Gezicht op de slotgracht van het Kokyo in Tokyo c. 1895 - 1905

This albumen print from the late 19th century by Kōzaburō Tamamura shows the Kokyo's moat in Tokyo. It's a fascinating window into a period of immense social and political change in Japan. Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan rapidly modernized, opening up to the West after centuries of isolation. Photography studios like Tamamura's catered to a growing market of foreign tourists eager to capture images of this "new" Japan, often blending traditional aesthetics with Western techniques. The Kokyo, or Imperial Palace, was a potent symbol of this transformation, formerly the site of Edo Castle, the seat of the Shogunate. This photograph, therefore, is more than just a landscape; it's a carefully constructed image reflecting Japan's complex negotiation between tradition and modernity, and the way this was consumed by outsiders. By consulting travel journals, historical records, and photographic archives, we can start to unpack the multiple layers of meaning embedded within this seemingly simple image.