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?
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Heartwarming nostalgia: Scenes of Showa-era streets that bring memories back to life (1–10)
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.
Heartwarming nostalgia: Scenes of Showa-era streets that bring memories back to life (11–20)
Japanese scenery in 1964
Major events in Japan in 1964 included the Tokyo Olympics and the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen.
The Tokaido Shinkansen reportedly began operation to provide high-speed transportation for all visitors and officials heading to the Tokyo Olympics, as well as for its expected economic benefits.
A grand ceremony was held to celebrate the launch of the Tokaido Shinkansen.
Its top speed at the time was 210 kilometers per hour, but with advances in technology, it now operates at a maximum speed of 285 kilometers per hour.
Because of its speed, it was nicknamed the “Dream Super Express” when it first opened.
Tokyo in the 1970s
Around 1970 was the period of rapid economic growth, and the first McDonald’s that everyone knows so well opened in Japan in 1971.
At that time, there were landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Japan’s first skyscraper, the Kasumigaseki Building, but the skyline of high-rises that we take for granted today was largely absent.
Many people might look at photos and wonder, “Wait, is this really Tokyo?” Even Tokyo, now known as Japan’s great metropolis, once had streetscapes that were emblematic of the Showa era.
Expo ’70 in Osaka
The Osaka Expo held in 2025 was actually the second time; the first Osaka Expo took place in 1970.
Its symbol is the Tower of the Sun, designed by Taro Okamoto.
By the way, at the 2025 Osaka Expo, the official character “Myaku-Myaku” and the grand roof known as the “Ring” are well known.
The highlight of the 1970 Expo was, of course, the moon rock obtained by the United States through the Apollo program.
Many people probably went to see it at the time.
There was even an event—unthinkable by today’s standards—where a person and an elephant tested their strength in a tug-of-war.
Scenery of Osaka in the 1980s
This is Osaka around 1980.
There are many scenes from Minami, and for those who spent time in that area back then, the footage will probably feel nostalgic.
If you know modern-day Osaka, you might be a bit surprised by how many signs aren’t lit up.
Even Dotonbori, which today feels lively and bustling, has a somewhat mellow atmosphere here.
Still, the people are full of energy, and everyone looks like they’re having a good time.
Compared to today, the scenery is different of course, but what really stands out is that no one has a smartphone.