Help Needed to ID Location

This photo is the property of Gerry and Mary O'Riordan, who have given me permission to post it here.

It is a copy of one pasted into the front of a glossy book on Japan.  It is not great quality, and unfortunately the book is no longer in the family, presumed sold many years  ago.  It has been assumed by the family that the photo was taken on a trip to Japan.

It is known that the man in the photo is Joseph Coleman Hughes, who was living in Hong Kong from around 1877/6 until perhaps 1889/90 (he is listed in the 1891 Census of England with his wife).

Joseph married Agneta Eliza Linstead nee May, widow of Theophilous Gee Linstead, on 1 November 1884 in Hong Kong.  

I am trying to work out if this is his wife Agneta with him or someone else.   There is no known photograph of Agneta.  Is it possible to identify where this was taken, Hong Kong or Japan?  It would be brilliant if a definite location were known.

Many thanks for your help.

Date picture taken
1880s
Shows person / people

Comments

Hi there,

The clothing style of the locals did look Japanese.  They were also shown wearing knitted throng sandals while old Hong Kong rickshaw tenders mostly went bare foot at that period of time.

Likely not Hong Kong.

T

Agree with T. 

The rickshaws look like the ones used in Hong Kong at this time:

Sedan chair and Jinrikisha by Lai Afong, c1880s, by Klaus

But the clothes are different, and I think the Hong Kong rickshaws pullers mostly were wearing hats.