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80115-0047 - Japanese New Year Celebrations

Kobe, 1906
New Year Celebrations 23

Artist	Teijiro Takagi
Publisher	Teijiro Takagi
Medium	Collotype Print
Period	Meiji
Location	Kobe
Image No.	80115-0047
Purchase	Digital File
Author	Kjeld Duits

When the New year celebrations are over on January 15th, the decorations are burned to ward off evil and disease.

This image is part of The New Year in Japan, a book published by Kobe-based photographer Kozaburo Tamamura in 1906. Original text¹:

The New Year holidays end on the 15th of January, and the next day the decorations of the interior of houses are taken to the Shinto Temples, where the Priest blesses the tokens, and the floral matter is then committed to a fire. This pleases the children, they not understanding the purpose of the ceremony.

See all New Year images on Old Photos of Japan.

Notes

¹ Tamamura, Kozaburo (1906). The New Year in Japan. Tamamura Shashinkan.

Published January 1, 2009
Updated December 29, 2022 12:28 AM

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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.

Your support helps me to continue doing so, and ensures that this exceptional visual heritage will not be lost and forgotten.

Thank you,
Kjeld Duits

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Reference for Citations

Duits, Kjeld (December 29, 2022). Kobe, 1906: New Year Celebrations 23, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on January 30, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/660/new-year-celebrations-23

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Kobe, 1906New Year Celebrations 23