The article describes and analyzes important iconographic elements of Buddhist cult sculpture, which are distinguished by great diversity and semantic content. Attention is focused on the etymology and semantics of the pedestals on which the sculptures stand or sit. Thanks to the pedestals, the sculpture was separated from the everyday profane world, its status in the hierarchy of Buddhist deities was emphasized, and its sublime sacral character was demonstrated. It turns out that the arsenal of pedestals is quite diverse. The richness of its forms is traced – from simple pedestals, low bases, which still have a symbolic meaning, to complex architectural structures. The classic pedestal-throne, representing a cascade of lotus flowers, on which prominent characters of the Buddhist world sat, was a manifestation of their divine origin and moral purity. The specific features of the pedestals are studied – the throne as a semantic analogue of the sacred mountain Sumeru, as well as zoomorphic thrones with various mounts and animals, which occupied a significant place in the diverse set of pedestals.
It has been established that radiant halos in the form of disks, fiery circles, mandorlas around the body of the sculpture, which are emitting rays, differ in form and style. Their symbolic aesthetics, which tell about the characters, their purpose and role in the Buddhist world, is considered. Mandorlas, based on a lotus petal, make up the picturesque background of the figures and compositionally unite the sculptural group. While halos above the head as a symbol of holiness most often have simple geometric shapes of a circle, or a hoop, and, in some cases, they are elongated at the top and decorated with symbols, mandorlas are always richly decorated, artistically refined and look as if woven from patterns. They give the figures a regal majesty and festivity. It is noted that the brightness of the images is enhanced by the golden sheen, and the luminosity of the images is the reason for the skillful ornamentation of the mandorlas and their rich decoration.
It is concluded that patterns on pedestals, halos, and mandorlas are an important element of the composition, indicating the uniqueness of decorative solutions. The types of pedestals worked out over the centuries, often with overhanging openwork canopies, various halos and mandorlas completed in form, contributed to the enrichment of plastic images. The article gives an idea of how diversely such important informational signs of Buddhist deities as pedestals, halos, and mandorlas are presented in Japanese iconography.

The article examines the Ōbaku Zen portrait painting, which is an essential part of the cultural heritage of the sect, and its relation to the tradition of the Buddhist portrait called chinzō. The Ōbaku school, the third branch of Japanese Zen Buddhism after Rinzai and Sōtō, was established in Japan during the Tokugawa period (1603–1868) by Chinese immigrants. The art of the Ōbaku monks had a significant impact on the formation of the cultural image of the Tokugawa period, since the huge surge in its popularity led to the transformation of certain genres of art, in particular, painting, where so called “Chinese styles” appeared. An example of this transformation is the widespread distribution of the Ōbaku portraits, considered in the article.
The article analyzes the Chinese origins of the Buddhist portrait genre, its traditional features that became key characteristics, as well as the development of chinzō in medieval Japan. Special attention is paid to the description of Ōbaku portraits as a unique genre and the analysis of the biographies of the sect’s most famous portrait painters. The article also addresses the inconsistencies between Ōbaku portraits and some stylistic and functional features of the chinzō tradition, the reasons for which lie in the influence of Western painting style and the need to produce a large number of images for the new temples of the sect. The author concludes that, despite the obvious differences (a clear emphasis on frontality, a special use of light and shadow borrowed from Western artists, a large number of works produced as opposed to uniqueness), the essence of Ōbaku Buddhist portraits corresponds to the chinzō tradition, which was intended to express a close relationship between a Zen master and his student, to confirm his achievement of enlightenment, and were also used as a substitute for a deceased monk during temple rituals. Ōbaku portraits continued to perform these key functions, which allows them to be considered a full-fledged part of the chinzō genre.

The article reviews the activities of Japanese doctors in the Amur Governorate-General. Archival research allowed us to observe a whole range of Japanese migrants’ private medical practices authorized by the local administration, as well as examples of their illegal medical activities. The founders of Japanese medical institutions in the Russian Far East were private individuals acting either on their own initiative, or at the invitation of the leaders of the local diaspora. The commercial efficiency of their hospitals was one of the main indicators of success of their medical practice. The medical work of Japanese residents was concentrated in cities and was not common in rural areas. The daily activities of Japanese doctors were based on the principles of Western medicine and were aimed primarily at meeting the healthcare needs and providing pharmaceutical drugs to their compatriots, but this did not exclude the provision of medical care to the locals due to the lack of medical organizations and private practitioners. The services provided by Japanese doctors and paraprofessionals (paramedics, obstetricians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists) included pre-hospital, primary medical, and specialized medical care, medical examinations of certain contingents of the locals, a number of laboratory diagnostics, nursing care, disinfection and sterilization.
In everyday medical activities, in addition to conservative therapy, operations on the abdominal organs, amputations, trepanations, incisions, extractions, and abortions were performed. Prevention, sanitation, and other public health issues were out of their scope. The provision of medical care was carried out both at the inpatient and outpatient levels. The large demand for medical services and special competitive advantages ensured high earnings for Japanese medics. But these activities were ambiguously assessed in Russian society, both due to the low level of medical education of the immigrants, and due to the existence of the discourse about the so-called “Yellow Peril”.

During the second half of 18^th century, the formation of collective identity continues to proceed in Japan. Popular literature impacted this strongly. A lot of materials published during this period contained knowledge about Chinese history and geography. In this paper, we try to examine the image of China in setsuyōshū as an example of popular mass literature, using the case of “The Complete Compendium of Urban Knowledge”, and the role it played in the formation of the image of Japan. The book was compiled in Osaka at the end of the 18^th century and appears to be one of the characteristic examples of the genre. Its author Takayasu Rooku was a well-educated calligrapher and connoisseur of the Chinese language and Chinese history. Due to the professional interests of the compiler, the amount of knowledge about China in the edition is greater than in other similar works. Chapters related to China focus on famous places, heroes, provide a list of calligraphers, show China’s place in the world map and images of Chinese people. Like other chapters of the book, they are accompanied by detailed illustrations: there are images of the eight views of Shao and Shang, Chinese heroes, famous people. We try to trace the source of information, as in the case of the chapter about Chinese arms and partly in the case of the 24 examples of filial piety. In some cases, we can trace the fashion and social tastes of the time: such is the case of the list of great Chinese calligraphers. We also pay attention to how China is called in different parts of the book. We try to examine the ways China was perceived and how its image was formed. We distinguish China as the source of wisdom and virtue; China as the source of cultural borrowings; China as an object of comparison to validate the quality of Japanese famous landscapes; contemporary China as a source of modern knowledge, a potential threat, and an object of interest. 

This article is devoted to the analysis of the Act on Promoting Measures to Realize a Society in Which the Pride of the Ainu People Is Respected (Act No. 16 of 2019). The problem of compliance of Japan's Ainu policy with international standards in the sphere of protection of indigenous peoples' human rights is actively discussed today by foreign researchers. However, it is hardly studied in the Russian historiography. The article discusses the main provisions of the new legislation and reveals the point of view of the Ainu representatives about the measures taken by the government. It has been found out that Japan's Ainu policy is greatly influenced by the position of international community towards the rights of indigenous peoples. International law has become the main lever of influence on the government for the Ainu people. It has been proven that the mechanisms for promotion and protection of the rights of the Ainu in Japan are imperfect and do not fully comply with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The main issues facing the Ainu are discrimination, collective rights, indigenous representation in the government, development of ethnic education, etc. 

The article considers the stages of formation and development of economic relations between the USSR/Russia and Japan. Within the period of the 1960s – 2021, four main stages were distinguished, differing in the forms, scale, and institutional framework of interactions: 1960s – 1980s, late 1980s – first half of the 1990s, second half of the 1990s – first half of the 2000s, the second half of the 2000s – 2021. It is shown how the sanctions against the Russian Federation introduced in 2022 affected the scale and prospects of economic interactions. The change in the model of bilateral interactions is analyzed: from trade and credit relations at the first stage to Japan's trade and investment expansion, which is characteristic of the fourth stage, while the export specialization of Russia and its Far East, based on the natural advantages of raw materials, continues. The main forms of origin and further development of mutual trade are described, starting with “small or coastal” trade and compensatory agreements and ending with spatial maneuvering and energy projects. It is argued that the general content of bilateral interactions at all stages is the formation in the Far East, as the dominant development strategy, of the concentration of economic resources in natural resource sectors and the formation on this basis of an export base oriented towards Japan as the basis for economic development. This strategy was increasingly formed as one of the most important components of economic policy both in the USSR and in Russia. The article upholds the thesis about the deepening of the gap between the Russian and Japanese economies, which are increasingly functioning within the framework of different structural and technological systems, which determines the modern scale, nature, and dynamics of mutual trade and economic interactions.
The main structural and dynamic trends of exports and imports, stages and features of the organization of interactions in 1991–2021 are analyzed, as well as the features of investment cooperation. Modern problems of investment and trade relations are considered in connection with the introduction of packages of sanctions by Japan against the Russian economy and the Russian counter-sanctions.

On July 8, 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, who remained one of Japan’s most influential political leaders, was shot dead while participating in an election event. A month and a half before Abe's assassination, a round table was held on the legacy of Abe's cabinets with the participation of Russian Japanese studies scholars from several universities and research institutions in Russia and Japan. During the discussion, a comprehensive analysis of the foreign policy of Abe's cabinets and, above all, his diplomacy vis-à-vis Russia was given. Japan's military security policy underwent radical changes under Abe, with the concept of proactive pacifism being its ideological formalization. Among Abe's achievements in the domestic political sphere, the participants of the round table especially noted his ability to control the bureaucracy and use the slightest miscalculations of his political opponents, as well as skillful image-making and the use of slogans for propaganda purposes. It was stated that the policy of ‘Abenomics’, proclaimed by Abe, remains relevant today, although some of its intermediate goals have already been achieved. The set of measures carried out by Abe's cabinets and aimed at creating conditions for expanding women's participation in the economy, called ‘Womenomics’, was analyzed. In conclusion, the data of a survey of Japanese students focusing on the transformation of their views on the outcome of World War II under the influence of Abe's ideas are presented. 

The article is a review of the collective monograph New Sources on the History and Culture of the Ainu. In the chapters of the monograph, Russian scholars, based on the analysis of material and written sources in Russian and foreign languages, consider various aspects of the history of the Ainu, their culture, and ethnic traditions. The measures taken by the Japanese government to establish sea communication between Edo and the lands of the Ainu are analyzed. The review notes the significant contribution made by each of the authors to the study of the Ainu culture and traditions.