Foreign Dignitaries

Exchange Students President Grant President Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) left a strong impression on both the Iwakura Mission and the Meiji Emperor of Japan. Grant would have a number of interactions between the Iwakura Mission in 1872 and the core leadership of the Meiji government in 1879 during his 74-day visit to Japan, where he dialogued with the Emperor and the upper echelons of the government elite. Grant held a keen interest in developing America’s diplomatic ties with greater Asia and had specific soft-diplomacy aims of his own when the Iwakura Mission arrived at the White House. As such, though the Iwakura Mission was […]

Exchange Students

Exchange Students Sutematsu Ōyama Sutematsu Ōyama (1860 – 1919) was one of five girls sent with the Iwakura Mission to receive an American education. She initially lived in New Haven, Connecticut, before moving to Poughkeepsie, New York to attend Vassar College. In addition to graduating magna cum laude, she became the first Japanese woman to obtain a college degree. She also obtained a nursing degree before returning to Japan in 1882. Despite her inability to read or write Japanese, she rose through the ranks of society and obtained the title of princess. She also helped found several schools for women, one of which would later become Tsuda University. Source Shigeko […]

Iwakura Mission Members

Iwakura Tomomi Ambassador Plenipotentiary Tomomi Iwakura (October 26, 1825 – July 20, 1883) was adopted as the son and heir of the wealthy and powerful Iwakura family. With prowess, he was able to position himself as a member of a small group of conspirators who brought about the Meiji Restoration (1868), thereby ending the reign of the previous shogunate. The new leadership, which leveraged the reputation of the Meiji emperor as a force for modernization, aimed to study Western systems of education, government, economics, and legislation, among other modes of thought. To assist with this goal, Iwakura was selected to lead a delegation of over 50 senior government officials on […]

Receptions & Media Coverage

Receptions and Media Coverage “At about 12 o’clock a shout of ‘Here they come!’ from the crowd…”“The reception given them…was one of the most brilliant affairs of the kind seen here for years.” “…I am sure the whole heart of the American nation will leap up to welcome the noble ambassadors of our sister nation.” In nearly every American town and city, the Iwakura Mission was greeted by the formal entourages of politicians and prominent citizens, who treated them to lavish banquets and demonstrations. Crowds often gathered to catch a glimpse of the esteemed representatives from Japan. The mission’s progress was monitored by American newspapers of all size and scale, […]

略歴

Video Training

Video Timestamps Custom Post TypesArtifacts 03:35Timeline Slides 09:10Exhibition Stories 11:44 Compontents Overview 12:50Hiding default page titles 16:35Basic Text Component 17:06Two Column Content Component 19:00Adding margins above and below components 19:20Text with Image Column 20:00Full-Width Media Component with Caption 21:50Accordion Component 23:09Tabs Component 24:45Gallery 25:45Call to Action (CTA) 27:55 Custom LayoutsHome Page 31:50Displaying artifacts on home page 35:55About Us 37:50Temporarily hiding items on a page 40:50Translating text 42:10 View Training Page JANY Special Exhibition Content Training NOTE: The section on editing the carousels has been updated (see addendum video below) to use sliders.  https://vimeo.com/912642351/40d9ce9da1 Editing Sliders (updated)

帰りの旅

Return Journey: Europe and Asia, August 17, 1872 – September 13, 1873 After spending over six months in the United States, the Iwakura Mission sailed out of the Boston port and headed for Europe. The mission spent considerably less time across the pond – many countries were toured in just two weeks. There were a few exceptions to this rapid pace, including Great Britain, where the delegates spent four months, and France, where they journeyed for three months. The delegates allocated four weeks for both Germany and Switzerland, and gave three weeks of their time to Italy. While in America, the delegates had failed to successfully negotiate for a revised […]

ニューヨークの旅程

New York Itinerary 6/10/1872 – 6/21/1872 Broadway Street, Courtesy of the Kume Museum of Art. 6/10 The delegates arrived in New York City via ferry from New Jersey. They took a buggy ride down Broadway, and noted the brick roads and trolley cars before arriving at their hotel. West Point Military Academy, Courtesy of the Kume Museum of Art. 6/11 – 6/12 On the morning of June 11, 1872, the embassy left the city to travel upstate. Their first stop was West Point Military Academy, where they remained for two days. The delegates observed multiple combat drills and dined with officers, including the Secretary of War William Belknap. In their […]

Philadelphia Itinerary

Philadelphia Itinerary, 7/27/1872 – 7/30/1872 Drawing Room of Jay Cooke’s Mansion, 1883, Source: Library of Congress. 7/27 The delegation arrived in Philadelphia and accepted an invitation to stay at the country estate of Jay Cooke. Cooke was a wealthy financier, considered one of the first major investment bankers. Jay Cooke, 1892, Source: The British Library. 7/28 On the second day of the delegates’ stay at the Cooke estate, Jay Cooke returned home from a business trip. The group enjoyed a banquet at the house and socialized with the family. United States Mint, Courtesy of Kume Museum of Art. 7/29 During the day, the delegates took a carriage ride around the […]

ボストンの旅程

Boston Itinerary 6/18/1872 – 6/20/1872 World’s Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival, Courtesy of the Kume Museum of Art. 6/18 The delegation arrived in Boston on June 18, 1872, and attended the World’s Peace Jubilee and International Music Festival. Panoramic photo of Boston Harbor, 1876, Source: Library of Congress. 6/19 The mission members watched a second day of performances at the International Music Festival. Later in the day they attended a welcome event and cruised the Boston Harbor on a steamship. Springfield Armory – Water Shops, 1899, Source: Library of Congress. 6/20 The delegation took a train to Springfield and toured the Federal Arsenal. Revere House Hotel, 1869?-1885?, Source: New […]