19세기 일본의 대외문화 홍보연구

Abstract

Japonism is a phenomenon of enjoying and preferring the influence, taste, and style of Japanese art on Western society from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. Started as an alternative to new aesthetic concepts and formativeness required in the transitional situation of Western society, it met the needs of European artists who pursued new directions in a unique form that could not be found in European culture. Due to the opening of Japan, various Japanese cultures flowed into the West, and the World Expo played a critical role in spreading Japonism. Now, most studies on Japonism are focused on the starting points of Japonism from the mid-19th to the early 20th century, especially on modern French painting and certain international fairs. However, not enough studies are conducted on the promotion of Japanese culture in the World Expo, which was held on the process of the formation and spread of Japonism. So Japonism is often misunderstood as an aspect of painting or formative art, and it is very focused on the acceptor position of the Western world rather than the supplier position of Japan. In other words, the overall research is leaning towards the artistic aspect of Japonism, and attempts to comprehend the Japanese government's promotion of its culture at the World Expo is very inadequate. Therefore, this research is intended to interpret the status of the Japanese culture promotion in a new aspect, by closely examining the Japanese government's active involvement in participating in the World Expo, which had a pivotal role in spreading Japonism.