Japan in 1907

In 1907, Austin Frost, then a doctor in the British Army,  visited Japan, traveling by steamer from Hong Kong to Kobe.

He traveled around the country for three months traveling variously on trains, electric trams, Jinsha railways, on foot and on horseback.

He made friends with his Japanese hosts, ate their food and learned their language – not knowing that his sons would end up fighting against the Japanese during WWII – and that one would not survive the war. He kept a journal of his journey around Japan – which will soon be available to read on this site.

He also took a camera and some of the his photographs have been uploaded on to this site. His account paints a unique picture of a country emerging a closed past. His account also shows that the tourist industry that was already well established in Japan at the beginning of the twentieth century.