Photographic Album of the Famous Scenic Places of Nikkō (日光名勝写真帖)
Utsunomiya: Shimotsuke Art Printing Company, 1936.
OFFICIAL GUIDE TO JAPAN'S MOST CELEBRATED SHRINE LANDSCAPE, PUBLISHED FOR DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS DURING THE FINAL YEARS OF PREWAR TOURISM.
The Photographic Album of the Famous Scenic Places of Nikkō (日光名勝写真帖) is an official bilingual guidebook published by the Office of Nikkō Tōshōgū Shrine in 1936, only two years after the establishment of Nikkō National Park. Designed for both Japanese and foreign visitors, it combines traditional Japanese bookmaking with carefully produced color photographic illustrations, introducing readers to the celebrated shrines, temples, landscapes, and pilgrimage routes that made Nikkō one of Japan's foremost cultural destinations.
Unlike ordinary souvenir albums, the volume was conceived as both a travel companion and commemorative keepsake. Thirty-three tissue-guarded color photographic plates are accompanied by bilingual English and Japanese captions, while two color maps orient visitors to the greater Nikkō district and the precincts of Tōshōgū Shrine. The English descriptions—including period titles such as 'The Cryptomeria Avenue' and 'The Shinkyo (The Sacred Bridge)'—reflect the language and style employed to welcome Western travelers during Japan's vigorous promotion of international tourism in the years immediately preceding the Second World War.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Oblong quarto, approximately 10.5 × 7.25 inches. Traditional Japanese string-bound decorated wrappers with printed title label. Thirty-three leaves containing tissue-guarded color photographic plates, numerous bilingual English and Japanese captions, two color maps, introductory and concluding Japanese text, publisher's colophon, and transportation information. Printed on fine coated stock.
PROVENANCE: The front endpaper bears the attractive pictorial bookplate of Dorothy Fowler, inscribed 'Nikko 1937.' Rather than detracting from the volume, the bookplate records ownership by a contemporary traveler who acquired the guide in Nikkō during the final years of prewar international tourism, adding a modest but appealing period association.
CONDITION: Very Good. Carefully handled with the original string binding sound and secure. The text and photographic plates remain clean, bright, and complete with their original tissue guards. Decorative wrappers show expected light rubbing and minor edge wear from handling. A faint damp mark appears along the fore-edge margin of several leaves without affecting the printed images. An attractive, well-preserved example.
A Shrine as Publisher.
Issued by the Office of Nikkō Tōshōgū Shrine rather than a commercial publisher, the guide reflects the shrine's active role in presenting its architectural and cultural heritage to an expanding international audience. The traditional Japanese binding, decorative cover, and use of the Tokugawa hollyhock crest reinforce its close association with the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the broader Tōshōgū complex.
Tourism Before the War.
Published in June 1936, the guide appeared during a remarkable period in Japanese tourism. Nikkō National Park had been established only two years earlier, and bilingual publications such as this introduced overseas visitors to Japan's most celebrated religious and scenic sites through maps, photography, and concise historical descriptions. The volume preserves a snapshot of international travel immediately before wartime events dramatically altered tourism throughout East Asia.
Photography as Souvenir.
Rather than functioning as a simple photograph album, the work combines official guidebook, pictorial survey, and travel souvenir. The sequence of maps, photographic plates, and bilingual commentary creates a carefully structured introduction to Nikkō's shrines, sacred bridges, cedar avenues, waterfalls, and mountain scenery, preserving the experience intended for visitors arriving during the late prewar era.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Welcoming the World to Nikkō —
Published only two years after the establishment of Nikkō National Park, this official shrine guide illustrates Japan's coordinated efforts to present its cultural and scenic heritage to an international audience during the late prewar period.
Combining traditional Japanese craftsmanship with bilingual interpretation and modern color photography, it documents both one of Japan's most important religious landscapes and the country's emerging tourist infrastructure on the eve of the Second World War.
CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS
+++ Official publication of the Office of Nikkō Tōshōgū Shrine.
+++ Thirty-three tissue-guarded color photographic plates with bilingual captions.
+++ Two original color maps of the Nikkō district and Tōshōgū Shrine precincts.
+++ Traditional Japanese string binding with decorative wrappers and Tokugawa hollyhock crests.
+++ Contemporary traveler provenance with a dated 1937 Nikkō bookplate.
Genres: Japanese Travel; Illustrated Guidebooks; Photography; Asian History; Cultural Heritage
Subjects: Nikkō; Tōshōgū Shrine; Tokugawa Ieyasu; Japanese Tourism; Prewar Japan; National Parks; Color Photography; Guidebooks; String-bound Books; World Heritage Sites.
Item #22190
Price: $75.00
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