page_title: Japan–British Exhibition
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Japan–British Exhibition / Background
caption_attribution_description: Japanese calligraphy, the word "peace" and the signature of the calligrapher, Baron Ōura Kanetake, 1910
context_page_description: The Japan-British Exhibition of 1910 took place at White City, London in Great Britain from 14 May 1910 to 29 October 1910. It was the largest international exposition that the Empire of Japan had ever participated in and was driven by a desire of Japan to develop a more favorable public image in Britain and Europe following the renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. It was also hoped that the display of manufactured products would lead to increased Japanese trade with Britain. Japan made a successful effort to display its new status as a great power by emphasizing its new role as a colonial power in Asia.
context_section_description: A proposal was made in 1908 for an Exhibition to be held in London to celebrate and reinforce the Anglo-Japanese Alliance on a grass-roots level. It was strongly supported by Japanese Foreign Minister Jutaro Komura, who was aware that there still was a general conception in the West of Japan as a backward and undeveloped country, despite the Boxer Rebellion and the Russo-Japanese War. The Japanese Diet voted an enormous sum to sponsor the Exhibition in 1909, despite the fact that the Treasury had been drained from the Russo-Japanese War, and the economy was on the verge of bankruptcy.
  Baron Ōura Kanetake, who was then Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, was the President of the Japanese committee organizing the exhibition.  His British counterpart was Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk.
  The Japanese display covered 242,700 square feet (22,550 m²), three times the space Japan occupied at the previous Paris Exhibition of 1900, not including an additional 222,877 square feet (20,706.0 m²) for two large Japanese gardens. There were some 2,271 Japanese exhibitors.
  The Imperial Japanese Navy sent the Japanese-built cruiser Ikoma (which was anchored at Gravesend in Kent) to underscore that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was primarily a naval alliance and to stress that Japan was a formidable military power worthy of partnership with Great Britain.
  A visit by Queen Alexandra in mid-March, in advance of the opening, added publicity and royal prestige to the Exhibition. The death of King Edward VII caused the opening to be delayed until 14 May. By the time the event closed on 29 October, over 8 million visitors had attended.
  The Exhibition was widely known in London as 'the Japanese Exhibition' rather than 'the Japan–British Exhibition', as there was minimal British content.
caption: Japanese calligraphy, the word "peace" and the signature of the calligrapher, Baron Ōura Kanetake, 1910
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