Zen Terror in Prewar Japan: Portrait of an Assassin

Written by a Zen priest, this book explodes the myth of Zen Buddhism as a peaceful religion.



Can Buddhism, widely regarded as a religion of peace, also contribute to acts of terrorism? Through an insider’s view of right—wing ultranationalism in prewar Japan, this powerful book follows a band of Zen Buddhist–trained adherents who ardently believed so. Brian Victoria, himself a Zen priest, tells the story of a group of terrorists who were responsible for the assassination of three leading poli...