Amongst the new professions that emerged with the introduction of Western culture in late 19th century in Japan was that of commercial photographer. It was around this time that photography studios quickly spread across the country. While men predominated in this new profession, women also played an important role in the dissemination of photography. Most supported their husbands or fathers engaged in this work. Others, although few in number, made it their profession. In this study, we follow in the footsteps of three women who opened photography studios in two towns in the Tohoku region, Hirosaki (Aomori prefecture) and Sakata (Yamagata prefecture). The photographs that they left us constitute precious documentary records of the society and the culture of this period and allow us to reassess their extraordinary contribution to the dissemination of photography as pioneering women photographers at the local level.