Panorama Halls were built first in Ueno and Asakusa. Others throughout the city followed. Asakusa's, pictured here, was 36 meters in diameter and 18 meters tall. Inside, spectators would view projections of panoramic pictures in the round, usually of historic sites and events (often battles). Consider it an early IMAX theater.

• Civil War Panorama

The art and practice of viewing seems to have been a popular diversion in Edo/Tokyo. Spyglasses, magnifying glasses, peep shows, and magic lanterns were among the optical gadgets that proliferated in 19th and early 20th-century Japan. Some examples are viewable here:

• Stereoscope Peep Show
• Magic Lantern
• Edison Kinetoscope