The other day we got email from renowned Dutch journalist, photographer, and producer Kjeld Duits letting us know that he is a regular reader of JAPUNDIT. He also took the opportunity to alert us to a new blog he has started that is dedicated to old photographs of Japan.
Old Photos of Japan is dedicated to photographs from Mr. Duits’ private collection of thousands of rare photographs, postcards, and maps of Japan. It is a multilingual photoblog with daily uploads of rare photographs and postcards of Japan between 1860 and the 1930’s.
What makes Old Photos of Japan especially interesting for Japundit readers are the Google Maps. They make it possible to find the exact location displayed in the image. Lots of fun if you know Japan well. Often, the entries also feature historical maps showing where the photographer stood some 100 years ago to make the shot.
These images display an abundance of information about the urban settings and customs of Japan. Well-researched articles accompany the images. Many of the articles contain maps and additional illustrations, making them a fun and useful resource on Meiji, Taisho and early Showa Japan.
The photographs can be searched by keyword, period, theme, location, photographer and medium.
With the photos 1960s - 1880s you can see old Japan, many things were remaining from Edo period. The cities looked like Kyoto and everybody was wearing Kimono, some men with topknot. And after 1890 you can feel the momentum of industrialization.