The Great Japan Exhibition

Exhibition organized by the Royal Academy and the Japan Foundation.

The rapid development of Japan at the turn of the last century, including the defeat of Russia in 1904-5, intrigued the western Imperial powers, but also aroused reactions of contempt and suspicion. Britain was the most important of the powers upon which Japan earnestly wished to impress herself to mitigate the rising tide of anti-Japanese sentiment. An exhibition in London, therefore, was seen as a timely event by the Meiji Government to advance Japanese agendas in political, economic and educational terms. This is the first major study of this remarkable venture, fully reviewed and documented, and concerned principally with the Japanese side of the story.

The Japan-British exhibition in London, 1910 was the most concerted and systematic attempt by Meiji Japan to explain its traditional society and arts, modern industry and empire, to its most important international ally, Great Britain. This is a facsimile edition of the original book compiled and edited for the exhibition by Count Hirokichi Mutsu (1869-1942) and published in London and Tokyo in four parts in 1910 and 1911 by the Imperial Japanese Commission. This compendium of newspaper and journal articles, starting in March 1909 and ending in December of 1910, covers the preparation, activities and immediate aftermath of the Exhibition. Making widely available a veritable treasure trove of information and insight, it will be of interest to students and scholars of Japan and Britain alike, providing authoritative insights into contemporary attitudes in each country towards the other.

The story of manga, a vibrant form of Japanese narrative art, from its roots to its emergence as a contemporary global sensation. Manga is a form of Japanese narrative art that has grown over the centuries to become a global phenomenon in the post–World War II era. Initially referring to graphic novels and comics, manga has expanded beyond its original forms to include animation, fashion, and new media. Arranged into six thematic chapters, each opening with an essay, followed by interviews and art selections, this revealing study traces the origins of manga and explores its role in society, and its appearance in different media, from video games to street art, as well as its growing international reach. The voices of manga artists and editors are reflected throughout the book, along with critical analysis by leading scholars. Taking the style of the genre and its terms of reference as its cue, Manga draws upon printed manga works, artwork, manga magazines, original drawings, theater, film, digital technologies, and interviews with artists and publishers to bring the subject vividly to life. This book gives readers an understanding of the excitement generated by a form that crosses cultures and media in a globalized world.

Faced with western contempt and suspicion, the Meiji Government staged this exhibition to advance Japanese agendas in political, economic and educational terms. The first major study principally concerned with the Japanese side of this story.