The exhibition-bussankai as Japanese proto-museum form of XVIII century

Questions of the emergence and development of the Japanese museums and museology are insufficiently explored in European science. Nevertheless, the study of Japanese proto-museum forms during its isolation from the other countries will allow to compare the phenomenon of the emergence of museums in different parts of the world, and to conclude, the museum is only a phenomenon of European culture or an international phenomenon, natural for the development of culture, education and science in each country. The author seeks to trace the tasks of different exhibitions (promoting scientific advances, educational and entertaining), and to note the primordial bond of emergence of museums and emergence of education and science, characteristic even for Japan. The purpose of the article is to give the reader some information on the first Japanese proto-museum forms - the exhibition-bussankai, - and its variations - the «yakuhinkai» (medicines exhibition) or the «hondzoukai» (exhibition of medicinal plants) and exhibition of stones. Its appeared in the middle of the 18th century, even before the Japanese brought the museum form from Western countries. Thus, the existence of these exhibitions proves, that proto-museum form is a natural phenomenon of human culture, education and scientific knowledge. Have been analyzed complex and not having analogues in the domestic museology the term «bussankay», based on the values of characters and the essence of this historical phenomenon of this type of Japanese exhibitions. The article tells about exhi-bitions-bussankai, conducted herbalists Tamura Ransui and his student Hiraga Gennai. Interests of Hiraga Gennai as the demonstrating of tasks of his exhibition-bussankai are described. The article tells about one of these exhibitions as a typical exhibition-bussankay, its structure and exhibits, and describes one of the first Japanese catalog of exhibition. Examples of other kind exhibition-bussankay are presented. Its based on the collections of stones, belonging to people of different social classes - the industrialists, the monks, the people of samurai environment. Related to organization of exhibitions phenomenons was shown - creation of catalogs of exhibition and fabrication of the amateur classification for exhibits. At the end of this article author substantiates, why bussankay are proto-museum forms by comparing them with the a modern activities of museums. The article can be useful not only to experts of museum sciences, but also to those who study the national features of formation of education and science in Japan and Asia.

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