If Japanese imperialism was based on the extension of the metropole (naichi) to the colonies (gaichi), it was the panoramic vision that materialized the expansion of Empire through its graphic projection of concrete imagery. Like its Western counterpa...
If Japanese imperialism was based on the extension of the metropole (naichi) to the colonies (gaichi), it was the panoramic vision that materialized the expansion of Empire through its graphic projection of concrete imagery. Like its Western counterparts, Japan co-opted the panoramic vision to express the physical and metaphorical consolidation of its power. This new and “all seeing” power of vision could compellingly concertized different aspects of national reality, generating the sense that “in a matter of minutes, all of Japan could be shown.” This paper attempts to explore how Japan’s national representation is built on the structure of panoramic vision and its metaphor - unbounded, total, unified and universal view. It particularly looks at the historical specificity of Japan, addressing how panoramic vision implies with respect to the “organic wholeness of Empire,” the ultimate expression of Japanese pan-Asianism.