| Modern Kyoto: Building for Ceremony and Commemoration, 1868–1940 Subjects: Architecture -- Political aspects -- Japan -- Kyoto; Public spaces -- Political aspects -- Japan -- Kyoto; Historic buildings -- Japan -- Kyoto; Kyoto (Japan) -- Buildings structures etc.; Can an imperial city survive, let alone thrive, without an emperor? Alice Y. Tseng answers this intriguing question in Modern Kyoto, a comprehensive study of the architectural and urban projects carried out in the old capital following Emperor Meiji's move to Tokyo in 1868. Tseng contends that Kyoto--from the time of the relocation to the height of the Asia-Pacific War--remained critical to Japan's emperor-centered national agenda as politicians, planners, historians, and architects mobilized the city's historical connection to the imperial house to develop new public architecture, infrastructure, and urban spaces. Royal births, weddings, enthronements, and funerals throughout the period served as catalysts for fashioning a monumental modern city fit for hosting commemorative events for an eager domestic and international audience. Alice Y. Tseng is associate professor of history of art and architecture at Boston University. |