shows photos of Japan between the 1860s and 1930s. In 1854, Japan opened its doors to the outside world for the first time in more than 200 years. It set in motion a truly astounding transformation. As fate would have it, photography had just been invented. As the old country vanished and a new one was born, daring photographers took photos. Discover what life was like with their rare and precious photographs of old Japan.

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07/31/2008 (Thursday)

Tags: Unknown • Showa • Kobe • City Views
Tools: e-card • map • license photo • license text

A view from Kobe’s Tamondori onto Sankaku Koen (literally Triangle Park) in Hyogo-ku. The road on the right is Daikaidori (大開道), the one on the left Yanagiharasen (柳原線). It lead to Hyogo Station, and still does so, today. Behind the photographer’s back is Shinkaichi (新開地), until WWII, Kobe’s main commercial and entertainment center, famous for its many theaters. Though visually unremarkable, this area is actually the birthplace of Kobe.

Tags: Unknown • Showa • Kobe • Buildings • City Views
Tools: e-card • map • license photo • license text

A view on stately buildings along Kobe’s Kaigandori, known among foreigners as the Bund, sometime between 1922 and 1927. This street originally directly faced the sea (see Kobe 1880s • Houses at Bund for the same location 40 years earlier). By 1921, reclamation work in the bay had increased the harbor’s capacity by 2.1 million ton¹. Kobe Port now handled 40% of Japan’s trade in monetary value. As can be seen on this image, the construction moved the street inland quite a bit. This photo was almost certainly taken from the roof of the Kobe branch of the major shipping company Nippon Yusen (日本郵船神戸支店). Finished in 1918 (Taisho 7), this building still stands and is known as the Kobe Yusen Building.

Tags: Unknown • Meiji • Outside • At Work • Customs
Tools: e-card • license photo • license text

Two craftsmen are making tatami floor mats at an outside work place. Their tools can be seen on top of the tatami. The origin of tatami goes back to ancient times when people sat on thin mats folded and piled on the floor. Over the years this evolved into the tatami that we know today. It would take until the 17th century before they were commonly used among all classes to cover the whole floor. Since the end of WWII, with people turning to Western furniture, they have been gradually fading away from Japanese homes. Nowadays, an increasing number of new apartments have none.

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