Perry In Japan

The Position and the Intension of the Painter: The Purpose of this Painting [Scroll 4]

Kyohei Tani, The University of Tokyo (Spring 2009)

[Military exercises]

For many countries, interactions with foreign countries have often included military aspects as well as cultural aspects. In the early days, both aspects were conducted by the people with political power. With the change of the times, the general public came to be able to encounter foreign cultures. In the Edo period, the Japanese government closed its nation to foreign countries and the general public had more difficulties than in European countries to meet with foreign people and cultures. However, at the end of the Edo period, the national isolation policy started to fall apart. Though information about military affairs with foreign countries remained a secret, foreign cultures trickled in gradually. Consequently, people who became interested in foreign cultures began to appear. The visit of Commodore Perry was conducted in such period. This picture, titled "military exercise," shows an event which occurred during the visit. However, is titling this picture "military exercise" appropriate? Did the painter who drew this picture pay primary attention to the military aspects of this scene? In this picture, musical instruments are much more delicately drawn than military equipment and soldiers. I believe the painter was more curious about foreign cultures than about foreign military affairs and wanted to see more cultural interactions with the U.S.

As to this "military exercise" picture, between the column in the near side and the file in the back side, there are four sheaves of four bayonets. Also soldiers in both sides and right side have bayonets. I cannot recognize clearly the shapes of these bayonets. Moreover the soldiers are equally expressionless and soldiers in the same file pose perfectly in the same way. Furthermore, there are apparently no stars in the Stars and Stripes flag. On the contrary, as for the musical instruments, it is possible to recognize their shapes quite clearly. Also the designs of the drums are drawn in detail. In addition, musical instruments are also drawn in "Departure I" and products of American high-level technology are more elaborately drawn than the people in "The Telegraph" and "The Miniature Train." It seems the painter was curious about American culture.

At the same time, when I consider that the Japanese government knew that the American navy visited Japan in order to open Japan to trade with the U.S. and to international politics even by resorting to military force (Hamaya 1987, 114-115), I believe that the people with political power desired, or at least needed, to know about American arms. Also in those days, the Japanese government manipulated information about military affairs (Iwata 2005, 76-78) so that in my opinion the general public was not allowed to see this kind of military exercise scene. Therefore the instruments are more delicately drawn than the objects which symbolize the American military forceã€€and it follows that the painter belonged to the general public and drew this painting without seeing this "military exercise" scene directly.

The painter who drew this picture did not feel hostile toward and was not afraid of the U.S. As stated before, in those days the Japanese government manipulated information about military affairs so that the general public was not allowed to get information about military affairs. Consequently, the public did not know that the American navy wanted to open Japan to trade with the U.S. and to international politics even by using military force. Also as mentioned before, because the painter who drew this picture was not connected with the Japanese government, I believe that the painter was not or could not have been interested in military affairs. Therefore it is probable that the painter did not regard the U.S. as an object of a military confrontation.

It seems the painter who drew this picture was more impressed by the musical instruments than by the arms. Iwata argued that at the end of the Edo period, there were wealthy farmers and merchants who were interested in foreign cultures and technologies and had connections with people with political power. They had opportunities for obtaining information or books that many other people were not allowed to get. Also these people tried to look at things from a broader point of view by getting much information. As a part of such attitude, some people among them were even trying to learn foreign languages (2005, 142-172). I believe the painter belonged to this type of people and was very drawn to foreign cultures. Thus he was more charmed by the musical instruments than the weapons.

As stated before, the musical instruments are more minutely drawn than the objects which represent armed force. Therefore, the painter more focused on the musical instruments than these objects. This suggests that he may even have had a desire to obtain these musical instruments. At that time, people with political power should want to obtain any information about the arms of the American navy and this suggests that the painter was not connected to the Japanese government. In conclusion, I believe that this "military exercise" picture was drawn by someone who belonged to the general public with indirect information about an American military exercise, or that this "military exercise" picture was a reproduction of the picture drawn by the people connected with the Japanese government. Consequently it is possible that the painter did not regard the U.S. as an enemy country but expected the U.S. to introduce foreign cultures to Japan.

References

Hamaya, Masaki. Kurofune to bakufu--Perry raikou no haikei to bakufu no taiou [the Black Ships and the Japanese Government in the Edo Period--the historical background of Perry's visit and the reaction of the Japanese Government in the Edo Period]. Tokyo: Kobundo Shuppansha, 1987.
Iwata, Miyuki. Kurofune ga yattekita: Bakumatsu no joho nettowaku [the Black Ships have come: the networks at the end of the Edo Period]. Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobun Kan, 2005.