Photography in Japan

The history of photography in Japan begins in the 19th century and has continued to be a prominent art form into the present era.

[1] In 1848 (Edo era), a camera for daguerréotype was imported by a Dutch ship to Japan (Nagasaki, 長崎).

This camera was imported by Ueno Toshinojō (1790–1851, 上野俊之丞) and in 1849 passed to Shimazu Nariakira (1809–1858, 島津斉彬), who later would become a feudal lord (daimyō, 大名) of the Satsuma Domain (薩摩藩, now Kagoshima-ken).

[2] In Satsuma Domain, detailed study with respect to photography had been done, but it took almost ten years from the acquisition of the first camera to taking the first photograph.

In 1857, Shimazu Nariakira's photograph was taken by Ichiki Shirō (1828–1903, 市来四郎) and Ujuku Hikoemon (宇宿彦右衛門) (daguerréotype).

In 1854, the Convention of Kanagawa (日米和親条約, Nichi-Bei Washin Jōyaku, "America-Japan Treaty of Amity and Friendship") was concluded between the U.S. and Japan.

The Anglo-Japanese Friendship Treaty (日英和親条約, Nichi-Ei Washin Jōyaku) was concluded between Britain and Japan, and the Treaty of Shimoda (日露和親条約, Nichi-Ro Washin Jōyaku) was concluded between Russia and Japan.

After the opening of the Ueno Studio and the Shimooka Studio, around the turning point between the Edo era and Meiji era (1868), several new photo studios were opened, such as that of Kuichi Uchida (1844–1875, 内田九一) in 1865 in Osaka and moved in 1866 to Yokohama; that of Yohei Hori (or HORI Masumi, 1826–1880, 堀与兵衛 (堀真澄)) in 1865 in Kyoto, that of Kōkichi Kizu (1830–1895, 木津幸吉) in 1866 in Hakodate, that of Rihei Tomishige (1837–1922, 冨重利平) in Yanagawa, and that of Yokoyama Matsusaburō (1838–1884, 横山松三郎) in Chikugo in 1866.

Such photographers included Tamoto Kenzō (1832–1912, 田本研造), Kōkichi Ida (1846–1911, 井田侾吉), Raimund von Stillfried-Ratenicz (1839–1911), Seiichi Takebayashi (1842–1908, 武林盛一) and Sakuma Hanzō (1844–1897, 佐久間範造).

After WWII, there appeared the era of Hōdōshashin (era of photojournalism) again, mainly led by Ken Domon (1909–1990, 土門拳), Ihee Kimura (Ihei Kimura, 1901–1974, 木村伊兵衛) and Yōnosuke Natori (1910–1962, 名取洋之助), all of three were very active even during WWII.