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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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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« Dezome-shiki • Dezome-shiki »

Tags: Unknown • Taisho • Tokyo • Customs • New Year
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Firefighters in happi coats perform acrobatic stunts on top of bamboo ladders. The ladder stunts were the main event of Japanese New Year celebrations. The demonstrations, called dezome-shiki, were intended to warn people of the dangers of fire, and to demonstrate the agility and courage of the firefighters. For detailed information about fires in Japan, read Yokohama, 1890s • Dezome-shiki.

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Photographer: Unknown
Publisher: Unknown
Medium: Postcard
Image Number: 70518-0030
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Thumbnail URL: http://oldphotosjapan.com/images/498t.jpg

Posted by Kjeld Duits • 2009-01-04

« Dezome-shiki • Dezome-shiki »

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