The Rusty Swords of Japan - A Study in the Death of a Philosophy - Alan Watts

[Tcat]

I thought some of you might find this interesting. I cannot find a copy of this article online and think that this is as good a place as any to share it. So, without further ado, here is the segment in question from 'Asia' magazine, May 1939, titled 'The Rusty Swords of Japan- A Study in the Death of a Philosophy' by Alan Wilson Watts. Enjoy.

 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks for sharing, Alex.  Interesting article.  Me thinks master Watts suffered a bit from the tendency to romanticize the samurai and the "old ways."  While I am very minimally read in Japanese war history, I do recall reading about how farmers were conscripted for large armies and marched into battle.  I suspect they were just as much cannon fodder as the enlisted troops of WWII.  HIs complaint of the use of modern weaponry of mass destruction, having lost any sense of Zen, just wanton destruction, is too focused on the act of pulling the trigger.  Their use on the grand scale, the tactical/strategic planner during WWII was no different than the samurai commander over an entire army that set his plan into action, using all the weapons and people at his disposal.  There is no Zen in that.  It is just strategy of war.

[Tcat]

On 12/31/2024 at 2:03 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Me thinks master Watts suffered a bit from the tendency to romanticize the samurai and the "old ways."

 

Yes, especially at this stage in his career. Remember, this is very early Watts, he was only 24 years old at the time of writing and probably still a bit green to the true depth and complexities of the topic at hand. 

[chi fan wong]

this reminds me of a wonderful movie, when the last sword is drawn, when the main character, played by kiichi nakai, a country samurai and a teacher, tells his fellows to stay alive and to not stop swinging the sword in order to keep the enemy away.  he simply wanted everyone to stay alive.  

[Oldman]

Yes, to Bruce's comment. Given the enthusiasm with which the samurai adopted matchlock guns, and better ones to follow, I think that the "romance" of the samurai and katana needs to be kept in perspective. There were certainly episodes of large scale slaughter even in the old times. I have read that perhaps 40,000 - 60,000 heads were taken at the battle of Sekigahara for an instance. And to an extent, some of the philosophy and practises of the samurai carried on through modernization, at least to a degree and in certain contexts; fearlessness in the face of death, and honourable conduct come to mind.

 

[Benjamin]

Found that citation by Okakura Tenshin (an art critics) from 1906, "the book of tea" ; opposing bushido, as an art of death, and chado "way of tea" as a way of life :

"It is true that westerners are considering Japan civilized since it practice assassination on the battlefield of Manchuria"