Abstract
Wakimura Yoshitaro, a prominent Japanese economics professor and art collector, helped establish or sustain at least eight art museums in postwar Japan. He did so to create important institutions of democratic empowerment rather than nationalist displays of power. The crucial context was defeat in World War II, which left many Japanese, including Wakimura, committed to taming capitalism. Wakimura was particularly interested in creating new practices of art appreciation that could mediate relations between potentially antagonistic groups of Japanese, and in building museums as fresh spaces to house these newly egalitarian relationships. He emphasized the value to society created when individuals developed their aesthetic and thus political judgment. His efforts help explain the proliferation of both public and private art museums in postwar Japan as well as the nature of postwar political culture.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 821-841 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Journal of Asian Studies |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2010 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cultural Studies
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Modern art patronage and democratic citizenship in Japan. / Hein, Laura E.
In: Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 69, No. 3, 01.08.2010, p. 821-841.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Modern art patronage and democratic citizenship in Japan
AU - Hein, Laura E
PY - 2010/8/1
Y1 - 2010/8/1
N2 - Wakimura Yoshitaro, a prominent Japanese economics professor and art collector, helped establish or sustain at least eight art museums in postwar Japan. He did so to create important institutions of democratic empowerment rather than nationalist displays of power. The crucial context was defeat in World War II, which left many Japanese, including Wakimura, committed to taming capitalism. Wakimura was particularly interested in creating new practices of art appreciation that could mediate relations between potentially antagonistic groups of Japanese, and in building museums as fresh spaces to house these newly egalitarian relationships. He emphasized the value to society created when individuals developed their aesthetic and thus political judgment. His efforts help explain the proliferation of both public and private art museums in postwar Japan as well as the nature of postwar political culture.
AB - Wakimura Yoshitaro, a prominent Japanese economics professor and art collector, helped establish or sustain at least eight art museums in postwar Japan. He did so to create important institutions of democratic empowerment rather than nationalist displays of power. The crucial context was defeat in World War II, which left many Japanese, including Wakimura, committed to taming capitalism. Wakimura was particularly interested in creating new practices of art appreciation that could mediate relations between potentially antagonistic groups of Japanese, and in building museums as fresh spaces to house these newly egalitarian relationships. He emphasized the value to society created when individuals developed their aesthetic and thus political judgment. His efforts help explain the proliferation of both public and private art museums in postwar Japan as well as the nature of postwar political culture.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79951813168&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S002191181000149X
DO - 10.1017/S002191181000149X
M3 - Article
VL - 69
SP - 821
EP - 841
JO - Journal of Asian Studies
JF - Journal of Asian Studies
SN - 0021-9118
IS - 3
ER -