A selection of
Yokohama-e (literally “Yokohama pictures”), a type of ukiyo-e
Japanese woodblock print which focused on depicting the foreigners who flooded
through Yokohama during the 1860s and 70s, in particular North Americans. Prints
from various artists are shown below including two of the most profilic in this
Yokohama-e form, Utagawa Yoshitora and Utagawa Yoshikazu.
Although the Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch had engaged in regular trade
with Japan during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Japan had limited its
trade and contact with the West from 1639 onwards due to the persistent attempts
by Europeans to convert the population to Catholicism and the western countries’
habit of unfair trading practices. For the next two centuries, limited trade
access was granted only to certain Dutch and Chinese ships with special
charters.
The United States’ interest in regaining contact with Japan
during the nineteenth century sprung from the annexation of California, which
created an American port in the Pacific, enabling trade with the newly opened
ports of China, and also creating the need for coaling stations en route. The
Treaty of Kanagawa was signed in March 1854, leading to the opening of two
Japanese ports, as well as the establishing of an American consul in Japan.
Although Kanagawa was meant to become the port for foreign trade and residency,
it was located along the Tōkaidō, the main east-west road which the Japanese government didn’t
want foreigners to access. Instead, the small fishing village of Yokohama grew
to become the base for foreign trade, opening in 1859. Through these Westerners
who came to Yokohama, western fashion, photography, ice cream, rugby, and
cricket were introduced to Japan.
For more on a similar theme see our
post on Japanese prints from the 1870s depicting
Western inventors, artists, and scholars.
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From: Library of Congress |
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Underlying Work: PD Worldwide | Digital Copy: No Additional Rights |
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Download: Right click on image or see source for higher res versions |
