Historically Hot: Reimagining Beauty from Japan's Past

A lecture by Laura Miller, Professor of Anthropology,
University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Who was considered beautiful long ago? How did an attractive Edo samurai or courtesan look? Producers of manga, anime, film and TV programs set in historical eras find that ancient beauty standards differ considerably from contemporary expectations. Rather than striving for historically accurate appearance, they meld historic fashion with Heisei and Reiwa aesthetics. We will survey reimagined historical figures reflecting today’s beauty ideology. Expediency and consumer demands influence most ahistorical costuming, reflecting creative engagement with history, but reassuring us that our notions of beauty are natural, not historically contingent portraits.

Sponsors: Japanese Studies, GSFS, History, Anthropology Departments; RCGA, IS-EAS