Tokyo 1890s
Shinjuku’s Lost Paradise (4)
A painting of Jūnisō Pond as it looked during the 1890s, the period when modernization first reached the area. This article introduces revealing first-hand accounts of these, seemingly innocent, early changes.
Tokyo 1860
Shinjuku’s Lost Paradise (3)
This print is the first known foreign depiction of Jūnisō. Thanks to foreigners, visiting after Japan opened its borders in 1859, we have detailed accounts of Jūnisō describing aspects that locals took for granted.
Tokyo 1890s
Shinjuku’s Lost Paradise (2)
Cherry blossom along the Tamagawa Jōsui at Koganei. The 43 kilometer aqueduct supplied much of Tokyo’s drinking water and played a major role in turning Jūnisō into a place of natural beauty.
Tokyo 1910s
Shinjuku’s Lost Paradise (1)
Sheltering trees, romantic open teahouses—the idyllic Jūnisō Pond was for centuries a celebrated city escape.
Tokyo 1871
Birth of a Nation
This rare photo from 1871 shows Tokyo’s Nihonbashi Bridge made famous in countless woodblock prints. A year after Austrian photographer Michael Moser shot this scene, the bridge was torn down and rebuilt.
