Leiden University Student Repository

Huisintveld, Isabel (2020)

Changing views and depictions of Westerners in Japan focusing on Yokohama-e prints

Bachelor thesis | Japanstudies (BA)

When the ports opened in Yokohama a new type of ukiyo-e print was made. The Japanese people were fascinated by the new residents and the foreigners were an interesting subject for woodblock prints. The appearance of the foreigners on these prints changed a lot in comparison to earlier depictions of foreigners, for example the Nanban screens or tojin pictures. The different depictions of foreigners could be a marker for all kind of social and economic changes. Also the views that the Japanese people had of foreigners were changing and this was apparent because of the more Japanese looking foreigners on the prints. The times were shifting from the feudalistic Edo period into the more modern Meiji period. This meant that a lot of new people, culture, and technology was introduced. Not only did this affect the subject matter of prints but also the attitude the Japanese people had towards foreigners. Curiosity, hostility, and also fascination were felt during the time the ports were just...Show moreWhen the ports opened in Yokohama a new type of ukiyo-e print was made. The Japanese people were fascinated by the new residents and the foreigners were an interesting subject for woodblock prints. The appearance of the foreigners on these prints changed a lot in comparison to earlier depictions of foreigners, for example the Nanban screens or tojin pictures. The different depictions of foreigners could be a marker for all kind of social and economic changes. Also the views that the Japanese people had of foreigners were changing and this was apparent because of the more Japanese looking foreigners on the prints. The times were shifting from the feudalistic Edo period into the more modern Meiji period. This meant that a lot of new people, culture, and technology was introduced. Not only did this affect the subject matter of prints but also the attitude the Japanese people had towards foreigners. Curiosity, hostility, and also fascination were felt during the time the ports were just opened and foreigners were let in, but these feelings were not always conveyed through the prints. In this thesis I will do a visual analysis on how the depictions of foreigners changed. Also through visual analysis I will discuss the social changes and attitudes of the Japanese people and the function of the prints.Show less

Yokohama-e

ukiyo-e

foreigners

others

Westerners

visual analysis

Author

Huisintveld, Isabel

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

MACH

Supervisors

Müller, Doreen

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en