ABSTRACT
As part of the modernization project, public buildings such as city halls, stations, theatres, and department stores appeared in the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods, some of which were decorated with mural paintings. Although many of the murals are no longer extant, photographs and other documentary materials survive. This essay gives a general survey of mural paintings in Western-style public buildings in late 19th and early 20th century Japan, and discusses the stylistic changes and social roles of the images.
Organized chronologically, the essay first examines the 1860s to 80s when Western-style architecture was introduced to Japan, focusing on the interior of the Meiji Imperial Palace, completed in 1888, which included wall decorations of sophisticated fabrics and large-scale framed paintings. From the 1890s to 1920s, mural paintings were characterized by the acceptance of the style of French painter Pierre Puvis de Chavannes as introduced by Kuroda Seiki after his return to Japan in 1893. Kuroda encouraged artists to use their works to express their thoughts on concepts such as peace and harmony, as French academic artists of the time did. Examples of this period include Wada Eisaku’s 1911 murals of the Imperial Theatre, Kuroda’s 1914 “Fruits of the Mountain and the Sea” at Tokyo Station, and Kosugi Misei’s murals at the Yasuda Lecture Hall of the Imperial University. In the 1930s and 40s, Fujita Tsuguharu criticized earlier styles, and emphasized the significance of depicting contemporary life and people. Simultaneously, murals were used as propaganda in sites such as the Navy Hall and the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery. The essay concludes with public murals in the colonies of Korea, Manchuria, and Taiwan.
