Japan and Ancient Greece: Culture and Possession (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781009528696)

Japan and ancient Greece. Placed side by side, these two concepts give the impression of something very strange, a sort of chimera - half Apollo, half samurai; half Venus, half geisha - set on a ground that is at once white and blue like the Cyclades, dark green and vermillion like Shintō shrines. How could two countries so distant from each other be joined together to form a coherent image, to give birth to a meaningful concept? In this groundbreaking study - translated into English for the first time - Michael Lucken analyses the manifold ways in which Japan has adopted and engaged with ancient Greece in the period from the Meiji restoration to the present. This invaluable and timely volume not only demonstrates that the influence of ancient Greece has permeated all aspects of Japanese public and cultural life, but ultimately illustrates that the reception of Classics is a global phenomenon.

Author: Michael Lucken
ISBN-10: 1009528696
ISBN-13: 9781009528696
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 07/31/2026
Pages: 226
Format: Hardcover