Vintage Japanese industrial expo posters
Here is a collection of posters from various expositions held in Japan in the 1920s to 1940s.
National Industrial Exhibition – Himeji, 1926 [+]
National Products Progress Exhibition – Sapporo, 1926 [+]
Grand Exposition in Commemoration of the Imperial Coronation – Kyoto, 1928 [+]
Sea and Air Exhibition – Tokyo, 1930 [+]
Sea and Air Exhibition – Tokyo, 1930 [+]
The National Products Progress Exhibition – Kagoshima, 1931 [+]
National Horse Exhibition – Osaka, 1933 [+]
Tourism Industry Exhibition – Nara, 1933 [+]
Yokohama Exposition – Yokohama, 1935 [+]
National Exposition – Iga-Ueno, 1935 [+]
National Defense and Resources Exposition – Himeji, 1936 [+]
National Defense and Resources Exposition – Himeji, 1936
National Defense and Resources Exposition – Himeji, 1936
Exposition Commemorating Hakata Port Construction – Fukuoka, 1936 [+]
Exposition Commemorating the Construction of Hakata Port – Fukuoka, 1936 [+]
Japan-Manchuria Industrial Exhibition – Toyama, 1936 [+]
Nagoya Pan-Pacific Peace Exposition – Nagoya, 1937 [+]
Nagoya Pan-Pacific Peace Exposition – Nagoya, 1937 [+]
Nangoku Tosa Exhibition – Kochi, 1937 [+]
International Hot Spring Tourism Exposition – Beppu, 1937 [+]
Second Sino-Japanese War Exhibition – Osaka, 1938 [+]
Greater East Asia Construction Exposition – Osaka, 1939 [+]
National Defense Science Exposition – Tokyo/Kanagawa, 1940 [+]
National Defense Science Exposition – Hyogo, 1941 [+]
National Defense Science Exposition – Hyogo, 1941
National Defense Science Exposition – Hyogo, 1941
Asia Development and Defense Exposition – Toyota City, 1941 [+]
[Via: Nihon no Hakurankai, published by Heibonsha Limited, 2005]
this is really impressive!!
And the character for “gaku” is written in it’s older version, and looks quite beautiful in most of the posters. The use of Kanji seems much more intensive in these old posters.
A lot of them remind me of similar propaganda art enacted by the North Korean, Chinese and Soviet countries, but they are still quite interesting.
Thanks for such an amazing website!
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These look nothing like Chinese, Soviet Bloc, and North Korean posters. Totally different style, iconography, and content.
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Wow are these reproduced for sale anywhere?
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That’s what I was wondering, totally want Yokohama Exposition – Yokohama, 1935 on my wall
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This is very interesting. I personally liked the one about
“Greater East Asia Construction Exposition – Osaka, 1939″. On this poster, you can see what were the ambitions of Imperial Japan, Great East Asia.
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The Imperial influence is strongest in the last poster: you can see the flags of Japan’s puppet states there! It’s interesting to watch the fascism creep into the posters over time. I don’t think we would go for Mt. Fuji drenched in the red of war today. The Taisho period was nice, though…
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In case people can’t read it, the subtitle above “National Defense Science Exposition” reads 紀元二千六百年記念行事, meaning that it was being held in honor of the 2600th anniversary of the foundation of Japan by Jimmu. Such a bold and inspiring declaration of national history… of course, the next year would be Pearl Harbor.
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Sea and Air Exhibition. Absolutely best. A mix of Henri Rousseau & Soviet propaganda. National Products Exhibition is also very good. Thanks!
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oh how come its full of kanji(chinese caharactors)??? + the fact that they are reading reversingly????? o.O” wagani…….
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It is not surprising for the military influence to crept in. After all they were overtaking all the industries at the time.
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Are these available for purchase? So beautiful! Please inform…
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Old Japanese graphic design & urban legends… this blog is just heaven!
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Very interesting. There’s a distinct lack of Katakana in these, compared to the posters you see nowadays.
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liking the right-to-left orientation.
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Never seen anything like these from Japan before! Most of the propoganda posters in history texts etc. are pretty straightforward and stark. These have that unnervingly hypnotic quality that you saw in German and Soviet art at the same time.
Such beautiful imagery and passion, but so tragic considering what was on the horizon. Strange how these posters have such pathos now.
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Agree with Zenu: Sea and Air Exhibition is the best. Reminds me of Miyazaki Hayao fantasies. The rest just follows Western fashion.
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Glory to our great JAPANISTHAN !
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Wow. It’s really interesting to look at the pictures and see how the nation changed from peaceful to war driven through the different years.
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Thanks so much for listing these. I collect them and there are a few on this list that were new to me. COOL! I also have quite a few that are not listed here. I guess I have to speed up listing them! Scanning takes so much time…
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where do you get them & do you have/seen any from the 70’s 80’s?
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these are nice, But i prefer to see some
posters from the 70’s & 80’s
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Really cool Posters. Art Deco style for my eyes.
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Really nice posters !!
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That is so interesting. I’ve only seen the American posters from that era. It’s fascinating how similar they look in style. I had no idea.
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Nice deer nuts!
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Go back and look, almost every single poster is phallic in nature
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