DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2019.1.28615

Abstract: The article is devoted to money as an important element of Japanese culture and universal means that may be brought up in all kinds of discussions. Izotova analyzes the history of Japanese money from the point of view of the axiological concept, describes kinds of coins and banknotes that are presently used, and defines their peculiarities. Izotova focuses on the ethnocultural features of the Japanese monetary behavior and describes particular Japanese traditions, for example, to give money as a present, not to give tips and special attitude to cash. The research is based on the use of a set of methods such as contextual interpretative analysis, diachronic research method, comparison and theoretical summary of the results of linguistic material. The scientific novelty of the research is caused by the fact that there are very few researches of money in Japanese from the point of view of cross-cultural differences. Thus, this work makes a contribution to the concept of money as a conservative and national specific means of socio-cultural interaction. The results of the analysis give an oportunity to better understand value systems of Japanese and their ambivalent attitude to the role of money in the society. 

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2018.7.26752

Abstract: The subject of the research is sumo as a traditional Japanese wrestling that has the status of a national sport in Japan. The rationale of the research is caused by both the fact that there are not so many researches devoted to the topic, and a growing interest in Japanese culture which developed peculiar national traditions and protects them with special care. The aim of the research is to define typical features, the place and role of sumo in the socio-cultural life of a Japanese society. In her research Izotova describes the main stages of sumo developing and factors that have been influencing it. The researcher pays special attention to the description of ethnocultural peculiarities of wrestling rituals and ceremonies. The methodological basis of the research implies the interdisciplinary and integrative approaches. To analyze and interpret data, the author has used the method of structured description allowing to trace back the evolution of the wrestling in a diachronic aspect. The results of the analysis demonstrate that being an essential part of culture, sumo presents special cultural codes and develop its own semiotic system of mental senses, archetypes and relations that reflect the nature of Japanese people's values. The milestones of the development of sumo are closely related to social relations at different stages of historical development. Being created as a religious ritual, sumo has turned into a professional sport that is popular not only in Japan but also abroad. The  novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author defines a regulatory function of sumo. The semantics of combats have preserved the mythopoetical content and have remained the same since the epoch of Edo. Rigid rituals and ceremonies that are rooted in shinto philosophy are transfered through generations and stimulate moral behavior of modern Japanese, contribute to the preservation and transmission of traditional cultural values. 

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2017.10.23577

Abstract: The subject of the research is the symbolism of chrysanthemum in the world view of native speakers of the Japanese language. The goals and objectives of the research are determined by the point of view that flowers are a spiritual component of Japanese traditional culture and consist in describing the evolution of the symbolism of the chrysanthemum, determining the factors that influence its formation, the means of actualization in the national consciousness. Having examined the general mythological foundations of the image of chrysanthemum, the author explores the ways of the formation of heraldic symbols, determines the role and place of the flower in the festive and everyday culture of the Japanese. The methodological basis is linguoculturological analysis, related to the study of the interrelation between language and culture, interpretative and descriptive methods, axiological approach. The author comes to the conclusion about the special semiotic status of chrysanthemum in Japanese lingvoculture. Throughout the centuries, the image of the chrysanthemum, the sacred symbol of the sun and the goddess Amaterasu, longevity and imperial power was constantly enriched with new meanings. A definite contribution to the study of the topic is the identification and description of the ambivalent semantics of the chrysanthemum: during the Meiji era, the image of white chrysanthemum became an attribute of funeral ceremonies, during the Second World War contributed to the aestheticization of death.The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the author in his work operated with new sources and illustrative material, which have not been published anywhere in Russian.