TheChrysanthemumandtheSword:

　　PatternsofJapaneseCultureisaninfluentialstudyofJapanbyRuthBenedictbegunin1944attheinvitationoftheOfficeofWarInformationinordertounderstandandpredictthebehavioroftheJapaneseinWorldWarII.ThebookwasinfluentialinshapingAmericanideasaboutJapanesecultureduringtheOccupationofJapan,andpopularizedthedistinctionbetweenguiltculturesandshamecultures.

　　Althoughithasreceivedsometimesharshcriticism,thebookhascontinuedtobeinfluential.Twoanthropologistswrotein1992thatthereis"asenseinwhichallofushavebeenwritingfootnotesto[Chrysanthemum]sinceitappearedin1946".

　　ThebookalsoaffectedJapaneseconceptionsofthemselveswhenitwastranslatedintoJapanesein1948.In2005,fifteenyearsafteritwastranslatedintoChinese,thebookbecameabestsellerinthePeople'sRepublicofChinawhenrelationswithJapansoured.

　　Researchcircumstances

　　ThisbookwhichresultedfromBenedict'swartimeresearch,likeseveralotherOWIwartimestudiesofJapanandGermany,[4]isaninstanceof"anthropologyatadistance,"thatis,studyofaculturethroughitsliterature,newspaperclippings,filmsandrecordings,andextensiveinterviewswithGerman-AmericansorJapanese-Americans.ThesetechniquesweremadenecessarywhenanthropologistswereunabletovisitNaziGermanyorwartimeJapan.Asonelaterethnographerpointedout,however,although"cultureatadistance"hadthe"elaborateauraofagoodacademicfad,themethodwasnotsodifferentfromwhatanygoodhistoriandoes:tomakethemostcreativeusepossibleofwrittendocuments."[5]Theseanthropologistswereattemptingtounderstandtheculturalpatternsthatmightbedrivingtheaggressionofoncefriendlynations,andhopedtofindpossibleweaknessesormeansofpersuasionthathadbeenmissed.

　　AmericansfoundthemselvesunabletocomprehendmattersinJapaneseculture.Forinstance,AmericansconsidereditquitenaturalforAmericanprisonersofwartowanttheirfamiliestoknowtheywerealive,andtokeepquietwhenaskedforinformationabouttroopmovements,etc.,whileJapanesePOWs,apparently,gaveinformationfreelyanddidnottrytocontacttheirfamilies.Whywasthat?

　　[edit]Criticism

　　Onecritic[who?]haswrittenthatTheChrysanthemumandtheSwordis"longsince...discreditedsinceBenedicthadnodirectexperienceinJapan"anddescribeditas"consideredshallowandovertlyracist".

　　C.DouglasLummishaswritten:"AftersometimeIrealizedthatIwouldneverbeabletoliveinadecentrelationshipwiththepeopleofthatcountryunlessIcoulddrivethisbook,anditspolitelyarrogantworldview,outofmyhead."[6]

　　Lummis,whowenttotheVassarCollegearchivestoreviewBenedict’snotes,wrotethathefoundsomeofhermoreimportantpointsweredevelopedfrominterviewswithRobertHashimaaJapanese-AmericannativeoftheUnitedStateswhowastakentoJapanasachild,educatedthere,thenreturnedtotheU.S.beforeWorldWarIIbegan.AccordingtoLummis,whointerviewedHashima,thesecircumstanceshelpedintroduceacertainbiasintoBenedict'sresearch:"Forhim,comingtoJapanforthefirsttimeasateenagersmackinthemiddleofthemilitaristicperiodandhavingnomemoryofthecountrybeforethen,whathewastaughtinschoolwasnot'anideology',itwasJapanitself."