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80115-0043 - Japanese New Year Celebrations

Kobe, 1906
New Year Celebrations 19

Artist	Teijiro Takagi
Publisher	Teijiro Takagi
Medium	Collotype Print
Period	Meiji
Location	Kobe
Image No.	80115-0043
Purchase	Digital File
Author	Kjeld Duits

Losers in the card game of karuta get ink painted on their face.

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

The ones who have shown the least skill in playing must submit to being branded with a mark of ‘disgrace;’ this being a dab of ink, and applied to the face in such a manner as to deprive one of all dignity—for the time being; it is good fun, and many of them prefer playing badly, in order to receive the “decoration” of the dunce!

See New Year Celebrations 18 for more information about the game of karuta.

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 9:32 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 19, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on June 24, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/664/new-year-celebrations-19

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Kobe, 1906New Year Celebrations 19