The collective work of leading Russian Japanese scholars is the first comprehensive presentation of the history of Japan of the 20th century in Russian literature in many years, built on a problem-chronological principle. Based on a rich documentary base, the best scientific works of the past and the results of the latest research, the authors give the reader a full-scale understanding of the foreign and domestic politics, economy and culture of Japan. The book is free from ideological bias and contains a revision of established assessments of a number of past events. The monograph examines two models of Japan's development in the 20th century - along the path of militarization, which led it to a crushing defeat in World War II, and along the path of democratization, as a result of which it turned into an economic superpower of the world and became an equal member of the G8. The book is rich in factual material and combines strictly scientific analysis with a publicly accessible presentation, which makes it interesting and useful to a wide range of readers, including teachers of the humanities, graduate students, students, and history buffs.