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3. The Fifth National Industrial Exposition
In the previous chapter, we have seen the emergence of native peoples from colonies in Western exhibitions and some their aspects. In this chapter, we will see how Japan incorporated Western ideas, namely the display of authentic native people, into her exhibitions by analyzing the case of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition taking place in Osaka in 1903.
3.1. The Importance of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition
The Fifth National Industrial Exposition should be, I believe, referred to due to the following three reasons:
(i) The Fifth National Industrial Exposition had, in fact, an aspect of an international exhibition although the concept of National Industrial Exposition was originally intended to be a domestic exhibition.
(ii) It was held in 1903, after Japan acquired Taiwan as her first colony as a result of her victory in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895).
(iii) It officially installed an independent Taiwan Pavilion inside the Exposition site and unofficially installed a pavilion called Gakujutsu Jinruikan (Academic Humankind Pavilion), which exhibited the Ainu, Taiwan aborigines, Chinese and Korean people, outside of the Exposition site.
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3.2. National Industrial Exposition
National Industrial Exposition was held five times during the period of 1877 to 1903.37 The concept of National Industrial Exposition was first proposed by the Secretary of Interior (内務卿), Okubo Toshimichi based upon a policy of the Meiji Government for promoting new industries in Japan.38 Therefore, the Exposition organizers highlighted industrial and economic aspects of the Exposition aiming at providing both visitors and exhibitors with technical knowledge and information. In addition, it should be noted that the organizers wanted to limit the Exposition to a ‘domestic’ one.
This is because the Meiji government wanted to achieve their economic policy by excluding foreign products from the Japanese market in order to protect the domestic market and by encouraging new industries in Japan without relying on foreign products or technologies. Also, as a result of the Meiji government’s resistance to the unequal treaties of 1858, which were concluded with the Great Powers (America, the Great Britain, France, Russia and Holland), the Meiji government did not allow foreigners to travel to Japan during that period.39 That means the Exposition visitors and exhibitors were also limited to the Japanese.
Table 3:
The National Industrial Exposition
First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Year 1877 1881 1890 1895 1903
37 Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. 1904. The Official Report of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition: Vol. 1. p.8
38 Matsuda p.16
39 Matsuda, p.16
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Place Ueno, Tokyo Ueno, Tokyo Ueno, Tokyo Okazaki, Kyoto
Tennoji, Osaka Site area (tsubo) 29,807 43,300 40,000 50,558 114,017 The Number of Visitors 454,168 822,395 1,023,693 1,136,695 5,305,209 The Number of Exhibitors 16,174 31,239 77,432 73,781 130,416 The Number of Exhibits 84,352 331,169 167,066 169,098 276,713
*1 tsubo(坪) = about 3.3 ㎡
In fact, the First, Second, Third and Fourth National Industrial Expositions were literally ‘national,’ namely ‘domestic,’ exhibitions having some limitations indicated in the previous paragraph. However, contrasting those four exhibitions, the Fifth National Industrial Exposition shifted its style from ‘national’ to ‘international.’
3.3. The Fifth National Industrial Exposition as an International Exhibition
The Fifth National Industrial Exposition was held in the present-day area of Tennoji Park (天王寺公園), Osaka from March 1 to July 31, 1903.40 Although, the First, Second, Third and Fourth National Industrial Expositions did not allow foreigners to visit and exhibit in the Expositions, the Fifth National Industrial Exposition accepted a large number of foreign visitors and exhibitors.
Paying attention to The Number of Visitors indicated in Table 3, the total number of visitors is about 5.3 million. According to the official record, about 8,600 of them were Chinese and Korean and about 14,000 of the total were from the West and other
40 Matsuda, p.16
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foreign countries.41 A large number of foreign visitors to the Fifth National Industrial Exposition was a result of the government’s active promotion of the Exposition. The Meiji government prepared about 4,000 English invitation letters and 4,200 Chinese invitation letters and those letters were delivered to foreign dignitaries through foreign consuls or ministers.42 Also, in order to accept foreign visitors and travelers, Kihinkai (Welcome Society) established its branch in Osaka with the objective of arranging accommodations, interpreters or tour guides for foreign visitors/travelers.
Especially, it can be assumed that the Meiji government placed great emphasis on Chinese and Korean visitors. The local political and business leaders of Osaka set up Shinkan Kyokai (清韓協会) (Association for Chinese and Korean Visitors) and the
association built two accommodations: one is named Shinhin (清賓) for Chinese guests and the other Kanhin (韓賓) for Korean guests, which allowed them to stay incurring only the actual costs of food and beverages. 43
The organizers not only allowed foreigners to visit the Exposition but also allowed them to exhibit the Exposition for the first time in the 25-year history of National Industrial Exposition.44 The foreign exhibits from the Great Britain, America, France, Germany, Russia, Austria, Holland, Portugal, Italy, Korea, China, Turkey, Hawaii, Canada, Australia, Brazil, British India, and Dutch India (18 countries/areas in total), were gathered and displayed in Sankokan (参考館) (Reference Museum), which was officially erected by the Meiji government. However, since a lot of foreign countries
41 Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. 1904. The Official Report of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition: Vol. 2. p.96~112
42 Matsuda, p. 48
43 Matsuda, p. 49
44 Matsuda, p.17
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intended to increase the amount of export to Japan through the Fifth National Industrial Exposition, the number of exhibits which foreign exhibitors applied to the Exposition organizers was too large to exhibit only in Sankokan. Accordingly, Canada, America, Austria and Germany erected their own pavilions with their own funds so that they could display their exhibits sufficiently. In this connection, those pavilions (six in total) were attached to Sankokan but each of them was independent.
The site area of Sankokan (including the six pavilions erected by foreign countries) was the second largest amongst the pavilions and facilities in the Exposition site.
In addition, it ought to be noted that the Taiwan Pavilion was also installed in the Exposition but it was erected separately from Sankokan or the six other Western pavilions. The Taiwan Pavilion in the Fifth National Industrial Exposition was the first colonial pavilion in the Japan’s exhibition history.
3.4. Time Background of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition
Next, I will consider why the National Industrial Exposition shifted its style from national to international in 1903.
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Fig. 2: A panoramic view of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition45 Resource: The electric library of Sakai Municipal Library46
Noguchi Katsuichi, a Japanese politician of the Meiji period, made a statement about the Exposition in his book, The Fifth National Industrial Exposition as follows:
The Exhibition is a tool to enhance the glory of the Empire. As one of the world’s Empires, our exhibition should be that of the world’s
45 The blue circle in Fig. 1 shows Sankokan and the red circle the Taiwan Pavilion. Sankokan and the Taiwan Pavilion were erected separately from each other and it is clear that the roles of the Taiwan Pavilion were different from that of other foreign pavilions.
46 The Fifth National Industrial Exposition. Sakai Municipal Library.
[Online] http://www.lib-sakai.jp/kyoudo/kyo_digi/sakaikoutooohama/kyo_digi_14l.htm [Accessed March 15, 2012]
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Empire’s. The Fifth National Industrial Exposition, which is to be held in Osaka at this time, will be the first exhibition held after the name of the Empire of Japan was known throughout the world as a result of our victory in the Sino-Japanese War. Therefore, this Exposition will show our status as that Empire and the progress of our intellects and technologies.47
Noguchi’s viewpoint coincides with that of the Meiji government. The preface of Daigokai Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai Yoran (The Official Handbook of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition) says that Japan had made remarkable progress during those eight years (from 1895, when the Fourth National Industrial Exposition was held, to 1903, the year that the Fifth National Industrial Exposition was held).48 The
“progress” in the preface means two different kinds of progress: one is the progress of Japan’s national strength (国力) and the other is the progress of national prestige (国 威). In the preface, the rapid growth of Japan’s national strength is highlighted by showing the actual figures of increased government expenditure, international trade value and capitalization value of national banks.49 Also, the preface emphasizes that national prestige was greatly boosted as a result of three incidents: Japan’s victory over the Sino-Japanese War, Japan’s participation in the International Expenditure to relieve the Legations in Peking from the Boxer Rising and the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902, which the preface says resulted in Japan establishing herself equal status to that of the Great Powers’.50
47 Noguchi p.1
48 Daigokai Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai Yoran, Preface p.1
49 Daigokai Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai Yoran, Preface p.1
50 Daigokai Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai Yoran, p.2
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3.5. Economic and Colonial Intentions of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition
The Japanese government was confident that Japan established her own status as one of the Great Powers experiencing three major historical incidents. The outstanding features of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition as an international exhibition seem to be closely correlated with Japan’s pride of becoming the Empire of Japan.
As indicated in the section of this chapter entitled The Fifth National Industrial Exposition as an International Exhibition, the Japanese government in those days made endeavors to attract many foreign people to the Exposition by sending a large number of invitation letters written in English or Chinese to foreign dignitaries and organizing new local associations/societies in order to arrange accommodations, interpreters or tour guides for foreign visitors/travelers. It was also mentioned that new accommodation, Shinhin (清賓) and Kanhin (韓賓) had been built only for Chinese and Korean guests. From these facts, it is obvious that the Japanese government held China and Korea to be very important.
There were two specific reasons why the Japanese government made much account of China and Korea: one is economic and the other political. Through the Fifth National Industrial Exposition, the Japanese government aimed at expanding trade in the neighboring countries such as China and Korea, both of which the Japanese government regarded as important trading partners. While the Fifth National Industrial Exposition had the economic intention to expand trade in the East Asia, it also had a political intention to show Japan’s civilization to the Chinese and the Korean.
The Official Report of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition says that Japan’s
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standard of civilization is far beyond that of China and Korea and many Chinese and Korean people do not know what the exhibitions are to be like.51
Moreover, the Taiwan Pavilion seems to have played an important role to show the newly established status of Japan as one of the Great Powers. The following is a citation from an article posted on the local paper, Osaka Mainichi Shimbun dated March 7, 1903.
Many people believe that the Fifth National Industrial Exposition will become a great opportunity to make the greatness of the expanding Empire of Japan after Japan’s victory in the Sino-Japanese War well known throughout the world and they look forward to the Fifth National Industrial Exposition very much. However, it will be the Taiwan Pavilion that shows most clearly what we acquired as a result of our great victory over the Sino-Japanese War……..I strongly believe that we can proudly introduce the Taiwan Pavilion to foreign visitors without any hesitation. It is remarkable that the Fifth National Domestic Exposition will install the Taiwan Pavilion.52
From the above-captioned article, the Taiwan Pavilion was placed as a showcase of Japan’s colonial power.
3.6. Proposal of the Taiwan Pavilion in the Fifth National Industrial Exposition
51 Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. 1904. The Official Report of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition: Vol. 2. p.139-141
52 Osaka Mainichi Shimbun dated March 7, 1903.
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Who first proposed installing the Taiwan Pavilion in the Fifth National Industrial Exposition? The regulations for the Fifth National Industrial Exposition were publicly announced in Daigokai Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai Kisoku (The Regulations of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition) in an Announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, No. 41 dated April 18, 1901.53 In this announcement, there is no account in connection with the Taiwan Pavilion. However, in the following year, it was publicly announced that the Taiwan Pavilion would be constructed in the Fifth National Industrial Exposition in an Announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, No. 185 dated October 14, 1902.54 The reason why the construction of the Taiwan Pavilion was announced belatedly can be seen in an article entitled The Fifth National Industrial Exposition and Taiwan posted in Taiwan Kyokai Kaiho (News Letter of the Taiwan Asociation55), No. 40 issued in January of 1902.
Since the Fifth National Industrial Exposition of the following year will be the first exhibition after Japan acquired Taiwan, the Exposition will be the sole and best opportunity to introduce Taiwan to Japan.
Therefore, the Governor-General of Taiwan had a plan to erect an independent pavilion called the Taiwan Pavilion in the Fifth National Industrial Exposition and display all exhibits relating to Taiwan in this pavilion aiming at making people in Japan understand Taiwanese
53 Ito, p.106
54 Daigokai Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai Jimu Hokoku Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce.
1904. The Official Report of the Fifth National Industrial Exposition., Vol.1 p.26
55 The Taiwan Association (台湾協会) was organized in Taiwan in April of 1898 mainly by Japanese government officials staying in Taiwan. The Association was established in order to develop Taiwan, promote industries of Taiwan and providing Japanese emigrants or Japanese entrepreneurs with assistant etc. One of their major activities was to issue News Letter of the Taiwan Association to introduce Taiwan affairs to Japan.
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affairs. However, this plan was aborted due to a shortage of funds……Although the plan to construct the Taiwan Pavilion in the Fifth National Industrial Exposition was aborted, the authorities are now planning to construct another building for Taiwan and they have already started designing the building and the budget is to be submitted to the present session of the Diet. If the Diet is not indifferent to the development and management of Taiwan, the budget is expected to be passed and accordingly the Governor-General of Taiwan will start to construct the building of Taiwan.56
According to this magazine article, it was the Governor-General of Taiwan that proposed building the Taiwan Pavilion in the Fifth National Industrial Exposition.
However, the proposal by the Governor-General of Taiwan was not realized owning to a shortage of funds. The article also reveals that the Governor-General was very enthusiastic about the construction of the Taiwan Pavilion.
Ito says that it is assumed that the idea of arranging the Taiwan pavilion in the exposition originated from the 1900 Paris fair. In Taiwan Kyokai Kaiho, a magazine published by Taiwan Society, published on April and May of 1901, Hitomi Kazutaro’s lecture on pavilions of European colonies erected in the 1900 Paris fair was posted.
According to this fact, Ito says that Taiwan Society focused on pavilion of colonies in European expositions.57
56 The Taiwan Association. 1902. Taiwan Kyokai Kaiho (News Letter of the Taiwan Association), No.
41. p.46
57 Ito, p. 108
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