On our Nakasendo walking tour we pass through old post towns and villages that date back centuries. The Old Photos of Japan blog by Kjeld Duits is a great resource that compliments this look back with photos dating from the Meiji(1868-1912), Taisho(1912-1926) and Showa (1926-1989) periods.
For more images of old Japan visit: http://www.oldphotosjapan.com/en/