New Zealand Woman Asks the Internet to Find Japanese Family From Antique Photos Found in Old Sewing Box

September 14, 2017

After purchasing an antique Japanese sewing box, a Twitter user from New Zealand was surprised by its contents — old, black-and-white photos of what appeared like a family.

The netizen, who goes by the username @irisshackleton, is apparently determined to bring them back to the family members, so she sought for help on the platform.

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Unfortunately, the shop in Christchurch where the sewing box was bought no longer exists, according to SoraNews24, so @irisshackleton can’t really trace matters from there.

The photos — which showed a man, woman and child — did not have writings that could potentially serve as clues to solve the mystery.

The box had no markings, either.

Thankfully, many Twitter users came to @irisshackleton’s assistance and offered help by sharing the images across social networks. Others even sent the story to Japanese TV stations and newspapers.

Some deciphered certain clues based on the photos, such as the family’s clothing could be of the late Meiji or early Taisho periods. The child’s toy, which appeared to be a wheeled vehicle, is another hint to look at.

@irisshackleton’s call for help has been retweeted at least 34,000 times and received more than 18,000 likes since its posting on Sept. 8.

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