This hilarious scene, shot in the studio, recreates a group of working-class men having a wild party.
The man on the right is dressed up like a woman and is “playing” a broom, while the man on the left appears to be “playing percussion” with his chopsticks. The person next to him is serving himself sake, and the young man in the middle is about to put some food in his mouth. The man between him and the “musician” is reading lyrics from a book.
The floor in front of the group is covered with dishes filled with food. The expressions on the faces of these partying people are really wonderful and make this a very special photograph.
It is amazing how closely this scene resembles the stereotypical image of partying salariman during Japan’s bubble economy in the 1980s. But instead of a piece of cloth, they wound their necktie around their head.
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Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.
To enhance our understanding of Japanese culture and society I track down, acquire, archive, and research images of everyday life, and give them context.
I share what I have found for free on this site, without ads or selling your data.
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Kjeld Duits
Reference for Citations
Duits, Kjeld (). 1890s: Having a Party, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on April 11, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/278/having-a-party
Ryan
Wow! That is amazing! What’s going on with the tattoo?
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