December 26, 2008
December 02, 2008
What Japan Thinks
A compilation of essays an articles from right after WWI.
Published in 1921.
The one presented here is by the undeniably articulate Masaharu Anesaki. Towards the end of his article the tone is much like Daisaku Ikeda when addressing the UN in his peace proposals; admiring the bold and optimistic words of Woodrow Wilson's fourteen points, speaking directly of globalization, and verbalizing the importance of "human revolution," or as he calls it, "fundamental reformation of individual character." A biography states he was a Nichiren Buddhist. This essay pre-establishes his concern over the cultural and political conflict of perspectives exiting between the East and the West which resulted in his "History Of Japanese Religion", published in 1930, in English, the same year as the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai was established. Arguably one of the first treatises of it's kind in that, as one biography states, "he felt that the Japanese needed to explain their cultural character to Westerners in order to be understood." Hear, hear! A close friend of mine pondered if he and Makiguchi knew each other as educators and scholars who seemingly had so many common goals. The timing was certainly there. As Nichirenites, were they at odds in different sects? Frankly, that would be uncharacteristic to both mens reflections. Or were they simply ships that past in the night?
