Shopping at a temple market on the first day of the year.
This image is part of The New Year in Japan, a book published by Kobe-based photographer Kozaburo Tamamura in 1906. Original text1:
The temple grounds are thronged with visitors, bent upon paying their devotions to the Gods and the Souls of long departed heroes. We are hero worshippers, and Admiral Togo will, in the fulness of time, be worshipped in like manner; his soul supposed to be resting within the sacred precincts of the Temple specially dedicated to his memory. Here you will observe all sorts and condition of natives purchasing “lucky” mementoes of the New Year.
See all New Year images on Old Photos of Japan.
Notes
1 Tamamura, Kozaburo (1906). The New Year in Japan. Tamamura Shashinkan.
2 Admiral Togo (1848–1934) was Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. He won a decisive victory over the Russian fleet in May 1905.
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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.
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Kjeld Duits
Reference for Citations
Duits, Kjeld (). Kobe, 1906: New Year Celebrations 15, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on October 31, 2025 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/668/new-year-celebrations-15
rhys
I can see the flags of foreign countries in this photo- UK, France, USA, Switzerland etc
But one flag looks like the South Korean flag, or is it something else?
#000537 ·
Kjeld Duits
I am pretty sure it is the Korean flag. It was designed by in 1882 and adopted as the national flag of the Joseon Dynasty on March 6, 1883, so it existed in 1906.
#000538 ·
Herman Loots
I also see a dutch flag, is that correct?
#000543 ·
Kjeld Duits
@Herman Loots: Ja, er hangt ook een Nederlandse vlag. Daar waren Japanners al meer dan twee eeuwen mee bekend.
#000544 ·