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It seems, on first reading, that Lacan did not mention Japan very often. However, when his teaching is examined more closely, it becomes clear that he often referred to Japan. Among his many references to Japanese culture, his encounter with Zen was particularly striking. This encounter forms the basis for a possible dialogue between Lacan's work and Japanese philosophy, especially that of Nishida Kitarõ. Both started by returning to Descartes. Where Lacan was seeking to conceptualize the subject of the unconscious, Nishida was formulating his theory of the true self. Both were looking for a different kind of subject than that usually found in Western philosophy. Their returns to Descartes were intended to go beyond his thought, to open up a different approach, with Zen serving as a point of reference. The resonances between Lacan's and Nishida's ways of thinking as explored in this article serve as the basis for …