The phenomenon of the human natural habitat through the prism of history and culture: Monograph “Terra Nipponica: Habitat and Imagination Environment” by Alexander Meshcheryakov

Abstract

The monograph by A.N. Meshcheryakov “Terra Nipponica: Habitat and Environment of Imagination” focuses on the description of the Japanese people’s perception of their natural habitat. Analyzing a large number of sources from different historical eras, the author, for the first time in world Japanese studies, tried to consider the evolution of the Japanese views on nature throughout the history of the country. The focus of the work is the analysis of the environment, its size and quality, as well as an attempt to trace the influence of various natural disasters on the formation of a picture of the world. In addition, the monograph examines various models of nature, which are reflected in poetry, gardens, philosophical treatises, and journalism. Considerable attention is paid to the consideration of nature as a means of self-identification of the Japanese.