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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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Geisha: Women of Japan's Flower & Willow World • Tina Skinner, Mary L. Martin
Over 500 beautiful photographs and postcards, mostly of between 1900 and 1940, take you back to Japan’s now-extinct licensed pleasure districts. You will keep opening up this book again and again. A beauty!
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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.
@Charles: Thank you for sharing your family history in Yokohama. I had a look at …
Thank you so much for the wonderful photos and text about Negishi. My grandmother was …
@Noel: Yes, the Nagasaki University Library Database has some problems. I find their historical descriptions …
Although I often use The Nagasaki Database as a reference, I’ve also noticed that many …
Noel, the Nagasaki University Library calls this building 高島町神風楼 (Takashima Jinpuru The business was located …