Old Photographs of the Bakumatsu-Meiji Periods
December 29, 2008
Taken by Beato. Entitled “Japanese doctor, Azuma Ian and patient “. A bald doctor wearing a kimono with the family emblem and a sword takes the pulse of a young woman patient. A kettle sits on a brazier in the background, but this may be the residence of the doctor.
“Japanese Old Photographs of the Bakumatsu-Meiji Periods” at the University of Nagasaki Library is the largest collection of old photographs, approximately 6,000, taken all over Japan from the Bakumatsu through to the Meiji period.
The collection offers a unique opportunity to see life in Japan in Bakumatsu-Meiji periods. Unfortunately, many photos are colored, but some are kept in their black and white form.
Here are some images that I liked. By no means this is the best what the collection has to offer – only some photographs that I stumbled upon while exploring the website 
- Woman dressed up for snow
- Japanese merchants and a child
- Okuma Shigenobu in traditional attire
- A memorial photo of marriage
- Two women
- A soldier in armour
- The family of Ito Hirobumi
- The Accession of Emperor Taisho 1910
- The Accession of Empress Taisho
See more photos at their website
すごい！ I wish they had I book I could buy…
Yes, it would be nice to have such a book, but it would not be easy to put all 6000 photographs there. It would be great if you could select the photos you like and then print the book
The electronic version is fine though. I like the website because the entire collection is easy to search and browse
Great find! Even as I type this comment, I’m scanning the Tokyo section for photos of the old Imperial Palace.
haha That was the first thing I did when I found this website because I remember that you wanted that picture. Unfortunately, I found only one photo that didn’t seem very interesting
I love that site. I run a photo blog myself with photos, glass slides and postcards of Japan between the 1860s and 1930s. Just started, so there are only 300 photos or so now, but each photo features a well-researched description, and often maps, that brings the photographs to life. If you like the Nagasaki University site, you’ll certainly will like this one, too: http://www.oldphotosjapan.com
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