Photos of Japanese emperors and empresses used to be a magic weapon for Japanese newspapers to increase sales.

During the war, the emperor was regarded as a human god and revered as a god. The photos of the emperor, also known as the "imperial shadow", will be placed in the Feng 'an Hall at school or in the Buddhist shrine at home. The photos of the emperor are very popular. With the acquiescence of * * *, private businesses can sell them.

In order to let ordinary people show photos of the emperor at home, they have been buying and selling since the Meiji era. In the early Meiji period, photos of the Emperor were made by * * * and given to schools or public institutions, while families bought them from private businesses. * * * On the surface, it is strictly forbidden to buy and sell the emperor's icon, but it is acquiesced in private. In photo studios or open-air vendors, photos of the Emperor taken by folk photographers are sold side by side with photos of geisha or actors.

Although it was an unauthorized remake, the price was very high at that time, and most of the people who could afford it were wealthy families. They worship photos in shrines or niches at home. It is said that boys worship the emperor and will get ahead in the future, so they value it very much. In addition, in order to promote sales, newspapers sometimes publish portraits or photos of emperors and queens in newspapers.

Finally, it was Hirohito's turn to ascend to the throne, and unauthorized remakes were also sold in the market. Especially in the local area, there is still faith in the photos of the emperor, and rural families will set up photos of the emperor and queen in the Buddhist shrine, next to the altar.

As for the way of sales, there are many kinds. The most common way is to put the framed photos of the emperor on a trolley and tour the families all over the country in the form of merchants.

Among the photos sold, Hirohito, Empress Xiang Chun and Emperor Meiji are the majority. Unlike ordinary merchants, sellers will wear neat suits. After all, it is fearful to sell photos of His Majesty, so we should be dignified and serious.

After the Japanese invasion of China, buying photos of the Emperor was regarded as patriotism and loyalty. For teenagers at that time, they especially worshipped families with portraits of emperors. Because everyone wants to own photos and even sell them at a high price. This is indeed a very profitable industry. Some areas even sell them in bookstores, so many people choose to buy them here.

Some families who have to move with their work are worried that if the photos of the emperor are damaged when they move, they will even curb their desire to buy. However, with the end of the war, the photos of the emperor were never sold.

◆ Like a movie star! ?

Because of Hirohito's handsome appearance, photo postcards issued during the ruling period became the favorite of female students. Writer Yukio Hatoyama described the Emperor in his works as "a handsome man with thick black eyebrows, fashionable and exquisite glasses and tight cheeks". Although people looked at the photos of the emperor seriously and cautiously during the war, women still looked like movie stars.