Postcards of Tokyo's Imperial Hotel, Circa 1910

It has been years since I shared any of my old postcards, and it's about time I let a few more out there for public view.  Today, I'm giving you a glimpse of 4 cards I have of the Imperial Hotel, in Tokyo, Japan:

They're all black and white, unpainted.  The first one has a stain on it.

I'm not sure if there were any more than these 4 in the set, though this envelope might have contained a few more.

I'll start sharing more historical postcards soon.

Postcards of the week: Nara, Japan

Today I'm sharing five postcards from Nara, Japan, taken sometime during the first decade of the 20^th Century.  First up we have a look at Daibutsuden Temple:

Next is a look at Nigatsudo of Tdaiji Temple:

And here's a pagoda:

This is Sarusawa Pond:

And we wrap it up with a look at the Wakamiya Shinto Shrine:

Postcard of the Week: Japanese Schoolgirls

This week's antique postcard is from Japan, hand colored, from about 1910:

And as a bonus, here is a vintage postcard of a solitary Japanese lady:

Postcards of the Week: Uyeno, Tokyo, Japan, 1910

This week’s postcards are from Tokyo, about 1910.  Here are a couple from Uyeno Park:

And here is the Pagoda of Uyeno:

Here’s Uyeno Hirokoji:

And we round out today with Toshogu Temple, Uyeno:

Postcards of the Week: Asakusa Park, Tokyo, Japan

Today I’ve got a couple of postcards from Asakusa Park in Tokyo, taken over 100 years ago:

And as a bonus, here is one of the original postcard wrappers.  I only have a few of these, as most were thrown away when the cards were purchased.  I expect that these envelopes are probably rarer than the cards, themselves.

Postcards of the week: Nunobiki Waterfall, Kobe, Japan

Here’s something from my Japan card collection.  It’s the Nunobiki Waterfall circa 1910.

I actually have two versions of this card, the above hand-painted photograph, and this black and white original:

They aren’t the exact same photograph, but they’re taken from a similar vantage point, likely minutes apart.  Whoever was shooting the photo took a few steps forward, allowing for a slight alteration in the perspective.

Additionally, I also have two different views of the waterfall, both colorized:

Postcards: Noge Hill, Yokohama, Japan

To kick off the last week of January, here are a few fascinating specimens from my postcard collection.  These are of Noge Hill, Yokohama, Japan.  It’s hard to find any information on this little suburb of Yokohama, and the best I could dig up on short notice via the internet is here, which gives a brief footnote of its post-WWII history and current status.  It would be interesting to see more of what it looks like today, and know if the temple is still there.

So, going back to the turn of the 20th Century, here are four views, mostly of the “Temple” area at Noge Hill.  These cards date circa 1900-1910:

Cherry Blossom at Noge Hill, Yokohama

Stone steps, Noge Hill, Yokohama

Noge Hill, Yokohama

Temple at Noge Hill, Yokohama

You may notice the coloring on these postcards. They pre-date color photography, and each one of these was hand painted.  They would take the black & white cards and color in different parts of them for this unique look.  I have quite a few unpainted, as well, which will be displayed as time goes by.