Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan

Robyn Schiff | Artforum | 1st September 2024

Japan’s Meiji period (1868 to 1912) saw dramatic cultural change as international trade commenced. Consumers were drawn to “the idea” of European luxury in consumer goods, advertising and fashion. Japanese art suddenly depicted modern tableaux – a woman browsing a shopping catalogue or making a phone call. From there it was but a short step to propaganda, with European imperial pushiness being matched by Japanese aspirations to become a modern state, and global power.