Японские исследования (Jun 2023)
Japanese dentistry and its representatives in the Russian Far East (late 19th – early 20th centuries)
Abstract
The article deals with the Japanese medical presence in the Russian Far East in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. It has been found that, during the Meiji period (1868–1912), as a part of the modernization in Japan, there was an active development and introduction of Western dental technologies into everyday life. Following global trends, the Japanese government set a course on the standard-setting regulation of the training and professional activities of specialists in the field of dentistry. The authors believe that dentistry in Japan has passed the way from traditional healing practices to medical science and medical specialty in a short period of time due to the borrowing of Western technologies. The article reveals the causes and features of labor migration of Japanese dentists to Russia. Russian authorities did not interfere in labor migration. However, the law did not provide for private dental practice by foreigners without passing an exam at a university medical faculty. Nevertheless, many Japanese specialists were able to legalize their activities. Using the example of the identified historical characters and their activities, a picture of the organization and provision of dental care to the population by Japanese migrants is being described. The authors argue that Japanese dentists were acting within the framework of Russian legislation and were limited in their professional work. They also applied Western technologies of treatment and prosthetics. Flexible pricing policy, a wide range of materials and technologies, relevant skills and personal qualities made it possible for Japanese dentists to earn the trust of patients and provided them with high material well-being. The researchers were unable to find examples of scientific, practical, or educational interaction between Russian and Japanese specialists in the field of dentistry during the studied period. The Japanese living in the Russian Far East did not aspire to legalize their activities completely by passing exams at Russian universities. The authors suppose that it was due to insufficient knowledge of the Russian language, high financial and time costs, geographic remoteness of the region from educational and scientific centers, and lack of plans for a permanent stay in Russia.
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