Heartwarming nostalgia: scenes of Showa-era streets that bring back memories.
Wooden signboards, hand-painted posters, and weathered vending machines.
In the streetscapes of the Showa era, a certain nostalgic warmth still lingers.
There, you can still find the ways of life that are fading in the modern day and the lively energy of shopping streets rooted in their communities.
In the back alleys that feel like a time slip, you’re sure to find scenes that echo memories in your heart.
Shall we set out together on a journey through these Showa-era streets?
Heartwarming nostalgia: Scenes of Showa-era streets that bring memories back to life (1–10)
Kyoto Station area in the 1960s
From the black-and-white footage capturing the area around Kyoto Station in the 1960s, the calm atmosphere unique to that era comes through.
A Kitano Line train glides by quietly, low-rise buildings line the tracks, and time seems to flow gently.
Solidly built, the affiliated buildings stand in front of the station, asserting themselves as city landmarks.
Shoppers gather at the Kyoto Sightseeing Department Store, and the signage and people’s clothing brim with the spirit of the times.
The image of Kyoto Station—where Japanese and Western sensibilities, everyday life and the bustle of travel intersect—is tenderly preserved within the monochrome landscape.
Tokyo in the 1930s
Tokyo in the 1930s was a vibrant era where modern culture harmonized with everyday life.
In districts like Ginza and Shinjuku, modern buildings and department stores lined the streets, and there was a growing presence of women in Western dress and students.
With the opening of the subway, getting around the city became more convenient, and entertainments such as jazz cafés and movie theaters gained popularity.
Meanwhile, in the shitamachi neighborhoods, row houses and markets remained, preserving the warm, human scenes characteristic of the early Showa period.
One can sense a richly nuanced Tokyo where the wave of modernization intersected with the lives of ordinary people.
Tokyo in 1956
Tokyo in 1956 was a time when postwar reconstruction was gradually taking shape.
In front of the Kabuki-za, people eager to enjoy a performance gathered, and a calm liveliness filled the city.
In Ginza, most people wore Western-style clothing, and office workers strode briskly through the canyons between buildings.
The tree-lined streets around the Imperial Palace remained quiet, and the area near the National Diet Building presented a well-ordered landscape, revealing the emerging new face of the capital as it began to be developed.
Here is Tokyo of an era where everyday scenes carried a hint of anticipation for the future.
Tokyo in 1969
Tokyo in 1960 is portrayed as brimming with change and vitality.
In Akasaka-mitsuke, multilevel expressways command attention, and the steady stream of cars conveys the momentum of the era.
At the Ginza 4-chome intersection, large billboards line the streets, leaving an impression of a sophisticated urban face.
Around Nihonbashi, historic streetscapes mingle with high-rise buildings, making Tokyo’s growth feel almost visible.
At the Budokan, a motor show is underway, the venue packed with the latest cars and buzzing with people’s excitement.
The monorail departing from Hamamatsucho Station exudes a near-futuristic vibe, its movement toward Haneda adding a distinctly Tokyo-like sense of speed.
Every scene gathers the unique allure that Tokyo possessed in the late Showa period.
Japan in the 1940s
Japan in the 1940s was a time of upheaval.
In the first half of the decade, the war atmosphere intensified rapidly: the streets were filled with people in national uniforms, regulated signage, and posters urging frugality and labor.
Severe material shortages took hold, and the introduction of rationing and substitutes dramatically changed ordinary people’s lives.
Eventually, air raids devastated the cities, forcing many to evacuate to the countryside or live after being burned out of their homes.
After the war ended, the nation started over from scorched earth.
Black markets spread, and it was also a time when light slowly began to return to people’s daily lives.
Tokyo in the 1920s
In the 1920s, Tokyo was a cityscape where Japanese and Western elements intersected in a uniquely vivid way.
In Ginza, Western-style buildings and department stores lined the streets, and modern culture—cafés and cinemas—took root.
Meanwhile, the shitamachi neighborhoods retained row houses, wooden homes, and rickshaws, preserving the rhythms of traditional life.
On streets where people in kimono mingled with youths in Western clothing, old and new cultures coexisted naturally.
Scenes where cobblestones met paved roads embodied the image of Tokyo at the dawn of the Showa era—a landscape that conveyed the swell of the times.
Osaka in the 1930s
While maintaining its vigor as a commercial capital, Osaka in the 1930s was advancing toward becoming a modern city.
Department stores and modern buildings lined Shinsaibashi and Umeda, and people on the streets, adopting Western-style clothing, conveyed a sophisticated impression.
Streetcars and the subway ran through the city, making getting around more convenient.
Cafés and theaters bustled with activity, and a culture unique to Osaka continued to flourish.
At the same time, the old downtown neighborhoods retained the lively daily lives of merchants and artisans, where the warm, human touch characteristic of Osaka could be felt strongly.