The article is devoted to the problems of history of Japanese-Russian relations, which form modern perception of the past of bilateral relations in Russian society. One of the most significant moment in this part of history was Japanese intervention in the Far East region. In the Soviet society the political propaganda formed a wrong image about intervention as an act of aggression of the Japanese Empire against Russia and its attempt of a territorial takeover. The same point of view prevails in today’s bibliography, which can be explained by the insufficient study of this event. The analysis of anti-Soviet sources, both published and stored in archives, allows for the perspective of a sophisticated and divergent reality of the events of 1918—1922. As a result, a more objective historical picture is restored, in which the intervention goals were constantly changing during this period along with the evolution of Russian public opinion. There were also differences in attitudes depending on a region: those who lived in Primorye were more loyal to the Japanese intervention and more trustful towards the Japanese policy in the Russian East. The restored picture of historical events provides for better understanding in current Russo-Japaneserelations.