Old Tokyo
@oldtokyo.bsky.social
OldTokyo.com is an online collection and gallery of vintage Japanese postcards displayed with respective historical detail, 1895-1970. Thank you for "liking"! Be sure to "repost", too!
Crowds packing Theater Street (Rokku), Asakusa, Tokyo, c. 1930.
“Old postcards reveal that in Tokyo’s Asakusa amusement district the already exuberant and fanciful fonts were subjected to the same banner-strewn treatment that might obscure a modest machiya veil at festival time.
“Old postcards reveal that in Tokyo’s Asakusa amusement district the already exuberant and fanciful fonts were subjected to the same banner-strewn treatment that might obscure a modest machiya veil at festival time.
Asakusa Rokku (Theater Street), Tokyo, c. 1930. | Old Tokyo
See also: Asakusa Rokku (Theatre Street), 1910-1950 Hanayashiki, Asakusa Park, c. 1920 Asakusa Park, c. 1910 "... The fascination with cinema [in Japan] was no less than in the West. Accordingly, many...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Crowds packing Theater Street (Rokku), Asakusa, Tokyo, c. 1930.
“Old postcards reveal that in Tokyo’s Asakusa amusement district the already exuberant and fanciful fonts were subjected to the same banner-strewn treatment that might obscure a modest machiya veil at festival time.
“Old postcards reveal that in Tokyo’s Asakusa amusement district the already exuberant and fanciful fonts were subjected to the same banner-strewn treatment that might obscure a modest machiya veil at festival time.
Comparing the ABV levels of various alcoholic beverages, c. 1920, including beer, sake, brandy and whisky. Caption: “The use of alcohol as a stimulant or foodstuff in medicine has no scientific value, and therefore efforts should be made to eliminate it.”
Temperance Movement in Japan postcards, c. 1920. | Old Tokyo
"The Japanese, when intoxicated, are seldom quarrelsome. They sing, dance, and are jolly rather than ugly." - "Japan and Its Regeneration", by Dr. Otis Cary, 1908 Although Japan did not enact a nation...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Comparing the ABV levels of various alcoholic beverages, c. 1920, including beer, sake, brandy and whisky. Caption: “The use of alcohol as a stimulant or foodstuff in medicine has no scientific value, and therefore efforts should be made to eliminate it.”
The Japan Society for the Preservation of Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments, Tokyo, an advocacy group founded by Marquis Tokugawa Yorimichi in 1911, assembling here for a tour of historical sites in Tokyo.
The Japan Society for the Preservation of Historic Sites, Tokyo, 1911. | Old Tokyo
See also: Himeji Castle, c. 1920. The Temple of the 33,333 images of Kwannon, Sanjūsangen-dō, Kyoto, c. 1920. Kiyomizu Temple, Ueno, c. 1910. "In pre-modern Japan, the idea of management or protection...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:49 PM
The Japan Society for the Preservation of Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments, Tokyo, an advocacy group founded by Marquis Tokugawa Yorimichi in 1911, assembling here for a tour of historical sites in Tokyo.
“Mr. H. E. Manwaring, the very capable boniface, who presides over the destinies of the Grand Hotel at Yokohama, is one of the men whose name is known to travelers all over the world. ‘Manwaring? Oh, yes! You mean Manwaring of the Grand, Yokohama, of course!’
Grand Hotel, Yokohama, c. 1910. | Old Tokyo
"Mr. H. E. Manwaring, the very capable boniface, who presides over the destinies of the Grand Hotel at Yokohama, is one of the men whose name is known to travelers all over the world. 'Manwaring? Oh, ...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:43 PM
“Mr. H. E. Manwaring, the very capable boniface, who presides over the destinies of the Grand Hotel at Yokohama, is one of the men whose name is known to travelers all over the world. ‘Manwaring? Oh, yes! You mean Manwaring of the Grand, Yokohama, of course!’
The first streetcars, referred to as a ‘horse trolleys without the horse’ (uma no nai basha), could hold up to forty people, sixteen seated and the rest standing.
Tokyo Streetcars (Tokyo Toden), c. 1910-1920. | Old Tokyo
See also: Horse-drawn trolley, Nihonbashi, c. 1900 Ginza Crossing streetcars, c. 1960 "The first streetcars, referred to as a 'horse trolleys without the horse' (uma no nai basha), could hold up to fo...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:42 PM
The first streetcars, referred to as a ‘horse trolleys without the horse’ (uma no nai basha), could hold up to forty people, sixteen seated and the rest standing.
“Breaking through Yanmen Pass – the army moves in broad daylight.” I.J.A. propaganda postcard, Yànménguān (Yanmen) Pass, Shanxi Province, China, 1937, one of the steepest grades along the Great Wall of China and historically considered one of the Wall’s most important passes.
“Breaking through the barrier” propaganda postcard, Yànménguān (Yanmen) Pass, Shanxi Province, China, 1937. | Old Tokyo
See also: “Assault on Taiyuan Castle”, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, 1937. “The Battle of the Railway Corps”, 2nd Sino-Japanese War, c. 1940. The Battle of Yànménguān, fought in October 1937, was one of t...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:20 PM
“Breaking through Yanmen Pass – the army moves in broad daylight.” I.J.A. propaganda postcard, Yànménguān (Yanmen) Pass, Shanxi Province, China, 1937, one of the steepest grades along the Great Wall of China and historically considered one of the Wall’s most important passes.
Fukoku Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. advertising postcard, Tokyo, c. 1930, had its beginnings in 1897 as the Otaru Cargo Insurance Co. Expanding beyond its cargo insurance limitations, the company received approval in 1919 to solicit general commercial insurance coverage concerns.
Fukoku Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. advertising postcard, Tokyo, c. 1930. | Old Tokyo
"Just over two decades after the first Japanese insurer had been established, the domestic market was in a strong position in early 1900s, pushing foreign insurers to the margins and expanding oversea...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Fukoku Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. advertising postcard, Tokyo, c. 1930, had its beginnings in 1897 as the Otaru Cargo Insurance Co. Expanding beyond its cargo insurance limitations, the company received approval in 1919 to solicit general commercial insurance coverage concerns.
“Wreck of the S.S. Dakota“, 1907. The American-owned passenger liner ran aground a reef near the entrance to Tokyo Bay. The accident happened close enough to shore to avoid any deaths; passengers and cargo were evacuated before she sank.
The Wreck of the S.S. Dakota, 1907. | Old Tokyo
"When the two huge 20,000-ton sister steamers Dakota and Minnesota, owned by the Great Northern Steamship Company of New York and Seattle, were offered for insurance at Lloyd’s they were treated on mu...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:16 PM
“Wreck of the S.S. Dakota“, 1907. The American-owned passenger liner ran aground a reef near the entrance to Tokyo Bay. The accident happened close enough to shore to avoid any deaths; passengers and cargo were evacuated before she sank.
“Princess Turandot” [トゥーランドット姫], Takarazuka Revue advertising postcard, Tokyo, 1934. The image features the musical’s two stars – Kusabe Yoshiko (left, as Princess Turandot) and Nara Miyako (Prince Calaf) – bracketed at the bottom by a production patron’s advertisement for Club toothpaste.
“Princess Turandot”, Takarazuka Revue advertising postcard, Tokyo, 1934. | Old Tokyo
See also: Takarazuka Gekijo (Theater), Tokyo Takarazuka Revue, “Parisette”, c. 1930. "Club Washing Powder" [クラブ洗粉] advertising postcards, c. 1910. Princess Turandot was based on Count Carlo Gozzi's Tu...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:13 PM
“Princess Turandot” [トゥーランドット姫], Takarazuka Revue advertising postcard, Tokyo, 1934. The image features the musical’s two stars – Kusabe Yoshiko (left, as Princess Turandot) and Nara Miyako (Prince Calaf) – bracketed at the bottom by a production patron’s advertisement for Club toothpaste.
“Domestic and International Communications Network of Correspondents” advertising postcard, Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun, Tokyo, c. 1940.
““Domestic and International Communications Network” advertising postcard, Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun, Tokyo, c. 1940. | Old Tokyo
See also: Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun (Newspaper), Yurakucho, c. 1930. “How Newspapers Come to Be”, Tokyo Asashi Shimbun operations postcard series, c. 1935. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun, founded in 18...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:50 PM
“Domestic and International Communications Network of Correspondents” advertising postcard, Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun, Tokyo, c. 1940.
“Boy Scouts practising the motto ‘A good turn daily'”, c. 1920. The Japanese caption (一日一善ノ實行) translates to ‘doing one good deed each day’.(Colorized)
“Boy Scouts practising the motto ‘A good turn daily’”, c. 1920. (Colorized) | Old Tokyo
"The Boy Scouts' movement in Japan dates from about 1913, when they were organized in different parts of the country, but they then were only juvenile cadet corps for military training or simply assoc...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:23 PM
“Boy Scouts practising the motto ‘A good turn daily'”, c. 1920. The Japanese caption (一日一善ノ實行) translates to ‘doing one good deed each day’.(Colorized)
“Mr. M. Oshiro, the proprietor of the Oshiro Steamship Co., Tokyo, and some other business men, intend to purchase the Rosetta Maru and to convert her to a floating hotel. The ship will be anchored in Yokohama and sometimes in Shinagawa.”
– The Japan Weekly Mail, January 26, 1907
– The Japan Weekly Mail, January 26, 1907
Roseta hoter [sic], Tokyo, c. 1910. | Old Tokyo
"Mr. M. Oshiro, the proprietor of the Oshiro Steamship Co., Tokyo, and some other business men, intend to purchase the Rosetta Maru and to convert her to a floating hotel. The ship will be anchored in...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:19 PM
“Mr. M. Oshiro, the proprietor of the Oshiro Steamship Co., Tokyo, and some other business men, intend to purchase the Rosetta Maru and to convert her to a floating hotel. The ship will be anchored in Yokohama and sometimes in Shinagawa.”
– The Japan Weekly Mail, January 26, 1907
– The Japan Weekly Mail, January 26, 1907
“Festive lighting of the 2nd Section”, Peace Commemorative Exposition, Ueno Park, Tokyo, 1922, with the Peace Tower at center.
Evening illuminations, Peace Commemorative Exposition, Ueno Park, Tokyo, 1922. | Old Tokyo
See also: Peace Commemorative Exposition, Ueno Park, Tokyo, 1922. "Preparations for the Tokyo Peace Exposition which is to be held next spring in Uyeno Park are advancing apace. "A large force of offi...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:17 PM
“Festive lighting of the 2nd Section”, Peace Commemorative Exposition, Ueno Park, Tokyo, 1922, with the Peace Tower at center.
50th Anniversary commemorative postcard, Nankai Railway Co., Osaka, 1934. The privately-owned and operated Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. was founded on June 16, 1884 as the Osaka-Sakaikan Railway, the first railway company in Japan to be established purely by private capital.
50th Anniversary commemorative postcard, Nankai Railway Co., Osaka, 1934. | Old Tokyo
The privately-owned and operated Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. was founded on June 16, 1884 as the Osaka-Sakaikan Railway, the first railway company in Japan to be established purely by private ca...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:43 PM
50th Anniversary commemorative postcard, Nankai Railway Co., Osaka, 1934. The privately-owned and operated Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. was founded on June 16, 1884 as the Osaka-Sakaikan Railway, the first railway company in Japan to be established purely by private capital.
“Stand Tall”, Fine Rubber zori inserts/lifts advertising postcard, c. 1930, a synthetic rubber product manufactured by the Small Goods Rubber Manufacturing Co., Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Endorsing the product on this postcard is Kawasaki Hiroko, a popular Shochiku motion pictures actress in the 1930s.
“Stand Tall”, Fine Rubber zori inserts advertising postcard, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, c. 1930. | Old Tokyo
See also: Nippon Tabi Co. Ltd., Kurume, Fukuoka, c. 1930. “Pulling the sled”, c. 1950. Unknown woodblock artist. Zōri (Japanese sandal) wearers sometimes added "fine rubber" heel pads or lifts to enha...
www.oldtokyo.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:40 PM
“Stand Tall”, Fine Rubber zori inserts/lifts advertising postcard, c. 1930, a synthetic rubber product manufactured by the Small Goods Rubber Manufacturing Co., Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Endorsing the product on this postcard is Kawasaki Hiroko, a popular Shochiku motion pictures actress in the 1930s.
“Like Mont St. Michel in Normandy ... Enoshima is only completely surrounded by the waves at high tide.
“[W]hen the waters abate, a stretch of sand is revealed, rendering it possible to cross to the island dryshod.”
– “Enoshima”, The Japan Magazine, July 1912
“[W]hen the waters abate, a stretch of sand is revealed, rendering it possible to cross to the island dryshod.”
– “Enoshima”, The Japan Magazine, July 1912
Enoshima Island at low tide, c. 1910. | Old Tokyo
See also: “Whole View of Yenoshima” from Katase, c. 1910. Enoshima, c. 1910-1960. "Like Mont St. Michel in Normandy, and its namesake St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, Enoshima is only completely surro...
www.oldtokyo.com
October 30, 2025 at 8:15 PM
“Like Mont St. Michel in Normandy ... Enoshima is only completely surrounded by the waves at high tide.
“[W]hen the waters abate, a stretch of sand is revealed, rendering it possible to cross to the island dryshod.”
– “Enoshima”, The Japan Magazine, July 1912
“[W]hen the waters abate, a stretch of sand is revealed, rendering it possible to cross to the island dryshod.”
– “Enoshima”, The Japan Magazine, July 1912
A Tokyo high school’s class excursion outside Zushi Station, Zushi, c. 1910. Shūgaku ryokō [lit., “school excursion”] are educational overnight trips organized by schools to provide students with study, recreational and group labor opportunities they would otherwise never experience.
High school class excurision to the Miura peninsula in line outside Zushi Station, Zushi, c. 1910. | Old Tokyo
See also: “The seashore of Zushi”, Miura Peninsula, near Tokyo, c. 1925. Hayama Beach, Kamakura, c. 1910. Kamakura Station, c. 1910. “All the staff and students of Kinjo Girls’ School”, Nagoya, c. 192...
www.oldtokyo.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:21 PM
A Tokyo high school’s class excursion outside Zushi Station, Zushi, c. 1910. Shūgaku ryokō [lit., “school excursion”] are educational overnight trips organized by schools to provide students with study, recreational and group labor opportunities they would otherwise never experience.
J.N.R. Tokaido Main Line Limited Express commemorative advertising postcard, 1958, announcing the introduction of “Kodama”, “Tsubame”, “Fuji” and “Hato” high-speed express service on the Tokaido Main Line between Tokyo & Osaka on October 1, 1958.
J.N.R. Tokaido Main Line Limited Express commemorative advertising postcard, October 1958. | Old Tokyo
See also: Tokaido Main Line “Kodama”, c. 1960. C55 Streamlined Locomotive and Mt. Fuji, c. 1940. Tokaido Main Line Railway, c. 1930. "On July 21, 1959, the M.U. electric streamliner Kodama set the wor...
www.oldtokyo.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM
J.N.R. Tokaido Main Line Limited Express commemorative advertising postcard, 1958, announcing the introduction of “Kodama”, “Tsubame”, “Fuji” and “Hato” high-speed express service on the Tokaido Main Line between Tokyo & Osaka on October 1, 1958.
“Hall of Long Life”, Hoshi Onsen Chōjukan, Minakami-machi, Gunma Prefecture, c. 1920. Guests of the inn pose outdoors of the 150-year-old onsen ryokan [hot spring inn], enjoying the winter mountain air after soaking in one of the four onsen the famous inn provides. #japan #onsen
“Hall of Long Life”, Hoshi Onsen Chōjukan, Minakami-machi, Gunma Prefecture, c. 1920. | Old Tokyo
See also: Onsen (hot springs) culture. Dogo Onsen, Matsuyama (Iyo District), Ehime, Shikoku, c. 1910. Izu Funabara Onsen postcard series, Izu City, Shizuoka, c. 1930. Chōjukan ryokan (inn) at Hōshi On...
www.oldtokyo.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Hebihime-sama (“Snake Princess”) was the first installment of a two-part serial "all-star" movie, released by Toho Eiga in April, 1940. The director, Teinosuke Kinugasa, was an important figure in early Japanese cinema, as a pioneering filmmaker and a link to postwar prestige cinema.
“Snake Princess” (Hebihime-sama), Toho Movie Studios promotional postcard, 1940. | Old Tokyo
See also: Tokyo-Takazaruka Eiga K.K. (Tokyo-Takarazuka Motion Picture Co.) studio, c. 1938. “Tokyo Matsuri” advertising postcard, 1933. “Gekimetsu” (“Annihilation”) motion picture advertising postcard...
www.oldtokyo.com
September 15, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Hebihime-sama (“Snake Princess”) was the first installment of a two-part serial "all-star" movie, released by Toho Eiga in April, 1940. The director, Teinosuke Kinugasa, was an important figure in early Japanese cinema, as a pioneering filmmaker and a link to postwar prestige cinema.
Discovered over 300 years ago, access to these hot springs were initially exclusive to monks and daimyo samurai. The springs became accessible to the general public during the Meiji period (1868-1912).
“Hotels seen on side of fine stream”, Kinugawa Onsen District, Nikko, c. 1930. | Old Tokyo
See also: Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1920. “Three Monkeys carving at Iyeyasu Temple”, Nikko, c. 1920. Nikko, Japan, c. 1910. The Kinugawa Onsen area itself has a storied past. Discovered over 300 years a...
www.oldtokyo.com
April 28, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Discovered over 300 years ago, access to these hot springs were initially exclusive to monks and daimyo samurai. The springs became accessible to the general public during the Meiji period (1868-1912).
Mitsubishi Ki-1 “Army Type 93” Heavy Bomber, c. 1935, in formation over the Great Wall of China. Already obsolete by when introduced in 1932, it did find use during counterinsurgency operations of the Pacification of Manchukuo, as well as limited use during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Mitsubishi Ki-1 “Army Type 93” Heavy Bomber, c. 1935. | Old Tokyo
See also: Mitsubishi Ki-2-I & Ki-2-II “Army Type 93” Light Bomber, c. 1935. I.J.A. Mitsubishi Ki-21 Type 97 (“Sally”) Heavy Bomber, ca. 1938. The Mitsubishi Ki-1, also known as Mitsubishi Army Type 93...
www.oldtokyo.com
April 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Mitsubishi Ki-1 “Army Type 93” Heavy Bomber, c. 1935, in formation over the Great Wall of China. Already obsolete by when introduced in 1932, it did find use during counterinsurgency operations of the Pacification of Manchukuo, as well as limited use during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Chindonya were elaborately-costumed street musicians and touts who advertised for shops, restaurants, and other establishments, seen here taking a break from the rigors of street performances by celebrating the season’s hanami picnic-style under the blossoms of Asukayama. Tokyo.
O-hanami gathering of a “chindonya” troupe at Asukayama, Tokyo, c. 1910. | Old Tokyo
"Brilliant is the career of the cherry-bloom, glorious is the life it pursues. But more brilliant and more glorious is the end it faces. "For the bloom tarries not till its beauty fades, its fame depa...
www.oldtokyo.com
April 15, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Chindonya were elaborately-costumed street musicians and touts who advertised for shops, restaurants, and other establishments, seen here taking a break from the rigors of street performances by celebrating the season’s hanami picnic-style under the blossoms of Asukayama. Tokyo.
Reposted by Old Tokyo
Little bar in Asakusa,
your sign made me smile.
your sign made me smile.
April 11, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Little bar in Asakusa,
your sign made me smile.
your sign made me smile.
“Year of the Goat (Sheep)”, New Years advertising postcard, Kyoto, c. 1931.
“Year of the Sheep” (or “Goat”), New Year’s advertising postcards, 1931. | Old Tokyo
Above: Front and reverse of a family's small business 1931 New Year's advertising postcard. On the reverse side, it reads: "On the occasion of a happy New Year, I congratulate you and your family on y...
www.oldtokyo.com
April 11, 2025 at 6:25 AM
“Year of the Goat (Sheep)”, New Years advertising postcard, Kyoto, c. 1931.