Reconsideration of contemporary meanings in souvenirs of modern Japan's imperial festivals viewed through people's experiences

DOI Web Site

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 日本近代の民衆経験に見る<祝祭商品>の同時代的意義の再考
  • 日本近代の民衆経験に見る〈祝祭商品〉の同時代的意義の再考
  • ニホン キンダイ ノ ミンシュウ ケイケン ニ ミル 〈 シュクサイ ショウヒン 〉 ノ ドウ ジダイテキ イギ ノ サイコウ

Search this article

Abstract

How are we to comprehend the historical and social significance of mass-produced souvenirs from Japan's Imperial festivals in the early 20th century? The purpose of this paper is to reconsider this question from the viewpoint of contemporary popular collective experiences and meanings. This paper, which takes the enthronement ceremony of the Showa Emperor as a case study, focuses on three points. First, social demands for souvenirs of Imperial festivals were not generated from popular nationalistic or religious motives, but from private and secular desires. Second, representations of the Imperial Family on such souvenirs often functioned socially as symbols that legitimized the people's indulgence in consumption. Third, the flood of mass-produced souvenirs at Imperial festivals provided people with an opportunity to exercise private desires for consumption in a way that was temporarily socially approved. By identifying positively these three points through research about people's attitudes toward souvenirs and advertisements during the Showa Grand Ceremony of Accession, this paper presents an interpretation of the social meanings and functions of Imperial Festival souvenirs in modern Japan from a cultural-historical point of view.

Journal

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top