Tokyo, birth of a modern city: the exhibition at the Maison de la culture du Japon, our photos

Calling all lovers of Japanese culture! This autumn and winter, the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris is immersing us in the urban and societal transformations of the city of Tokyo, through a brand-new exhibition. On view from November 6, 2024 to February 1, 2025, this new temporary installation from the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris aims to enlighten visitors on the history of the evolution of the Japanese capital, which had to rebuild itself after the terrible Kantô earthquake of 1923.

To this end, the exhibition " Tokyo, Birth of a Modern City " unveils some one hundred works from the collections of the Edo-Tokyo Museum, focusing primarily on the period of the 20s and 30s. These modern prints are displayed alongside posters, photographs, kimonos, maps and decorative objects, all divided into 4 distinct themes:"Tokyo before the great earthquake","The great Kantô earthquake","The reconstruction of Tokyo", then"Modern Tokyo and its inhabitants".

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In the first section, visitors can admire prints by one of the masters of the genre, Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915), as well as works dating from before the great Kantô earthquake, during the Taishô era (1912-1926). Several sublime woodcuts by Kawase Hasui are also on display. Yamamura Kôka's prints, representing the finest in kabuki, are a particular highlight.

In the second section of the exhibition, photographs, documents, postcards and objects of various kinds present the disastrous consequences of the earthquake on the city of Tokyo. In the aftermath of the disaster, many local and international artists came to Tokyo and depicted the capital's landscape, ravaged by fire and destruction, in a variety of ways. Two beautiful woodcuts by Hiratsuka Un.ichi, highlighting the ruined landscape after the Tokyo earthquake, are on display.

The third part of the installation highlights the reconstruction of the capital. In particular, the inauguration of the Yamanote circular railroad line in 1925 and the expansion of the urban area to 35 districts in 1932. Alongside prints by Kawase Hasui, we discover postcards bearing witness to the reconstruction, as well as Kon Wajirô's"New Guide to Greater Tokyo".

The fourth and final section looks at the emergence of consumer culture in the Japanese city. The prints selected feature representations of nightlife and sports, with the arrival of baseball, for example.Modern girls", the name given to the independent modern woman, are also featured in this rich installation.

This new temporary exhibition from the Maison de la culture du Japon offers a fresh look at the Japanese capital. It's also an opportunity for the Japanese center, located in the capital's 15th arrondissement, to unveil some 100 works from the collections of the Edo-Tokyo Museum, representative of the art of modern printmaking, the most recent dating from 1959. An exhibition that will delight lovers of woodcuts and Japanese culture!