Tomishige Rihei

Tomishige Rihei (born Shinokura Rihei, 1837–1922) is one of the most significant figures in Kyushu's photographic history. Born in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, he trained in photography in Nagasaki in 1862 under Kameya Tokujiro, then entered the studio of Ueno Hikoma — one of Japan's founding professional photographers — developing a lifelong bond with Hikoma. After opening a studio in Yanagawa in 1866, Rihei settled in Kumamoto in 1870 (Meiji 3) and opened what was likely the city's first photographic studio^*1. Commissioned by the Kumamoto army garrison from 1872, he systematically documented Kumamoto Castle, Suizenji Garden, and regional landmarks. These photographs became irreplaceable historical records when the castle was destroyed during the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion. When the rebellion burned both the castle and his studio, Rihei built a temporary darkroom under the guidance of Ueno Hikoma and photographed the ruins for three days at the request of General Nogi Maresuke; thousands of prints were distributed to wounded soldiers^*2. His portrait subjects included novelist Natsume Soseki, writer Lafcadio Hearn, Generals Nogi Maresuke and Kawakami Soroku, and Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa — to whom Rihei also taught photography. The studio building in Kumamoto (Shinmachi 2-8-5) was designated a nationally registered tangible cultural property in 2006; its distinctive slant-wall shooting room is intact^*3. The studio is still in operation under the 4th-generation director (also named Rihei, since 2010), making it one of the oldest continuously operating photographic studios in Japan. A 140th-anniversary exhibition at Kumamoto University's Goko Memorial Hall in 2014 established the studio's four-generation archive as a primary historical source for Meiji modernization^*4.