1921 Yasukuni Shrine Special Grand Festival Photo Album / Imperial Army Navy
Own a Piece of History – An Exceptional Taisho-Era Imperial Japan Photo Album. This is an original photo album documenting the Special Grand Festival (“Rinji Taisai”) held at Yasukuni Shrine in April, Taisho 10 (1921). A luxury first-edition volume featuring gold-decorated endpapers, four-edge gilding, and traditional Japanese ribbon binding. Complete with its original outer case. Yasukuni Shrine was the central state institution dedicated to honoring the fallen soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. Throughout the Meiji and Taisho eras, the shrine served as. A national military memorial site. A place for state-sponsored rituals. A venue for Imperial family visits (Shinpan / Royal attendance). A symbolic space for military morale and national identity. During the Taisho era-after the Russo-Japanese War and during the social changes after WWI-Yasukuni became the core of Japan’s modern military ceremonial culture. What is the “Special Grand Festival” (Rinji Taisai)? Unlike ordinary annual festivals, a Rinji Taisai was an extraordinary state ceremony conducted for. Newly enshrined war dead. Large-scale visits by the Emperor, Crown Prince, or senior nobles. Combined ceremonies of the Army, Navy, and State. The 1921 festival recorded here reflects the post-Siberian Expedition era, with increased enshrinements and major military reorganization. The album includes rare photographs documenting. Imperial family attendance (Taisho-era court attire visible). High-ranking Army & Navy officers. Ritual formations, honor guards, and military delegations. Night-time ceremonies with lined soldiers. Traditional shrine performances and sacred dances. Large crowds of citizens (social history value). Detailed ritual sequences recorded with clarity. This edition is significantly rarer than the later Showa versions. Outer case shows age fading. Album body and photographs remain clean, crisp, and well preserved. Complete pages, no missing plates. A superior surviving example among existing copies. Published: Taisho 10 (1921). Format: Large oblong, approx. 380 × 270 mm. Binding: Ribbon-tied / gilt edges / gold-decorated papers. A truly exceptional artifact for collectors of Imperial Japanese military history, shrine history, or early 20th-century photography. Approximate 7-21days(To USA).