Satirising imperial anxiety in Victorian Britain: Representing Japan in Punch Magazine, 1852-1893

Matthewson, Amy

Abstract

Japan’s opening to global trade during the second half of the nineteenth century aroused much interest from Western nations. Attempts to understand the nation were made by classifying Japan and its people within the racial and political hierarchies known at the time, which were frequently contradictory in attitude. By focusing on the popular British satirical magazine, Punch, this paper explores the ways in which Japan was used as a satirical “other” between 1852 and 1893. The fluctuating representations reveal socio-political anxieties during a period of heightened consciousness towards ideological and geopolitical power dynamics.

Citation

Matthewson, A. (2021). Satirising imperial anxiety in Victorian Britain: Representing Japan in Punch Magazine, 1852-1893. Contemporary Japan, 33(2), 201-224. https://doi.org/10.1080/18692729.2021.1926410

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 3, 2021
• Online Publication Date: May 28, 2021
• Publication Date: May 28, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 11, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 11, 2023
• Journal: Contemporary Japan
• Print ISSN: 1869-2729
• Electronic ISSN: 1869-2737
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 201-224
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/18692729.2021.1926410
• Keywords: Anglo-Japanese relations; Punch; political cartoons; satire; representation; imperialism; ideology
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/18692729.2021.1926410
• Additional Information: Data Access Statement : Data is displayed alongside the article.