Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914 is a cultural and engineering history of railway building in Japan during the Meiji era. The 19th century was the first age of sustained, comprehensive contact between Asia and the West. This book describes the history of Japanese social adaptation to railway development, with many details never-before-published in English.
MeijiShowa
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Two men are clowning around as part of the entertainment seen during Meiji Period (1868-1912) New Year celebrations. This image is part of The New Year in Japan, a book published by Kobe-based photographer Kozaburo Tamamura in 1906. Original text:
Ping! Pong! These men are acting similar to the foreign pantomine [sic] clowns; they parade the streets, performing various antics, peculiar to custom, and they shout “Hail! Hail! ye Gods of Heaven and earth. Significant omens are in the air, and the universe is full of lucky signs.” [1]
See all New Year images on Old Photos of Japan.
1 Tamamura, Kozaburo (1906). The New Year in Japan. Tamamura Shashinkan.
Duits, K. (2009, January 1). Kobe, 1906 New Year Celebrations 12, Old Photos of Japan. Retrieved on 2021, Mar 08 from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/671/new-year-celebrations-12