Figure 1.-- Here is an interesting middle-class domestic scene in a Japanese city (perhaps Tokyo) in 1962. The scene is the living room of a rather westernized Japanese home. The family are relaxing after dinner and enjoying a little musical entertainment provided by themselves.

Family images are an espection interesting section of HBC. Images of families provide insights as to the clothing worn by not only boys at different times, but also the other members of the family. Thus there is a great deal of useful clothing information in these images. Family images also provide fascinating insights into life style trends, in some instances the inside of Japanese homes. Here we have just begun to collect such images, but have acquired several interesting images showing Japanese families in various decades. .

The 19th Century

Japanese Family (1870s)

Here we have an unidentifed family portrait. We would assume that the youths here come from a very prosperous moderizing family. There are three boys and a girl. They all look to be teenagers. Notably the male youths here wear western clothes and the and the female traditional clothes. We believe that this was quite common at the time. The suits and neckwear the boys wear suggest the 1870s to us, but we ae not at all sure.

Japanese Family (1880s)

We know nothing about this old Japanese portrait. It was an ambrotype, a form of photography that had gone out of favor in the West by the 1880s. The portrait shows a woman and boy in traditional dress. We are unsure just how to interpret the image. We assume that they are mother and son, but they are strangely posed separated, unusual for pofrtraits, at least in the West. Hopefully our Japanese readers will be able to tell us something about this portrait.

Japanese Family (1890)

The children in this Japanese family were photographed in 1890. Note they are all wearing traditional costumes. It is a little difficult to see gender differences in the traditional garments, but the hair styles are apparent.

The 20th Century

We have begun to collect a few images of Japanese families during the 20th century. They show a remarkable transition from large families and trasitional clothing to small nuclear families and Western dress. Our archive is still quite limited so we can not yet make any detailed assessment, but this is an area we hope to develop over time. Hopefully our Japanese readers will provide their insights to help us understand these images.

Christian Family (About 1900)

Here we have an unidentified image of a Japanese family. It was reportedly a Christmas portrait. The family is all dressed in traditional clothing except the father. He seems to be wearing clerical garb. All we know for sure is that he certainly was not Catholic. The traditonal clothing makes it impossible to estimate the date of the photograph. It looks, however, to us like an old photograph. We would giess that it was taken about 1900. We believe that the convention of dressing in traditional clothing for portraits continued for many years, although it became less common after World War II. Note the boys have cropped hair.

Japanese Family (1929)

This is a portrait of a Japanese family taken by a Methodist missionary in 1929. We know nothing about the family other than what can be observed in the photograph. We do not note if the missionary has converted them. Their home can be observed in the background, but I can't make out a great deal. .They are all dressed in traditional clothing. I think this reflects the conventions for forml phortraits rather than the status of the family. The bearing and grooming of the father suggests to us that he is a man of considerable status and affluence. I would guess that he goes to work in a business suit. The children, especially the boys, probably commonly dressed in Western play clothes and of course school uniforms. Notice that the boys are all dressed identically. The girls have Western hair bows added.

Japanese Family (1930s)

Here we see a Japanese family during the 1930s. It looks like the grandmother, mother, and four sons. They look to be about 4-16 years of age. To the twp older boys wear school uniforms. The two younger boys seem to be wearing sweaters and knit pants. They do not look particularly prosperous, but the home in the back ground suggest rather well-to-do family. We are surprised that the boys would not have been better dressed. The fact that the older boy is goung to secondary school, akso suggests a degree of prosperity. Most Japanese children did not continue their education beyond the primary level.

Affluent Japanese Family (1940s)

A Japanese reader tells us, "I am very pleased to hear that you are preparing a section on the post World War II American occupation of Japan. I was born in 1934 in Tokyo. I and my family were in Tokyo during the American bombing. The terror and destruction were overwealming, just like Dresden. Our house was destroyed by incendiaries and we went to live in a rural village. I think most Japanese were surprised with American occupation policy. I was second son of a publisher. My father was a socialist in pre-World War II Japan but there were strict Government controls. After Japan surrendered and the American occupation began, father enjoyed freedom to publish Marx, Engels, and Lenin under Macarthur's regulations. My memories are somewhat limited because I was only a young child, but you may find them of interest. I will tell you what I remember, both about life in Japan during and after the War.

Middle Class Family (1962)

Here is an interesting middle-class domestic scene in a Japanese city (perhaps Tokyo) in 1962. The scene is the living room of a rather westernized Japanese home (figure 1). The family are relaxing after dinner and enjoying a little musical entertainment provided by themselves. The mother plays the piano, the older son (perhaps 18 or 19) sings from a song-book, and his younger brother accompanies the others on his small-sized child's guitar. The boy playing the guitar looks to be about 8. The clothes are interesting. The older boy is dressed like an American high-schooler or college student in slacks, a striped pullover V-necked sweater, and a white shirt open at the collar. The 8-year old wears a plaid long-sleeved shirt, dark short pants, and long stockings, apparently held up not by hose supporters but by round garters around his thighs. You can see that the stocking tops are rolled around the garters, or perhaps the stockings have built-in garters at the top. The stockings would seem to be tan or beige. A little later in the decade tights would probably have replaced the long stockings. Notice that the boy is wearing no shoes. Japanese families, like many other Asians, tended to leave their outdoor footwear in a vestibule or entry way and to move around the house in stocking feet or house sandals.

City Family (1970s)

Here we have an identified Japanese family. The image is undated, but was probably taken in the 1970s based on the boys' clothes. We see a mother with two young boys. The image is interesting because it shows them outside their home, at least I think they are outside their home. Perhaps our Japanese readers will know more.

Middle Class Family (probably 1980s)

Here we see a middle class family on a outing. The image is undated, but we would guess it was the 1980s. There are two children, a boy and a girl--common in urban families by the 1980s. It appears to be a cold day. Every one but the boy is dressed warmly. Note that mother wears a long coat and gloves. His sister wears long pants. The boy wears a sweater and scarve with grey short pants. Most schools did not require uniforms. This may be how he dressed for school. I am not sure where they are. It looks like a lobby to a theater or shrine. Perhaps our Japanese readers can tell us more about the scene.

Affluent Family (2005)

Here we have a fascinating portrait of a modern Japanese family. We have no details about the family, but it looks to be a very affluent family. There are several interesting aspects to the image. The children are dressed in traditional clothing, but not the adults. I think earlier traditional dress was very common for women. Here it seems the traditional clothingis seen as appropriate fof children. I'm not sure how common this is in Japan, but suspect it reflects a general trend. Unfortunately I do not know enough about Japanese traditionl clothing to describe the garments. Not do I know where these outfits would be worn beyond formal portraits.

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Created: April 23, 2004
Last updated: 2:34 PM 10/26/2007