Boye Lafayette De Mente's "Samurai Code"

[Mulboyne]

Boye Lafayette De Mente is back with another one:


ArizonaRepublic: Author says Japan needs to rebuild on samurai tradition
Boye Lafayette De Mente's first book, on the etiquette and ethics of doing business in Japan, is such a classic that it sold like crazy and is now in its sixth edition. Forty-six years later, the Paradise Valley resident and Japan expert has added to his string of books with The Japanese Samurai Code: Classic Strategies for Success. In the new book, De Mente details nearly 40 traits of the samurai that he says have shaped present-day Japanese thinking and behavior. "In my judgment, it was the influence of the samurai class over 800 years that molded the common Japanese into what they are today," De Mente said. The closest American parallel, De Mente says, might be the Navy SEALs or other specialized units in which young participants are trained for years under extreme challenges and high expectations.

[Charles]

I always wondered if that was a pseudonym, because de Mente is a bit demented.

But he does have some interesting things to say. Perhaps the strangest and most startling thing I ever read about Japanese culture was in his book "NTC Dictionary of Cultural Codewords" which was mercifully renamed and republished under the title "The Japanese Have A Word For It." It's a loose collection of essays rather than a dictionary, it's a catalog of nihonjinron (amongst other topics). There's an entry under the keyword "eigozukai" (english-user) that I'll never forget. He asserted that Japanese believe that Japanese should speak only Japanese, and by learning English, it was believed that their minds would be ruined by foreign and unnatural thinking processes. So eigozukai is an insult, a label for someone who is contaminated and doesn't think like a Japanese. Then he cited an incident from the 1970s in Tokyo, a workman was coming back from his job carrying his toolbox, when he encountered two nihonjin college students speaking English to each other. He took out his axe and murdered one of the eigozukai students on the spot. His defense was that he was driven temporarily insane by hearing nihonjin speaking English to each other..

[Taro Toporific]

[Mulboyne]

JapanToday: Samurai-type training can help American students succeed
Japanologist and author Boye Lafayette De Mente says that samurai-type training should be introduced into the American educational system, and has published a "samurai training manual" to help achieve that goal. Internationally known for his books on Japanese culture and a recognized authority on the way of the samurai, the Paradise Valley, Arizona-based author has identified the principles and practices that made up the educational and training process of samurai youths and published them in a book entitled: "Samurai Principles & Practices That Will Help Preteens & Teens in School, Sports, Social Activities & Choosing Careers."...more....

[L S]

Boye is a really interesting man. He is friends with my grad school buddy so I have had the pleasure to meet him during his visits to Tokyo. He has made an interesting entreprenureal career out of his affinity for Japan. Yes, he panders somewhat to some Japan stereotyping to sell his books, but the man knows his shit. Based on my talks with him, I think he is among the more well versed foreigners on Japan , especially 60-90's business culture, that I have meet. On top of that the guy is a true gentleman. Intersting note - he never married a Japanese woman even after living in Japan a long time and travelling here most of his adult life.

Hope no one minds my plug for him...he just is a really interesting nice guy so I wanted to say something.

[Naniwan Kid]

My boss is asking me to review Japan's Cultural Code Words for work. I am trying to find background on De Mente, but it's hard. I am not coming up with much.

Interesting book, though.

[Cubed]

Yep, he was the hetro Tyler Brule

I've read his column in the FT and I'm not impressed.

Tyler Durdan quips aside, who is Tyler Brule?

I think this De Mental chap is a sham. "Women of the Orient - Intimate Profiles of the World's most Feminine Women" does not strike me as the mark of a good writer who know jack shite about Japan.

[Greji]

-snip- Intersting note - he never married a Japanese woman even after living in Japan a long time and travelling here most of his adult life

He's gay?