Cultural Diplomacy of the Japanese Consulate in Odesa (late 19th - early 20th century)

Abstract

The article analyses the activities of the Japanese consulate in Odesa at the end of the 19^th and beginning of the 20^th centuries in the context of the implementation of cultural diplomacy by Japan during the Meiji Restoration period. It analyses the role of the consulate in shaping a positive image of Japan abroad through the organization of exhibitions of Japanese goods, establishing contacts with local entrepreneurs and promoting Japanese culture and manufacturing.

Particular attention is paid to the activities of the honorary consul, influential Odesa entrepreneur and co-owner of the house ‘V. Raksheev & Son’ Oleksandr Raksheev, who initiated exhibitions of Japanese products in Odesa in 1896-1897. The exhibitions included a wide range of products demonstrating both traditional craft techniques and the latest Japanese industrial products. Among the items on display were porcelain and lacquered tea sets, ceramic and bronze vases, decorative boxes, furniture, screens, silk fabrics, embroidery, fans, paper and silk lanterns, paintings, photographs, lacquer and tortoiseshell items. Along with artistic items, various samples of everyday goods and industrial products were also on display: printing and packaging paper, woven baskets, trays, bamboo products, boxes, lamps, burners, glass items, toys, and other household items. Such a variety of exhibits allowed Japanese production to be presented as modern, competitive and at the same time closely linked to the traditional artistic culture of the country. The organized exhibitions were not only a cultural event, but also an effective means of commercial advertising for Japanese goods, facilitating the establishment of contacts between Japanese manufacturers and Odesa merchants. However, the untimely death of the honorary consul in February 1898 led to the gradual cessation of the exhibition of Japanese goods.

The work traces the further transformation of the functions of the Japanese consulate, when on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the collection of political and military information became the priority of its activities. After the war ended, the consulate resumed its work, but due to limited economic contacts and the absence of a significant Japanese community in the region, it was finally closed in 1909.

It is concluded that the activities of the Japanese consulate in Odesa combined the instruments of cultural, economic and political diplomacy aimed at strengthening Japan's international authority and expanding its influence in the Black Sea region.