In the Boxer Rebellion and Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese military rightly earned a reputation for chivalry in combat, showing generosity to their defeated foes. In both of those conflicts, conversely, European forces committed numerous acts of savagery that, were they repeated today, would be subject to international censure. Only a few decades later, the Japanese military was behaving barbarously to enemy soldiers and civilians alike, committing acts of murder, torture, and even cannibalism. Anthropologist Robert Edgerton examines this sudden reversal, locating it in changes in Japanese military culture. One Japanese general, following surrender in 1945, attributed those changes to a cult of young warriors who sought to recapture ancient--and largely imagined--martial virtues. Fascinating at turns, this book illuminates much of contemporary discussions regarding Japan's defense role in East Asia.