"100 Views of Great Tokyo in the Shōwa Era" by Koizumi Kishio / kk019a_1931_w087_fest
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The Yasukuni Shrine was perhaps Japan's most important public military monument, founded in 1869
by Emperor Meiji to honor the memory of the men who died serving Japan. Koizumi produced this print
the month following the Manchurian Incident of 18 September 1931, in which a train of the South Manchuria
Railway was blown up, setting in motion Japan's invasion of Manchuria. The fall festival at Yasukuni began on
17 October, and was an apt symbol of the previous month's military event, which prompted reaction from Western
nations and an investigation by the League of Nations.
Japan's military aspirations are reflected in the reconstruction
of the shrine. The road leading up Kudan Hill was widened, and the huge torii (gateway),
erected in 1887, was given more prominence in the cityscape.
Fall Festival at Yasukuni Shrine (#19), October 1931
The Wolfsonian–FIU, Miami Beach, FL, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology © 2009 Visualizing Cultures Creative Commons License
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