For many people, the impression of Japanese people is that they are on the one hand gentle and polite, but on the other hand can be brutal and cruel; they are traditional and conservative, but they are also willing to learn. Contradiction is a feature of Japanese people’s character. So, what is the cultural origin behind the nation’s contradictory character? The Chrysanthemum and the Sword examines the characteristics of the Japanese national character and Japanese culture from an anthropological view. This book became popular worldwide after its publication, and is praised as “the ground-breaking work of modern Japanology.”