Illustration of the Imperial Diet House of Commons with a Listing of all Members 1890

Toyohara Kuniteru III created this woodblock print, around 1890, depicting the Imperial Diet House of Commons. The figures' dress code in Western-style suits and the architecture of the assembly hall, covered by decorative red carpet, clearly mark a moment of cultural transition in Japan. The emphasis on recording and displaying the names of all members signals a powerful shift towards a system valuing public representation. This is reminiscent of the ancient Roman practice of displaying the "Fasti Consulares," a list of consuls intended to legitimize power through recorded lineage. This motif of cataloging representatives suggests a similar intent here. The image, therefore, evokes a deep, perhaps subconscious, desire for order and legitimacy. By visually codifying a new governing body, the artist taps into universal human needs for security, making the process of cultural transition less disruptive. Thus, the image serves not just as a record, but as a powerful assertion of a newly modernized state.