In the 1880s most Europeans were denied access to the Japanese interior. An Italian photographer Adolfo Farsari managed to capture many images of Old Japan.
All the images were then beautifully and realistically hand painted. Looking at modern Japan it's hard to believe that a century ago it looked so different…
Farsari was very much a commercial photographer and his compositions were designed to be sold mostly to foreign visitors.
Due to the photographic techniques of the day all the subjects would have had to remain still for four or five seconds in order for the picture to be captured without blurring. It is amazing how he managed to make clear photos of Japan street full of people!