kusakabekimbei

Here NOW

Hi, this photo has featured in one of the many discussion threads in the Flickr Commons group, and we would love it if you would also add it to the group pool!

I believe this photo dates between 1877 and 1882. Written on the bottom right of the card is "Principal Street", on top of "Ginza, Tokio". This is the famous Renga-gai (bricktown or brick street) in Ginza, Tokyo. It was an experiment at completely redeveloping a neighborhood in fireproof brick. In 1872 yet another massive fire spread through Tokyo. Ginza Renga-gai was completed in 1877, designed by British architect and engineer T J Waters (Japanese). The street itself was a first for Tokyo. Pedestrian areas are separated from wheeled traffic, and gas lamps light the road at night. Arcades visibile on the opposite side of the street were copied from Tuscany, while the entire street sceen evoked Regents Street in London. Unfortunately Waters' northern design skills created buildings that baked their occupants in Tokyo's hot summer months. The street itself flooded horribly in Tokyo's typhoon season. The brick neighborhood was not expanded beyond Ginza, for these reasons or perhaps simply because it was too abnormal for Japanese people to live in. Renga-gai was destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. This photo predates the streetcar line visible in the Edo-Tokyo Museum model. A horse-drawn streetcar was installed in 1882, according to "This Book Will Teach You All About Architecture" (建築のすべてがわかかる本, 2007), which I pulled most of this information from. The colorization of this photo seems totally fanciful. I haven't found evidence of anything but beigish or red color for the buildings.

Meijitaisho.net has the same photo in black and white. They date it around 1877. Meijitaisho points out the Hattori Watch Shop (服部時計店) on the left which closed in 1894. They also notice the very top of the tower of Asano News (朝野新聞社社屋) jutting above the watch shop. They peg the photo location as looking north from the Ginza-8 intersection, underneath the Capital Expressway. Here.

This photo was discussed in the Flickr Commons research thread. I've also discussed it on my blog, combining the information.

Hi, this photo has featured in one of the many discussion threads in the Flickr Commons group, and we would love it if you would also add it to the group pool!

Now:

This was the main street leading out from the port in the trade zone of Yokohama. The new Minato-Mirai subway was built underneath Honcho-doori. Another shot along Honcho-doori from the City of Yokohama site, either later or in a different spot. Nagasaki University's photo collection calls this "Hon-machi-doori" in their database and "Honcho-doori" in translated captions, but Honcho is correct for this spot. In English "Main Street in Yokohama". From Nagasaki University's digital archive: photo of street with German Club; more shots 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 8, 9, 4 (in snow), 10,11, 12). #1 is exactly the same as this NYPL photo, and comes from the Nagasaki University's Kusakabe Kimbei album. Other photos from a variety of photographers. Hon=Main Chou/machi=Town (same character, two readings, both honchou and honmachi are common readings) Doori=Street

Meijitaisho.net has a letter from Kusakabe which lists his business address as 8 Honcho-doori, Yokohama. His studio was on this street from 1890.

Thanks for the information. I am doing some work on old Yokohama and all the feedback I get is appreciated. RobertRob Ketcherside

I know, I know, Van Gogh would not have had a camera, but it is all part of this fictional adventure. Let us, then, assume that had Vincent had a camera he would have snapped some great photos. I know I would have.