Nationalism in Japanese Historiography of the 1990-2010s

Abstract

The object of the study is the phenomenon of Japanese nationalism in foreign historiography of the 1990-2010's. The subject of the study are the factors that historically formed the concept of Japanese nationalism and its modern perception by researchers. The Japanese political model and its components, including nationalism, are often subject to biased interpretation. Western approaches to Japanese nationalism almost always boil down to the fact that Japanese individualism is considered not as a kind of individualism, but as nationalism. The author examines the works of nationalism researchers who have used various methods and approaches to the analysis of this topic in order to compare the main models of nationalism in Japan and Western states. The author uses problem-chronological and comparative research methods. The novelty of the research lies in the author's comparison and study of the concepts of national identity and nationalism used in Japan by political elites to solve the problem of consolidating power, establishing state control over all aspects of the life of Japanese society, as well as combating external threats. The study of a country with a non-Western political culture demonstrates that if in Western approaches "nationalism" is usually defined as a phenomenon, a sense of solidarity arising from a common historical experience, then nationalism in the Japanese sense is an ideological mixture of militaristic, industrial and reformist aspects of the national idea and contains many complex factors. In addition to Japanese researchers, the author also studied the works of Russian and Western researchers.