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Немейнстримный японский политический дискурс в контексте новейших российско-японских отношений
The state and prospects of Russian-Japanese relations after the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis depend on both foreign and domestic political factors, including the geopolitical views of Japanese political elites and their leaders and, above all, the degree of their independence relative to the US. Why is the official Japanese political discourse completely consolidated with the American after the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis? Is there opposition to mainstream discourse within Japan, what is its effectiveness and significance for Russian-Japanese relations? This paper answer the research questions through analysis of the expert opinion with help of the in-depth interviewing, analysis of secondary sources, discourse analysis of public speeches. The paper draws conclusion that the support of the US and the unified western narrative is due to the current leadership of Prime Minister F. Kishida, as well as the traditional weakness of the Japanese opposition under the dominance of the ruling LDP. The visibility of consolidation is also strengthening by specific conductors of mainstream discourse – the Japanese media. Nevertheless, for a number of representatives of the Japanese political opposition, the Ukrainian crisis has become a weighty argument in criticizing the official discourse. Among them are those who share the Russian understanding of the Ukrainian crisis, the role of the US in it and the consequences for Japan of US support in the anti-Russian military campaign. They also insist on the need for Japan to adhere to national-interest-oriented tactics in foreign policy and international relations, without destroying them with Russia as its closest neighbour. Non-mainstream discourse increases its influence on mainstream, as well as on Japanese public opinion. The research results are also important because in the current Russian-Japanese relations, Russia is willing to know the political actors and their activities, which can be relied on to normalize these relations and promote in Japan the Russian point of view on the Ukrainian crisis and the role of the US in it.