ABSTRACT
Owing to geographical proximity and the complexity of Japanese-Soviet relations, the USSR has always been of intense interest to Japanese scholars and the Japanese public. The changes in the USSR's leadership following a prolonged period of succession crises have further enhanced Japan's interest in Soviet affairs, and Japanese experts on the Soviet Union have begun to seek closer contacts with US and European researchers. The objectives of the symposium were to evaluate the new Soviet leadership under Gorbachev, to assess the immediate implications of Soviet policy orientation, and to envision the character of Soviet society in the coming decade. The symposium succeeded in fulfilling its mandate. In particular, its international composition revealed the processes by which geographical and national concerns influence perceptions of the USSR and determine the ways in which scholars from different parts of the world analyze the Soviets.
