Japanese Modernization Driven by Aspiration to Emulate Western Ideas and Institutions
The clock strikes 2pm at a local art museum in the well-off Tokyo neighbrohood of Shirokanedai, and the floors seem to fill with more and more people. The museum's eclectic collection of a permanent exhibition on the history of art deco in Japan and a special exhibition on French children's books is drawing what seem to be a highly varied but equally enthusiastic audience. College students carefully reading the descriptions bump shoulders with housewives snapping photos and middle-aged men in suits. From the looks of the crowds, it just does not look like a weekday afternoon in any way.