Although there were already exchanges between Japan and the West, it is with the Meiji restoration in 1867 that the archipelago really opened up. In the 1870’s, there was a movement of opening up to Western civilization called bunmei kaika. The Japanese started to adopt the western clothing (yofuku). If a part of the samurais rebelled against the abolition of their privileges, another part accepted this new way of life. Western clothing being expensive, it was prized and reserved for a wealthy part of the population. It was seen elitist and modern.

Kiseruzutsu, also called kiseru-ire, is a pipe case for carrying the kiseru, the traditional Japanese pipe.