ABSTRACT
I thasbeenwidelyrecognizedthattheimagespeopleofone nationhaveaboutothersarequiteinstrumentalinmobilization
ofpublicopinionwhich,initsturn,isanimportantfactorin internationalrelations.TheRussianandJapaneseimagesofeach otherinthepaststillhaveanimpactonpeople'smentalitytoday, andoftenfunctionaspsychologicalbarriersonthepathtopolitical rapprochement.Recentacademicworksdiscussingmutual Russian-Japaneseperceptionsfocusmainlyonindividualsor separategroupsofindividuals(Ito,1990;Akizuki,1990;Togawa, 1990;Mikhailova,1993;Molodiakov,1996).Inoureraof globalizationwhencontactsbetweenpeopleatgrassrootslevelare rapidlyincreasing,itisespeciallyimportanttoknowwhatimages andperceptionsunderpinnedrelationsbetweenJapanandRussia onthelevelofmassconsciousness,whatpoliticalandcultural mechanismswereinvolvedintheircreationandhowstereotypes ofthepasthaveinfluencedpopularopinioninlateryears.
