Summary of the February 13 (Tue) Lecture
"The Visit of the Iwakura Mission to Italy in 1873", by Dr.
Shohko Iwakura
The Iwakura Mission left Yokohama in December, 1871, and returned to Japan
in September, 1873, after visiting the United States and Europe. It consisted
of 50 official members and 60 students. It was led by Minister Iwakura Tomomi
as chief ambassador, and included Okubo Toshimichi, Kidoh Takayoshi and
Itoh Hirobumi. This mission was the last, most important, and largest of
all the Japanese missions sent to Western countries between the end of the
Edo Period and the beginning of the Meiji Era, that is, between 1860 and
1873.
The Iwakura Mission was in Italy during May and June, 1873, and visited
many places, including Florence, Rome, Naples and Venice, where they inspected
various institutions such as a military hospital and a ceramic factory as
well as historical monuments, churches and museums, and were entertained
by the King of Italy at the Royal Palace. When the mission arrived in Italy
after having visited nine countries, they knew that they needed to gather
information on all aspects of the political, social, economic and cultural
life of the West in order to be able to reform the Japanese institutions
quickly and effectively. This presentation will aim at bringing into relief
what the mission saw and studied in Italy, how the country was evaluated,
and how it contributed to the modernization of Japan.
Adapted from "The
Asiatic Society of Japan Bulletin No. 2", February 1996, compiled by
Hugh Wilkinson.
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