page B - the first segment

1.1 Segment introduction

Post World War II, there was a drastic change in Japan. There was a ‘new’ Japan and the ‘old’ Japan. The Old Japan is about the Japanese empire and the New Japan is about the shift to be more like Western countries, such as the United States of America. This change was in all aspects huge for Japan, and u get a whole new meaning of life in Japan. This ‘flick’ of a change happened after the official loss of Japan to the Allies. War was not over in Asia. The U.S. feared the land invasion of Japan, so they used a new horrible weapon, the atomic bomb, which was called the Manhattan Project, directed by Robert Oppenheimer. The Bomb was unleashed on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August. World War II ended on September the 2nd, 1945 after also Japan officially surrendered. 

After this, Japan changed rapidly. This change got written about by a USA-appointed researcher who wrote about the Japanese person and life in Japan. She was confused by this change, not only in the country but also in the people's minds. After the War, the USA did not know how the Japanese people would react, even in the USA itself. But by surprise, they reacted as the Japanese emperor asked them to, which was to respect the Western countries and rebuild connections. Despite this being the first Occupation in Japan’s history, the two countries displayed pleasing cooperation, as what that could mean after recent events. The Western countries thought there was going to be a great dismiss in connecting the East and West together. Because there was a lack of information and knowledge about Japan from the USA. They saw Japan still as Japan was centuries in the past. This is what we call nowadays: Orientalism.

1.2 Explanation of term 

To go further in this subject, explaining orientalism as the term is important. Orientalism is how we see the world today, with the many different cultures. First brought up by Edward Said in 1978 in his book ''Orientalism''. It explains how Western countries think and write about Asian and Arabic countries. We see ourselves (the Western population) as superior, as the ones who are right, and the Asian and Arabic populations as barbaric, and aggressive, as such. Edward said these images stripped people from the Orient of their humanity. He also explains these projections functioned like a self-serving cycle. For instance, you invade and conquer people because you believe they are barbaric, and then you hope to civilize them in your own image because, in your mind, you find them sensual and exotic, and they are in need of help. An example that happened not far in the past, was the USA's invasion of Iraq and their disarming program to ‘‘free its people, and to defend the world of grave danger.’’ George W. Bush. March 19, 2003. On that day Bush announced the start of the Iraq War. This explains how we talk about the middle east, called by this name ‘Orient’. We see these ideas about Orientation everywhere today, such as in music, art, movies, religion, politics, and of course fashion.  

Western fashion designers had often drawn inspiration from the Middle East and Asia, bringing elements of traditional dress and decorative motifs and symbols into their designs and collections. This has been done in a fetishizing or exoticizing way of the culture being referenced. This reinforced the stereotypes and perpetuated cultural appropriation.

For example, in the 1920s, Madeleine Vionnet, a French designer, known for her use of the bias cut. This allowed fabrics to drape and flow in a way that was tending to remind to traditional Japanese dresses. Also with Jeanne Lanvin and Paul Poiret, who were inspired by the styles they saw during travels to Asia and the Middle East. Using elements such as turbans, kaftans and ahrem pants often in a extremely exaggerated and stylized manner.

You will notice a lot of Orientation after this point and it is an key aspect of this exhibition. It is important to notice that it happens multiple times during the history of Japan and Fashion. You can remark this now further on this point.

1.3 Background information, part i

The story begins with World War II, this also has been the time when Yohji Yamamoto (1943), Rei Kawakubo (1942), and Issey Miyake (1938) were born. Yamamoto and Kawakubo were born both in Tokyo and Miyake in Shibuya. Miyake survived the catastrophic day in August 1945. And the three of them all witnessed the shift of Japan into the new Japan. The history of Japan is broad and can be categorized into periods with different kinds of beliefs. With most of the periods being important in this story ( a lot for design ideologies and traditional wear), dissecting this into different parts is valuable to narrate the uprise of Japanese Design into the Western world. We will focus on things that happened in the far past that can make things easier to understand what happened in the 20th century until the present day. Most behavior that Japan did in the 20th century did not fall out of the sky but this is understandable after a quick overview of some events that happened in the past. Also, it is important to show not only how the Design culture changed but also in literature changed in the 20th century, this is important because it is the art form where everything is written down into fiction or non-fiction can be helpful to understand the mind of an average Japanese person during this time.

Beginning with the period during the first world war and the Second and later: the Shōwa period. This period begin on December 25, 1926, and ended on January 7, 1989. The beginning was when the new emperor Shōwa, known in English as Emperor Hirohito, began to rule the Japanese empire in 1926 when the former emperor died, emperor Taishō (this period of his ruling Japan was called the Taishō era), and ended in 1989 when Shōwa died on the exact dates. Pre and post the end of world war II were very different in this Shōwa era. the pre-1945 Shōwa era (1926–1945) was the time of the Empire of Japan, and the post-1945 Shōwa era (1945–1989) concerns the State of Japan. Key events during this shōwa era were; the May 15th incident, World War II, the occupation of Japan by the USA, and post-Occupation of Japan. 

The May 15th incident was the Failed Coup of 1932, which was an important event in Japan's history that had lasting social and political implications. On the day May 15th, a group from the Imperial Japanese Army, The League of Blood group, tried to stage a coup d'état, an attempt to overthrow the government and start a military dictatorship. This attempt failed, and many involved were arrested and punished for their actions. The incident showed the growing influence of ultranationalism and militarism in Japan in the 1930s, also the tensions between the civilian and the military government. This Failed Coup also ensured the power of the Emperor, who was a symbol of Japan's national identity. Further on this point, this helped also with paving the way for even greater government control over Japanese society. Tightening restrictions and political dissent on civil liberties. The May 15th incident was seen as the rising moment for militarism and ultranationalism in Japan, having huge consequences for Japan's future. Such as The League of Blood, a right-wing extremist group active in Japan during the 1930s. They advocated for the return to traditional Japanese values and the rejection of Western-style democracy. The group believed in that the Emperor should have absolute power. Following the May 15th incident, The League of Blood saw the attempted overthrow as a sign of the weakness of the Emperor and an opportunity to support his cause. There was a campaign launched, as a way to put pressure on the government to adopt their policies. Followers of the campaign were asked to sign in blood on a prepared scroll, which was a symbol of devotion to the Emperor's cause. 300,000 participants signed up to show support for the Emperor and the League of Blood. Many others were concerned about the agenda of the group. The government saw the campaign and the group as a threat to their authority and disbanded The League of Blood, which ended in arresting its leaders. The rollout of the May 15th incident was seen as a key moment in Japan's pre-war history. Which showed the growing right-wing extremism and decrease in democratic values in Japan. 

One interested who wrote about this moment, was Yukio Mishima in his novel ''Runaway horses''. Yukio was a well-respected Japanese author and nationalist who became involved in the conservative movement in Japan post World War II. He was known for his writings on traditional Japanese culture and values and was critical of the government embracing Western-style democracy, just like The League of Blood. Yukio's activities and writings were part of a large movement in Japan, that sought to restore traditional Japan and to dare Japan's political and cultural orientation post World War II. In 1970 he also tried to overthrow the government with his highly publicized act of protest. This failed and he wrote there his death poem, which was knowable as a traditional Japanese death act. and act the seppuku, which is a form of ritualistic suicide for Samurais. He remains to be an important individual in Japan's post World War II history. If you are more interested in his writings and the May 15th incident, read his 4 book series, The Sea of Fertility.  

Pre-1945, Japan moved into ultranationalism (radical loyalty and devotion to a nation), totalitarianism (a political system that prohibits all opposition of the state), and statism (a political system in which the state has substantial centralized control over social and economic affairs), ended in the invasion of China in 1937, these were all part of a global period that conflicted into the great depression period (1929-1939) and world war II (1939-1945)

Post 1945, the defeat in world war II ended for the first time that Japan was occupied by a foreign power in history of Japan. The American Occupation, which lasted 7 years, was an event where the USA brought democracy into Japan. This ended the emperor's status and began the democratization of Japan. The Humanity Declaration ended in all Japanese Newspapers on the first of January, 1946, issued by Emperor Shōwa. The emperor denied the concept of his divinity, this led to the announcement of the new constitution, where the Emperor is the symbol of the State and the unity of the people. This was one of the last acts of the Emperor as the imperial Sovereign. The declaration rescript as a whole: 

Rescript on the Construction of a New Japan

January 1, 1946

The Emperor continued to claim the direct lineage with the sun Goddess Amaterasu and the high status that this inheritance gave him. But the Emperor's functions ceased being national tasks and became private shintō devotions designed to preserve the good fortune of Japan and the continuation of the royalty line. 

Many cultures had attributed divinity or spiritual gifts to their rulers, for example in Egypt and Rome, where rulers were treated as gods. Also, medieval kings were regarded (for example Henry the Sixth) with the ability to cure sick people with an imperial touch. The Japanese divinity of the Emperor is often misunderstood by Western culture. Neither the Emperor nor most of his followers thought that the Emperor was linked to being a god in the way of being seen as a supernatural supreme individual. Until the 6th century, when it was usual and accepted that the Emperor was descended from the Kami (seen in this context as gods) and was in contact with and inspired by them. This did not make the emperor a god, but more likely imposed on the emperor the obligation of carrying out rituals and devotions to ensure the kami looked after Japan properly and ensured its prosperity. 

A brief explanation of the religious beliefs and practices of Japan, Shintō. The word Shintō directly means ''the way of kami''. The. definition of kami is a divine or sacred (core of existence) being, specifically the various deities and gods. This dissected Japanese beliefs from Buddhism, which was introduced in Japan in the 6th century. Shintō has no written scripture nor a founder. But it has preserved its beliefs throughout the ages in Japan.

1.4 Background information, part ii

For most of the history of Japan, the status of the Emperor as the descendant of the Kami was not seen in his political powers. The Emperor lived in seclusion, sometimes even in imprisonment. Japan was ruled by feudal noblemen, This was until the Meiji restoration, that the Emperor had no great powers. Japan was a secluded island with a strict set of behavior and cultural norms. Until the Meiji Era, Japan was a closed country with the Sakoku policy enforced by the Government made between 1633-1639 because of the shogunate Tokugawa Iemitsu. The policy was so strict that anyone who left or came into Japan without permission got the death penalty. 

Before the Sakoku, it was already shown how the ruler of Japan of that time acted toward other countries abroad. Japan had successfully resisted incursions from other Asian powers but got into contact with European traders. Trading came also with missionary work. Because of trading routes, around 300,000 Japanese people got converted to Christianity. This concerned Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the powerful feudal ruler, seen as the ‘Great Unifier’ of Japan. Hoping into reducing the Western influences, Hideyoshi banned 1587 missionaries from coming to Japan. His successors went further with his continuation of stopping Western Culture from ruining Japan. They banned all non-Japanese people in Japan in general. Also, Japanese people were prohibited from leaving their country. All trading routes with foreign countries were stopped. Though, there was an exception for China, Korea, Japan’s indigenous inhabitants, and Dejima. A small island that lies in the bay of Nagasaki, populated by people of The Netherlands, through the Dutch East India Company, the VOC. These exceptions were made because of the close relationship between the countries. They traded not only in merchandise but also in art, science, and more. But also, the understanding of maps, navigation, shipbuilding, and warfare, which happened between the first Dutch ship that encountered Japan. The Netherlands and Japan have a long history together dating all the way back to 1598. 

The ship called ‘De Liefde’ (translated from Dutch, ‘Love’) was stranded in the Bungo area on April 19, 1600. The Dutch ship supposedly had to come with 4 others from out of the Harbor of Rotterdam (the biggest harbor in Europe today) to go the Moluccas to buy spices and to explore the Silver Empire of Japan. The ships were loaded with weaponry and while on sea they got additional tasks: to plunder also the Portuguese and Spanish outposts along the route in South America and Asia. Almost impossible objectives of that time. While 3 ships were lost (one in battle with the Spanish, one in battle with the Portuguese, and one to storm) one ship made it back safely to Rotterdam, and the other, the Liefde ship made it to Japan's shores. From the original 110-man crew not even one-quarter (all Dutch, except 1 Englishman) survived it. The ruler of Japan at that time, Tokugawa Ieyasu, had a great interest in the ‘Liefde’. The ship brought a lot of weaponry with its arrival, which Tokugawa and his followers were amazed by. Even that far a couple of the crew got land, money, and other valuables. One of those was Jan Joosten van Lodensteyn. Born in Delft and went with the ship as a merchant. Jan Joosten was prohibited to leave Japan but was allowed to marry a Japanese wife and was given permission to engage in foreign trade. He was even privileged with wearing two swords of the samurai and received an annual stipend. This placed him among the ranks of the direct retainers of the Shogun, Tokugawa. He became a middleman between Dutch merchants and the shogunate after the establishment of the Dutch factory in Hirado.

The Sakoku was reversed when the US Naval Commodore Matthew Perry came to Japan to demand the country open its borders to trade in 1864. The Meiji Restoration was the political revolution in 1868 that brought about the final demise of the military government, the Tokugawa Shogunate. This ended the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603-1867) and returned control of Japan to the Imperial Sovereign under Mutshuhito, Emperor Meiji. This change of era was major in economic, political, and social in Japan. The Meiji period (1868-1912) brought about the modernization end westernization of Japan. During the Meiji Restoration, Mutsuhito tried to integrate Western technology and culture into Japan’s strict lifestyle during that time. The Japanese Government started to introduce a list of policies to move men into Western dressing styles. Before the Meiji Era, Japanese members of the higher ranks wore their long hair topknots walked outside in robes, and there tucked the sword a status level. (This is a very fast overview of what members of Japan’s high-ranking caste wore). Though by the 1900s, the Japanese people of the Government in all rankings, wore 3-piece suits or ‘Napoleonic’ inspired military uniforms to their meetings and banquets. It was not long before Western culture got also passed down in influencing the Japanese upper class. The ‘normal’ worker wore British-style suits to work.

After the Meiji restoration, the Emperor was not declared as kami or god, readable and seen in official Meiji documents. This was widely suggested. the divinity of the Emperor was one of the important tenets of the Meiji restoration, which was false. This divine status of the Emperor became a general belief in Western countries during world war II. But this was based on trying to understand Japanese nationalism of themselves as a nation more likely as the reality. The Emperor was worshipped and seen as a god, without ever stating that he was a god. In the 1930s He was seen as a manifest god, Akitsu Mikami, a human individual whose property of kami nature was revealed, but the stated this by saying that the Emperor was neither omnipotent (having great 'god-like' power) nor omniscient (having infinite awareness and understanding). Although this was qualified, the Emperor's qualities of kami nature with his direct descent from the highest of the kami, Ameratsu (goddess of the sun) made the emperor superior that the people of Japan thought it was logical that people had to obey and worship the Emperor of Japan. This did not make him god as seen through the Western look of Japan. The end of the divinity of the Emperor was after the loss of Japan in 1945. This was with the declaration (which came out on the first of January, 1946) that Emperor Shōwa wrote, after orders from the USA. The Emperor gave up on nothing that he actually ever had. He restated an earlier set of beliefs about the imperial family. 

After the declaration, Japan was transformed from an absolute and constitutional monarchy to a constitutional monarchy with a liberal democracy. With the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan became a sovereign state again. The post-war period of the Shōwa era was seen as the Japanese economic miracle.  This refers to the economic growth of Japan in the 1950s until the end of the Cold War. During this Japan fastly became the second-largest economy in the world (behind the USA). Japan after it surrendered on August 14th, 1945, the World War cost Japan an estimated 2.6 to 3.1 million lives and 56 billion USD.

Four main factors allowed this rapid growth: technological change, increased quantity and quality of labor, increased international trade, and accumulation of capital. Combined with strategic planning and cooperation by individuals, firms, and the government, Japan manipulated these factors to become one of the largest economies in the world. It has been 77 years since the end of World War II, and many of these factors of the economy in Japan remain relevant. This rapid shift that happened with Japan after the end of World War II did not only change Japan but also the rest of the World. 

1.5 Background information, part iii

Starting with the Japanese style from that time. Japanese style depended a lot on America, with their Ivy style, which included Ralph Lauren, and their multiple quality denim brands. The Americana style, which developed in the USA, got popular all around the world with its iconic denim, from American brands such as Levi’s and Lee. In some countries, the tag on the back side of the denim jeans was the most important. It was a recognition of status. In USSR-ruled countries as such, the USSR prohibited the pair of jeans, purely because it was made by ‘the West’. But one country was a real fan of America's most prestigious style designs, Japan. 

Immediately, post World War II, Hollywood films were again allowed to be screened in Japan at cinemas. It created a demand from Japanese youths for popular Americana styles portrayed by Hollywood actors in the movie. Japan in general had quite a conservative society before and during world war II, of course after the Japanese Empire surrendered, Japan had a huge change. Because this made such demand from the younger generation. The foreign style was met by small, independent clothing firms taking the risk of producing such clothing styles for youths. They went into great detail to achieve a proper Americana look, not just by producing clothing of similar cut, material, and quality, but also guide the youths on how to properly style them in fashion/lifestyle magazines. The Americana style was single-handedly brought to Japan because of one individual, Kensuke Ishizu. 

‘’The widespread adoption of American style in Japan took several decades … but the very beginning can be traced back to a single individual.’’ Said Kensuke Ishizu himself. A pioneer who made Japanese men stylish. Kensuke Ishizu was born in 1911, a son of a successful businessman in Okayama. His childhood started at the end of the Meiji Era and the beginning of the Taisho Era. This was a period when the middle class started to join the higher class, in embracing Western cultures. Ishizu was fascinated by the American culture. He played baseball in his free time and supposedly eat rather burgers over fish. His parents had even to change schools because he wanted to wear a black gakuran with gold buttons.  In the 1920s, there was a social morale change in Japan. Modern boys and- girls (Mobo and Moga) populate the streets of the Ginza district in Tokyo. These youths of the new generation were imitating the style of the upper class and took it in other and new directions. The boys wore wide-leg ‘trumpet pants’ with their long slick hair. While the girls wore silky kind of dresses and short bobs in their hair. Ishizu wanted to attend these youths in Tokyo and with a promise to his father to take over the company, he took off to attend the Meiji University in Tokyo. While studying, Ishizu was part of the other new youth culture. He got into several encounters with the police because the behavior of the youth was not always tolerated in the streets of Tokyo.

After three years, from 1929 to 1932, Ishizu moved back to his family to take up his father’s business. After 7 years working in this position, he went to help his brother with the company’s store in the Chinese port city of Tianjin. However, World War II broke out and in 1943 this escalated against Japan. The company’s coworkers decided to close the store and enlist. Ishizu decided to enlist also, working in China at a factory for munition. China was during that time under the control of the USA. This ended in a relationship between Ishizu and O’Brien, an American soldier. This was the first time Ishizu heard about the Ivy League from back in the USA O’Brien told him about. A couple of months later as the declaration in 1946, he returned to his flattened home city. After he arrived, he sold his family company and joined his brothers to work at the largest undergarment producer in Japan, Renown. He utilized his experience selling expensive garments in Tianjin, which eventually rose him to higher positions such as menswear designer at Renown’s showroom in Osaka, Japan. 

As his liking for menswear grew, Ishizu built a network with fabric providers and professional sewing workers. He was mostly interested in U.S. Military fabrics, which he collected. During his last years at Renown, he created his own first replicas of American staples, through the help of a Harvard-educated American soldier, Hamilton. He made a few G.I. pocket tees and a pair of blue jeans. He started his own company, ‘’Ishizu Store’’, after quitting his job at Renown. It was a time where Japanese customers were getting into expensive clothing, with Ishizu being confident with the interest that would come to menswear. After the Korean War boom, Japanese businessmen were getting rich, and the Japanese clothing industry got again revitalized. Ishizu Shoten found an opportunity for sports coats for the elite. A department store located in Osaka gave Ishizu Shoten a centerpiece pop-up where Ishizu would get a lot of customers from wealthier families in Osaka. With his first retailing start, he wanted a recognizable name for his brand, which he changed in 1951 to the company name ‘VAN Jacket’, which is highly inspired by the radical American brand called Vanguard. 

Ishizu knew he needed to expand the reach of his brand, which he tried without succeeding by being an editor of a magazine about men’s clothing in 1954. He tried to attract the students of Japan to wear his clothes. But his clothing was expensive and that is why it was not worn by the younger generation. He went to the USA in 1959 where he went to universities that are part of the Ivy League. He saw students with undone neckties, gray flannel pants, and black wool blazers slung effortlessly over their shoulders. This is exactly what Ishizu wanted to imitate and bring to Japan. He began, back in Japan, the production of the ‘Ivy Model’ suit, a replica of Brooks Brother's Number One Sack Suit. VAN started by releasing a new apparel line in 1962. The collection included everything which he saw worn in American Ivy Universities. However, this did not change Japan's clothing industry and the customers refused to support the Ivy trend embraced by Ishizu’s VAN. With declining stock, Ishizu had only one option left, going straight to the customer and using Men’s Club. To promote the Ivy trend to the youths. 

In 1963 with the column ‘Ivy Leaguers on the Street’ became the most anticipated section of the Men’s Club. With Men’s Club already being the trend forecaster of Japan around the late 1950s, this was the perfect rise of VAN. Retailers across the country demanded VAN stock their collections. With 1964 coming up, VAN built a groundwork to sell its Ivy collection. As Ishizu’s clothing got famous among the youths, this also became a rebellious subculture that wore VAN clothing. With this look from the public on his brand, he had to change this perception. He designed for the 1964 Summer Olympics the Japanese uniforms to wear at the opening Ceremony. The athletes wore VAN’s white cotton pants/skirts and navy/red striped ties, Three-button red jackets with white hats and shoes.  The overall public found this occasion groundbreaking and appropriate. With this getting VAN’s position as the foreman of Japan’s Menswear.

After a decade-long struggle with Ishizu to evaluate Japan’s men's style, he finally changed the public’s apparel. Japanese fashion inspiration shifted towards other trends, still from the USA, but this was not enough to rise VAN again to the top. The brand went, after one other time, bankrupt in 1984. Ishizu’s VAN jacket laid the infrastructure for all menswear in Japan. With countercultures populating the streets of the most popular districts of Tokyo. Wearing new styles, some reflect the work of Ishizu of the past, but others are completely new. While Ishizu is most likely not to bring menswear to the Japanese population, he played a huge role in it. Ishizu showed the younger generation that style is a legit industry to buy into.