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A cultural history of late Meiji Japan : empire and decadence / Alistair Swale.

9783031436468 (electronic bk.)
3031436466 (electronic bk.)
9783031436451
3031436458

Cham : Palgrave Macmillan, [2023]

©2023

English

1 online resource (xiv, 218 pages) : illustrations

10.1007/978-3-031-43646-8 doi

DS822.3

952.031

Scholarship on Japans development from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century has, perhaps quite understandably, been dominated by attention given to Japans emergence as a world power through a succession of military conflicts, and the burgeoning of a modern literary canon. This book argues that the emergence of empire and high culture needs to be more thoroughly integrated with an awareness of popular culture in urban life, a culture that at times exhibited a less than whole-hearted enthusiasm for the trappings of 'civilization', - a culture that was, in a sense, decadent. It integrates coverage of popular culture across diverse media and platforms, accentuating the emergence of new modern forms that evolved from the inter-relation between textual, visual and performative traditions such as kdan and giday. The commentary is seasoned with reference to contemporary narratives, aiming to capture more on the street perceptions of momentous events such as war and natural disasters, as well as the more arcane or curious media sensations of the moment. These included exposs of scandalous conduct in high places, new fads in popular entertainments and riveting stories of human interest whether it be crime or tragedies of modern urban living. Alistair Swale is Associate Professor in the Japanese Programme at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He has written on the career and thought of Mori Arinori, as well as writing more broadly on the Restoration in The Meiji Restoration: Monarchism, Mass Communication and Conservative Revolution (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009). More recently he has been engaged in research examining responses in popular culture to the "Civilization and Enlightenment" movement, particularly the gesaku legacy in early Meiji journalism, as well as the impact of political speech making and kdan on the development of serialized novels in popular newspapers.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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