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A Japanese colour triptych shows foreign men eating, drinking, singing, and dancing with courtesans and servants inside a crowded multi-level pleasure-house interior.

c. 1861 · Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and colour on paper

Foreigners Enjoying Themselves in the Gankirō

Utagawa Yoshikazu

Why it matters

The print relocates "opening" from warships and treaties to a regulated pleasure quarter. Its crowded, unstable perspectives make foreign presence legible as managed urban spectacle rather than unrestricted national access.

Publication
Yokohama-e triptych
Holding institution
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Department of Asian Art
Shelfmark
JP3264
Rights
Public Domain; The Met Open Access

Citation

Utagawa Yoshikazu. Foreigners Enjoying Themselves in the Gankirō. c. 1861. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, JP3264.

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