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80115-0033 - Japanese New Year Celebrations

Kobe, 1906
New Year Celebrations 9

Artist	Teijiro Takagi
Publisher	Teijiro Takagi
Medium	Collotype Print
Period	Meiji
Location	Kobe
Image No.	80115-0033
Purchase	Digital File
Author	Kjeld Duits

The first meal of the year, includes a soup called zoni, which features mochi rice cakes.

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

This illustration is a general representation of every family in Japan, partaking of the ceremonial breakfast, the members of the family congratulating each other, and ‘toasting’ each other in cups of zoni, a beverage made from mochi (boiled rice dough) and this ceremony is repeated until the third day of the New Year.

Mochi can be seen being made in New Year Celebrations 2.

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 9:33 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 9, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on September 10, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/674/new-year-celebrations-9

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Kobe, 1906New Year Celebrations 9