Illustrations of Japanese Life

This book consists of 38 folded pages. The front and back covers (2 folded pages), a blank front free page (1 folded page) and 35 folded pages of plates.

The books lacks a title page or preface page often found in these books. I believe this is the second volume of a two volume set. It was Ogawa's practice with these two volume sets to place a title page and preface only in the first volume. There is no volume number noted anywhere on the book.

I find very little information on the various Illustrations of Japanese Life books that Ogawa published. The four different versions each containing 12 hand colored collotype plates are, in my experience, most frequently seen on the market. For more information on those books, click here.

The following three relevant entries are found in the Wenckstern bibliography.

Illustrations of Japanese life, 100 collotype plates with short description in English by S. Takashima, folio, 1896
(yen 20.-- ).
-- Another edition in 2 vols. on crepe paper, large 8vo., 1898 (yen 7.--).
-- A third edition in one volume, no date (yen 1.20).

Wenckstern, Bibliography of the Japanese Empire - 1894-1906

I am aware of 2 different versions of the 2 volume sets. They contain 26~32 plates in volume 1 and 66~70 plates in volume 2.

 
For information on Kazumasa Ogawa, click here.

1. Children at Meals.
   
2. The "Tstsuni" (The First Stock of New Year's Goods).
   
3. Maple Garden at Takinogawa.
   
4. A Miniature Garden of a Tea House.
5. "Odori" (Dancing).
   
6. Orchestra.
   
7. Summer Evening on the Shijo River.
8. The "Koto" Playing.
9. Working Men's Holiday.
10. The "Chanoyu" Ceremony.
11. Cloth Dealers Shop.
12. Marriage Ceremony.
    
13. Game of the "Go."
    
14. Wrestling Match.
    
15. A "Matsuri" (Temple Festival).
16. The "Jinrikisha' Riding on a Rainy Day.
    
17. "Hikmono" Clogs.
18. Greeting.
19. The 'Komamonoya" (Fancy Goods Dealer).
20. Porcelain Ware Shop.
21. The Orchestra.
    
22. Dancing.
    
23. A Vegetable Dealer.
24. The Japanese Culinary Art.
    
25. Green Grocer's Shop.
26. Vegetable Dealers Shop.
27. Scene on the "Sumida" River.
28. Entertaining a Guest.
29. Mother and Her Baby.
    
30. Sewing.
31. Vestal Virgins at the Kasuga Temple, Nara.
32. The "Ken" Game.
33. Wrestling Match.
    
34. The Ainus at Dinner.
    
35. A Cup of Tea for the Company.
36. Family Dinner.
37. The Art of Floral Arrangement.
38. Buddhist Priest at Prayers.
39. An Afternoon Company.
    
40. Picking Tea.
41. A Play.
42. The "Samisen" (Banjo).
    
43. Courtesans.
44. A Curio Dealer's Shop.
45. A Toy-Shop.
46. Fensing.
    
47. Mendicant Friars.
48. The 'Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed).
49. The "Amaya" (Taffy Puller).
50. Basket Peddler.
    
51. "Hanami" (Flower Picnic).
52. Farmers Starting for the Field.
    
53. The "Jinrikisha."
54. The "Kago" (The Palanquin).
55. Carpenters at Work.
56. An Ox Cart.
    
57. Farmers in a Yard.
58. A Florist.
59. Rice Planting.
60. Farmers in the Rice Swamp.
61. Silk Worms on a Card.
    
62. Silk Worm Farming.
63. Reeling Threads.
64. A Well.
65. Examining Warps.
    
66. Reeling the Silk from the Cocoons.
    
67. The Cotton Spinning Wheel.
68. Loom.
69. Mamma!
    
70. The Geishas Holding a Letter.
    

Colophon (inside back cover)

Printed: Meiji 29 (1896).6.22 (far left column)
Published: Meiji 29 (1896).6.25 (second column from left)

 
List of Plates (without pics as shown above)

1. Children at Meals.
2. The "Tstsuni" (The First Stock of New Year's Goods).
3. Maple Garden at Takinogawa.
4. A Miniature Garden of a Tea House.
5. "Odori" (Dancing).
6. Orchestra.
7. Summer Evening on the Shijo River.
8. The "Koto" Playing.
9. Working Men's Holiday.
10. The "Chanoyu" Ceremony.
11. Cloth Dealers Shop.
12. Marriage Ceremony.
13. Game of the "Go."
14. Wrestling Match.
15. A "Matsuri" (Temple Festival).
16. The "Jinrikisha' Riding on a Rainy Day.
17. "Hikmono" Clogs.
18. Greeting.
19. The 'Komamonoya" (Fancy Goods Dealer).
20. Porcelain Ware Shop.
21. The Orchestra.
22. Dancing.
23. A Vegetable Dealer.
24. The Japanese Culinary Art.
25. Green Grocer's Shop.
26. Vegetable Dealers Shop.
27. Scene on the "Sumida" River.
28. Entertaining a Guest.
29. Mother and Her Baby.
30. Sewing.
31. Vestal Virgins at the Kasuga Temple, Nara.
32. The "Ken" Game.
33. Wrestling Match.
34. The Ainus at Dinner.
35. A Cup of Tea for the Company.
36. Family Dinner.
37. The Art of Floral Arrangement.
38. Buddhist Priest at Prayers.
39. An Afternoon Company.
40. Picking Tea.
41. A Play.
42. The "Samisen" (Banjo).
43. Courtesans.
44. A Curio Dealer's Shop.
45. A Toy-Shop.
46. Fensing.
47. Mendicant Friars.
48. The 'Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed).
49. The "Amaya" (Taffy Puller).
50. Basket Peddler.
51. "Hanami" (Flower Picnic).
52. Farmers Starting for the Field.
53. The "Jinrikisha."
54. The "Kago" (The Palanquin).
55. Carpenters at Work.
56. An Ox Cart.
57. Farmers in a Yard.
58. A Florist.
59. Rice Planting.
60. Farmers in the Rice Swamp.
61. Silk Worms on a Card.
62. Silk Worm Farming.
63. Reeling Threads.
64. A Well.
65. Examining Warps.
66. Reeling the Silk from the Cocoons.
67. The Cotton Spinning Wheel.
68. Loom.
69. Mamma!
70. The Geishas Holding a Letter