Zen at War

This is an examination of the close relationship that existed between Zen Buddhism and Japanese militarism prior to World War II. Using the actual words of leading Zen masters and scholars, the author shows that Zen served as a powerful foundation for the fanatic and suicidal spirit displayed by the imperial Japanese military. At the same time the author tells of the dramatic and tragic stories of the handful of Buddhist organizations and individuals that dared to oppose Japan's march to war. He follows this history up to more recent apologies of several Zen sects for their support of the war and the re-emergence of what he calls corporate Zen in postwar Japan.