Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena has released a collection of long-forgotten, previously unpublished photographs of The Beatles, taken during the British band’s only concerts in Japan six decades ago.

The 19 rolls of negative film were initially discovered on an office shelf at the concert venue in 2009 but remained in storage until recently. As the 60th anniversary of the 1966 tour approached, the venue’s operator commissioned a Beatles expert to examine the collection, who confirmed the images had never appeared in newspapers or other media.

The newly unveiled photos capture the atmosphere of the historic five-show run, which took place at the height of Beatlemania. Among the released images is a candid shot of John Lennon smiling beside a traditional Japanese doll. The figurine bears a striking resemblance to one featured on the cover of the band’s iconic 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. According to local media, the doll was likely purchased during a rushed shopping trip, as the global stars were under heavy security throughout their stay.

A mystery remains surrounding the origin of the photographs. The negatives were found wrapped in paper labelled “The Yomiuri Shimbun archives room”. The Japanese daily newspaper has since launched an investigation to determine the identity of the photographer and how the film ended up stored at the Budokan for decades.

The 1966 tour was a landmark cultural event in Japan, drawing massive crowds of fans who thronged the band’s hotel and the arena.