Japan over the last two and a half centuries has changed almost beyond recognition. Almost, that is, 'for every now and then one catches one's breath, stunned by how well-preserved a place or building is, creating the impression that past and present perfectly overlap.'
Much in Japan has been lost, either as the result of devastating earthquakes, the ravages of war, ill-advised government policies, or the simple progress of time. Much, too, has been saved, both on purpose and by happenstance. Little, however, has not changed.
This book explores the extent of that change by juxtaposing photographs from late 19th-century Japan to those of today and tracing the history of that change in insightful and dispassionate texts.