Studio Practices in Early Japanese Photography: The Tomishige Archive

Abstract

In 1870 Tomishige Rihei opened one of Japan's first photography studios in the town of Kumamoto, Kyushu prefecture. Four generations of the Tomishige family have operated the studio continuously since that time, creating a rare record of Japanese photographic history. The archives of the Tomishige Studio include studio equipment, photographs, and primary documents. Using this unique archive as a case study, this article considers the development of commercial photography within late-nineteenth-century Japan. Examining Tomishige's early business practices and working environment through these physical artifacts provides insight into both Tomishige's business and the broader world of early Japanese photography.

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