Sakamoto Ryoma was a genius at taking great photos!
Sakamoto Ryoma was a genius at looking good!
~Learning about aesthetics and self-promotion from handsome older men of the late Edo period~
"Sakamoto Ryoma is kind of cool, isn't he?"
That photo you saw in a history textbook: a man in a hakama, legs crossed, flashing a dagger.
But did you know that that photo was actually taken completely on purpose?
Ryoma's sense of fashion is still relevant today
Sakamoto Ryoma was not just any samurai.
He knew how to present himself; he was a master of self-production.
• When taking photos, he poses with his legs crossed. • He adjusts the position of his dagger so that the whole figure is captured in the photo. • He even draws ink around his neck to make his outline more clearly defined!
It's like choosing an Instagram filter.
I was conscious of the idea that "how I am perceived" equals "how I live."
The western clothing and boots are all "a message to the future"
Ryoma not only wore Japanese clothing but also Western clothing.
Wearing boots, the photo looks like a "street snapshot from the end of the Edo period."
This is not just fashion, but a sign of "determination to live in a new era."
His aesthetic sense was a fusion of "the sensitivity to read the times" and "his own individuality."
Aesthetic sense = visualization of ideas?
Ryoma's coolness isn't just in his appearance.
His words and actions are imbued with philosophies such as "freedom," "future," and "friends."
This philosophy was expressed through visuals such as clothing and photography.
In other words, aesthetic sense = designing a way of life.
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💡 Message to young people: What kind of future does your “aesthetic sense” paint?
Sakamoto Ryoma is not just a historical figure.
He was a man who knew that **"how to present yourself" = "how to change the world."**
In this day and age, posting on social media and choosing clothes are all
Everything becomes a canvas to reflect your thoughts.
That's why, like Ryoma--
Let's send a message of "coolness" to the future.