Travel back in time to a Japan that no longer exists

History is currently repeating itself a bit: Japan is completely sealed off from the outside world, due to the pandemic no one is allowed into the country (apart from Olympians). The situation was similar until well into the 19th century: At that time, the island kingdom had decreed isolation for more than 200 years during the so-called Edo period (1603-1868), which, however, was not due to deadly viruses, but to missionary and colonial ones Ambitions of European powers that successfully thwarted Japan's rulers by "closing" their country.

The Edo era was followed by the Meiji period: Japan opened up to foreigners, engaged in trade and modernized through the use of western technology, from the railway to the steamboat to photography.

It was above all these early photos of Japan that circulated around the world in the last decades of the 19th century that sparked a wave of Nippon enthusiasm. They showed a completely foreign, seemingly exotic, yet civilized world, which aroused curiosity and promptly brought the first wave of tourists to Japan.

Thanks to new ships (Norddeutscher Lloyd from Bremerhaven was also there) and rail lines, Japan could now be reached from Europe in less than three weeks, and Western-style hotels opened in the Japanese port cities in order to be able to adequately accommodate the growing number of foreign tourists.

Taschen-Verlag has now collected a good 700 of these early photos, mostly hand-colored prints, in a magnificent and large-format illustrated book called “Japan 1900”. It allows a fantastic journey back in time - to Japan 120 to 150 years ago, of which hardly any evidence is known in this country. And that as good as no longer exists: wars, earthquakes, but above all Japan's unstoppable urge to modernize have made the old Nippon almost completely disappear.

The immersion in the Japanese yesterday is all the more exciting. You can see perfectly designed picture book landscapes that make you believe that all of Japan was one big park, decorated with rickshaws, temples and traditionally dressed locals who enjoy cherry blossoms or red autumn leaves.

Much of it was already a cliché back then, but of course the Japanese didn't want to depict everyday life, but carefully create a positive image. But even this staged reality is exciting to watch, from women on their knees drinking tea to hikers posing in front of snow-capped Mount Fuji, Japan's national symbol.

Some things have survived to this day: for example the Japanese love for detail and perfection, but also the enthusiasm for sumo fights or the white-painted geishas in kimonos. In the 19th century they were in demand as entertainers all over the country, today they are still part of the street scene, at least in Kyoto. Not to forget the enthusiasm for Fuji: there are more than 7.5 million posts on Instagram alone

But much has disappeared irretrievably. Because of course Japan is not a big garden, but largely sprawled and densely built up. The change is particularly striking when looking at old city photos: 130 years ago, Tokyo's glittering mile of Ginza was not even paved and lined with modest two-storey buildings. Today there are magnificent skyscrapers with neon facades.

The view of old Nagasaki shows a sea of ​​wooden houses that was completely destroyed by the atomic bomb detonated by the USA in 1945.

In short: leafing through the illustrated book, which weighs 5.8 kilos, leaves you in awe. And immediately feels like exploring today's Japan. It's time for it to open again.

"Japan 1900" with texts by Sebastian Dobson and Sabine Arqué, taschen.com, 536 pages, 150 euros

This article was first published in July 2021.