Grant and Conversion of Ceremonial Buildings in Modern Imperial Funerals (Part 1): From Emperor Meiji to Emperor Taishō (Before World War II )
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT In modern imperial funerals, temporary buildings were built and granted to various organizations to be converted to buildings for other uses. To examine the commemorative nature of architecture from the modern emperor system's perspective, this study analyzes ceremonial buildings of four modern imperial funerals before World War II and clarifies their granting and conversion, focusing on Sōjōden , a temporary building for laying a coffin. It was found that the buildings were granted to local public bodies and charitable institutions, and the central area of grant was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. Moreover, the granting and conversion were connected to the concept of holiness and impurity, the positioning of the institutions enshrining the Emperor and Empress Dowager, building relationships with the Imperial House, and the condition of commemoration in the converted buildings.
Source: Japan Architectural Review
Author: Kaori Hasegawa
Institution: Tokyo University of the Arts
Language: English
Topic: Japanese History and Culture
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,500
OpenAlex ID: W4410403383