Old Tokyo

Goni-Fair Exhibition Association promotional postcard, Mitsukoshi department store, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, 1906.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 05:01:52 +0000

See also: “Imperial Princesses Making Bandages”, Russo-Japanese War, c. 1904. Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Mitsukoshi Gofukuten advertising postcards, c. 1905. The Goni-Fair (Gaisen Kinen Go-Ni Kyōshinkai) was a major trade, industrial, and cultural exhibition held in Tokyo from September to December 1906 (Meiji 39). Goni-Fair took the form of a kyōshinkai, a competitive exhibition. Artisans, manufacturers, […]

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Rocket launch commemorative postcard, 1968.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 05:01:43 +0000

In the first half-decade of the 1960s, Japan’s emerging space program faced greater public scrutiny and investigations following a series of Lambda rocket failures. Testing was suspended for roughly 17 months so Japan’s new space agency — the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (ISAS) — could provide new engineering and safety protocols. The large […]

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“Celebration of a Bumper Catch”, Ikemajima, Miyako-gun, Okinawa, 1936.

Old Tokyo — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 05:01:17 +0000

See also: “A fishing place in Awaji”, Hyogo Prefecture, c. 1920. Dried octopus, Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, c. 1960. Ikemajima fishermen are docked, their vessels decked out in celebratory flags including traditional Tairyō-bata [big catch flags]. The area was known as one of Japan’s most famous fishing grounds for skipjack tuna. Beached on the shore and […]

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“A presentation gifted to His Excellency Major General Arikawa by aviation supporters”, 1923.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 05:01:33 +0000

See also: “Student at Tokyo Army Aviation School” propaganda postcard, c. 1940. “Life in the Army” series, IJAAS parade field fly-over, c. 1914. Kaishiki No. 1 biplane & Yamada dirigible, c. 1911. Nieuport IV at Tokorozawa Airfield, c. 1913. Tokorozawa Airfield holds a legendary status as the birthplace of Japanese aviation. Established on April 1, […]

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“Winter in Hokkaidō”, Nakayama Slope, Kimobetsu, Hokkaido, c. 1930.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:01:13 +0000

See also: Sheep grazing in the shadow of Ezo Fuji, Hokkaido, c. 1930. Nakayama Pass (Nakayama-toge) is located near Kimobetsu Town, southwest of Sapporo, in the mountainous western region of Hokkaido. The ski area is further along on the Nakayama Pass road. Its gentle slopes are great for anyone just beginning backcountry skiing. Nakayamatoge opens […]

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City transportation map advertising postcard, Kyoto, c. 1920.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 18 May 2026 05:01:37 +0000

See also: Opening of the Kyoto electric streetcar system (1895) commemorative postcard, c. 1905. Uji-gawa Electric Power Co., Shizugawa Generating Station, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, c. 1920. The Second Kyoto Railroad Terminal, c. 1940. Kyoto holds the distinction within the country of having opened Japan’s first electric tramway. Following the completion of the Lake Biwa […]

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Divine Talisman Vendor, Entrance to Atago Shrine, Tokyo, c. 1930.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:01:08 +0000

See also: Atagoyama (Atago Hill), Tokyo, c. 1910-30. JOAK (NHK) Radio Studios, Atago Hill, Tokyo, c. 1930. “For those living in Tokyo: on the day you first put on your lined summer kimono (awase), whether it be morning, noon, or evening, try climbing to any high vantage point along your way — perhaps the top […]

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Museum exhibit of a Maruko-bune [Round-bottomed boat], c. 1920.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:01:54 +0000

See also: Lake Biwa Canal, Otsu, c. 1910-1920. The “Incline Lift”, Kyoto, c. 1910. A Maruko-bune (also spelled Marugata-bune) is a traditional Japanese wooden cargo boat unique to Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. The name translates to “round-shaped boat”, likely referring to its displacement hull. These shallow-draft vessels were essential for Edo period trade in […]

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“In Support of the Imperial Capital Health Education” advertising postcard, Asakusa, Tokyo, 1926.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:01:42 +0000

See also: “Earthquake photography”, Tokyo, 1923. Earthquake refugee camp on the Imperial Palace plaza, Tokyo, 1923. Aerial view of Shinjuku Gyoen and Nishi-Shinjuku water treatment plant, Tokyo, c. 1960. The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and subsequent fires destroyed 350,000 homes in Tokyo and 90% of homes in nearby Yokohama, leaving thousands homeless. The widespread destruction […]

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Fukuoka Industrial Exposition, Kyushu Electric Light & Traction Co. promotional postcard set, Fukuoka, 1920.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 05:01:41 +0000

See also: Japan Electrical Exhibition, Ueno Park, Tokyo, 1918. Evening illuminations, Peace Commemorative Exposition, Ueno Park, Tokyo, 1922. Tokyo Exposition for Domestic Industry Promotion in Commemoration of the Great Coronation, Ueno Park, Tokyo, 1928. The Fukuoka Industrial Exposition occurred between March 20 – May 20, 1920, organized chiefly by the Kyushu Electric Light & Traction […]

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