The article focuses on the study of the activities of the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) during the Russo-Japanese War (1904—1905) in organizing and directly providing medical and humanitarian aid to wounded and sick Russian prisoners of war and internees. It was found that, since Japan’s accession to the International Red Cross Movement in 1886, humanitarian activities within this organization were based on Western values and practices of that time, involving both full-time employees and volunteers. The authors display the overall volume and scale of rescue operations carried out by the Japanese Red Cross, both in the theater of military operations and in the rear during the war with Russia. Striving to match the ideals of Western humanism and emphasizing its neutral status, the JRCS tried to enhance the international status of Japan as a “civilized” country, not just by adhering to the already established international principles of warfare, but creating new humanitarian practices during military operations. Using the example of wellknown historical events of the Russo-Japanese War, using materials of Japanese origin, the authors reconstruct the complete picture of the society's activities, focusing on the accumulation of forces and resources, conduct of rescue and humanitarian operations, organization of evacuation, sanitary, medical, and everyday support work. It also seems possible to presents the work of ordinary members of the society and volunteers to carry out qualified nursing care, solve economic issues, and arrange the daily life of the sick and wounded Russian soldiers in Japanese captivity. The article provides assessment of this activity by people who received direct assistance from the Japanese side. The authors draw a conclusion that, during the studied period, the JRCS, while actually being a part of the Japanese armed forces, played a significant role in implementing the new humanitarian policy of the Japanese leadership. The JRCS was also the organizer of nursing in Japan according to American and European models. However, Western humanities scholars continued to view Japan as a “secondtier” country in need of mentoring from “Western teachers.”

This article addresses the issues related to assessing the effectiveness of institutions that contribute to the introduction of hydrogen energy in Japan and China. The relevance of such research is due to these countries’ pursuit of decarbonization in their energy sectors and the need for systematic analysis of institutional mechanisms determining the success of transition to hydrogen technologies and solutions. As theoretical foundation, an original index developed by the authors as a comprehensive metric tool is applied. The methodology of its calculation assumes a balanced assessment of four key criteria: legal efficiency, economic efficiency, operational efficiency, and social efficiency. Specific subcriteria are identified for each criterion, which makes it possible to take into account such parameters as the maturity of the institute, the impact on the industry, and compliance with international standards. Verification of values and indicators was carried out on the basis of relevant literature, statistical data, and expert assessments, which ensures high reliability of the results obtained. The proposed index integrates quantitative and qualitative parameters, which makes it possible to assess not only the current state of institutions, but also their “long-term” potential. This proposed index integrates quantitative and qualitative parameters including access to funding, regulatory framework, and technological development level, allowing evaluation of not only the current state, but also long-term potential of institutions. The general methodology is based on comparative analysis between two states, where Japan serves as an example of early adoption of hydrogen technologies, while China demonstrates accelerated growth in this field with active government regulation. Special atte tion is given to the impact of institutional environment on overcoming barriers, such as high cost of hydrogen technologies and insufficient infrastructure for storage and tran sportation. The study demonstrates that the proposed index can identify structural vulnerabilities and provide targeted recommendations to enhance institutional efficiency, which has significant practical implications for countries aiming at implementing va rious forms of hydrogen systems. The results clearly confirm the hypothesis that combination of technological and institutional efficiency is a critically important factor for successful development of hydrogen energy, making the index developed by the authors a universal tool for comparative analysis of institutional trajectories across different countries, taking into account their specific features.

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the legal and institutional foundations of prison chaplaincy in Japan’s penitentiary system. The study focuses on the historical evolution of religious guidance in correctional institutions — from its origins during the Meiji era (1868—1912), through postwar reforms, to current practices, particularly within the framework of the National Federation of Prison Chaplains. The article explores the legal codification of religious activities in places of detention, analyzing key legislative acts that define the rights and functions of religious instructors. Particular emphasis is placed on the contributions of monks from the True Pure Land tradition (Jôdo Shinshû), who played a leading role in the establishment and expansion of prison chaplaincy. These monks not only initiated the practice but also worked systematically to institutionalize it. The article examines how Buddhist schools sought to preserve their social relevance and maintain integration within the state system by utilizing religious instruction in prisons as a continuation of their traditional public functions. Attention is given to the sectarian monopolization of this activity and to the conflict surrounding the appointment of the Christian reformer Tomeoka Kôsuke at Sugamo Prison — a pivotal moment in the broader debate over religious policy in the penal sphere. A separate section is dedicated to the work of Ogawa Shigejirô, a prominent reformer of Japan’s juvenile justice system, who significantly contributed to the adaptation of the German penitentiary model, which combined religious instruction, education, and discipline. His concept of “protective education” formed the basis of the Prison Act (1908), which institutionalized moral and ethical rehabilitation as a core element of penal practice. The article also underscores the continuing significance of spiritual and moral guidance as a distinct component of Japan’s correctional philosophy. It highlights the contemporary collaboration between religious organizations — primarily through the National Federation of Prison Chaplains — and state institutions under the constitutional principle of secularism, reflecting the ongoing evolution of Buddhism’s social role in modern Japanese society.

The article analyzes the elements that were used to create the image of a mermaid in the short stories by Japanese authors of the 20th—21st centuries. In the stories, there are obvious allusions not only to Japanese legends and classical stories (Nihon Shoki, the novella by Ihara Saikaku, etc.), but also to the images of sirens created in the lyrics of C. Brentano, H. Heine, and M. Arnold. In turn, in the poem by Nakahara Chûya “North Sea” (1935), one can see the symbolism of the image of a mermaid, borrowed from the story by Ogawa Mimei “The Mermaid and the Red Candle” (1921). A number of writers have references to the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” (1837) by H. C. Andersen, to the fairy tale “The Fisherman and His Soul” (1891) by O. Wilde, as well as to the works of Western postmodernists. For example, in Tanizaki Jun’ichirô’s story “The Siren’s Lament” (1917), a beautiful mermaid bought from a European personifies the mysterious appeal of Western civilization in the eyes of the character who has lost interest and taste for life; in the stories by Ogawa Mimei “The Mermaid and the Red Candle” (1921) and Ogawa Yôko “The Life of a Mermaid Jeweler” (2006), mermaids are enchanted by the human world, like H. C. Andersen’s Little Mermaid, and, being betrayed, are cruelly disappointed in it, — only, unlike the original fairy tale, they take revenge on their offenders. Horror stories by Atôda Takashi “Hair” (1996) and “The Mermaid” (2008) depict a mermaid as a predatory and vindictive monster from Japanese urban folklore, while short psychological thrillers by Abe Kôbô “The Mermaid’s Story” (1962), Mochizuki Hiroyuki “The Day of the Mermaid” (1980), and Tamaru Masatomo “Saving the Mermaid” (2016), with elements of black humor and satire, raise the social theme of the degradation of humanity, prone to selfdestruction, as well as the problems of loss of personality, identity crisis, and unsuccessful struggle with the unconscious. Mermaids become a symbol, referring not only to traditional images from Japanese myths and legends, but also to Western modernist and postmodernist works, for example, the novels “GalGpagos” by K. Vonnegut and “The Sea Lady: A Tissue of Moonshine” by H. G. Wells, the stories “Axolotl” by J. CortGzar and “The Metamorphosis” by F. Kafka.

This article examines the features of information perception and critical thinking within the contemporary Japanese media sphere, with a particular focus on societal attitudes towards national mass media. Drawing on empirical research data from both international and Japanese media research institutes, the author analyzes the transformation of media consumption patterns in the context of digitalization and audience fragmentation. The study reveals that the declining popularity of traditional media in Japan is not offset by an equivalent increase in news consumption via social networks, leading to a pronounced “news avoidance” phenomenon affecting a significant portion of the population. Special attention is paid to the dominance of news aggregators and search services as key information channels, as well as the agebased differentiation of media practices: younger generations more frequently turn to social platforms, while older age groups resort to YouTube and traditional media. The article also identifies the unique role of “ordinary users” as significant actors in shaping the information agenda on Japanese social networks, which distinguishes Japan from most other countries where politicians and journalists remain the dominant opinion leaders. A separate section is devoted to the issue of trust in the media: despite a global crisis of trust in journalism, its level in Japan remains relatively high and stable. The key criteria for evaluating information for the Japanese audience are the absence of bias, transparency, and adherence to professional standards. Criticism of the media and journalists in Japanese society is less pronounced than the global average and is more often initiated by celebrities and influencers rather than political actors. This article therefore establishes that the Japanese media landscape is uniquely defined by the convergence of worldwide digital shifts and deeply rooted cultural patterns of trust, measured critique, and a particular collective stance toward national media. The theoretical significance of the study lies in clarifying the applicability of universalist models of media consumption and trust in news to the Japanese context, as well as in conceptualizing the role of nationally conditioned factors in analyzing the digital transformation of the media sphere.

Since the late 1990s, under conditions of economic depression and the aggravation of a number of unfavorable social trends (population aging, shrinking of youth population, and declining birth rates), there has been a rapid spread of the idea that Japanese middle-class society is transforming into a gap society, with the main evidence of this transformation being the growing socioeconomic inequality. The article examines three aspects of the problem of socioeconomic inequality: income distribution, social mobility, and the role of education as a key factor of social mobility. The analysis of statistical data (the dynamics of the Gini coefficient for equivalent disposable income and shifts in the structure of households by the ratio of their income to the median) does not confirm the thesis of increased economic inequality in the country in recent decades. Shifts in the population's employment structure have shown that, over the past 30 years, millions of Japanese have been able to move up the social ladder in terms of the prestige of their profession. This is also confirmed by the high rates of absolute social mobility. As for the growing inequality in the chances of such advancement for people from different social strata (i.e., relative mobility), this thesis is refuted by the calculations of Professor H. Ishida from the University of Tokyo, who showed that, throughout the post-war period, the strength of the connection between the class background of Japanese people and their achieved social status remained unchanged. Although the Japanese education system distributes Japanese to different levels of the social pyramid from the time they are in school, and one of the main factors influencing this distribution is the socioeconomic status of the family, Japanese researchers have found that there has not been an increase in inequality in terms of the chances of young Japanese from different social backgrounds to receive higher education. Thus, the thesis that Japanese society has transformed from a classless society of middle class, sôchûryû shakai, to a gap society, kakusa shakai, lacks a solid scientific foundation. Firstly, it was a class-based, gap society before. Secondly, there has been no increase in inequality in terms of income distribution, social mobility, or access to higher education for people from different social groups. But, in terms of the well-being of Japanese families, the distribution of income, and people's adherence to a shared value system, Japanese society had already become a sôchûryû shakai by the early 1970s and remains so to this day. This is confirmed by the results of annual surveys conducted by the Prime Minister's Office, which show that, for over half a century, approximately 90 % of Japanese people have considered themselves to be middle class by their standard of living.

One of the main features of Japanese book publishing in the Edo period is that books were published using woodblock printing. However, at the beginning of the period, from the end of the 16th century to the mid-1620s, movable type printing prevailed, and, over the next quarter of a century, movable type printing, although losing its leading position, still made up a significant share of books. From the second half of the 17th century, large publishing projects based on movable type printing were no longer undertaken, but private individuals, clan and private schools continued to publish small-circulation literature in this way. Japan became acquainted with movable type in the 1590s, when the Jesuit Mission began publishing books using the European technology invented by Gutenberg, and Korean movable type was brought from the Korean campaign undertaken by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, on the basis of which the first Japanese movable typefaces were made. In the early years of the spread of book printing, the emperors Goyôzei and Gomizunoo, Tokugawa Ieyasu, representatives of the court nobility and high samurai, and Buddhist temples were involved in publishing. Books were also published by private individuals, including the physicians Oze Hoan, Manase Gensaku, Isokawa Ryôan, and the wealthy merchant Suminokura Soan. Many achievements in book printing came into sight with movable type printing: secular books were published for the first time, as well as books in Japanese, Japanese classics, works of new Japanese literature. This period of book printing has long been actively studied both in Japan and abroad, and yet many mysteries associated with it remain. There are also a number of controversial issues that researchers constantly return to. The period of typesetting showed the great potential of this technology, but nevertheless it almost completely gave way to woodcut printing. The main reason for this is the convenience of woodblock printing for commercial book printing, but many other arguments are also given by scholars. The influence of Korean book printing on Japanese one is easy to trace, but the influence (or lack of the influence) of European technology is a controversial issue, which has recently received much attention from book historians.

This article presents a retrospective study of the institutional development of Japan's psychiatric care system. It examines the stages of the establishment of psychiatric services, beginning with the early legislative acts of the 20th century, the development of the hospital network, as well as changes in hospitalization methods and social support for patients with mental disorders. The historical overview, based on Japanese researchers' articles, includes an analysis of the legislative framework related to issues concerning people with mental disorders. These statutes are further examined to explore how the state discourse frames the perception of affected individuals, revealing a connection to the concept of “impurity” on the one hand and “public danger” on the other. This reveals both the state's efforts to humanize treatment for those with mental disorders and their persistent objectification. A paradigm shift occurred only in the 21st century. The study highlights the importance of the economic dimension that influenced the formation of the psychiatric hospital system, which exhibits significant inertia and rigidity during the reform process. Therefore, the work includes an investigation of the economic factors that affected the establishment of the psychiatric care system and the contemporary economic constraints influencing its reform; statistical data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan serve as the source. Additionally, data from the Ministry's official website are used to analyze the psychiatric care system reforms initiated in 2004. The concluding part of the study is devoted to examining these reforms and the current state of psychiatric care in Japan. The prospects for developing psychiatric care are considered in light of demographic trends and contemporary social demands. A systematic synthesis of the historical, legal, and sociocultural aspects of psychiatric care development in Japan is provided, with emphasis on current challenges and directions for reform in the context of increasing life expectancy and population aging.

The article presents an analysis of the new monograph by Doctor of Economic Sciences I.P. Lebedeva, Japan in the 21st Century. Social Structure, Socio-Economic Problems. It evaluates the author’s contribution to the discussion about Japanese society transforming from the “middle-class society” to the “divided society.” It considers the key statements of the work focusing on social stratification, intergenerational mobility, the role of education, and the demographic problems (population aging, decreasing birth rates). The reviewer emphasizes the high academic level of the work, its substantial primary sources foundation, and the practical significance of the author’s conclusions for specialists and a wide circle of readers alike.

On February 12, 2026, the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences hosted a seminar on the results of the snap elections to the House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet, held on February 8, 2026. The participants of the seminar analyzed in detail the prerequisites, the course, and the results of the elections. The seminar participants identified several factors behind the Liberal Democrats' decisive victory, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's strong personal rating, which surpassed 70 % ahead of the election and was significantly boosted by the effective use of image-making techniques to enhance her appeal to voters; the gender factor associated with the first female prime minister of Japan; China's efforts to pressure Takaichi into retracting her parliamentary remarks on the Taiwan issue, which sparked a surge of patriotism in the country and united voters behind the national leader. Separately, the unsuccessful performance of the opposition was analyzed, in particular, the merger of the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Komeito, which was not supported by the coherence of the program of the new Centrist alliance, giving reason to liken it to an attempt to combine oil and water. The election campaign was unsuccessful for the new party, which was the main opponent of the LDP in the elections, during which the centrists tried to appeal to pacifist values that did not find a response among young people. The seminar participants came to the conclusion that the victory of the LDP, led by the leader of its hawkish wing, reflects a right-wing turn in Japanese politics, which correlates with general electoral trends in the world. In addition, Takaichi's victory is largely related to the Japanese’ fears of being left alone while the U.S. President Donald Trump is in power.