“Growth of Energy of Japanese will Wake Creative Power of all East” (М. Gorky about New and Old Japan)

Abstract

In the context of the subject “M. Gorky and the East” studying Gorky’s attitude to the Land of the Rising Sun, its history, culture and public life can be considered to be a topic of special consideration. Gorky's interest in Japan had many sides, and included reading scientific literature and fiction, maintaining relations with Japanese writers, and collecting objects of Oriental plastic arts ( netsuke, okimono ). The article shows that Gorky's perception of Japan’s modernization and its integration into world cultural environment hasn't been deprived of contradictions. Admiration of the culture and national identity of the Land of the Rising Sun hasn’t prevented Gorky from seeing deep social problems of Japanese society in the beginning of the 20th century.