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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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Good Book Tip
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
Nobukuni Enami
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# 80717-0021 Tokyo, 1880s • Ginza and Kyobashi Meiji • City Views Nobukuni Enami • Glass Slide • Nobukuni Enami |
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# 70601-0018 1890s • Basket and Broom Peddler Meiji • At Work • People Nobukuni Enami • Albumen Print • Nobukuni Enami |
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# 70802-0010 Yokohama, 1890s • Dezome-shiki Meiji • Customs • New Year Nobukuni Enami • Albumen Print • Nobukuni Enami |
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# 70208-0010 Kyoto 1890s • Pagoda at Kiyomizu Meiji • City Views • Temples & Shrines Nobukuni Enami • Albumen Print • Nobukuni Enami |
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# 70319-0008 Hakone 1890s • Rural Road Meiji • Scenic Views • Tokaido Nobukuni Enami • Albumen Print • Nobukuni Enami |
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# 70820-0001 Nagasaki 1890s • View on City and Bay Meiji • City Views • Scenic Views Nobukuni Enami • Albumen Print • Nobukuni Enami |
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# 70820-0006 Nagasaki 1880s • Foreign Settlement Meiji • City Views • Hotels Nobukuni Enami • Albumen Print • Nobukuni Enami |
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# 71205-0018 Tokyo 1890s • View from Atago-yama Meiji • City Views Nobukuni Enami • Albumen Print • Nobukuni Enami |
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.
@Kim The white building is the Ishihara Tokeiten (石原時計店). This was a well-known retailer of watches …
What is the tall building?
@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。