Philosophy and Culture of Scientific Work in Japan: Myths and Realities

In the self-assessment of the achievements of modern Japanese science, there are two opposite philosophical positions – a deep respect for the Japanese national spirit and adopted in the West critical instruction, aimed at identifying one's own shortcomings. It was found that these two positions find their reconciliation in the culture of unceasing self-improvement of scientists in the direction of the culture of scientific research and the culture of interaction between scientists, state institutions and public initiatives. Science education and science communication are considered as two key concepts that characterize the way of state and public management of science in Japan and express the essence of the Japanese culture of scientific work. It was revealed that the myth of closedness of Japanese science is being overcome in scientific education in Japan, and the myth of strict state control over the development of science is being overcome in scientific communication in Japan. Also, the predominantly directive way of state management of the development of science is being replaced by a multi-paradigm culture of science management, which includes, in addition to state orders, a more active position of research scientists, as well as non-state social networks for the dissemination of scientific information and the institutionalization of scientists' promotion of their messages to society. Japanese scientists agree that science education in Japan should raise the academic level of popularization of science, science communication should weaken vertical state patronage by building additional horizontal scientific networks and encouraging the creation of public institutions to support science, and Japanese spirit should become the world brand of Japanese science, which requires a wider inclusion of Japanese science in English-language scientific communication. It was determined that the philosophy of non-linearity and diversity appears as a new basis of the culture of scientific work in Japan.