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In the years following Japan's long period of self-imposed isolation from the world, Japan developed a new relationship with the West, and especially with Britain, where relations grew to be particularly close. The Japanese, embarrassed by their perceived comparative backwardness, looked to the West to learn modern industrial techniques, including the design and engineering skills which underpinned them. At the same time, taking great pride in their own culture, they exhibited and sold high quality products of traditional Japanese craftsmanship in the West, stimulating a thirst for, and appreciation of, Japanese arts and crafts. This book examines the two-way bridge-building cultural exchange which took place between Japan and Britain in the years after 1859 and into the early years of the twentieth century. Topics covered include architecture, industrial design, prints, painting and photographs, together with a consideration of Japanese government policy, the Japan-Britain Exhibition of 1910, and commercial spin-offs. In addition, there are case studies of key individuals who were particularly influential in fostering British-Japanese cultural bridges in this period.
List of contents
Part I: The Price of Seclusion - Shirts, Studs and Wash Hand Basins; The Great Exhibition as a Cultural Bridge; Affirmative Action, Abroad and in Japan; Yokohama muki , Japanese Export Ware Part II - In Japan - Maruzen abd the Foreign Book Trade; Western Architecture and Japanese Architects; Christopher Dresser, and Industrial Design; Paintings, Photographs and Prints Part III - In Britain - Japonisme for all; Collecting Japanese Art; Three Painters, Menpes, Hornel, Brangwyn, and their patrons; 'The Lovely Flower Land of the Far East', Travel Writing about Japan Part IV - The Commercial Spin Off - Japan British Exhibition, London 1910; Shopping for Japoniserie Part V - Four Bridge Builders - Painter, Poet, Pearl Maker and Potter - Kyosai, Binyon, Mikimoto and Leach
About the author
At present Olive is fellow (Overseas) Fukuzawa Memorial Centre, Keio University, Tokyo, jaoan. She is also Associate Editor of teh new Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University press) with responsibility for Nineteenth Century East Asian entries.
Summary
This book examines the two-way bridge-building cultural exchange which took place between Japan and Britain in the years after 1859 and into the early years of the twentieth century.
