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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The Adventure of Japanese Photography 1860 - 1890 • Philipp March, Claudia Delank

Some 90 old photographs of Japan by celebrated photographers like Felice Beato, Adolpho Farsari, Hikoma Ueno, Kimbei Kusakabe, Kihei Tamamura and Kazumasa Ogawa. A true treasure.

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Kobe 1890s • Ikuta Jinja Matsuri

Matsuri Crowd on the Road to Ikuta Jinja (shrine) Kobe

A crowded festival day on the approach to the shinto shrine Ikuta Jinja in Kobe’s Sannomiya. This was a beautiful rural sand-road lined on both sides with plum and cherry trees and countless stone lanterns when Kobe opened its port for trade in 1868 (Meiji 1). In the 1870s, the trees and lanterns were removed and the country road became a bustling shopping street. See Kobe 1910s • Sannomiya for a photo of the same street closer to the sea, taken in the 1910s.

1891 Map of Kobe 1891 (Meiji 24) Map of Kobe: 1. Kobe-Osaka rail connection; 2. Foreign Settlement; 3. Ikuta Jinja.

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Photographer: Unknown
Publisher: Unknown
Medium: Albumen Print
Image Number: 80115-0022
Quote this number when you contact us about licensing this image

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<a href="http://oldphotosjapan.com/en/photos/123/ikuta-jinja-matsuri">Kobe 1890s • Ikuta Jinja Matsuri</a>

A crowded festival day on the approach to the shinto shrine Ikuta Jinja in Kobe’s Sannomiya. This was a beautiful rural sand-road lined on both sides with plum and cherry trees and countless stone lanterns when Kobe opened its port for trade in 1868 (Meiji 1). In the 1870s, the trees and lanterns were removed and the country road became a bustling shopping street. See Kobe 1910s • Sannomiya for a photo of the same street closer to the sea, taken in the 1910s.

Thumbnail URL: http://oldphotosjapan.com/images/198t.jpg

Posted by Kjeld Duits • 2008-11-22

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This place is impossible to recognize today. There is a huge Tokyu Hands store and it doesn’t feel as open any more with all the big buildings.

# Kjeld Duits · 2008-11-24