These rare shots of vintage Japan during 1908 are thanks to the acute artistic eye of Arnold Genthe. The German-born American scholar honed his photographic talent on the streets, spending his off-time roaming through his city with a partially hidden camera in attempts of recording memorable moments. Thinkers debated Marxism, liberalism, feminism, and nationalism. Universities became centers of intense ideological discussion.
Though the 1920s emphasized diplomacy, Japan’s military still held significant sway. Japan joined the League of Nations after World War I. Participated in the Washington Naval Conference (1921–1922) to limit naval arms. It was a time of creative energy, new freedoms, and cultural experimentation, yet also a period that hinted at the political and military turmoil that would come in the following decades.
