Japanese Art of War (eBook)

Introduction Useanger to throw them into disarray, use humility to make them haughty. Tirethem by flight, cause division among them. Attackwhen they are unprepared, make your move when they do not expect it. Beextremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness, Beextremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness, Therebyyou can be the director of the opponent's fate. —,SunTzu, TheArt of War Duringone of the recent flare-ups of trade friction between the United States andJapan, a prominent critic was complaining to a member of the Diet about theJapanese attitude toward international relations. The critic contended thateven as Japan claims it is misunderstood, it does not try to make itselfunderstood. The dietman smiled ironically. 'That,'he said, 'is Japanese!' Perhapseveryone has heard of the mysterious East or the inscrutable Orient. It may beassumed that the Japanese are inscrutable, for example, because Orientalcultures are inherently difficult for outsiders to understand. Less frequentlysuspected is the originally deliberate and later subconscious use of bafflementand mystification, as part of the ancient art of war. Allsorts of Western attempts to take advantage of Japanese resources, from theireconomic power to their Zen Buddhism, have been thwarted or distorted bybafflement and mystification, in cases where the ulterior logic and method ofbafflement and mystification are unknown. The impression of mystery may appearto veil a secret, but the main secret may turn out to be that mystery itself isa weapon, an art of war. Theveil of mystery is just one of the arts of war that permeate Japanesepolitical, cultural, and social life. For those trying to understand theJapanese mind and civilization—,and that may include anyone involved in themodern world—,there is no practical way to overlook the military rule andmartial culture that have dominated Japan for many centuries, virtually up tothe present day. So steeped in the way of the warrior has Japanese civilizationbeen that some of the manners and mentality of this outlook remain embedded inthe deepest strata of the individual and collective unconscious of that nation. Thesword is one of the three basic symbols of Shinto, the ancient Japanesereligion, and so of the imperial heritage, which emerged after centuries ofracial and tribal wars in ancient Japan. The sword became the soul of thesamurai, who gradually extended their control from the frontiers and provincesto become the dominant power in Japan for nearly eight hundred years. Evenin the social and cultural spheres, Japan today still retains indelibleimpressions of the samurai Bushido, the way of the warrior. This is true notonly in education and the fine arts, but also in characteristic attitudes andconduct marketing the course of political, professional, and personalrelations. Well-known attributes such as the reserve and the mystery of formalJapanese behavior, as well as the humility and the hauteur, are deeply rootedin the ancient strategies of the traditional art of war. To understand Japanand the Japanese in depth, therefore, it is essential to understand the cultureof strategy crafted by the Japanese art of war.