Meiji Restoration: New Middle Class Decided To Funish Their Houses With Tokonoma

In this article, the author stated that in 1868, when the Meiji Restoration was lifted, members of the new middle class decided to furnish their houses with Tokonoma. Tokonoma was established according to social status. It is a way of rising above on the social ladder by buying and displaying the arts in their own home. The consumers are personating the elites no matter the conditions. It is a way for them to not feel like the common people and feel like they are apart of the cultural elite. In 1907, it is stated that ‘the author spent a sum of money equivalent to approximately half of his monthly wage on a nihonga painting’ (Younjoung 361). Even with their small salary, they will keep on purchasing the arts despite not being financially secured. Reasons such as appreciation

of the arts or just the mindset of the need to feel as though they are apart of the circle. The author stated that department stores took advantage of the rising middle class customers. They used marketing to attract them such as displaying the conveniences of buying arts in their stores as stated in the article ‘department stores stressed the convenience that

They are inexpensive, quality assured, receiving it quickly when bought and the assurance of not getting any services such as theirs elsewhere. Department stores promote themselves by stating that it was absolutely necessary to buy arts for to have an ideal life in the modern period. When you buy it, you are already entering the club of the cultural elite. Overall, creation of department stores was the only way for the new middle class to have a taste of being and feeling like they are apart of the cultural elites. Department stores serves as the middleman for the rising new middle class to rise above the social ladder through purchasing and displaying the arts right in their own