Celebrating Kyoto 1895: regional and national identity in the 1,100th anniversary, the Heian Shrine and the industrial exposition

Abstract

In1895, Kyoto celebrated the 1,100th anniversary of its founding by Emperor Kanmu in the eighth century. As part of the celebrations, the organisers built the Heian Shrine and staged the Fourth Domestic Industrial Exposition in Okazaki-cho in the east of the city. On the one hand was a panorama of progress and technology; on the other a symbol of the culturally rich legacy of the imperial family. Numerous other events in Kyoto during the year showcased the culture and artistic heritage of the city. The years leading up to the anniversary year also saw the preservation of cultural artefacts, shrines, temples and famous sites. This thesis attempts to identify a common mode of cultural production in the various anniversary activities and exposition, and questions why these emerged in this form in the latter stages of the nineteenth century. Kyoto had lost the status of capital to Tokyo soon after the Meiji restoration. Issues of identity for the city, as for Japan in general, dominated public discourse through the 1880s and became enmeshed with national efforts to improve Japan's international standing. The preservation and presentation of native Japanese culture emerged as a means to strengthen a collectivity based in the long history and dignity of the imperial family. The circumstances of the 1895 anniversary celebrations in Kyoto are examined in this context to reveal the motivations of the organisers, the participation and reactions by the residents of the city, and the significance of events to wider Japanese society. The anniversary combined representations of traditional cultural forms with a celebration of modernity and progress. This thesis seeks to understand how these events worked to strengthen affiliations to the city, to the region,and to the emerging modern nation. Show more