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80115-0036- Japanese New Year Celebrations

Kobe, 1906
New Year Celebrations 12

Artist	Teijiro Takagi
Publisher	Teijiro Takagi
Medium	Collotype Print
Period	Meiji
Location	Kobe
Image No.	80115-0036
Purchase	Digital File
Author	Kjeld Duits

Two men are clowning around as part of the entertainment seen during Meiji Period (1868-1912) New Year celebrations.

This image is part of The New Year in Japan, a book published by Kobe-based photographer Kozaburo Tamamura in 1906. Original text¹:

Ping! Pong! These men are acting similar to the foreign pantomine [sic] clowns; they parade the streets, performing various antics, peculiar to custom, and they shout “Hail! Hail! ye Gods of Heaven and earth. Significant omens are in the air, and the universe is full of lucky signs.”

See all New Year images on Old Photos of Japan.

Notes

¹ Tamamura, Kozaburo (1906). The New Year in Japan. Tamamura Shashinkan.

Published January 1, 2009
Updated December 29, 2022 9:32 AM

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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 (December 29, 2022). Kobe, 1906: New Year Celebrations 12, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on June 9, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/671/new-year-celebrations-12

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Kobe, 1906New Year Celebrations 12