Most photos are by Shinichi Suzuki (1835-1918) who photographed Japan for a foreign news magazine called The Far East, which ran during the 1870s. These photographs were handcolored and the main reason why they look so realistic and modern. Other photos by Mathew B. Brady, Felice Beato & Kusakabe Kimbei.
The MET just released nearly 400,000 images online for non-commericial use and this one of the little treasures inside it. What a noble gesture by the MET; There are so many great photos in this online archive that it feels mind-boggling.
Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art