Editorial from 1949 (Anonymous)

As we pick up the story after the ending of global hostilities, it seems appropriate to take some account of the way in which these devastating events are themselves reflected in the content of the journal. The previously mentioned Editorial of May 1949 provides the link. Though unsigned, this Editorial bears all the marks of Suzuki Daisetsu’s authorship, and the fact that he published an article on “Buddhism and Education” in the same issue is significant.6 In this piece, originally a talk, Suzuki does not mince his words and distinguishes sharply between the character of Shintō and of Buddhism. He distances himself from Shintō by the use of the phrase “Japanese Shinto militarists”7 (p.41) but also regards a militaristic propensity as being fundamentally characteristic of Shintō.