Deer Cry Hall
Japan's uneasy embrace of modernity, exemplified by a controversial 19th-century building.
The Essay · BBC Radio 3
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Show Notes
Christopher Harding begins his exploration of some of the darker sides of Japan's recent history by reflecting on popular doubts and misgivings about mainstream modern life through the story of a building: Deer Cry Hall. The rise and fall of this single, iconic piece of late 19th-century architecture represented Japanese concerns about foreignness and fakery in the new world their modernising leaders were creating.
Producer: Sheila Cook