The article represents the problems of powerful invasion of Western thought into Japanese mental culture during the revolutionary Meiji period (1868–1911). That time’s popular slogan “wakon – yosai” (Japanese spirit – Western knowledge) though reflected Japanese mentality, didn’t express all the complexity of the process of introduction of Western mental culture in Japan during the beginning of Meiji period called “the epoch of enlightenment”. The views of “father-founders” of new Japanese philosophy, sociology, politics and arts are analyzed here. In spite of strong influence of Western thought it didn’t lead to the erosion of traditional attitudes and stereotypes in social and intellectual life, for, according to Japanese thinkers, these very stereotypes served not only as the basement of social communion and spiritual unity, but also as the basement of economical and political modernization.
Meiji period;