The perception of Japan in the Russian public consciousness

Abstract

Japan has long been a country closed to Russia. According to some sources, acquaintance with its inhabitants began in the 17th century, and we received the first direct information about the way of life of the Japanese from the descriptions of those who explored the Far East in the 18th century, as well as from Russian sailors. A particularly invaluable contribution to the question of understanding Japan at the initial stage was made by captain V.M. Golovnin, who was captured by the Japanese. Studying a country means not only focusing on political or economic relations, but also on the psychological perception of the inhabitants of the other country. This level – the level of soft power – is also important for building long-term good neighborly relations, affecting the mentality and the ability to perceive each other in a tolerant way. The purpose of this article is to analyze various sources, both academic and everyday ones, to characterize the image of Japan that has developed in the minds of Russian citizens. To achieve this goal, a phenomenological approach is used in the context of the “perception of the other”. The authors consistently prove the dominance of historical memory in the development of relations, which proceeded according to the type of non-military rivalry and conflict resolution. The logic and structure of the article is a movement from the analysis of relations between the inhabitants of our countries, starting with the notes of navigators of the 19th century, towards the analysis of the dynamics of current relations, and, finally, the discussion of the attitudes and perceptions of Japanese culture by the Russian youth. The authors conclude that the image of Japan in the minds and mentality of Russian citizens is formed according to the agonistic type, which implies the acceptance of the other, and not rejection, as is the case of the “perception of the other” according to the polemos type.