The Japanese Ethos was originally published in 1924. It is the seminal work of Yasuoka Masahiro, and was written to guide Japan to a promising future through the wisdom of ancient teachings. In it, Yasuoka describes a history and tradition nurtured for more than 2000 years. The moral examples depicted are primarily Samurai, and he discusses in detail the character traits a samurai must cultivate. In later chapters he gives examples of men of great character. Two chapters address Kendō (sword fighting), whose spirit “became the foundation of all the arts, letters and of Eastern thought”. The Samurai Spirit was the leading force for the Meiji Restoration and is the essence of this book.

Crowned by a letter of condolence from Emperor Hirohito, Yasuoka Masahiro’s funeral in January 1984, a month after his private services, was attended by every living Japanese prime minister and top business and political leaders from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The funeral services were overseen by Kishi Nobusuke, a former prime minister, and public eulogies were led by then-current Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro. As a private scholar-advisor to many of those in attendance, Yasuoka had a major influence on modern Japanese history.

Yasuoka Masahiro [1898-1983] was a dominant philosopher and intellectual beacon during Japan’s transition into the modern era. Despite his extraordinary stature in Japan, he remains largely unknown to the western world because his works were never translated into other languages. The Japanese Ethos is the first English translation of one of his major works.