dear reader, be forewarned!

Please forget that he is Japanese while you are American, that he is of the old school while you are of the new generation, or any such petty distinctions. For Gods sake, for your sake, forget it - because he has given us the key to survival in a world of logarithmically accelerating chaos. The future is up to us... (1)

The memorial anniversary of George Ohsawa's 87th (1980) birthday coincides with the emergance of this book in the English language. Jack and Miti has never appeared in any language except French, and now, twenty-five years after its original publication in Paris, Ken Burns has completed a translation of what may be a remarkably timely manuscript at this juncture of modern civilization. (2)

Among Ohsawa's writings, this book is different. It is the result of his admiration of Samuel Butler and Erewhon. This book is a criticism of the modern world which Ohsawa called 'civilized.' His criticism covers all fields, such as economics, government, religon, education, medicine, morality, etiquette, and science.

You may be angry, you may feel there is too much criticism. You may protest and finally stop reading it. However, please read it again after you try to cure one hundred sick or unhappy people, using whatever method you believe in.

Before writing this book, Ohsawa lived forty years devoted to teaching macrobiotics, curing the sick, teaching the philosophy of the unifying principle, organic gardening (he was teaching this already in 1941), world peace, anti-militarism (for this he was sentenced to death twice), and freedom of choice in medicine. He was living half the time in Japan and half in other countries. He worked in many different fields during those forty years in Japan and abroad; however, one thing was unchanging: he constantly worked and searched for universal justice, throwing away family life, sightseeing, social parties and amusements - except movies and smoking. Even these two pleasures were rather his study of modern living.

He always looked for and tried to establish justice in religon, society, politics, the food industry, medicine, and even in eating and drinking. He wanted justice because he thought without justice man cannot be happy or healthy.

The spirit of justice makes his writing harsh, severe. If you find such harshness in this book to much for you, then try to make not only yourself but also your family, friends, society, nation, and world happier and without sickness for at least ten years. Then this book will be entirely different. His harshness will disapper because you are Ohsawa. (3)

 

 

1. Jack and Mitie - George Ohsawa - English Edition - Ken Burns - Translator's Note - 1980
2. Jack and Mitie - George Ohsawa - Editor's Preface - Sandy Rothman - 1980
3. Jack and Mitie - George Ohsawa - Publisher's Introduction - Herman Aihara - 1980
©Copyright George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation - G.O.M.F