Colourized photos introduced Japan to the world

Until 1853 the isolationist policy of sakoku, or "closed country," kept Japan virtually free of outside influence. Once it opened the rest of the world was eager to finally catch a glimpse of the country. Photographers, European and Japanese, documented Japan's landscape and people, creating highly prized images. Japanese "colour" photography studios set themselves apart with masterful watercoloring that "added to the sense of realism in these images, which made them even more collectible."

   

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