The history of zoological parks in modern Japan

Abstract

In this study I tried to make clear the process of development of zoological parks in modern Japan and the forming process of generally accepted idea that zoological park is facility for amusement.
The forming process of generally accepted idea and the process of development of zoological parks are inseparably related to each other; the way of display and the collection of animal species of zoological parks in a certain age forms a generally accepted idea of zoological parks through visitors, and conversely the generally accepted idea of zoological parks influences the display and collection of zoological parks in next age. This relationship is adopted as the fundamental viewpoint of this study.
Firstly, as for the development of the zoological parks I divided the process into several periods and discussed the characteristic of each period. Secondly, I analyzed the relationship of each age on the basis of the viewpoint mentioned above and discussed the whole structure of the process of development of zoological parks in Japan.
As the result, the process is understood to have been developped along two directions, one is amusement-orientated and another is modern-zoo-orientated. The showbooth of fowl and animals in the Edo era such as “Kachochaya” and the most of Zoological parks established by private railways enterprises belong in the former direction and the most of zoological parks established by public bodies belong in latter direction. This viewpoint has been lacked in the studies of history on zoologscal parks for a long time, but without to understand the whole aspect of the process of development is impossible.
Finally, I have concluded that the generally accepted idea that zoological park is facility for amusement has deen formed under the influence of the two direction of the process of deve-lopment of zoological parks in modern Japan.