In 1885, the Italian photographer Adolfo Farsari opened his studio in Yokohama. He became known for producing colorful photographs of famous sites and scenes in Japan, targeted at foreign tourists seeking souvenirs. The visual language of these early Japanese photographs is indebted to ukiyo-e prints, especially meishō-e, images of famous places. In addition to vivid hand-applied color, some of the scenes were also staged, occasionally with painted backgrounds or superimposed deer, as seen here. Adolfo Farsari and Company thrived as one of Japan’s most successful photography studios until Adolfo’s return to Italy in 1890.