I always have a difficult time remembering which prominent American scholar it was that advised the US government to spare Kyoto and Nara from bombing during World War II. And now and then, I am reminded, as I come across the name Langdon Warner again. What a debt is owed to him, the temples, machiya, sacred and artistic treasures, and so much else of these hearts of Japanese traditional culture, protected and preserved due to his efforts (though so much has been lost to modernization in the decades since…).
However, it would seem that he “rescued” a number of wall paintings from Dunhuang in the 1920s, which were later sold to the MFA. I had no idea this had occurred, and certainly don’t believe I had any idea that the MFA owned Dunhuang wall paintings. What incredible objects to own (I wonder what form and condition they’re in – solid blocks of painted stone?), and what a controversy I can imagine this has become. Was it controversial at the time? I wonder.
Strangely, I cannot seem to find the paintings in the MFA online database; perhaps they have since deaccessioned and repatriated them?
Hi,
I followed your blog link from Daniel O’grady’s Japanese Castle Explorer. very cool blog. Thanks for the hard work you’ve put into it.
I read a book about the atomic bomb development and its use over Hiroshima. I wish I could remember the title. It was a fantastic book.
The book talks about the decision to avoid bombing Kyoto. It was an incredible story. As you know I;m sure. Warner and his wife had lived in Kyoto and loved the city. Even though the city was the 1st and ‘best’ target, he was able to convince the military to avoid bombing it.
That he had just happened to had lived in Kyoto and then just happened to be in his position of government is incredible. Though, I’m sure Hiroshima and Nagasaki lost their share of history… and lives. A sad and arguably necessary event.
Very interesting about the paintings.
Thanks.
Matt
Thanks for reading, and for your comments.
I keep meaning to read more about that aspect of the war; the details of exactly what meetings were had, the process leading up to making the decision to drop The Bomb…
It still amazes me that they would drop the bomb on Nagasaki of all places, the one city in Japan with the strongest historical and contemporary connection to Christianity. Then again, the Allies firebombed Dresden and other German cities, destroying innumerable churches and such. So I guess such a consideration wasn’t so important to the decision-makers.
Still, not to make light of all that was lost in Nagasaki and Hiroshima – both in terms of history, artifacts, etc, and lives – but I think Warner was absolutely right in pushing to protect Nara and Kyoto. Not just because this was the city he happened to live in – if he had lived in Hiroshima or Kanazawa or Sendai would he have pushed to save those cities over Kyoto? But rather, because he recognized the incredible importance of those two cities, historically and culturally. Had we bombed the former Imperial Palace, the most ancient temples in Japan, the cities representing the absolute core of Japanese tradition, I don’t know what might have happened… Maybe the war would have ended the same way, maybe not. But Japanese culture would be irrevocably changed, in a different way than it was with Kyoto and Nara intact, and it would be a truly terrible loss for not only the Japanese, and us Japan enthusiasts, but really for the whole world.