Universal and specific features of Japanese phraseology

Based on scholarly research in both Japanese and Russian phraseological systems incorporating linguistic data from the history of the Japanese language and the patterns of its writing systems, this paper aims to identify both universal and unique features of Japanese phraseology focusing on the origin of this uniqueness. Comparative, functionalsemantic, etymological and diachronic methods were used to analyze several hundred authentic Japanese and around 500 SinoJapanese phraseological units selected from Japanese web dictionaries and speech corpora. The material was processed using three classifications of V. V. Vinogradov, A. N. Baranov & D. O. Dobrovol'skiy and S. A. Bykova. The results show that the nucleus of Japanese phraseology is represented by the units that logically fit into the existing classifications for the Russian phraseology. At the same time, a sizable layer of two, three, fourand fivecharacter phraseological units was found. Another specific feature was the use of ateji and kanjibased idiomatic expressions. The findings suggest that the complexity and diversity of Japanese phraseology are primarily shaped by the centurieslong coexistence and interaction of two core subsystems: the native (Yamato) phraseological tradition and the SinoJapanese (kanbunderived) system. Their mutual influence within a unified linguistic framework has given rise to numerous hybrid formations exhibiting various levels of semantic and structural integration. In recent centuries, loanwords from European languages, particularly English, have become increasingly involved to build idiomatic patterns contributing to the dynamic, multilayer nature of modern Japanese phraseology.