Going to Japan
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What it is:
Photo measuring 3.25 x 4.5 inches.
What I know about it:
Written on the back in pen is going to Japan. The paper manufacturer’s markings (“Kodak/Velox/Paper”) date it to roughly the 1950s-1960s.
Comments:
My mother and stepfather are leaving today to visit my sister and her family in Japan, so while this isn’t the most spectacular photo in my collection, I couldn’t resist posting it to commemorate their trip. Since my sister has moved to Japan, we have had to deal with things like longer transit times for mail, and the prospect of visiting has largely seemed prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. But this photo reminds me that not so long ago, at least within my mother’s lifetime, things were even more challenging. If a flight from San Francisco to Osaka seems daunting today, imagine going by boat, as this woman did! On the other hand, I have a journal that my great-grandmother kept when she and her husband traveled by boat to Europe in the 1950s. She details the daily activities, the dining, the socializing, all the things you don’t get with air travel. So I suppose progress comes with trade-offs. And boats still exist for those who want that option. It just makes me wonder what changes I’ll live to see.
Pics of Then 
How fortunate to have your great-grandmother’s journal. What a treasure that must be.
Thanks, Mrs. P. It’s actually just a pocket diary she kept of the vacation itself, not a long-term diary of her life, but it’s still a treasure.
To me, any documentation of a person’s life is interesting.
Oh yes, I agree. I’m delighted to have it. It’s a fascinating look at a different time.
Thank you, Matt! We made it safely to Japan and are having a wonderful time. But let me guarantee that travel today is not without its own challenges.
Oh, I don’t doubt there are plenty of challenges today. But I’m glad you made it and are having a good time. I’m looking forward to hearing all about it.