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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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Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People • William W. Fitzhugh et al
Japan’s indigenous people, the Ainu, inhabited Hokkaido, the Kurile Islands, southern Sakhalin Island, and a portion of northern Honshu. They had a unique culture and language, completely separate from that of the Japanese. By the middle of the 19th century, the destruction of this ancient culture was set in motion by Japan’s national government.
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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)
Periods
Themes
Ainu
At Work
Bridges
Buildings
Castles
Children
City Views
Customs
Disasters
Hotels
New Year
People
Prostitution
Railways
Religious
Rural
Scenic Views
Shops
Temples & Shrines
Tokaido
Transport
Weddings
Women
At Work
Bridges
Buildings
Castles
Children
City Views
Customs
Disasters
Hotels
New Year
People
Prostitution
Railways
Religious
Rural
Scenic Views
Shops
Temples & Shrines
Tokaido
Transport
Weddings
Women
Places
Arashiyama
Arima
Beppu
Enoshima
Hakone
Himeji
Hiroshima
Inside
Kinosaki
Kobe
Kyoto
Miyajima
Mount Fuji
Nagasaki
Nagoya
Nara
Nikko
Okayama
Osaka
Outside
Shikoku
Studio
Tokaido
Tokyo
Utsunomiya
Yokohama
Arima
Beppu
Enoshima
Hakone
Himeji
Hiroshima
Inside
Kinosaki
Kobe
Kyoto
Miyajima
Mount Fuji
Nagasaki
Nagoya
Nara
Nikko
Okayama
Osaka
Outside
Shikoku
Studio
Tokaido
Tokyo
Utsunomiya
Yokohama
Photographers
Taisho
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# 70420-0027 Kobe 1920s • Mercantile Houses Taisho • Buildings • City Views Unknown • Postcard • Taisho Hato |
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# 70130-0009 1910s • Woman with Fan Taisho • Women Unknown • Postcard • Unknown |
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# 70130-0006 Tokyo 1910s • Yoshiwara Prostitutes Taisho • Prostitution • Women Unknown • Postcard • Ueda |
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# 70126-0025 1910s • Family in Formal Wear Taisho • People • Weddings Studio Chidori • Silver Gelatin Print • Studio Chidori |
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# 70126-0021 1910s • Family in Formal Wear Taisho • Weddings • People Unknown • Silver Gelatin Print • Unknown |
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# 70124-0017 Tokyo 1910s • Hattori Building, Ginza Taisho • City Views • Transport Unknown • Postcard • Ueda |
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# 70124-0011 1910s • Woman with Handkerchief Taisho • Women Unknown • Postcard • Unknown |
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# 70122-0012 Yokohama 1910s • Yoshidamachi-dori Taisho • City Views • Shops Unknown • Postcard • Ueda |
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# 70116-0004 Hiroshima 1920s • Shintenchi Taisho • City Views Unknown • Postcard • Unknown |
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# 70111-0010 Yokohama 1910s • Isezaki-cho 1-chome Taisho • City Views Unknown • Postcard • Ueda |
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# 70111-0008 Yokohama 1910s • Isezaki-cho 2-chome Taisho • City Views Unknown • Postcard • Tomboya |
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# 70201-0008 1912 • Baby Girl in Kimono Taisho • Children • People Unknown • Silver Gelatin Print • Unknown |
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# 70510-0002 Kyoto 1920s • Shimabara Tayuu Taisho, Showa • Prostitution • Women Unknown • Postcard • Seikyokudo |
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# 70116-0008 Tokyo 1920s • Hanayashiki, Asakusa Park Taisho, Showa • City Views • Buildings Unknown • Postcard • Unknown |
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.
@Jim Clinefelter Thanks, Jim. I love it when photographers leave their name card like that! Yamamoto’s studio …
The clue to who took this image is the kanji on the man’s haori, 寫山茂堂 …
高橋様 明治5年（1872年）、明治天皇の西国御巡幸の際、宮内省御用掛の写真師第一号として随行し、内田九一は長崎を訪れたので、日付を1872年に変更しました。
高橋様 「OLD PHOTOS OF JAPAN」のドゥイツです。ご案内誠にありがとうございます。 高橋様の情報を追加致しました。
この長崎の写真は明治６年に内田九一が撮影したものです。国際日本文化研究センター所蔵の内田写真館のアルバムYA033に他の九一の写真といっしょに入っています。