An international symposium entitled “The restoration of an imperial chair from the Daishōji collection” was held at the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo; the event formed part of the celebrations marking the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan. In attendance were H.R.H. Princess Akishino and H.E. Mario Vattani, Italian Ambassador to Japan.
The symposium, organised in collaboration with the Medieval Japanese Studies Institute, is dedicated to a particular imperial chair (goishi) bearing the chrysanthemum crest and preserved at Daishōji, a historic Buddhist monastery in Kyoto with long-standing ties to the imperial family.
During Japan’s Westernisation in the Meiji era, the chair was not only a symbol of changing lifestyles but also played a role in signifying rank and authority in contexts such as the imperial court and diplomatic relations.
The symposium examined, from a variety of perspectives, the history embodied in this single chair, and the cultural and technological exchanges between modern Japan and Europe.
