Yokohama is one of Japan's largest cities by population. Industries have been in constant flourish in the city since the turn of the 20th century. Before the Meiji Restoration in 1868, it was merely a small fishing village. The Meiji Restoration is a political revolution in 1868 that brought about the final demise of the military government, thus bringing about the modernization and Westernization of the country. At the turn of the 20th century, this small fishing village became a major vein of silk trade to Great Britain.
Join us as we travel to Yokohama of 1908, as depicted in a large digitized photo album consisting of 500 pictures. You can see the entire album by clicking here. While the exact origin of these photos is unknown, it is presumed that the photos belonged to a German tradesman in the textile industry.
What makes this photo album especially valuable is that the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed large parts of the city. These photos depict the city in its original glory.
