Bull. Soc. Photogr. Imag. Japan. (2022) Vol. 32 No. 2: 15–20

Review

The 100 th (1922−2022) Anniversary Chronicle as Seen in the Photo Album“Gyokei Kinen Shashincho” from Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yukihide SHIRAISHIa*, Koki SHIRAISHIb, Hideki SHIRAISHIb, Takayuki SHIRAISHIb ,and Gonshiro SHIRAISHIc

Abstract:I n recent years, interest in the preservation and restoration of photographs has increased. One reason is the rise in the number of museums
and other institutions that collect and preserve photographs as works of art. Old photographs are valued as academic and research materials
in a variety of fields, including history, and tend to be cherished as cultural assets. Attention is being given to old photographs that have notbeen in the spotlight much in the past. This paper underscores the importance of photographs as cultural assets and contrasts the changes in
Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture that have taken place over the past century using the photo album “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho” created in 1922
(Taisho 11).

Key words:

Photographic history, Old photograph, Century, Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture

1. Introduction
In recent years, a series of photo albums taken in the Meiji era has
been published, and the exhibitions of old photographs have been
actively planned and held. This indicates that photographs are becoming increasingly valued as treasured historical documents. Photographs of landscapes from more than a hundred years ago, events
that changed history, and people's lives have much to tell us. Theseold photographs are extremely valuable as academic materials in diverse fields, including history.1-3) Hence, photographs have vital significance for leaving behind accounts for the next generation.
Photographs are increasingly valued as cultural assets. In 1999
(Heisei 11), the statue of Shimadzu Nariakira, owned by the Shoko
Shuseikan Museum in Kagoshima City, was designated as a National Important Cultural Property (NICP) for the first time as a photograph. In 2000 (Heisei 12), the “Photo album of the former Edo
Castle”, by Yokoyama Shozaburo received the same designation. In
addition, the glass wet plate image “Glass plate: The former Edo
Castle Photograph” was named a NICP. The production of thesephotographs is valuable not only in the history of photography, butalso as a starting point for the preservation of modern cultural properties. It is anticipated that an increasing number of photographs
will be designated as important cultural properties in the future.
The release of images via the Internet has dramatically increased
the value of photographs held by museums, art galleries, libraries,
universities, and other institutions. The Tokyo National Museum hasapproximately 27,000 photographs and glass plates on display, takenfrom the late Edo era to the early Showa era. Nagasaki University
has digitized around 7,700 photographs taken between the end of
the Edo and Meiji eras for its database of old Japanese photographsfrom the Bakumatsu-Meiji era. There are also many photographs ofcultural assets such as Buddhist statues, ancient architecture, oldbooks and paintings, and historical materials. These archiving efforts have been conducted independently by local governments andresearch institutions. This review thus presents old photographs andarchives in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
2. Old photographs in Yamaguchi Prefecture
The Yamaguchi Prefectural Archives, which opened in 1959(Showa 34), was the “first archive in Japan” and is perceived as thestarting point of visual record-keeping in the country. The archival
system has primarily been studied by Suzuki Kensuke, Director of
the Yamaguchi Prefectural Library, which received high praise for its
transformation from a register for historical research to a records
system rooted in archival philosophy.
Currently, the documents that the Yamaguchi Prefectural Archives collects and provides for browsing can be roughly divided into
the following five categories: (1) domain administrative documents,(2) administrative documents, (3) administrative materials, (4) documents of various families, and (5) special collections. Domain administrative documents consist of the Mohri family collection deposited by the Mohri family of the former Choshu Domain lord, as

Received 31st August, 2022; Accepted 31st August, 2022; Published 5th October, 2022a) Department of Applied Chemistry, Sanyo-Onoda City University, Daigakudori, Sanyo-Onoda, Yamaguchi 756-0884, Japan.
b) The Society of Photography and Imaging of Japan.
c) Photographer.
* shiraishi@rs.socu.ac.jp

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well as the Tokuyama Mohri family collection. Administrative documents are the official documents of Yamaguchi Prefecture since the
Meiji era. Administrative materials include administrative publications, photographs, pamphlets, and leaflets published by the prefecture since the Meiji era. Documents of various families comprise agroup of documents related to the history of Yamaguchi Prefecture
donated and deposited by individuals, families, and organizations inand outside of the prefecture; it currently holds over 300 documentsfrom the medieval period to the present day. The special collection
consists of newspapers, magazines, and other collections up to theearly Showa era, as well as materials from the Yamaguchi Prefectural History Compilation Office from the pre-Showa era. The digitalarchives of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Archives can be easily accessed from the home screen to the search screen. In the digital portion of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Archives, nine photo albums4) are
kept, including “Bocho Meiseki”5) published in 1908 (Meiji 41),
“Yamaguchi Kenchosya oyobi Kengikai Gijido Rakusei Kinencho”6)
published in 1916 (Taisho 5), “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho”7) published in 1922 (Taisho 11), and so on.
“Bocho Meiseki” was printed by Aso Ryo (under the pen nameAso Unen) using calotype printing. It is a 2-page spread with photographs on the left and explanations on the right. It is a condensed
version of the various images of Yamaguchi Prefecture taken at theend of the Meiji era, including Kintai Bridge, Shoin Shrine, andDannoura. In addition, it features photographs of facilities that symbolize modern industry in the prefecture, such as Onoda Cement
and Naval Briquette Works. Onoda Cement was founded as the firstprivate cement company in the former town of Onoda (the moderncity of Sanyo-Onoda) in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1881 (Meiji 14)
by Kasai Junpachi, a samurai from the Choshu Domain. The photographs highlight the prefecture's growing population, along with its
venerable history.
“Yamaguchi Kenchosya oyobi Kengikai Gijido Rakusei Kinencho” summarizes the Yamaguchi Prefectural Office Building and thePrefectural Assembly Building, completed in 1916 (Taisho 5). Thesebuildings were designed by Takeda Goichi and Okuma Yoshikuni,
who later became the design staff for the National Diet Building
under the guidance of Tsumaki Yorinaka. Their exterior is reminiscent of romantic buildings from the Western Early Modern period.
These buildings emphasize symmetry and horizontal lines in bothwings, centering on the raised central roof, and they have overall
stability and elegance. Their detailed design boldly incorporates Japanese and Oriental traditions, as well as the latest Western trends.
These buildings were designated a NICP in 1984 (Showa 59) thatblend modern Western architecture with traditional Japanese style.
During the Meiji era, when photographs were a rarity, they wereleft as a record of extraordinary events, such as large-scale construction projects, disasters, and Emperor's and Empress's visit. These few
photographs captured the “old days” of the region.

3. The photo album “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho” from
Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture
The visit of the emperor is called “Gyoko”, and the visit of the

Figure 1. The photo album “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho”.

empress, crown prince, and crown princess is called “Gyokei”. In
Yamaguchi Prefecture, there were “Gyoko” by Emperor Meiji in
1872 (Meiji 5) and 1885 (Meiji 18). The crown prince (the future
Emperor Taisho) in 1908 (Meiji 41), Empress Teimei in 1922
(Taisho 11), and the crown prince (the future Emperor Showa) in
1925 (Taisho 14) went to Yamaguchi Prefecture for a “Gyokei”.
“Gyoko and Gyokei” were documented through diverse means, including text, diagrams, maps, and photographs. One of the better-known Gyokei's photo albums was published a century ago by
Shiraishi Gonshiro (under the pen name Shiraishi Fuyo) in 1922
(Taisho 11), titled “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho”7) as seen in Figure 1.
Empress Teimei was the wife of Emperor Taisho. In March 1922
(Taisho 11), Empress Teimei went to Kashii-gu Shrine, Hakozaki
Hachiman Shrine, and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture to “pray for the healing of Emperor Taisho's illness” and to“thank the future Emperor Showa for his visit to Europe”. The imperial train departed from Hayama in Kanagawa Prefecture on
March 9th, passed through Shizuoka Prefecture (March 10th), andHyogo Prefecture (March 13th), and arrived at Mitajiri Station in
Yamaguchi Prefecture (March 13th), as presented in Figure 2. Empress Teimei stayed at the residence of Duke Mohri Motoakira. On
March 14th, she departed from Mitajiri Station and passed throughShimonoseki Station, then crossed the Kanmon Straits on the ferry“Hozan Maru”. From there she went to Moji, then to Hakata, andstayed at the residence of Duke Kuroda Nagashige. On the way
back, she stayed on the imperial ship, the Japanese battleship Settsu,
anchored in Agenosyo Bay. Enthusiastic welcome and send-off ceremonies were held along the route.
The residence of Duke Mohri Motoakira (Figure 3, left) was decided to be built here in 1892 (Meiji 25) by an elder statesman in thedays of the Meiji Restoration, Inoue Kaoru. However, the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War delayed the start of construction of the residence. Construction began in September 1912
(Taisho 1) and was completed in 1916 (Taisho 5), less than six years
later. In addition to the main building, which houses the residence,
there is also a picture hall with images of Mohri Motonari and others. The main residence has an area of 1,002 m2 and consists of 10
buildings with 60 rooms, all built with Japanese cypress wood andtiled roofs. The Japanese-style architecture follows the Shoin-zukuri style, but also includes a carpeted reception room with chandelier

Yukihide SHIRAISHI et al. The 100th (1922−2022) Anniversary Chronicle as Seen in the Photo Album “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho” from Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture

electric lights and chairs and tables. Figure 4 depicts the imperial
audience hall. All electricity in the residence was supplied via private
power generation, and hot water was supplied facilities in the bathroom. Each room was connected to the other rooms by intercom,and the architecture was a fusion of traditional Japanese style andthe latest technology. Even after 100 years, the building retains almost all of its original appearance (Figure 3, right).
The purpose of the “Gyoko and Gyokei” was also to understandthe actual state of industry and education in the region. Figure 5
portrays the donated articles and the inspection articles by the empress. The photographs display the products of Yamaguchi Prefec-

17ture at that time. The donated articles included Ouchi lacquerware,
Unshu mandarin oranges, bronze vases, inkstones, a sea urchin, aboxwood comb, and a Hagi incense burner. In particular, Hofu Town
(the future Hofu City) donated a photo album, yokan (bean jelly),
and refined table salt. The inspection articles by the empress included Bocho rice, Tokuji paper, Akamaseki inkstone, cement, mosquito
nets, and a Kashiwagi thermometer. The Kashiwagi thermometer
was the first mercury thermometer created in Japan in 1883 (Meiji
16) by Kashiwagi Kosuke, a pharmacist in Hofu Town.8) The items
prepared for the event reflect Taisho-era society. The “Gyokei Kinen
Shashincho” includes other photographs of Hofu at the time. The

Figure 2. The imperial train and Mitajiri station (the future Hofu station).

Figure 3. The Mohri House (taken in 1922) and the Mohri Museum (taken in 2022).

Figure 4. The imperial audience hall.

Figure 5. The donated articles and the inspection articles by the empress.

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following sections and beyond will introduce Hofu's history, education, and industry.
3.1 Historic monuments of Hofu
Hofu is a historic area that has flourished as the capital of the Suo
region (the future Eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture) since ancient
times. During the Asuka era, the Suo and Nagato regions were established in Yamaguchi Prefecture under the Ritsuryo state system.
At this time, the national government of the Suo region was established in what is now Kokuga, Hofu City, and Hofu prospered formany years as the center of the Suo region. In 741 (Tenpyo 13),under the decree of Emperor Shomu, Kokubunji temples were built
in about 60 locations to pray for the protection of the nation and theblessings of the people; Suo Kokubunji Temple was also built in
Hofu.9) The exact date of Suo Kokubunji's construction is unknown,
but it is believed to have been completed around this time, as it appears in a description in the “Shoku Nihongi” in 756 (Tenpyo-shoho
8). In 1417 (Oei 24), the main hall of temple was destroyed by a fire,
but four years later, in 1421 (Oei 28), Ouchi Moriharu, who ruled
Hofu at the time, rebuilt the main hall. In 1503 (Bunki 3), Ouchi
Yoshioki restored the “Niomon” gate and other structures. During
the Mohri family period, the “Niomon” gate was rebuilt by Mohri
Terumoto in 1596 (Bunroku 5), and the main hall of temple wasrebuilt by Mohri Shigenari in 1779 (Anei 8). Mohri Shigenari wasthe eighth generation of the lord of the country before Duke Mohri
Motoakira, the owner of the house where Empress Teimei stayed.

Thus, the history of Suo Kokubunji Temple has been passed down
through the protection of successive lords who ruled over Hofu.
More recently, the main hall of the temple was repaired between
1997 (Heisei 9) and 2005 (Heisei 17). Excavations from that period
indicate that the main hall has existed in the same location and at
approximately the same scale since its foundation, as shown in Figure 6. This is an extremely rare example, as many Kokubunji temples
were abandoned or moved to other locations. The fact that it still
possesses numerous cultural assets makes Suo Kokubunji Temple
very valuable.
Hofu Tenmangu Shrine, as displayed in Figure 7, is dedicated to
Sugawara no Michizane, who is revered as the god of learning. Hofu
Tenmangu Shrine is known as one of the three Tenmangu shrines inJapan, along with Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto Prefecture andDazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture. In 901 (Shotai 4),
on his way to Dazaifu, Sugawara no Michizane stopped by Katsumaura in Hofu. Sugawara no Michizane died in Dazaifu in 903(Engi 3). Hofu Tenmangu Shrine was built in 904 (Engi 4), the year
after his death, and is said to be the first Tenmangu shrine built inJapan. It was once called “Matsuzaki Tenmangu Shrine” or “Miyaichi Tenmangu Shrine”. In 1953 (Showa 28), the name was changed
to “Hofu Tenmangu Shrine” which remains to this day. The city of
Hofu has flourished around this Tenmangu shrine. Many visitors
come from outside the city, and on the three days of the New Year,the festival attracts approximately 300,000 people. One of the most
famous festivals is the “Gojinko Festival” held in November. Hofu

Figure 6. S uo Kokubunji Temple (the left and right photographs were taken in 1922 and in 2022, respectively).

Figure 7. Hofu Tenmangu Shrine (the left and right photographs were taken in 1922 and in 2022, respectively).

Yukihide SHIRAISHI et al. The 100th (1922−2022) Anniversary Chronicle as Seen in the Photo Album “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho” from Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture

Tenmangu Shrine was destroyed by a fire three times in the past,
including the main shrine. The present one was rebuilt in 1963
(Showa 38) after burning down in 1952 (Showa 27). Figure 7 depicts the left photo taken in 1922 (Taisho 11) and the right phototaken in 2022 (Reiwa 4). The shape of the storied gate is different
before the damage and after the reconstruction. In 2009 (Heisei 21),
Hofu Tenmangu Shrine became the first shrine building in Yamaguchi Prefecture to be registered as a Tangible Cultural Property(TCP) of Japan.
3.2 Education in Hofu
Because Sugawara no Michizane is the god of learning, the city of
Hofu is dedicated to education. Kaho Elementary School was
founded in 1686 ( Jokyo 3) as “Esshijuku” by Kawano Yotetsu. According to the national memory, Ojiya Elementary School in Ojiya,
Niigata Prefecture, founded in 1868 (Meiji 1), is the oldest in Japan.
On the other hand, Kaho Elementary School is said to be the second oldest elementary school in Japan if private schools are included. The school has a history of more than 330 years and is the starting point of education in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Kaho Elementary
School was also introduced as “the center of Shunan (the future
Eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture) for culture and education” in thephoto album “Kaho Shokyo”, published by Shiraishi Gonshiro in1911 (Meiji 44).10) Figure 8 depicts a contrasting photograph of
Kaho Elementary School in 1922 (Taisho 11) and 2022 (Reiwa 4).
Although the shape is completely different from the wooden schoolbuilding of those days, the arbor still retains the faint scent from 100
years ago.
The “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho” also includes Matsuzaki Elementary School, Shuyo Junior High School, Saba High School for
Girls in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and so on. Shuyo Junior HighSchool was founded as “Shuyo Gakusha” in 1877 (Meiji 10). On theother hand, it was established as Saba High School for Girls in 1909
(Meiji 42) and became Hofu-kita High School in 1949 (Showa 24).
Hofu-kita High School was integrated with Hofu-minami HighSchool, which was renamed from Shuyo Junior High School thatsame year. Later, in 1950 (Showa 25), the school became the current
Yamaguchi Prefectural Hofu High School. It is one of the oldest andmost traditional high schools in Yamaguchi Prefecture, celebratingits 145th anniversary in 2022 (Reiwa 4). The tradition of education,

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aimed at nurturing individuals who will lead the future, has been
carried on, and approximately 50,000 graduates are widely active invarious fields both in Japan and abroad.
3.3 Industry in Hofu
“Bocho Sanpaku” refers to rice, salt, and paper, the production ofwhich was encouraged by the Choshu Domain during the Edo era.
It was so called because the rice, salt, and paper were white. After the
defeat at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keicho 5), the Mohri
family was reduced from approximately 1,205,000 koku in the Chugoku region to 369,000 koku in the Suo and Nagato regions. As aresult, the domain's finances were in a very difficult situation. The
Choshu Domain focused on rice, salt, and paper as specialty products that could be used as a source of income.
Before modern times, salt was produced in two methods: theAgehama salt pan and the Irihama salt pan of old-fashioned system.
The Irihama salt pan is a method of automatically introducing seawater to the salt beach by taking advantage of the large ebb and flow
difference in the tides. Hofu is located on the coast of the calm Seto
Inland Sea. The aforementioned Mohri Shigenari carried out land
reclamation along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, and the Irihama-style salt pan was created in 1699 (Genroku 12). Starting with
Kohama, Nakahama, Tsuruhama, Ohama, Edomarihama, andNishiurahama were known as “Mitajiri-Rokkasho Hama”. The salt
manufacturing industry flourished to the extent that it was known as
Ako in the east of Japan and Mitajiri in the west of Japan. The Mitajiri Salt Office was opened in Tsuruhama in 1905 (Meiji 38), andthe Monopoly Bureau Mitajiri Experiment Station (Figure 9, left)
was built in Nakahama in 1909 (Meiji 42). However, in 1959 (Showa34), it was decided to no longer use the salt pan in Hofu City, andthe curtain fell on the glorious history of “Mitajiri-Rokkasho
Hama”, which had supported the salt industry in Japan. Today, theMitajiri Salt Pan Memorial Park (Figure 9, right) is located on thesite of the former salt pan.

4. Summary
A century of change in Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, has beenpresented in contrast using the photo album “Gyokei Kinen Shashincho”. Photography has become a widespread symbol of Western

Figure 8. K aho Elementary School (the left and right photographs were taken in 1922 and in 2022, respectively).

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Figure 9. The salt pan (taken in 1922) and Mitajiri Salt Pan Memorial Park (taken in 2022).

Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by the Konica Minolta Scienceand Technology Foundation of the Society of Photography and Imaging of Japan, with funding given to Y.S. as well as a Grant-in-Aid
for Scientific Research (C) (No. 19K05633) from the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

References
Figure 10. The calligraphy by Mohri Motoakira.

technology. In the Meiji and Taisho eras, when photography was arare commodity, photographs were used to capture a region's past as
a record of extraordinary events, such as visits from the emperor andempress, expositions, and disasters. Photographic archives are truly adecal of various aspects of the modern era. In this photo album, thecalligraphy “Seiju Mukyu”, written by Duke Mohri Motoakira, is
included as seen in Figure 10. The meaning of “Seiju Mukyu” is thatprosperity will continue. The Society of Photography and Imagingof Japan will celebrate its centennial in 2025. We hope that the Society of Photography and Imaging of Japan will successfully celebrated its 100th anniversary and will continue to prosper for the next
100 years.

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