Military rule and the martial tradition of the samurai dominated Japanese culture for more than eight hundred years. According to Thomas Cleary--translator of more than thirty-five classics of Asian philosophy--the Japanese people have been so steeped in the way of the warrior that some of the manners and mentality of this outlook remain embedded in their individual and collective consciousness. Citing original Japanese sources popular among Japanese readers today, he reveals the hidden forces behind Japanese attitudes and conduct in political, business, social, and personal life.--From publisher description.

Japanese collection. Includes index.

A martial history of Japan -- Zen in Japanese history -- Bushidō and martial arts -- The way of the Zen warrior -- Schemes of the samurai -- The thirty-six strategies -- Bushidō and Christianity: ethical crossroads -- A Zen razor.