11 - Ornamental Diplomacy

Summary

Discussions of the Emperor Meiji are typically absent from histories of modern Japan’s interstate relations; modern Japanese diplomacy does not feature in the many extant studies of the emperor. I propose that these are shortcomings that need addressing. In this chapter, I argue that the Meiji emperor played a critical role in the development of modern Japan’s interstate relations, and that he did so by deploying what I call “ornamental diplomacy.” “Ornamental diplomacy” refers to the emperor’s engagement with foreign sovereigns through the exchange of collars, cordons, medals and ribbons, those material objects that constitute all modern honors systems. I explore the fashioning of the modern Japanese honors system in the early Meiji period, and its deployment by the emperor in rituals of diplomacy within the imperial palace. I highlight the strategic, contested nature of this sovereign-centered diplomacy by making special reference to the ornamental dimension to Japan’s relationship to China and to Britain. The time frame for this discussion is 1868 to 1894.