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The conundrum of Japan’s modernization: an examination of enlightenment prints of the 1870’s

University of British Columbia

The subject of investigation is a specific genre of Meiji period (1868-1912) woodblock prints known as Enlightenment prints (kaika nishiki-e), produced in Tokyo during the 1870s. While working with the technique and style of the previous century, they exploit themes of modernization and Westernization. An astounding volume of prints appeared during this period, with popular demand and technical facility higher than ever before. Curiously, these works have not been treated critically by scholars, who see them as amusing oddities marred by bright aniline colors. Art historians have focused on artists such as Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) and Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915) who reinterpreted themes from classical literature and ukiyo-e* prints and paintings, or who experimented with Western innovations such as volumetric modeling and defined sources of light. Enlightenment prints, on the other hand, are visual documents of a rapidly changing Japan. Their significance can be appreciated, if they are studied in the proper cultural context, for their development closely parallels the aspirations of the citizens and policies of the Meiji oligarchy, which was primarily to regain equal status through revisions of the unequal treaties imposed by the foreign powers in the 1850s. Characteristic of Enlightenment prints of the 1870s are Ginza street scenes. The emphasis is on new inner-city transportation, new utilities, and new buildings. The bustle of street traffic and trains reflects the quickened pace of life, and progress. The triptych format favored by artists in the Meiji period lends itself to elaborating the horizontal expanse of a new bridge or the breadth of a spacious boulevard. Cityscapes by Hiroshige III, Kuniteru II and others convey quite literally the broad new horizons and exhilarating scale of Meiji Japan. More than simple street scenes, these images emphasize the national mobilization towards modernization that typified the decade of the 1870s, the motivation being the desire to attain equality with the West. The excitement of Western influences and the juxtaposition of such influences in scenes they were familiar with attracted a large public for the Enlightenment prints. In this thesis, I will explore the scenes the Enlightenment prints promoted, the point of views reflected. Their subject matter mirrors the view that modernization is positive and admirable. However, by analyzing the social mores and print culture of the 1870s, I will argue that there is more than meets the eye in the Enlightenment prints. Contemporary accounts of the massive changes in this decade reveal the fact that rapid modernization is a continuous struggle. It is my contention that in the early years of this period, disparate images produced in the prints reveal the urban, economic and social complexities of the modernization process.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-01-30

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/3984

Fine Arts

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace