Ukiyo-e translates to “images of the floating world.” The Floating World refers to the pleasure districts of the Edo period. This was the world of actors, prostitutes, geisha, bath girls, and other entertainers. The districts were set aside for those purposes by the Shogun. Prostitution was banned outside these districts. Yoshiwara and Gion numbered among…
Category: Old Japan in Pictures
This collection of photographs from the late 1800s and early 1900s tells Japan’s story of change during this time. Japan opened to the world and began a rapid modernization from a feudal, classed-based society to a modern industrial society in just a few decades. These photographs reveal people and places that were often left behind. Although many of these photographs were posed, they show real people and real culture.