The book meticulously documents Zen Buddhism's support of Japanese militarism from the time of the Meiji Restoration through the World War II and the post-War period. It describes the influence of state policy on Buddhism in Japan, and particularly the influence of Zen on the military of the Empire of Japan. A famous quote is from Harada Daiun Sogaku: "ordered to march: tramp, tramp, or shoot: bang, bang. This is the manifestation of the highest Wisdom Enlightenment. The unity of Zen and war of which I speak extends to the farthest reaches of the holy war under way."