The must-have classic work on early Japanese photography! This book presents a fascinating visual record of Japan and Japanese culture during its metamorphosis from a feudal society to a modern industrial nation--at a time when the art of photography was still in its infancy. The 350 rare images in this book, most of them published here for the first time, chronicle the introduction of photography in Japan and the history of early Japanese photography. These images are vital in helping us to understand the dramatic changes occurring in Japanese society during this critical period. Taken between 1853 and 1912 by talented Japanese and foreign photographers, these photographs document the history of photography in Japan in a comprehensive and systematic way, with extensive information about the photographers as well as the people and subjects illustrated. The images, whether sensational or everyday, intimate or panoramic, document a nation on the brink of abandoning its traditional ways and entering the modern age. 江戸末期から明治の日本の姿を収めた写真集 イギリスの写真家フェリーチェ・ベアトや日本で初めての職業写真家となる鵜飼玉川や下岡蓮杖など、国内外問わず撮影された日本の写真350点をおさめた貴重なコレクションをご紹介します。日本写真史の黎明期を垣間見ることが出来る本書は、同時に古い風習を捨て、近代化へと突き進む時代の日本を映し出しており、貴重な歴史的資料となっています。