Sepia tone photos mounted on cardstock (photos 4 ½ x 6”), depicting scenes of civilians and their customs, long-standing trades, sacred monuments and notable architecture, each with a mounted caption; housed within a contemporary oblong 8vo Japanese silk album (light edgewear). Provenance: gift inscription dated 26 July 1939. These images capture the traditions and daily life of Japan’s refined culture, as well as special events, and an insider’s view to private settings just before WWII.