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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12/31/2026 (Thursday)

Unbeaten Tracks in Japan • Isabella L. Bird

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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« Pilgrims • Minamiyamate »

Tags: Unknown • Taisho • Kobe • City Views • Shops
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Ikuta-mae, the street leading to the shinto shrine Ikuta Jinja. In the background the shrine’s torii can be seen. One Western style building made of stone stands out among the otherwise traditional wooden architecture. When Kobe opened its port for trade in 1868 (Meiji 1), this was a beautiful rural sand-road that lead from the shrine to the sea and was lined on both sides with plum and cherry trees and countless stone lanterns. The Dutch located their first consulate around here on the left side of the road. The consul must have had an incredibly beautiful view in spring when all those trees were in flower. The trees and lanterns, however, were removed in the 1870s and the country road became a bustling shopping street that connected Ikuta Jinja with the Foreign Settlement.

Detail of the image above, the torii is clearly visible.

Since this photo was taken in the early 1900s the area has undergone a complete transformation. Any person stepping out of this vintage postcard into today’s Sannomiya would be absolutely unable to recognize anything. Even Ikuta Jinja looks different.

For a brief history of Kobe read Kobe 1880s • View from Yamate.

1929 (Showa 4) Map of Kobe: 1. Hyogo Kencho; 2. Sannomiya Station (Still in its old location. It was moved to its current location on October 10, 1931. The old Sannomiya Station was reopened in 1934 as Motomachi Station.); 3. Motomachi-dori; 4. Sannomiya Jinja; 5. Ikuta Jinja.

Photographer: Unknown
Publisher: Ueda
Medium: Postcard
Image Number: 70216-0062
Quote this number when you contact us about licensing this image

Thumbnail URL: http://oldphotosjapan.com/images/80t.jpg

Posted by Kjeld Duits • 2008-10-06

« Pilgrims • Minamiyamate »

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