Old Tokyo

“Commemorative Postcards of the Imperial Army Special Grand Maneuvers”, Kanto Plain, 1921.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 05:01:21 +0000

See also: Special Military Exercises propaganda postcards, Kanto Plain, Tokyo, 1934. Army Air Defense Drill propaganda postcard set, c. 1930. Crown Prince Hirohito’s Tour of Europe, 1921. “Imperial Head-Quarters during the [First] China-Japan War”, Hiroshima, c. 1910. The 1921 Imperial Japanese Army Special Grand Maneuvers (Tokubetsu Dai-Enshū) were held in mid-November. The simulated defensive maneuvers […]

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Mid-Summer Greetings, Hata Trading Co., Nihonbashi, Tokyo, 1938.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 05:01:19 +0000

See also: Meiji-brand “Cream Caramel” advertising postcard, c. 1935. “Bull-Dog Sauce” New Year’s advertising & propaganda postcard, 1938. Sending shuchū-mimai is a long-standing custom in Japan of wishing good health and to express appreciation to business partners and friends during the hot summer months. This particular postcard was sent by Hata Store, a Tokyo textile […]

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Hotel Hosenkaku, Kanda Nishikicho, Tokyo, c. 1925.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:01:37 +0000

See also: 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake Imperial Capital Reconstruction Board (Teito Fukko-in) commemorative postcards, 1930. Hotel Hosenkaku was built in the wake of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, constructed of reinforced concrete (advertised on the card with “post-earthquake construction”) as part of Tokyo’s post-earthquake rebuilding efforts. After the vast devastation of the 1923 Great […]

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JGR Tokaido Main Line night train and autumn moonlight, c. 1920.

Old Tokyo — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 05:01:27 +0000

“Seen at dusk as one gazes out upon the countryside from the window of a train, the lonely light of a bulb under an old-fashioned shade, shining dimly from behind the white paper shoji of a thatch-roofed farmhouse, can seem positively elegant.” – In Praise of Shadows, Tanizaki Jun’ichirō, 1933 See also J.G.R./J.N.R. Steam Locomotive […]

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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 […]

The post “Celebration of a Bumper Catch”, Ikemajima, Miyako-gun, Okinawa, 1936. first appeared on Old Tokyo.

“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, […]

The post “A presentation gifted to His Excellency Major General Arikawa by aviation supporters”, 1923. first appeared on Old Tokyo.

“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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