Raja's album 1946 -Part 08 - Koraku-en

Kōraku-en is a Japanese garden located in Okayama.. It is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenroku-en and Kairaku-en. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. The album has a lovely set of bookmark colorized postcards collected by Raja that tell us how lovely the garden looked  more that 75 years ago!

Raja's album 1946 - Part 07 : Budding Geisha

The album would have been incomplete without the collection of the "budding geisha" issued by the Japan travel bureau. Geisha are a class of female Japanese performance artists and entertainers trained in traditional Japanese performing art styles, such as dance, music and singing, as well as being proficient conversationalists and hosts. I remember there was always at least  one kid who dressed as a Geisha in school fancy dress competitions.

Raja's album 1946 - Part 06 : Kyoto

The album has Raja's lovely collection of colorized pictures of Kyoto city issued by the Japan travel bureau. Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It's famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. If I ever travel to Japan, this is one city I should not miss...

Raja's album 1946 - Part 05 -Japanese Film Stars!

Young Raja had also included in his album an intetesting series of pretty Japanese Heroines who probably were famous stars of the 1940s. 
Wonder what their names were and what kind of movies they starred in?! 

Rajas album 1946 - Part 04 -kintai-kyo, the wooden bridge

 The Kintai-kyo  is a historic landmark wooden arch bridge at Iwakuni, Japan.The pedestrian bridge was built in 1673, spanning the Nishiki river in a series of five wooden arches. Raja's album captures the bridge in four different situations...

Raja's album 1946 - Part 03 : Landmarks in Japan

Its amazing to see how Japan , especially Tokyo looked like in the 1940s. 

Hibiya crossing, at the right is A.T.C

American red cross club

G.H.Q

US Embassy

General Hospital

Nippon Nichigeki Theatre

GHQ from Hibiya park side

The Central zone of Tokyo-  Hattori clock co. building, Ginza

Ginza

Palace Heights

ueno toshogu torii

The Nihon-Bashi bridge and the Mitsukoshi Dept.

The Imperial hotel

Ernie Pyle Theatre, Hibiya

Ernie Pyle nee Takarazuka Theatre, Hibiya

Raja's album 1946 - Part 02 - Mt.Fuji

The album has an extensive collection of photographs of Japan's Mt.Fuji taken during different seasons and from different vantage points. It goes to show the admiration Raja had for this beautiful mount. Mt.Fuji is an active volcano about 100 Kms southwest of Tokyo.  "Fuji-san" as its locally called, is Japan's tallest peak at 3,776 meters.

A Japanese Christmas Card