[明治期琉球写真帳 1] / Meiji Era Ryūkyū Photo Album 1

This album consists of two photo books, both of which contain miscellaneous images of Okinawan landscape, customs, people, renowned spots of historical remains, and flora and fauna of this region. Speculating about the objects focused in these photos, they were not taken by the inhabitants but the people who were traveling in Okinawa from mainland Japan. The taking dates of these photos are obscured. Since the photo of the intact Chūzan Gate, which was destroyed in 1908 had been taken, these photos dated back to the mid-Meiji era. It also includes rare photos of several oarsmen posing for photographers in a haarii boat before the traditional boat race in Itoman and a ritual being held at the Kume Kōshibyō (Confucius Temple) in Naha. All photos in this album were entitled by our librarians:
1 [Ryūtan] 2 [left: Agave plant, flowers, and a man; right: Hachimachi (the traditional form of hat) and two storage boxes] 3 [left: Gate of Engaku-Ji and Arecaceae (palm tree); right: Gate Rōkoku (water clock), the third gate of Shuri Castle] 4 [Katsuren Castle] 5 [view of east coast from Katsuren Castle] 6 [upper: Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon (Stone Gate of the Sonohyan Shrine); below: View of the Nakagusuku-udun from Ryūtan] 7 [ Girls in Hakama (it might be taken in the court of a normal school)] 8 [upper: Engaku-Ji; below: The Benzaitendō] 9 [Women of Yūkaku’s entertainment (Naha)] 10 [Bullfighting] 11 [Okinawan bananas] 12 [The scenery of Naha] 13 [ View of Naha Port] 14 [Agave plant, Okinawa Pine, and two men] 15 [An elderly woman of a respectable family] 16 [A Sandō (path)approaching Futenma Shrine] 17 [left :A woman’s private moment; right: woman holding water drawing bucket] 18 [Todoroki Waterfall] 19 [inhabitants carrying buckets and pail on head] 20 [left: Woman formally dressed; right: Gajumaru tree and houses] 21 [Haarii boat in Itoman, before the traditional boat race] 22 [upper: women carrying Imo(stem tuber) on their heads and bridge; below: Burigura] 23 [Family photo] 24 [View of Normal School from the Bezaitendō].