ABSTRACT
Samurai and castles are among the most popular symbols of Japan, and recognized worldwide. They are prominent emblems of Japan’s medieval past, which is widely seen as one of the most important formative periods of Japanese culture. As in Europe, however, medieval symbols were not transmitted to the modern age unchanged. Instead, they were discarded, rediscovered, and reinvented in a series of complex processes that began in the medieval period and continue even in the present day. The Meiji period (1868-1912) was arguably the most significant period for the construction of Japan’s idealized medieval era, as interpretations of the Japanese past were intrinsically linked to emerging global discourses on history and heritage. Visual and material culture were key to this refashioning of Japan’s martial history, as castles and samurai served as vehicles for combining supposedly ancient traditions with the modern imperial state. Focusing on Nagoya Castle, site of the largest keep to survive into the modern period, this study examines the close relationship between medievalism and militarism in Meiji Japan. I argue that representations of medievalism travelled between societies and influenced one another in a mutually reinforcing process that continues to impact our understanding of Japanese history and culture today.
