A Hundred-Year History of Russia Through the Eyes of a Japanese Scholar. Review of Okada Susumu’s Book From Soviet Socialism to Russian Capitalism. A Hundred-Year History of Russian Society and Economy

Abstract

In 2022, the Toshindo Publishing House published a book by a famous Japanese scholar, Honorary Professor of Tokyo University of Foreign Languages Okada Susumu. The book covers a huge historical period, during which the Soviet and later Russian society and the country’s economy went through a series of dramatic transformations, which have no analogues in human history. Being a high-class professional, Professor Okada identified the most important events and problems in the hundred years of Russian history, demonstrating a deep understanding of their essence. Professor Okada used a problem-historical approach to analyze the changes in the Russian economy and society over the course of a century. The book consists of three sections. The first section, “Two Systemic Upheavals,” analyzes the features of Russia’s economic development from the October Revolution to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the formation of a new Russia. The second section, “Changes in the Economic System and the Situation of Workers,” examines a wide range of issues characterizing the situation in various spheres of society in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia. Finally, the third section, “Soviet Socialism and Russian Capitalism,” contains an analysis of the essence of both Soviet socialism and modern Russian capitalism. Each chapter is provided with an extensive list of literature (mostly in Russian), from academic works to periodicals. Interesting details are woven into the rigorous academic analysis, which indicates the author’s excellent knowledge of Russian realities, not only of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, but also of earlier times. Unfortunately, it is impossible to reflect all the advantages of Professor Okada’s book in a short review, but there is no doubt that it makes an important contribution to the study of our country and the vicissitudes of its development in Japan.