The Fireworks of Edo
or Japan's Early (post?) Modern past

The aim of this essay is to compose a synchronous reading of the cities Edo-Tokyo, by proposing a network of links and intersections that set under question the linear development from Edo to Tokyo, or from, what is classified as, Early Modern to Modern Japan.

A major source of information concerning the transition from the castle-town Edo to the modern capital Tokyo are woodblock prints. This genre, developed during the Edo period by the artists of the "floating world" (ukiyo-e), continued to be produced during the Meiji period, depicting the popular spots of each period and offering important insights on the phantasmagoria of the city. The woodblock prints were often combined with a board game called Sugoroku, consisting of a series of individual spots which players randomly visit according to the toss of a dice. This site will borrow the conceptual lay out of this game trying to recreate a journey to various times and spaces of Edo-Tokyo.

For a linear reading, you can skip the links and use the buttons at the bottoms of the pages.


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