Muza-chan's Gate to Japan

40 great vintage Geisha Photos

Fri, February 5, 2010, by Muza-chan

Today we almost cannot think about traveling somewhere without taking photos, with more or less sophisticated cameras or at least with the mobile phone...

A hundred years ago however, when the first westerners started visiting Japan, only a handful of people had the necessary equipment for taking photos, so the visitors were buying photos taken by local photographers.

TWO GEISHA IN A 'RICKSHAW --- A Hurried Print from T. ENAMI'S Studio in Old 1890s JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


One of the local photographers was T. Enami, on his real name Enami Nobukuni, whose studio was located in Yokohama, on one of the best known commercial venues of the time, Benten-dori.

For the westerner tourist of the time, Japan meant Mount Fuji, sakura, rickshaws, girls in kimono and Geisha. But... that also true for most of the today's tourists... :)
Anyway, that's why the huge majority of Japanese vintage photos are centered around these themes.

From the great collection of T. Enami vintage photos available on Flickr, I picked a selection of 40 great Geisha photos. I hope you'll like them:

TWO GUYS, A DOG, AND A GEISHA in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba






Astăzi aproape că nu concepem să ne ducem undeva şi să nu facem măcar o fotografie, cu aparate performante sau mai slabe, sau măcar cu telefonul mobil.

Însă acum o sută de ani, când primii turişti occidentali au început să vină în Japonia, doar puţini oameni aveau aparatura necesară pentru a face singuri o fotografie. Turiştii cumpărau seturi de fotografii realizate de fotografii locali.

TWO GEISHA IN A 'RICKSHAW --- A Hurried Print from T. ENAMI'S Studio in Old 1890s JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


Unul dintre aceşti fotografi locali a fost T. Enami, pe numele adevărat Enami Nobukuni, care-şi avea studioul pe Benten-dori din Yokohama, una dintre cele mai cunoscute zone comerciale ale vremii.

Pentru turistul occidental Japonia însemna muntele Fuji, sakura, ricşa, fete în kimono şi gheişe. Dar… acest lucru a rămas valabil şi pentru mulţi dintre turiştii de astăzi… :)
Iată deci explicaţia pentru care foarte multe din fotografiiile vechi conţin măcar una dintre aceste teme.

Am ales din marea colecţie de fotografii realizate de T. Enami disponibile pe Flickr o serie de 40 de fotografii superbe cu gheişe. Sper să vă placă:

TWO GUYS, A DOG, AND A GEISHA in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba










GEISHA'S REPOSE -- A Quiet Day in a Japanese Park
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


Geisha Under Pine
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


Geisha at the Flower Show - Yokohama
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


Geisha Looking at Stereoviews - Close Variant (Can't Get Enough of that 3-D !)
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


MAIKO WATCHING DUCKS
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


Geisha in the Park
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA OUT FOR A STROLL -- Three Big Brothers with Little Sister
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


THREE OLD KIMONOS - Geisha in A Garden Of Meiji-era Japan
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba



GEISHA ON VERANDA OVER POND
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA IN A JAPANESE FLOWER GARDEN -- Kimonos and Blossoms Merge into One
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA AND MAIKO -- A Study in Kimonos and Relationships in Old Japan
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


SLOPPY GEISHA GIRLS SPILL SOY SAUCE ON STUDIO MATS WHILE EATING LUNCH (Just look at those Brown stains)
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


COOLIES CARRY GEISHA IN A KAGO -- The Mountain Taxi of Old Japan
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


THREE GEISHA POSING IN ENAMI'S YOKOHAMA STUDIO
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


THE GEISHA
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA'S DAY OFF -- Original B & W Version
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA VIEWING FLOWERS in OLD YOKOHAMA
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


TWO YOUNG GEISHA AT A FLOWER SHOW in OLD YOKOHAMA, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


THREE GEISHA RESTING IN THE HORIKIRI IRIS GARDENS in OLD TOKYO, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


TWO MAIKO IN THE GENKYU GARDENS OF HIKONE --- Near KYOTO in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


A SQUATTING GEISHA and her ATTENDANT at a PRIVATE GARDEN in OLD YOKOHAMA, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA UNDER THE MAPLE TREES OF KUSATSU TEA-HOUSE GARDEN in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


TWO GEISHA AND THEIR WATER-LOGGED GHOSTS IN THE HORIKIRI IRIS GARDENS of OLD TOKYO, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA ON A BRIDGE OVER THE POND OF FUGETSU GARDEN in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA IN AN AZALEA GARDEN IN HIBIYA PARK -- Near The Imperial Hotel in Old TOKYO, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


TEA-HOUSE GEISHA in the FUGETSU GARDENS of OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


A MAIKO WATCHS HER SISTERS TAKING A BOAT RIDE IN THE GARDENS OF HIKONE -- NEAR KYOTO in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


THREE GEISHA ON THE GROUNDS OF HIKONE PARK near OLD KYOTO, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


GEISHA IN THE GARDENS OF HIBIYA PARK -- Near The Imperial Hotel in Old TOKYO, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


THREE GEISHA and a LITTLE GIRL BY THE POND in HIKONE PARK NEAR OLD KYOTO, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


STANDING AND SQUATTING -- Two Geisha on a Sea of Fallen Cherry Blossoms in Old TOKYO, JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


STANDING AND SQUATTING --- Two Geisha in HIKONE PARK
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


A SQUATTING GEISHA PRAYS TO THE GODS
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


T. ENAMI GLASS TRANSPARENCY PANEL FROM A TABLE-TOP LAMP --  Geisha Under a Wisteria Trellis in Old Japan  藤
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


A GEISHA SERANADES HER SISTER UNDER THE PINES in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


PRACTICING THE LATEST J-POP TUNES in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


A MAIKO AND HER KOTO -- Practicing under the Watchful Eye of a Geisha in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba


LITTLE MISS HANGYOKU -- A Newly Born Geisha on Her Way in OLD JAPAN
Creative Commons License photo credit: Okinawa Soba



  • More great vintage photos at Okinawa Soba's Flickr photostream


Popular searches:

# Sakura, cherry blossoms

# Kyoto travel

# Japanese trains

# Travel tips for visiting Japan

# Japanese castles

# Night time photos from Japan

# Tokyo travel

# Traditional Japanese house


  •  Home
  •  Featured articles
  •  A Japan photo per day
  •  Japan travel
  •  Japanese customs & traditions
  •  Japanese food
  •  Japanese history
  •  Anime & otaku
  •  Did you know? Japan facts
  •  About Muza-chan