Tokyo - EdoTokyoMuseum

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21.Tokyo.era.Cionino * Cionino on the wheels. * 2336 x 3504 * (1.67MB)

22.Perry.Arrives.In.japan * I think this an important moment in Japanese history.
From the museum notes: In 1953, Commodore Matther Calbraith Perry (1794-1858) and his squadron of four black ships arrived at Uraga Bay, with a letter from the American President, Millard Fillmore, demanding the opening of Japan's harbors.
This appearance sent shock waves troughout Japan and set Edo into an uproar. The bakufu attempted to stall by promising an answer the following year.
The next year, Perry arrived again at Edo Bay, forcefully demanding the signing of a treaty with the bakufu. The bakufu bowed to this pressure, and in 1954 signed a Treaty of Peace and Amity between the two nations.
In 1856, the first american consul, Townsend Harris, pressured the bakufu to secure the first commercial compact with Japan, which was signed in 1858. This treaty effectively put an end to over two-hundred years of Japanese isolation. In subsequent events, the bakufu elder, Ii Naosuke (1815-60) who had not waited for an imperial command before signing this treaty of unequal provisions, was assassinated. Thereafter, the strength of the bakufu declined quickly.
In 1867, the fifteenth shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837-1913) returned the rights of governing the land to the imperial court. Leaders of those who had stood firmly against the Tokugawa bakufu, issued a proclamation of the restoration of imperial rule. They then attempted to establish a military government by those who were claiming to be protecting the emperor. In the beginning of 1868, battles broke out to what was known as the Boshin war. In the third month of 1868, Katsu Kaishu (1823-99), the leader of the bakufu army, met Saigo Takamori, a leader of the anti-bakufu forces, and negotiated for the bloodless surrender of Edo castle. Some two thousand disgrunted bakufu supporters, however, formed a company of resisters, and retreated to the Kan'eiji Temple at Ueno. There an army of 12000 men from Satsuma, Choshu, and some 21 other domains defeated them in ten hours of battle.
This defeat spelled the end of over 200 years of Tokugawa rule. Edo, which had once been the home of more than one million inhabitants, also declined in vigor. The new government aimed to establish a unified state with centralized rule. Old practices were discarded: the new era was named Meiji, and Edo was renamed Tokyo (east capital).
For a short time Tokyo was a kind of desert wasteland, but with the establishment of a street of governmental offices adjacent to the palace, the city, with its center around the Nihonbashi area, returned to normal.
* 2332 x 1785 * (879KB)

23.Tokyo.19.century * 1728 x 1152 * (1.05MB)

25.Ginza * 1752 x 1168 * (371KB)

21.Tokyo.era.Cionino

22.Perry.Arrives.In.japan

23.Tokyo.19.century

24.Ginza.Bricktown

26.Ginza * 2232 x 1452 * (513KB)

27.Ginza * 2498 x 1648 * (775KB)

28.Ginza * 1168 x 1752 * (367KB)

29.Ginza.Bricktown * Ginza Bricktown
From Museum notes: Bricktown buildings were initially offered for sale. Later they were leased, but the high rent meant that many remained unoccupied. Nevertheless, the area flourished as a symbol of civilization and enlightenment, thanks to the presence of newspapers and magazine companies who led the trends of the day. The area was also known for its window displays, an example of modern marketing techniques. * 2242 x 3290 * (1.63MB)

30.Ginza * 1611 x 1040 * (366KB)

29.Ginza.Bricktown

31.Ginza * 1647 x 1091 * (312KB)

32.Ginza * 3504 x 2336 * (1.48MB)

33.Ginza * 1283 x 889 * (362KB)

34.Cionino.Jinriksha * Cionino on wheels again. * 2764 x 2208 * (1006KB)

36.Subaru.360 * The Subaru 360 was the first automobile mass produced by Fuji Heavy Industries' Subaru division. The 360 was produced from 1958 to 1971.
The 360 featured an air-cooled, 2-stroke 356 cc engine mounted transversely at the rear. While this was one of the more notable cars which adopted an arrangement similar to the Volkswagen Beetle, the car is much smaller, less powerful, and was not nearly as well accepted in the world marketplace.
* 2358 x 1716 * (872KB)

34.Cionino.Jinriksha

35.Subaru.360 * 2628 x 1752 * (1.17MB)

37.Ford.A * Ford Model A
In the late 1920's, Ford and GM opened auto assembly and production in Japan. When Ford first built its assembly factory in Yokohama in 1925, it started making Model T's. The Model A is a modification, built to reflect American design changes. Some Model As are used as taxis(takushii in Japan),which were nicknamed the Entaku. * 2628 x 1752 * (1.36MB)

38.Westernized.house * 2628 x 1752 * (1.05MB)

39.Ryounkaku * The Ryounkaku
From Museum notes: The Ryounkaku, a tower also known as the Twelve stories, was designed by British engineer William K. Berton and completed in 1890. It functioned as a symbol of Asakusa and appeared on many souvenir pictures. This tower was highly popular until it collapsed in the great Kanto earthquake of 1923.
The Ryounkaku was approximately 60m in height. Up to the 10th floor it was made of brick, in an octagonal shape; the eleventh and twelfth floors were made of wood. Visitors could relax at a lounge or purchase imported products at shops inside the tower. (shopping mall!) The two upper floors were equipped with telescopes for peering into and over the city. The Ryounkaku featured Japan's first elevator, leading to the eighth floor. For safety reasons, however, the operation of the elevator was eventually halted. * 1752 x 2628 * (1.28MB)

40.Phone.booth * 1410 x 2271 * (747KB)

38.Westernized.house

Album last updated on 7/25/08 12:27 AM

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