Author Archives: Matt De Mangos

Vintage ANA livery with matching service vehicles

Here’s a Showa Snap taken by our friend Yoshida-san at Haneda Airport near Tokyo. The Boeing B727 is still finished in the old Mohican Blue livery of All Nippon Airways. Matching service cars include what appears to be a T130 … Continue reading

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Taxis queue before Marunouchi Toei theater circa 1966

It’s springtime in 1966 and you’re looking to catch a flick at the Marunouchi Toei. It had just opened in 1960 (and still exists today). Will it be the yakuza drama Nihon Daikyôkaku (English title: Japan’s Most Chivalrous), or perhaps … Continue reading

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Boxy sedans ruled Tokyo in 1984

There’s not an SUV in sight in this busy Tokyo intersection circa 1984. Instead, it’s populated by Nissan Cedric and Toyota Crown taxis and a lone privately owned dark blue X60 Cresta lurking behind the bus. Nor are the delivery … Continue reading

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Purple Nissan Skyline adds splash of color to Daido Moriyama photo

Renowned Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama began capturing Japan’s postwar street scenes in the early 1960s. Throughout his distinguished career Moriyama won several photography awards around the world, including ones issued by camera manufacturers Hasselblad and Asahi. He has published over … Continue reading

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Get your beer delivered by Isuzu Bellett Express

Suntory began brewing beer in 1963 and the bottles weren’t going to deliver themselves. There weren’t a ton of options available at the time. A Nissan 410/411 Bluebird had only a 1.2-liter engine, and the full-size 1.9-liter Cedric was too … Continue reading

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Rare TR-series Orient three-wheeler captured in 1958

Sori Yanagi was a noted industrial designer in the post-war era. His works include everything from record players to bridges, and some of his furniture designs are part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New … Continue reading

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Peep the glorious diversity of cars on a Kobe street in 1972

A lot of Showa Era photos have the usual suspects when it comes to traffic. You got your Toyota Crowns, your Nissan Cedrics, maybe a Fuso or two. This scene published by the City of Kobe, though, has an incredible … Continue reading

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Nissan Violet and Toyota Crown taxis queue up near Mt Fuji

The areas near Mt Fuji have always been a popular sightseeing destination, but without a car it’s rather inconvenient to get to the top. At one of the train stations in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, a queue of taxis line up … Continue reading

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Showa Snap: Two-tone taxis teem toward Tokyo terrace

It’s been a while since we had a Showa Snap, but here’s a striking photo of taxi drivers gathered in front of a row of storefronts. Note that the 230 and 330 Nissan Cedric cabs have no toplights, and that … Continue reading

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The Nissan Primera P10 was an international touring car that raced on four continents

As the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R was finishing up its four-year dominance of the All-Japan Touringcar Championship (JTC), winning every single race from 1990-93, a new Nissan race car was on the horizon. The FIA had announced new rules for … Continue reading

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Tokyo Landscapes circa 1971

In 1971 NHK went around Tokyo documenting scenes of everyday life. The footage shows a vibrant city full of hope and possibility. From children checking out at Mazinger Z toys in a Ginza department store to advertisements for Bruce Lee’s … Continue reading

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Cruise through the streets of Tokyo circa 1970

Seeing old cars is one thing, but how about an entire city-full of what are today rare classics? A portable video camera would have been very expensive back in 1970, but luckily someone had the foresight to get one and … Continue reading

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Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, joined by British cars in 1969 Tokyo

This touched-up video shows the hustle and bustle of the Ginza area in 1969. Most of the footage was taken near the famous 4-chome intersection where landmarks like the Morinaga globe can be seen. The soon-to-be-demolished San’ai Dream Center can … Continue reading

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Mazda Rotary cars on display in Ginza, circa 1971

The curved glass San’ai Dream Center in Ginza has been a major advertising platform in Tokyo for decades. The building at times has been home to the Nissan Gallery, worn a Mitsubishi triple-diamond logo and, in 1971, hyped Mazda’s latest … Continue reading

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Subaru Leone vs Subaru Leone pursuit in 1978’s Double Clutch

We wouldn’t call the car chase in the 1978 movie Double Clutch one of the all-time greats, but it’s definitely the only Subaru Leone vs. Subaru Leone car chase ever committed to film. We posted a shorter version of this … Continue reading

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Japanese cars of the golden era courtesy of the Shizuoka Prefecture archives

The Shizuoka Prefectural government has an amazing video archive, as it turns out. Footage from the 1950s to the 1970s include a number of short films about public works projects, including the construction of roads. These clips are chock-full of … Continue reading

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The Mitsubishi Lancer conquers the Safari Rally to hilariously incongruous music

We’re suckers for good vintage rally footage, especially when the car is an OG Mitsubishi Lancer 1600GSR conquering the Safari Rally. This video has it all — big air jumps, wheels sending plumes of river water skyward, a herd of … Continue reading

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Traffic was already a problem in early 1960s Tokyo

Based on the cars, we’d peg this photo as no later than 1963. According to The Guardian the crowded street is located somewhere in Tokyo, and if we’re right about the year only about 5km of the Shuto Expressway would … Continue reading

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SHOWA SNAP: Unicorn Datsun U221 pickup zooms through post-war Tokyo

Showa era images always manage to unearth something of interest. For example, in a photo taken in the late 1950s or early 1960s, we stumbled upon an ultra-rare Datsun U221 pickup. It looks like a coupe at first glance, but … Continue reading

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Honda Prelude SiR now at bottom of ocean, thanks to Felicity Ace disaster

Earlier this year the Felicity Ace, an auto transport ship with thousands of cars on board was lost after a fire broke out. The majority were brand new models from the Volkswagen Group and its brands, but a new report … Continue reading

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