OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN, a photo blog of Japan in the Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods

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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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Unbeaten Tracks in Japan • Isabella L. Bird
Unbeaten Tracks in Japan

In 1878, just 19 years after Japan opened it first ports to the world, and a mere ten years after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, an adventurous 47-year old woman from the UK set out to explore the interior of Japan. The country was virtually unknown to Westerners, and a woman traveling only with a guide seemed outrageous. Everybody advised her not to, but she went anyway and wrote this unique and vivid journal of what she saw and experienced.


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Customs

Two Women Sleeping # 80129-0029
1890s • Two Women Sleeping
Meiji • •
Unknown • Albumen Print • Unknown
Three Women Taking a Bath # 80129-0025
Hakone 1890s • Three Women in Bath
Meiji • •
Unknown • Albumen Print • Unknown
Temizu, Japanese Women in Kimono Washing Hands # 70820-0011
1890s • Temizu
Meiji • •
Reiji Esaki • Albumen Print • Reiji Esaki
Ainu Woman # 80201-0048
1920s • Ainu Playing the Mukkuri
Taisho • •
Unknown • Postcard • Taisho Hato
Japanese Shop Selling Pet Birds # 70221-0018
1930s • Pet Bird Shop
Showa • •
Unknown • Postcard • Unknown
New Year # 70802-0010
Yokohama, 1890s • Dezome-shiki
Meiji • •
Nobukuni Enami • Albumen Print • Nobukuni Enami
Firefighters # 70518-0030
Tokyo, 1920s • Dezome-shiki
Taisho • •
Unknown • Postcard • Unknown
Firefighters # 70209-0003
Yokohama, 1900s • Dezome-shiki
Meiji • •
Unknown • Postcard • Unknown
New Year Celebrations # 80115-0025
Kobe, 1906 • New Year Celebrations 1
Meiji • •
Kozaburo Tamamura • Collotype Print • Kozaburo Tamamura
New Year Celebrations # 80115-0026
Kobe, 1906 • New Year Celebrations 2
Meiji • •
Kozaburo Tamamura • Collotype Print • Kozaburo Tamamura
New Year Celebrations # 80115-0027
Kobe, 1906 • New Year Celebrations 3
Meiji • •
Kozaburo Tamamura • Collotype Print • Kozaburo Tamamura
New Year Celebrations # 80115-0028
Kobe, 1906 • New Year Celebrations 4
Meiji • •
Kozaburo Tamamura • Collotype Print • Kozaburo Tamamura
New Year Celebrations # 80115-0029
Kobe, 1906 • New Year Celebrations 5
Meiji • •
Kozaburo Tamamura • Collotype Print • Kozaburo Tamamura
New Year Celebrations # 80115-0030
Kobe, 1906 • New Year Celebrations 6
Meiji • •
Kozaburo Tamamura • Collotype Print • Kozaburo Tamamura