Public Properties: Museums in Imperial Japan (Asia-Pacific: Culture, Politics, and Society)

This foray into the study of Japanese museums in the Imperial age (1868-1945) is a showcase of scholarship that although written for the academic set can be readily enjoyed by those with a strong interest in Japanese history or museum studies. The book has five chapters and includes topics such as the origins of the national museums as a way of competing with western nations and how the Imperial Household became bound to the national museum system.The third chapter on colonial properties is very interesting. The museum system set up in the territories of Taiwan and Korea were examples on selective historical perspectives as approved by both the colonial authorities and Tokyo. Following this are two examples of private museums run apart from government oversight as well as one that was proposed but never built.Finally, a look at how department stores in the twenties and thirties also became places for the public to look at showcased art and sculpture that drew in customers. The final analysis is that the Japanese museum system did indeed create a national aesthetic heritage that inspired the public in its pride of culture while at the same time disseminating information on other cultures within the Japanese Empire. An excellent book and well recommended.

An interesting topic and a great read.