Condition. The book is in Fine condition. An exceptionally bright and clean books with no faults.

 
Ogawa, K.
Takashima, S (descriptions):
Illustrations of Japanese Life, Tokyo, K. Ogawa, descriptions by S. Takashima, Meiji 44 (1911), 6th Edition, horizontal 8vo (10 x 7 1/2 in - 25.4 x 19 cm), 12 hand-colored collotypes on crepe paper, bound Japanese style and tied with purple twisted silk threads, 9 folded pages with stiffener paper in between (18 pages in total). This is one in a series of photographic album type books under this same title published by K. Ogawa. While the picture areas vary slightly, the norm is 7 x 5 1/2 in - 17.8 x 13.4 cm.

The front and back covers account for 2 folded pages. The first internal page has the Title Page (front) and Preface (back). The other 6 reproduce in collotype photographic images - front and back.

The focus of this book is customs and ceremonies of Japan.

 
The images (6th edition - 1911) are:

1) Greeting
2) Maple garden
3) Marriage ceremony
4) Playing the koto
5) Hanami flower picnic
6) Wrestling match
7) Jinrikisha
8) Ameya - taffy puller
9) Shiori - dry bed fishing
10) Picking tea
11) Sewing
12) Basket peddler

Many editions of these books were published and can be identified by the Japanese colophons inside the back cover (see below). This is the 6th edition of the book.

For information on Kazumasa Ogawa, click here.

Illustrations of Japanese Life, 1918, K. Ogawa
Greetings	Maple Garden at Takinogawa
Marriage Ceremony	Playing the "Koto" A Japanese Musical Instrument
"Hanami" Flower Picnic	Wrestling Match
	Larger Picture
The "Jinrikisha"	The "Ameya" (Taffy Puller)
The "Shiori" (Fishing on the Dry Bed)	Picking Tea
Sewing	Basket Peddler

Colophon, 6th Edition, 1911

Colophon, 6th Edition, 1911

The 7 rows of Japanese writing at the right give dates and editions. Starting at the right and reading left they indicate:

Meiji 29 (1896) - 1st edition printed
Meiji 29 (1896) - 1st edition distributed
Meiji 36 (1903) - 2nd edition
Meiji 39 (1906) - 3rd edition
Meiji 41 (1908) - 4th edition
Meiji 43 (1910) - 5th edition
Meiji 44 (1911) - 6th edition