Kyoto's Renaissance

Draws on archive of material, a first in English to take an in-depth look at Kyoto's modern transformation - its reinvention after 'collapse' (Meiji Restoration) and relocation of the imperial court to Tokyo. Includes: introduction, chapters on notable historical elements that sustain Kyoto as a quintessentially modern 'ancient capital' today.

John Breen PhD is professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) in Kyoto, where he edits the journal Japan Review. He has published widely in English and Japanese on the modern imperial institution and the history of Shinto. Among his English publications are: A Social History of the Ise Shrines: Divine Capital (Bloomsbury, 2017; with Mark Teeuwen), and A New History of Shinto (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011; with Mark Teeuwen). Recent articles in English include the following: "Abdication, Succession and Japan's Imperial Future: An Emperor's Dilemma." Japan Focus, 17:9, 3 (2019); "Lies and yet more lies! Fukansai Habian's 'On Shinto'." Japanese Religions 42:1, 2 (2018); and "Amaterasu's progress: the Ise shrines and the public sphere of postwar Japan." Te Japan Society Proceedings, 152 (2016). He is presently writing a book on the making of monarchy in Meiji Japan.
Maruyama Hiroshi PhD is professor emeritus at Meij? University, Nagoya. He received his doctorate in agriculture at Kyoto University. Among his publications is a book-length study of modern Japanese public parks (Kindai Nihon k?enshi no kenky?. Shibunkaku, 1994) and two co-edited volumes on modern Kyoto: Miyako no kindai and Kindai Ky?to kenky?, both by published by Shibunkaku in 2008. His major articles include studies of modern tourism ("Kindai ts?rizumu no reimei." In Yoshida Mitsukuni ed. J?ky? seiki no j?h? to shakai hend?. Te Institute for Research in Humanities Kyoto University, 1985); of early Meiji expositions ("Meiji shoki no Ky?to hakurankai." In Yoshida Mitsukuni ed., Bankoku hakurankai no kenky?, Shibunkaku, 1986); and of the modern history of Maruyama Park in Kyoto ("Maruyama k?en no kindai." In Nakamura Makoto ed., Z?en no rekishi to bunka. Y?kend?, 1987).
Takagi Hiroshi PhD is professor at the Institute for Research in Humanities at Kyoto University and formerly head of the institute. His research explores Japanese culture through its connectivity to politics, with a special focus on the emperor system. He is particularly interested in the creation of Kyoto and Nara as "ancient capitals" in the modern period. His major publications refect these interests. Kindai tenn?sei no bunkashiteki kenky?: tenn? sh?nin girei, nenj? gy?ji, bunkazai (Azekura Shob?, 1997) is a multidisciplinary study of imperial ceremonial, of cultural properties and of museums. Kindai tenn?sei to koto (Iwanami Shoten, 2006) studies the modern images of Kyoto and Nara. Takagi Hiroshi is also co-editor of two books on modern Kyoto, and editor of a collection of studies on the modern emperor system, Kindai tenn?sei to shakai (Shibunkaku, 2018.)