Imaging Industry

Woodblock prints from late nineteenth-century Japan, particularly those depicting the Tomioka Silk Mill, reveal a dual narrative of modernity and social control. These images portrayed young female workers in idealized settings, blending traditional attire with industrial progress, yet systematically erased their agency to align with Meiji society's male-dominated hierarchy. While not overtly propagandistic, these visual tropes shaped public perception, reinforcing the mill's role in Japan's modernization while maintaining low labor costs and export competitiveness through the exploitation of female workers.

Miller, A. J. (2021). Imaging Industry. The Visual Culture of Meiji Japan, 92–110. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003112235-7