Nagashima Shungyo
One characteristic of the Meiji Kaika-e ("prints of enlightenment") is the way in which the depiction of figures confuses and comingles elements of western culture washed ashore with the enlightenment and traditional culture that lingers on from the Edo Period. Today we present the modern high-rise Ryōunkaku skyscraper, which was a building symbolic of the new and old cultures. It was Japan's first Western-style skyscraper. It stood in the Asakusa district of City of Tokyo (now Taitō, Tokyo) from 1890 until its demolition following the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923. It quickly became a landmark and symbol of Asakusa after its opening in 1890. It was a major leisure complex for visitors from all over Tokyo. Through the seven floors, the building held 46 stores selling goods from around the world. A lounge was on the eighth floor, and art exhibitions were held on the ninth floor. The tenth through twelfth floors were observation decks from which all of Tokyo could be seen, and on clear days, Mount Fuji. Many artistic and cultural events were held in the Ryōunkaku, including Western music concerts, geisha photograph exhibitions, and beauty contests.
P.S. Check out more great examples of how the art from the West intertwined with Japanese culture!
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