Watsuji Tetsurō, the best philosopher of ethics of modern Japan, was known also for his studies of cultural history. He was born in Himeji and died in Tokyo. Watsuji's work can be divided into three categories: his early literary efforts, his philological and historical studies, and his works on an ethical system. Gifted with literary talent, he wrote some short novels and a play while still studying philosophy, but these had no great success. Among his early philosophical essays are those on Friedrich Nietzsche (Tokyo, 1913) and on Søren Kierkegaard (Tokyo, 1915). His cult of ancient Greece, manifested in Gūzō saikō (The revivals of the idols; Tokyo, 1918), developed into an interest in the cultural history of his own country. His first work on this subject was Nihon kodai bunka (Ancient Japanese culture; Tokyo, 1920). Japanese culture and character were to be...