Rice Harvesting in Japan
No credits. UK (?) 1910
Print: BFI
German intertitles

“Farmers demonstrate how to use a variety of traditional farm tools, such as tomi (a device to winnow the grains with an internal fan), mi (a winnowing basket) and senbanuki (a forked device to comb the rice grains from the straws). Everyone from children to the elderly seems to be engaged in the farm work, but the class differences are indicated by the clothing: the employer is dressed in fashionable kimono and sports a fedora and a moustache, while the other farmers wear plain work clothes. The title is given in French and the intertitles are in German; different versions would have been distributed across Europe.”
Kosuke Fujiki (Film Studies, King’s College London)
YouTube

Rice Festival in Kyoto
No credits. Fr (?) 1911
Print: BFI
German intertitles

“The film begins with tayu dochu (courtesans’ procession), in which high-ranking courtesans of the Shimabara district in Kyoto parade through the street in a slow, stylised manner, accompanied by parasol-holders and child attendants. This worldly public spectacle is followed by the festive parade of Shintoism, presumably held by either the Matsuno’o Shrine or the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The open-air theatrical performance, with its full house of standing audience, is possibly part of the festival.” 
Kosuke Fujiki (Film Studies, King’s College London)

BFI silent film curator Bryony Dixon adds: “This was filmed by Pathé Frères in 1911. There are only two surviving intertitles: ‘Parade of the beauties’ and ‘Parade in honour of the ancient warriors’. The Pathé synopsis mentions that one of the portable shrines is dedicated to the Ō Inari – the kami (or spirit) associated with the fox and grain harvest – who rides a white fox.” (BFI/YouTube)

Japanese Festival
No credits. UK (?) 1909
Print: BFI
German intertitles

“A vibrant festival with parades of fishermen and geisha celebrates the 50th anniversary of the opening of Yokohama Port. While being watched by a huge crowd, various people cheerfully parade through the streets of Yokohama. A festive atmosphere is prevalent. In a parade that imitates a traditional state procession, the marchers are seen wearing comical costume wigs to represent the shaven head of samurai with its chonmage topknot. The specific locations in Yokohama have been identified as Fukutomi-cho and Sumiyoshi-cho, within walking distance of each other. The Port of Yokohama holds a significant position in Japanese history. Over 200 years of Japan’s isolation from foreign countries was broken when US Commodore Matthew C Perry arrived with his warships at Uraga, south of Yokohama, in 1853. In 1859, the Port of Yokohama was opened in response to foreign pressure to open the country to international trade. The opening of the port heralds for Japan both the end of its feudal era and the beginning of its modernity.”
Kosuke Fujiki (Film Studies, King’s College London)

>>> Japan – a Travelogue