Portraits of the Imperial Princesses and Their Media Representations in the Meiji Period: Focusing on the Portrait Photographs of Princess Fusako Kanenomiya Taken by Kazumasa Ogawa

TOGIYA Norio

doi:10.18917/eizogaku.111.0_116

<p>Research on the social meaning and role of portraits of Emperors and members of the Imperial Family has been conducted for many years, but the image of the prince and princesses remains a topic requiring futher investigation. Notably, when the Empress, who had previously been dressed in Japanese-style clothing even in public, began being dressed in Western-style clothing in 1886, images of the princess dressed in hakama (Japanese traditional clothing) appeared as if she were replacing the Empress. For example, when the crown prince’s marriage was celebrated, many paintings of the Imperial Family began to appear, and the princess was depicted in hakama playing the role of the daughter of the family. Furthermore, when the Russo-Japanese War broke out in the late 1930s, the princess was depicted serving her country in hakama. However, after she married a prince of the Imperial Family, photographs of her in Western-style clothing began to circulate. The Meiji period’s imperial princesses showed various faces in the media depending on their position in the imperial household. This paper clarifies how the princesses were represented in various media, and the different roles they played in contrast to the Empress in the Meiji era.</p>

Portraits of the Imperial Princesses and Their Media Representations in the Meiji Period: Focusing on the Portrait Photographs of Princess Fusako Kanenomiya Taken by Kazumasa Ogawa

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