The Chrysanthemum and the Sword of America

1.

There is a book that, even if you haven't read it, you have likely heard of: The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, an anthropological analysis of Japan by an American who had never stepped foot in the country. The "chrysanthemum" and the "sword" represent the contradictory yet unified dual national character of the Japanese people. It is a foundational work for understanding modern Japan, and a comment that proves its enduring value states: "Since its publication in 1946, everyone interested in Japan has been writing notes for it."

Perhaps inspired by this, after arriving in America, I have always been curious: is there also a book, or some tangible carrier, that can summarize the American national character I have observed? Regrettably, among books, I have yet to find one, at least for now.

But after driving through nearly 40 states, one attraction has lingered in my mind, refusing to fade, and has become the coordinates that concretize the American "Chrysanthemum and the Sword." The Eisenhower Presidential Library is located in the small town of Abilene, Kansas. It is situated near the geographical center of the continental United States, and from the moment I walked in, it became the mental center of America in my mind.