Japan, circa 1880
by Kusakabe Kimbei

Established during the Edo period (1603-1858), express messengers, called Hikyaku, were said to have staked their lives on their deliveries, working under the motto, «the package means everything.» This hand colored studio image, taken by Kusakabe Kimbei, shows a Hikyaku wearing an irezumi (the Japanese name given to tattoos completely covering the arms, back, upper legs and chest) that he believed provided a form of spiritual protection while he went to great lengths to transport his precious cargo.