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The panorama in Meiji Japan: horizontal and vertical perspectives

ABSTRACT The panorama was introduced to Japan in 1890, two decades after the collapse of the feudal society. Not only the horizontal 360-degree view was a novelty for Japanese audiences, but also the realistic oil paintings drawn in perspective. In the same year, a 12-story viewing tower was erected and the first hot air balloon ascent took place, both in the adjacent Asakusa and Ueno districts where the two major panorama halls stood. These spectacles offered new visual experiences to the masses who were experiencing the new world that had opened to them with the freedom of travel and choice of profession. In other words, with the arrival of late-nineteenth century modernity, people’s gaze expanded both horizontally and vertically. During this period, Japan was in the midst of a rapid process of modernization, aiming at catching up with the Western Great Powers. Concurrently, the Japanese Democracy movement that endorsed values of liberty and civil rights had spread nationwide, and its theorists were among cultural figures who promoted modern and cultural entertainment forms – including the panorama. However, the earlier promises of the Meiji Emperor on creating a democratic society were soon replaced by the pursuit of Japanese Monarchy. The Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1890 put an end to the Democracy movement and to the freedom of expression. Excavating the visual culture around the panorama and its environment, this article offers an alternative viewpoint on the atmosphere of Japan in the late nineteenth century.