2018: 150th Anniversary of the Meiji Restoration
‘When East and West Collided’
Past Lectures:
Tuesday November 6th
1.00 – 4.10 pm
ANAシンポジウム: 世界から見た明治維新
ANA Symposium: The Meiji Restoration as seen by the World
Public lecture and seminar in Kagoshima, Japan
2.30 pm
東と西がぶつかったとき: 明治維新 に 向かって の できごと
WHEN EAST AND WEST COLLIDED: STEPPING STONES ON THE WAY TO THE MEIJI RESTORATION
150 years ago in 1868 an event occurred that completely transformed Japan – the Meiji Restoration. But was it inevitable? Did it have to happen as it did? Could things have gone another way? And what part did the west and in particular the British play to change the course of Japanese history?
The arrival of Commodore Perry with his four black ships set in train the chain of events that ultimately led to the Meiji Restoration. However, the Americans had little idea of what was going on in Japan.
Second to arrive were the British. They had a history of colonisation and quickly settled in the new town of Yokohama. They quickly began to take an active interest in Japanese affairs and Japanese politics.
The last nation to enter the game was Britain’s great rival, France. As they had done all over the globe, these two superpowers played out their rivalry on Japanese soil.
But somehow Japan managed to avoid colonisation and entered the modern world not under the thumb of any of the great powers and was thus left free to begin its rapid path towards modernisation.
https://www.pref.kagoshima.jp/af09/kyoiku-bunka/kokusai/seikadaigaku/shinpojiumu.html
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Wednesday November 14th
6 – 7.30 pm
JAPAN FOCUS
City Business Library, the Whittington Room Guildhall, London EC2V 7HH
THE GEISHA AND THEIR WORLD
A chance to hear my geisha talk!
Lesley Downer is one of the very few westerners ever to have broken into the closed and mysterious world of the geisha. Even Japanese know very little about who the geisha really are and what they do. To research her books Lesley spend six month living among and befriending geisha in Kyoto, Tokyo, Kanazawa, Fukuoka, Atami and other cities. She talked to geisha and their customers, attended geisha parties, hung out with maiko (apprentice geisha) and geisha house owners, and learnt how to distinguish a geisha from a Japanese woman in a kimono, what happens when you take a geisha to Disneyland, what becomes of geisha when they grow old and much else. She also met and became friends with male geisha (taikomochi). She will talk about her experiences and illustrate her talk with many pictures.
£5
Book by e mail: minekoa@hotmail.com
Download further details in PDF
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Friday November 23rd
1.00 – 2.00 pm
Department of Eastern Art, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
University of Oxford, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH
‘WHEN EAST AND WEST COLLIDED’: 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MEIJI RESTORATION: illustrated talk
The Meiji Restoration was a revolution that transformed Japan from a feudal to a modern society. In this talk explore the causes and consequences of this shift in a swashbuckling tale of swords, samurai and regime change – including the role of the British.
Booking Essential – £8/£7/£6 – Full/Concession/Members
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Tuesday November 27th
7.15 – 8.45 pm
Knowledge Centre,
British Library,
96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB
WHEN EAST AND WEST COLLIDED: FLASHPOINTS ON THE ROAD TO THE MEIJI RESTORATION: illustrated talk
On July 8th 1853 four enormous American warships, commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry, appeared at the mouth of Edo Bay, threatening Edo, the shogun’s capital. Their mission was to open Japan, which had been closed to foreigners for 250 years. Their arrival sparked civil war between north and south in which many died.
After fifteen years of upheaval, the shogun’s government fell, and on November 26th 1868, the sixteen year old Emperor Meiji entered the newly renamed capital, Tokyo. Japan changed virtually overnight from a feudal country ruled by shoguns to a modern western one.
The story has always been as told by the winners. But newly unearthed documents give another version, shedding new light on the vanquished. The Meiji Restoration has been dubbed a ‘bloodless revolution’ but it was far from that. What was the true story – and what was the British role in shaping Japan’s destiny?
To mark the 150th anniversary, Lesley Downer will describe the dramatic events that led up the Meiji Restoration and its far-reaching consequences. It is a swashbuckling tale of what happened when east and west collided, of swords, samurai and regime change – and the pivotal role of the British. There are colourful illustrations from early newspapers, American artists, Japanese woodblock print artists and early photographers, Japanese and American.
£10. Members £10. 60+ £8. Students, registered unemployed and under 18 £7
Enquiries: 01937 546546
boxoffice@bl.uk
Registration details: https://www.bl.uk/events/when-east-and-west-collided
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Watch this page for yet more!