40 Colorized Photos from Early 20th Century Japan | Asia Society Skip to main content
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      • Macau
      • Malaysia
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      • Myanmar

      • Nauru

      • Nepal

      • New Caledonia

      • New Zealand

      • Niue
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      • Papua New Guinea
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      • Samoa
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore

      • Solomon Islands

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      • Southeast Asia
      • South Korea
      • Sri Lanka
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
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      • Thailand
      • Tibet
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40 Colorized Photos from Early 20th Century Japan

January 19th, 2016
"Japanese boys in (Kodomo) country." 1913. (Ueda/New York Public Library)
"Basket-maker." (New York Public Library)
"Yarn-reeling." 1910-1919. (New York Public Library)
"Repairing basket." 1910-1919. (New York Public Library)
"A Japanese cake (ame) seller." 1907-1919. (New York Public Library)
"Winnowing of ride [i.e., rice] with hand and machine." 1910-1919. (New York Public Library)
"Drying radishes. An old man basking in the sun." 1901-1907. (New York Public Library)
"Pounding rice for rice cake." 1910-1919. (New York Public Library)
"Birds ege [i.e., bird's eye] view of Kobe."(Sakaeya/New York Public Library)
"Motomachi-dori Itchome, Kobe." 1901-1907. (New York Public Library)
"Nishimon-dori Nanko, Kobe." 1909. (New York Public Library)
"Division St. Kobe." 1901-1907. (New York Public Library)
"Ikuta Shrine, Kobe." 1907-1919. (New York Public Library)
"Nakamise at Asakusa temple Tokyo." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Japanese garden and pavilion." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Sewing." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Lantern makers, Japan." 1907-1919. (Theodor Eismann/New York Public Library)
"Woman dishing rice into bowl." 1901-1907. (New York Public Library)
"Portrait of Japanese young woman, possibly maiko." 1907-1919. (New York Public Library.
"Women playing the koto." (New York Public Library)
"Picnic-style tea ceremony." (New York Public Library)
"Chionin, Kyoto." 1901-1907. (New York Public Library)
"Girls playing Uta-garuta." (New York Public Library)
"Weaving to cloth." 1901-1909. (New York Public Library)
"Women bowing to each other in entryway." 1901-1907. (New York Public Library)
"Ohanasan playing 'go' game." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Sankeiyen, Yokohama." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Family seated on a bench." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Pounding rice for rice cake." 1900-1909. (New York Public Library)
"Dinner party." 1907-1918. (Ueda/New York Public Library)
"Maiko at the spinning wheel." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Woman with mirrors." 1907-1919. (New York Public Library)
"Rice clearing of old women." 1901-1909. (New York Public Library)
"Studio portrait of young woman in ricksaw posed with driver." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Cherry blossom at Uyeno Park, Tokyo." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Motoshikkui-machi, Nagasaki." (New York Public Library)
"Matsubara. Tea-house Mogi Road Tagami Nagasaki." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)
"Nara Park, Nara." 1901-1907. (New York Public Library)
"Nihonbashi dori Tokyo." 1922. (New York Public Library)
"Whole view of Yokohama no. 1." 1907-1919. (New York Public Library
Enlarge Hide captions
Kamakura

Asia Society Museum’s exhibition Kamakura: Realism and Spirituality in the Sculpture of Japan, which runs from February 9 to May 8, 2016, in New York, brings together over 30 masterpieces to explore how sculptures were “enlivened” by the spiritual connection between exterior form, interior contents, and devotional practice during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).Learn more

At the beginning of the 20th century, large-scale industrialization in Japan begun during the Meiji Restoration, a period of rapid modernization that lasted from 1868-1912, was well under way. The subsequent Taishō period (1912–1926) saw a continuation of the country's rise to international power, while political reform and ongoing Westernization permanently altered the face of Japanese society.

Earlier this month, The New York Public Library released photographs from Japan during this period as part of a cache of 180,000 digitizied public domain images from a collection previously available only at its New York City locations. The images presented above — produced by Western publishers as postcards for foreign visitors to Japan — were artificially colorized from black and white photos though photocrom or handpainting processes, and have been digitally enhanced here. Some depict maiko — young women in traditional dress who performed songs, dances, and played instruments for visitors during feasts — while others revealed signs of Western expatriate influence. Still others show more typical scenes of rural laborers, bustling crowds in large cities, or young children sharing a light moment. 

The surrounding context and precise date of many photos have been lost to time, so they are presented here only with their original title, approximate year of origin, and publisher when available.

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Eric Fish was a Content Producer at Asia Society New York and is author of the book China's Millennials: The Want Generation.

 @ericfish85

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