"Chasing Japan" Through Travel Photographs: Fashioning the National-Cultural Identity in Japan

Abstract

This research is concerned with the role of travel photographs in shaping the national-cultural identity of Japan. The photographic medium has been used as tool to manipulate the (self-)imagery of nations. Hence, I suggest that the travel photographs of Japan (re-)produce familiar sights, scenes, symbols, events, practices common to the imaginary of Japan, which helps reinforce and entrench a particular national-cultural identity of Japan in the imaginary. In this research, I have analyzed picture-taking habits in Kōchi and Kyoto prefectures, using fieldwork observation, photo-elicitation and informal interviews to understand engagement with photographic images of Japan. My findings revealed a tendency of travel photographs to lean toward seeking an expected authentic experience of Japan, thus (re-)producing what was already in the visual field. This phenomenon of 'chasing Japan' is valuable in considering how the national-cultural identity of Japan is fashioned through travel photography.