"The extensive collection of valuable photographs in this book and its text might be described as a visual record of our native land during that period, a record that has been lost to us since so many early photographs left Japan." — This book presents a fascinating visual record of Japan and Japanese culture during its metamorphosis from a feudal society to a modern industrial nation—at a time when the art of photography was still in its infancy. The 350 rare images in this book, most of them published here for the first time, chronicle the introduction of photography in Japan and the history of early Japanese photography. These images are vital in helping us to understand the dramatic changes occurring in Japanese society during this critical period. Taken between 1853 and 1912 by talented Japanese and foreign photographers, these photographs document the history of photography in Japan in a comprehensive and systematic way, with extensive information about the photographers as well as the people and subjects illustrated. The images, whether sensational or everyday, intimate or panoramic, document a nation on the brink of abandoning its traditional ways and entering the modern age.