The Reception of Shunga in the Modern Era : Form Meiji to the Pre-WWII Years

概要

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Why was it that shunga came to be viewed as a taboo subject in modern Japan even though during the Edo period its production was so popular and widespread? In this essay I will explore how this change occurred, primarily by following the trail of newspaper reports on incidents relating to shunga.The Meiji government in an effort to transform Japan from a "premodern" country to a "modern" nation as part of the international community, developed policies to ban various elements of Edo period culture. Shunga and erotic literature was one target of this policy. The enforcement of renewed censorship edicts began in the early Meiji period, but it was around the time of the first Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War (c. 1895-1905) that this was done in earnest. From around this time thousands of shunga were confiscated and destroyed. In the Edo period, shunga were ofte ncalled "laughing pictures" (warai-e), and made for amusing entertainment and pleasure. Houwever, from the modern era it came to be viewed as something "obscene," "embarrassing" and "forbidden."Nevertheless, there continued to be those who treasured this heritage, and erotic photographs and picture postcards began to be produced to fill this vacuum. There were also many who continued to value shunga as important art and literature. It is now time for us openly to re-examine and re-evaluate the shunga tradition.
International Research Center for Japanese Studiesの論文