Zen Terror in Prewar Japan

This book explores the profound influence of Zen Buddhist–linked terrorism in modern Japan. Brian Victoria follows a band of Zen Buddhist–trained adherents who ardently believed in their mission to carry out political assassinations in the 1930s, facilitating Japan’s transformation into a totalitarian state and setting the stage for Pearl Harbor.

Brian Daizen Victoria

Acknowledgments Foreword by James Mark Shields Preface 1 Introduction 2 Setting the Stage: Japan from the 1860s through the 1930s 3 A Troubled Youth 4 An Adventurer in China 5 Fighting in World War I 6 The Winding Road to Enlightenment 7 The Voice of Heaven 8 The Blood Oath Corps Incident 9 Patriots on Trial 10 Imprisonment: The Zen of Pasting Envelopes 11 From Prison Cell to Prime Minister's Estate 12 An Ultranationalist in Postwar Japan 13 Unraveling the Historical Matrix 14 Unraveling the Religious Matrix 15 Trilogy Conclusion Epilogue Appendix 1: The Assassination of General Nagata Tetsuzan Appendix 2: Zen in the February 26, 1936, Incident Appendix 3: Historical Background Materials Notes References Index About the Author