Archive - Old Photos of Japan

A Look Behind the Scenes

Discover the actual maps and images used in the articles about Osaka

Jul 3 •

8:34

Japan's Cotton Revolution

Humble cotton helped transform Japan from a feudal into an industrialized nation

Jul 1 •

June 2025

Osaka 1929 • City Of Smoke

In the 1920s, Osaka Castle was a weapons factory, and had no tower…

Jun 16 •

May 2025

This Japanese Woman from the 1930s found me

Occasionally, fortune does not just smile on you, it falls in love with you…

May 26 •

The New Osaka: New Hotel for a New Era

This rare 1935 pamphlet tells the extraordinary story of an exceptional hotel

May 19 •

Osaka’s Nakanoshima: Modern and Vibrant

In the 1920s, most of the buildings on Nakanoshima were less than a decade old…

May 12 •

Osaka's Nakanoshima: Small Island, Big Dreams

Stunning vintage photos paired with a rare illustrated map reveal 1920s Osaka

May 5 •

April 2025

The Art of Looking Down

A rare illustrated bird’s-eye view map of Osaka from 1924 offers profound insights

Apr 28 •

The Birth of Modern Osaka

This month marks exactly 100 years since the birth of modern Osaka.

Apr 18 •

March 2025

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