Japan Made for America: The Image and Influence of Japan on the 1904 World’s Fair

Abstract

The 1904 World’s Fair, held in St. Louis, Missouri, was an important turning point for Japan both internationally as well as within the United States. The 1903 Domestic Industrial Exhibition held in Osaka impacted the timeline and the scale of the 1904 Fair as well as the foreign exhibits therein. By studying Japan’s relations with the world in 1903 and the impact that the country had on the World’s Fair in 1904, a better understanding of Japan’s place as a global power can be formed, including their simultaneous involvement in the Russo-Japanese War. The “Japan made for America” was a curated view of Japan designed specifically to appeal to an American audience and leave an impression of a Japan that was heavily influenced by Meiji ideology but maintained a traditional appearance harkening back to the Tokugawa Era and before. This image of Japan left both subtle and obvious impressions on the people who attended, from the casual fairgoer to the other foreign countries that attended the fair.