[Daikokuya Kodaiyu Memorial Museum] Special Exhibition: "Castaway Heroes: The Worlds Opened by Daikokuya Kodaiyu and John Manjiro"

About this event

Among the castaways who drifted to foreign lands due to maritime accidents during the Edo period, Daikokuya Kodaiyu and John Manjiro are particularly famous and frequently confused with one another. The Daikokuya Kodaiyu Memorial Museum presents this exhibition introducing both castaway incidents, comparing the journeys both took, the knowledge of foreign lands they brought back, and their lives after returning home, while examining from multiple angles the uniqueness of their experiences and the subsequent impact they had on Japanese society. Through the castaway experiences and subsequent accomplishments of these two figures from different eras and backgrounds, we hope visitors will reconsider the relationship between Japan and the world, the power of individuals, and the importance of cross-cultural understanding. Highlights of the exhibition introduce the impact their experiences had on Japanese society while comparing the castaway journeys of Daikokuya Kodaiyu and John Manjiro, the worlds they saw abroad, the knowledge they brought home, and their lives after returning to Japan. The exhibition layout consists of Chapter 1 "The Fate of Drifting," tracing the background of both men's distress and drifting. Chapter 2 "Encounter with the World" introduces the Russian Empire seen by Kodaiyu and the American society experienced by Manjiro from perspectives including navigation, lifestyle, education, and social systems. Chapter 3 "Return Home: The World Opened by Castaway Heroes" introduces the process through which the castaways' experiences were interviewed and recorded, along with the overseas information they brought back. Chapter 4 "Castaways Turned Heroes" presents examples where the castaways' experiences became literary works and spread. Gallery talks by curators will also be held.

Venue

Daikokuya Kodaiyu Memorial Museum

1-1-8 Wakamatsu Naka, Suzuka, Mie 510-0224