Archive - Old Photos of Japan

Japan's Cotton Revolution

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

3 hrs ago •

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

How Japan Kept the Fire Burning

Massive production and distribution networks, and ingenious tricks, kept Japan's important hibachi fires burning

Mar 19 •

Forgotten Shapes of Warmth

Discover the five main types of hibachi seen in vintage photos of old Japan

Mar 10 •

Oops, too much material!

I am uncovering more hibachi secrets than foreseen…

Mar 10 •

Japan's Mistresses of Fire

Hibachi charcoal braziers in old Japan were mostly ruled by women

Mar 3 •

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