英語文化圏から見た浅草と浅草から見た西洋―明治期の見世物と文明開化―

抄録

Asakusa, Tokyo developed during the Edo period (1603–1867) as one of the leading entertainment districts in Japan. The arrival of Commodore Perry’s Black Ships in 1853 led to the opening of Japan to foreign contact and brought a turning point to Asakusa. This paper considers how the Bunmei-kaika (cultural enlightenment) movement affected live entertainment in the district during the Meiji era (1868–1912).

The new government wanted to impress upon Westerners the idea that Japan was a civilized nation. While Western dignitaries wanted to see traditional performances unique to Japan, the authorities prohibited some they believed Westerners would consider barbaric and dubious. In the meantime, common Japanese people, who could not even think of traveling abroad, simply wanted to know about the West and went to Asakusa to enjoy Western culture, such as the circus.

This paper first examines Asakusa’s shows witnessed by Westerners, focusing on the opinion of the English journalist John Reddie Black (1826–1880), who considered them barbaric. After discussing the examples of Western culture that Japanese enjoyed, the paper also analyzes the relationship between Asakusa and Black’s son, Henry James Black (1858–1923), who became a Rakugo storyteller.