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Hinode Photographer Enlarger, Bromide & Platinic Type, Ipoh
This photograph shows Hinode Photographer, one of the Japanese photo studios in Ipoh. It was located next to Hoot & Co, at Belfield Street, Ipoh.
In 1908, No 93 was Messrs Hoot and Co, agents for imported motor-cycles and tri-cars, while No 95 was the premises of a Japanese shop, "Hinode Photographer Enlarger, Bromide & Platinic Type". "Hinode" means sunlight in Japanese and as shown in the photograph, the latter's shopfront featured a logo of the rising sun.
By 1911, a new Japanese photography business opened as Mikasa Photo Studio and occupied these same premises at No. 93–95 Belfield Street. A Japanese spy, Masaji Fukabori alias Masaji Hosaka, once worked here. Another Japanese photographer, James Suzuki had his own studio in Kuala Kangsar called "Nature Art Studio". There is evidence that Suzuki had already been in Kuala Kangsar since the early 1930s (a full decade before the invasion), and that a Major Fujiwara of the Japanese Military Intelligence had been assisted by Suzuki, the photographer from Kuala Kangsar. He was therefore one of the many interpreters for the Japanese Military Intelligence who s could collectively speak Malay, English and Mandarin and sent information about Malaya back to Japan in preparation or the invasion of 1941. There is no doubt that Masaji was one of the same group.
After the war, No 93 was taken over by Taik Ho and Guan Ho, established in Taiping in 1889. The business was owned by Toh Eng Ho CBE (1899-62), a prominent Taiping industrialist, Perak State Councillor and Federal Legislative Councillor (1948-55).
Above adapted from 1999 Janus Print & Resources - Published by the Perak State Government
Editor's Note. By the 1950's No 93 had become the Perak Book Store.
To read more about Ipoh Street Names, click here.
To read more about the book 'Kinta Valley', click here.