What a splendid specimen! The illustrated book “Tokio 1900” from Taschen Verlag weighs heavily: the large-format book with its 536 pages weighs 5.8 kilograms.
The photo book brings together 700 vintage photos from the early days of photography. This falls exactly under the rule of the Japanese Emperor Meiji, who in 1868 gave up the 200-year isolation of his country, moved closer to the West and modernized Japan in the following four decades.
During the same period, the Far East also became attractive to travelers. Shipping companies ensured faster travel routes. The steamers of North German Lloyd needed only 40 days to travel through the Suez Canal from Bremerhaven to Yokohama. From 1900 travelers could travel from Paris to Japan in sleeping cars via Moscow and the completed Trans-Siberian Railway with the ship crossing from Vladivostok in just 17 days.
That time is also often referred to as the “Golden Age of Travel”. Back then, photography was still in black and white. But the XXL volume “Japan 1900” only shows colored photos of this era, which have their own special charm.
Journey through time to the roots of Japanese culture
The two authors, Sebastian Dobson and Sabine Arqué, have not only compiled the photographs from pre-industrial Japan, but also collected old posters, suitcase and hotel labels, which break up the layout and enrich it with a chapter in the history of tourism.
With this book, the viewer travels through the different regions of the country, from the island of Kyushu in the south to Hokkaido in the north. and with this knowledge he also travels to the roots of Japanese culture.
The new release “Japan 1900” is a book for more than just one evening, you should rather take a whole week to delve into it. And open on the living room table, you can leaf through the bibliophile work day after day – each large-format double page brings you closer to Japan.
Also read:
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– Japan in fast motion In four minutes through the Far East
– Tour of Tsukiji Fish Market Hunting tuna with Tokyo’s sushi master