A Picturesque Glimpse into the Past
These hand-colored postcards are a stunning reminder of life in Tokyo and Yokohama in the years preceding the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, which devastated the area and several surrounding prefectures. Let’s take a look at some of the more popular locations and see how much they’ve changed throughout the years.
By SoraNews24
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The port town of Yokohama, in Tokyo’s neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture, is also depicted in a number of beautiful, hand-colored photo postcards.
Theatre Street, Yokohama (1907–1908), the main entertainment district for locals, is one such locale.
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100 Stone Steps, Yokohama (1907-1918) paints a beautiful image of old and new Japan, with traditional clothing appearing alongside western fashion and rickshaws operating beneath telegraph poles. At the top of the stone steps sits a tea house which was once the headquarters for Commodore Perry while he was in Japan in 1854.
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Motomachi Street, Yokohama (1907–1918). Also known as Motomachi-dori, this street dates back to the opening of Yokohama Port back in 1859, which opened the area up to foreign trade, foreign residents, and signs written in English. Today, Motomachi-dori remains a pleasant, shop-lined street.
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Motomachi-dori, Yokohama (1911) shows the same street, only this time with a woman in western dress.
With such a rich and interesting history and culture, we’d love to be able to go back in time and do a little sightseeing along the dusty streets of Japan in fancy kimono. Until we master the laws of time travel, these fascinating postcards will have to keep us entertained!
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