the chrysanthemum represents aestheticism and the sword represents the worship of force in the first half, the latter half symbolizes an artificial will that restricts one's own spiritual freedom, and the sword represents an ideal human being capable of taking responsibility for their actions. Based on this critical perspective, this annotated edition deals in detail with the categories and symbols of the Japanese people. In particular, it focuses on Benedict's strengths and limitations, a perspective that views both the immutable and variable elements of Japanese culture, an understanding of the book's overall flow, and a reinterpretation of Japan from a contemporary perspective. In addition, it cites abundant materials that enable an understanding of Japan and Japanese culture while reflecting the achievements of research to date.
Korean title: 국화와 칼
Korean author: 루스 베네딕트
Korean publisher: 문예출판사
ISBN-13: 9788931005851
Reviews
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is a book that was considered almost a must-read for anyone wishing to study Japanese studies or anthropology. I hesitated to pick it up for a while due to a somewhat uneasy feeling, but I finally managed to read it. It is said that the author, Ruth Benedict, wrote this book because of the military objectives of the U.S. military during the Pacific War; despite the impossibility of fieldwork during the war, she reportedly wrote the book by researching and
Understanding Japan and Japanese people has been very helpful in understanding cultural differences.
