CRITICISM AND BIBLIOGRAPHY. REVIEWS

Moscow, 2002. N1. 64 p.

(c) 2002 M. V. GRACHEV

The name of the new periodical (four issues per year) reflects a certain ambivalence of the Japanese cultural tradition: on the one hand, "brush", i.e. written culture, which can include both examples of fine literature and philosophical treatises that are quite difficult to understand; on the other, "sword", which can be seen as the militancy of the Japanese the severity of their morals. It is the combination of "brush" and "sword" that reveals two different poles of the Japanese historical and cultural tradition, its originality and sophistication.

page 207

The materials in this issue are divided into different categories. So, in the section "Ethnography", where it is supposed to publish materials on various aspects of the traditional historical and modern folk professional culture of the Japanese, an article by A. N. Meshcheryakov"Japanese Tea" is placed. In the "Mirror" section, which reflects both the personal impressions of domestic Japanese people who directly came into contact with Japanese realities, and the Japanese view of Russian reality, there is an article by E. V. Mayevsky "How I climbed Fuji. Subjective notes on the mentality of the Japanese". The author makes an attempt to identify the main components of the Japanese style of thinking, although, in my opinion, most likely, he notices not the components of mentality, but the elements of everyday consciousness of Japanese people.

In the category "Chronicle" - an article by A. M. Gorbylev "Take" means "mad". Japanese Berserkers", dedicated to a little-studied topic in Russian Japanese studies - the genesis of samurai art. The author highlights important features of the formation of the samurai class in Japan.

The "Soul" section is supposed to publish materials on religious and philosophical topics. In this issue, this is an article by A. S. Bachurin "Yuitsu Shinto and the teachings of 'secret ' Buddhism", which deals with an equally urgent problem of the history of Japanese culture - the relationship between Shintoism and Buddhism in Japan in the 15th century.

Article by N. S. Nikolaeva "Kano Eitoku. Painting in Architecture", placed under the heading" Color", tells about the role of the artist Kano Eitoku (1543-1590) in the history of Japanese art.

In the category "Strength" - an article by A. M. Gorbylev" The Riddle of the Ninja", which tells about one of the most mysterious pages of the Japanese military tradition, about the" invisible warriors " - ninja.

A. N. Meshcheryakov in the article "Reception of the theory of the "mandate of Heaven" in ancient Japan (VII-VIII centuries)", placed in the category "Science", scrupulously examines such an acute problem of Japanese antiquity as the borrowing by the creators of Japanese statehood of various components of Chinese political thought, one of which was the concept of the "mandate of Heaven". As the author rightly emphasizes, the thesis that the ancient Japanese political elite rejected the concept of the " mandate of Heaven "is only partially true, since in Japan of the VII-VIII centuries "all the main components of the theory of the" mandate of Heaven" were presented", but unlike neighboring China, their application was limited. For this reason, a complex of ideas "related to continuity within one dynasty" began to prevail in Japan.

The creators of the magazine intend to publish translations of Japanese works of various genres under the heading "Word". This issue contains excerpts from two Japanese medieval works: the novel " Confusion "("Torikaebaya Monogatari"), created by an unknown author of the XII century (translated by M. V. Toropygina), and "A Brief History of the Military Arts of Japan" ("Honte bugei shoden"), written by Hinatsu Shirozaemon Shigetaka in 1714 (translated by M. V. Toropygina). A. M. Gorbyleva).

In the final section of the magazine, called "Lantern", E. B. Sakharova ("In the light of fireflies and snow. Japanese Library") provides a brief overview of books on Japan, published in 2000-2001 in domestic publishers. These are scientific studies, translations, and collections of reports read at conferences.

The new edition aims to help researchers of Japanese history and culture promote modern Japanese studies, which in turn will make it easier for the uninitiated to understand the characteristics of Japanese culture. The journal can also be useful for Japanese scientists.

Permanent link to this publication: