Japanese exports to Britain and other western countries developed slowly in the years immediately following the re-opening of Japan to the west as a result of the 1858 treaties. The most important items in the first decades were tea, silk and curios. Curios covered a wide range of objects from prints, cloisonne, ceramics and bronzes to kimonos and various craft products such as paper umbrellas and other hand-made items. Japanese prints and curios imported by entrepreneurs such as Lazenby Liberty and Christopher Dresser, Japanese participation in international exhibitions and travellers¡Ç accounts of a country hardly known to the British public in the first half of the nineteenth century helped to awaken interest in Japan.

The Japanese Native Village, which opened in an exhibition hall in Knightsbridge at Albert Gate in January 1885, was a commercial venture of a man probably of part Japanese origin who used the odd name Tannaker Buhicroson. Nearly 100 Japanese craftsmen were brought to London to work in the exhibition which in its first four months attracted a quarter of a million visitors.

The village was not a vulgar show, but the Japanese authorities wrongly feared that it might show the Japanese people in their traditional costumes and way of life as being somehow inferior to westerners. The Japanese government accordingly did not approve of the enterprise and did not cooperate with it despite the patronage of high-ranking personages in Britain.

In the same year Gilbert and Sullivan¡Çs comic opera The Mikado was staged in London and became very popular. It was not inspired by the village although the performers learnt much from the Japanese in the village. The Japanese authorities were sensitive about the way in which the Mikado made fun of Japan and tried to have the operetta banned. The Mikado inspired other operettas such as the Geisha and the Mousme and spawned other works including Puccini¡Çs Madame Butterfly.

1885 was a bumper year for Japonisme in Britain.

The Embassy of Japan is happy to offer a limited number of seats for web magazine readers. It is on a first come first served basis and the application must be made before Friday 19th February to japanesevillage@jpembassy.org.uk. Please state that you have read the March Embassy web magazine and provide your name, title, organization and contact telephone number. You will receive a confirmation e-mail within 2-3 days.