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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1920s • Woman Curling Hair

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A young Japanese woman is waving her bobbed hairstyle. The bob was first started in the USA in 1915 by celebrated ballroom dancer Irene Castle (1893-1969). It was perfect for the free-spirited youth of the time and turned into a controversial craze during the 1920s. The bob became the signature look of the flapper. It didn’t take long for young Japanese women with modern ideas to take to the new hairstyle. Compared to the traditional Japanese styles it was extremely easy to care for as well as liberating. The inset photo shows the kind of US hairstyle, and make-up, that influenced Japanese women at that time (click to enlarge).

For more information about the modernizing Japanese woman during the 1920s and 1930s, see 1930s • Woman with Modern Hairdo.

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Photographer: Unknown
Publisher: Unknown
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print
Image Number: 70802-0001
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<a href="http://oldphotosjapan.com/en/photos/269/woman-curling-hair">1920s • Woman Curling Hair</a>

A young Japanese woman is waving her bobbed hairstyle. The bob was first started in the USA in 1915 by celebrated ballroom dancer Irene Castle (1893-1969). It was perfect for the free-spirited youth of the time and turned into a controversial craze during the 1920s. The bob became the signature look of the flapper. It didn’t take long for young Japanese women with modern ideas to take to the new hairstyle. Compared to the traditional Japanese styles it was extremely easy to care for as well as liberating. The inset photo shows the kind of US hairstyle, and make-up, that influenced Japanese women at that time (click to enlarge).

Thumbnail URL: http://oldphotosjapan.com/images/158t.jpg

Posted by Kjeld Duits • 2008-06-09

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Add Comment

Japanese women have such lovely hair. It’s almost a shame to see this done but it was a fad. Compared to what women do to their hair today, this is nothing.

# Mr. T · 2008-06-11

this is gross looking

# freakout · 2008-09-19

Great picture. That looks like quite the dangerous contraption.

# Japanese words · 2009-03-27