Japan's heroic tradition is in startling contrast to that of the West. The most beloved Japanese heroes chose defeat and certain death rather than sully the purity of their ideals with compromise and petty calculation. The lives of nine of these heroes of Japanese history are related here, beginning with a legendary fourth-century prince and concluding with the kamikaze pilots of World War II. with The Nobility of Failure, Ivan Morris opens a new window onto the Japanese people. - Back cover.