Category Archives: Showa Snap
SHOWA SNAP: Oji San-chome, Kita Ward, Tokyo, 1967
At 10:00 am on April 20, 1967, a procession of Shinto priests followed by a brass band opened a pedestrian footbridge over a five-way intersection in Tokyo. This type of blessing ceremony is typical of grand openings in Japan, even … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
3 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, 1974
The Shibuya Crossing, also known as the Shibuya Scramble, is the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world. It’s the intersection Sean’s Evo, Han’s Veilside RX-7, and the Drift King’s Z (digitally) slid through in Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, and … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: An Isuzu escapes a flood of taxis in 1966 Tokyo
With the popularization of the motorcar by the mid 1960s, Tokyo’s pre-war narrow streets could become quite crowded. Even today, there are many side streets where no sidewalks exist and cars simply whiz by as pedestrians side-step street signs and … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
1 Comment
SHOWA SNAP: Everyone come see the brand new 1966 Toyota Corolla
The debut of the Toyota Corolla was a big deal in 1966. Though, it’s quite likely that even Toyota didn’t know how big of a deal the new model would be. The idea was a small but sporty compact that … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: A Toyota police car pulls over a Datsun, 1965
Like many cities around the world, traffic has died down dramatically due to stay-at-home advisories stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo’s Shuto Expressway has seen a 60 percent drop in traffic, meaning it probably has not been this traffic-free since … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
5 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: Kawaramachi-Sanjo, Kyoto, 1972
Kawaramachi-Sanjo, a shopping and nightlife district just northeast of the historic Gion section of Kyoto, was a lively spot after the sun went down. Sharp cars would cruise down Kawaramachi street, past a Fujiya Grill. On this particular 1972 evening, … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Peko-chan looms large over Ginza, circa 1964
Four hundred years ago, Sukiyabashi was a bridge crossing the outermost moat of Edo Castle, which separating nobles and samurai from ordinary townsfolk. Post-war, it became one of the two main intersections in Tokyo’s ritzy Ginza shopping district. In 1964, … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Tokyo Tower under construction, circa 1958
This Tokyo street scene shows a variety of vehicles, from sedans like the Toyopet Crown to large trucks like the Toyota Toyoace to three-wheelers like the Daihatsu CO10T. What really makes the shot, though, is the ghostly bones of Tokyo … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Tokyo Imperial Plaza, 1967
With Tokyo Tower looming in the background, the streets in front of the Imperial Palace were absolutely teeming in 1967. Four lanes of traffic in each direction couldn’t keep the stream of Crowns, Cedrics, Glorias, Bluebirds, Publicas, and Minicas flowing. … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
2 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: Chiyoda, Tokyo, 1972
Tokyo’s subway system is a confounding wonder, but as late as 1972 the metropolis still had streetcars that drove alongside traffic. Here in the Chiyoda district, 510 Bluebirds, Cedrics, Sunnys, Corona Mark IIs, and kujira Crowns teem among the rails. … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Nagoya, 1972
The Nagoya TV Tower was completed in June of 1954 is one of the key landmarks of the central Japanese city. In this photo from 1972, a lineup of taxis before it have the typical Toyota Crowns and Nissan Cedrics, … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Ginza, Tokyo, 1971
The clock tower of the Wako department store has seen countless cars pass beneath its face. Standing over one of the busiest intersections of Tokyo, the 4-chome crossing in Ginza, since 1932, it even predates times when cars were common … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Amago Bridge, Iwaki Prefecture, 1977
For our first Showa Snap of the Reiwa Era, let’s go back to Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture in August of 1977. The Amago bridge traces its origins back to the times of the samurai. It was part of the Hama … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
Tagged 610, 710, b110, bluebird, c10, c110, c30, cedric, cedric 230, cedric 330, corolla, crown, datsun, e20, fairlady z, Hakosuka, isuzu, isuzu 117, kei, kenmeri, kujira, laurel, Minica Skipper, mitsubishi, nissan, s30 z, s60, Skylines, sunny, toyota, violet
4 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: Takamatsu 1972
This slide, said to be taken in 1972 in Takamatsu, is ostensibly of an interesting-looking restaurant that appears to have a small castle-like structure perched atop it. However, what’s even more interesting is the S50 Toyota Crown sedan, Hino truck … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
4 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: Los Angeles in the early 1980s
Welcome to the first Showa Snap from the US. Taken in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, it contains a glorious sampling of Nihon steel. Right in the foreground there’s three sporty coupes from three major manufacturers, all lined up … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Fukuyama Station, 1975
Fukuyama Station in Hiroshima Prefecture is located right by the 399-year-old Fukuyama Castle. Bullet trains whiz in and out of the station on a daily basis, and over 20,000 people pass though it every day. Back in 1975, parking at … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
Tagged carina, corolla, crown, familia, Fukuyama Station, honda, kujira, Life StepVan, mazda, mitsubishi, ms75, s60, toyota
8 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: Nakagin Capsule Tower, 1972
Designed by Kisho Kurokawa, the Nakagin Capsule Tower is one of Tokyo’s most famous buildings, and a symbol of Japan’s post-war emergence as an innovator of industrial design. The building consisted of two concrete towers and 140 modular capsules, each … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
Tagged corolla, crown, e10, ginza tanaka, h10, hiace, kujira, s50, s60, toyota
2 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: A daruma Celica under Mt Fuji
So far Showa Snaps have only taken a look at cityscapes. Today’s ventures far out into the stretches between Japan’s major metropolitan areas. This stretch of pristine expressway is most likely between Tokyo and Nagoya, which passes beneath the shadow … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: The Shuto, circa 1969
The Shuto is the beltway system that circles downtown Tokyo, home to many a traffic jam during the day, and fleets of street racers at night. Construction began in 1962, and in this postcard from 1969 or 1970, you can … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
Tagged bluebird, Bluebird 410/411, crown, hilux, shuto, Taxi, toyota
12 Comments
