Cultural Struggles

Cultural Struggles

Defining Modern Japan

•Pervasive sense of profound change•Excitement, •and fear

•The invention of tradition, as response•A global process:

• NOT peculiar to Japan, •Taking place in global dialogue

Dramatic Cultural Change

The age of neo-logism

Religion: Shūkyō 　 　 宗宗Rights: Kenri 　権利Society/social: Shakai 　社会Philosophy: Tetsugaku 哲学Literature: Bungaku 文学Company ： Kaisha　会社Science: Kagaku 　科学Nation,People ： Kokumin 　国民Asia: Ajia 亜細亜　 or アジア

Fukuzawa Yukichi

•Advocate of change, of“civilization and enlightenment”

•His critique: “Japan has a government but no‘nation’ ” (kokumin).

•Advocates individualindependence, but forsake of the nation

•Problematic relation toAsia

New Roles For Women

•Seeking freedom and rights

•Kishida Toshiko and Fukuda Hideko

New Roles For Women

•New Robes•Related new roles?

New Robes For Women

New Robes For Women

Fear of Political Disorder

Yamagata Aritomo

“Every day we wait,the evil poison [of popular rights] will spread more and more…

The fear of gender anarchy

-seen in Muragaki diary, 1860s

Fear of Westernization

Society for political education:The Japanese, 1888

“What is today’s Japan? The old Japan has already collapsed, but the new Japan has not yet risen. What religion do we believe in? What moral and political principles do we favor? It is as if we are wandering in confusion through a deep fog, unable to find our way”

Response: Re-inventing the Monarch•The Imperial institution enshrined at the heart of the the constitution (on website)

Emperor Meiji, 1872, age 20

1888•Defining the Imperial image

1872

Response: Re-inventing the Monarch•In ritual as well as in word

•Promulgating the constitution)

Proclamation of the Kaiser’s Reich, 1871

Response: Re-inventing the Monarch•In ritual as well as in word

•Promulgating the constitution)

•The imperial rescript oneducation (website)

Response: Re-inventing the Monarch•In ritual as well as in word

•The imperial rescript oneducation (website)

Alternative response

Response: Inventing the “Good Wife and Wise Mother”

Good wife and wise mother as a global tradition of modern times

Response: Inventing Japanese-ness •Articulating Japanese,

and Asian, aesthetics

Okakura Kakuzo,The Ideals of the East,

“Asia is One”