Kameya Tokujirō facts for kids

Kameya Tokujirō (Kameya Tokujirō (龜谷 徳次郎, 1825–1884)) was an important Japanese photographer who lived in the 1800s. He was one of the first people to open a photography studio in Japan. He also helped teach others how to take pictures.

Early Life and Learning Photography

Kameya Tokujirō was born in 1825. His original family name was Abe, but he was adopted by the Kameya family. This was a common practice in Japan at the time.

He learned photography in a special place called Deshima. Deshima was a small island in the harbor of Nagasaki. It was the only place where Dutch people were allowed to trade and live in Japan for a long time. Two doctors, Jan Karel van den Broek and J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort, taught photography there. They also taught medicine and chemistry. This shows that photography was a new and scientific skill back then!

Opening Studios and Teaching

Kameya Tokujirō became a teacher himself. In 1862, he taught photography to Tomishige Rihei, who became his apprentice. An apprentice is someone who learns a skill from a master.

In the same year, 1862, Kameya moved to Kyoto. There, he opened the very first commercial photographic studio in that city. A commercial studio is a place where people can pay to have their pictures taken.

Six years later, in 1868, he moved back to Nagasaki. He opened another studio there and continued to work as a photographer. He ran this studio until he passed away.

A Pioneer in Photography

Kameya Tokujirō was a true pioneer. Some people believe that his studio in Nagasaki might have opened even before his move to Kyoto. If this is true, it means his studio could have been the very first one in Nagasaki, even earlier than the famous Ueno Hikoma's studio.

Family and Legacy

Kameya Tokujirō had a daughter named Kameya Toyo (龜谷とよ, 1852–1885). She helped her father in his Nagasaki studio. Kameya Toyo is known as one of Japan's very first women photographers! This was very unusual for her time.

In 1871, Kameya Toyo married Yoshii Teijirō (吉井禎次郎). The family adopted him, and he took the name Kameya Teijirō. He also worked at the Nagasaki studio. Later, he opened a branch studio in Korea. Both Kameya Tokujirō and Kameya Teijirō passed away in 1884 and 1885, respectively. Kameya Tokujirō died in Vladivostok, where he had opened another branch studio.

Kameya Tokujirō and his family played a big part in bringing photography to Japan and making it popular.