Old Photos of Japan rescues rare images of daily life in old Japan
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70122-0003 - Japanese vegetable vendor, 1880s

1880s
Vegetable Vendor

Artist Unknown
Publisher Unknown
Medium Albumen Print
Period Meiji
Location Studio
Image No. 70122-0003
Purchase Digital File
Author

Studio portrait of a Japanese vegetable vendor.

The vendor is wearing a kasa (conical bamboo hat) and a mino (straw raincoat). He carries a pole with baskets filled with vegetables like Japanese radish, lotus roots, Welsh onions, burdocks, onions and carrots.

Peddlers like him were extremely common on the streets of Japan. There were peddlers for virtually everything, from vegetables to medicine to baskets and even furniture.

They went from house to house and walked enormous distances, especially in the countryside. Life was extremely hard for these people.

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Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.

To enhance our understanding of Japanese culture and society I track down, acquire, archive, and research images of everyday life, and give them context.

I share what I have found for free on this site, without ads or selling your data.

Your support helps me to continue doing so, and ensures that this exceptional visual heritage will not be lost and forgotten.

Thank you,
Kjeld Duits

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Reference for Citations

Duits, Kjeld (). 1880s: Vegetable Vendor, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on July 30, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/49/vegetable-vendor

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