Trying to capture the essence of a country's history through photographs and portraiture is difficult, but the National Diet Library of Japan has done just that through this remarkable digital exhibit. They started to compile this collection of prominent members of modern Japanese society in 2004, and the exhibit currently contains over 350 images. After reading a short introductory essay, visitors can browse the images by category (such as jurist and literary figure) or look at an alphabetical list of all the individuals profiled here. Interestingly enough, the photographs here are culled from two large volumes published in 1914 and 1934, and they include photographs and brief biographies of such personages as noted military officer Sadao Araki, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, and historian and journalist Soho Tokutomi.