This rich and powerful biography is now given fresh relevance with a new introduction by the author that explores how Hirohito’s legacy persists in Japan to this day, and how US foreign policy in the region in the last ten years is informed by its troubled past with Japan and with Hirohito as a ruler specifically.
MeijiShowa
License all the photos on this site at our boutique photo agency for vintage photographs, illustrations and maps of Japan between the 1860s and 1930s (Meiji, Taisho, early Showa)
Passengers are getting off a streetcar in Tokyo in May 1934, while others are waiting. At the time that this photograph was taken, Tokyo’s streetcar system was immense and extremely popular, as can be seen from the number of people riding the streetcar on this image.
Employees pose in front of Tokyo sidewalk restaurants on a sunny day in May, 1934. The delivery bicycle belongs to Yanase Sushi (the shop with the white sign with red kanji).
A young Japanese woman in kimono is combing her hair while looking at a small hand mirror. This postcard was published sometime between 1907 and 1918. During the early 20th century, picture postcards of bijin (beautiful women) were extremely popular in Japan (see Woman with Rose)
Shops and rickshaws at Motomachi itchome in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture Japan. The shop with the elephant is Zouki. It was established in 1875 (Meiji 8) by Kihei Sodeoka. Sodeoka was a ronin, a former samurai, from Satsuma.
OldPhotosJapan.com — a photo blog about old Japan that reads like a book and works like an archive. All the photographs are from the Kjeld Duits Collection and available for licensing at MeijiShowa.com. Use when you need historical photos, maps or illustrations of Japan for your newspaper article, book, documentary, advertising or other project. For questions, contact us.
Thank you for the background information, Jim. I wasn’t aware that this was a photo …
Hello, This image was taken at Kajima Seibei’s Genrokukan Studio in Tokyo about 1895/96. The woman …
I did a little research on the Nagasaki Hotel and I found a bunch of …
Oh that is cool, John. Do you have a scan that you can share?
Greetings From Canada! I am delighted to have found your OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. I …