Love Letter (from an unidentified series) Kesobun 「懸想文」Yamamura Kôka (Toyonari) (Japanese, 1885–1942) Japanese Late Meiji era 1906
During the first part of the 20th century postcards rather than the traditional woodblock print became the way the Japanese public viewed their art. The first official postcards had appeared in Japan in December 1873, shortly after postage stamps were introduced under Emperor Meiji .
Return postcards were introduced twelve years later with sealed private postcards becoming common after 1900. During the Russo-Japanese War from 1904/5 – a conflict between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1905 over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire.
The Japanese Government printed thousands upon thousands of postcards promoting the war and its causes to the public. The war came to an end with the Treaty of Portsmouth in September 1905, mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt. The complete victory of the Japanese military surprised international observers and transformed the balance of power in both East Asia and Eastern Europe, resulting in Japan’s emergence as a great power and a decline in the Russian Empire’s prestige and influence in eastern Europe. Russia’s considerable casualties resulted in a humiliating defeat causing a growing unrest at home which led to the 1905 Russian Revolution and ‘severely damaged the prestige of the Russian autocracy’.
Anne Nishimura Morse , a curator of Japanese Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (and where you can find a huge collection of Japanese Postcards and these featured in this item) writes: ‘Almost immediately, however, many of Japan’s leading artists—attracted by the informality and intimacy of the postcard medium—began to create stunning designs. For these painters and graphic designers postcards also provided exciting opportunities to experiment with the latest European styles, such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco’.
2 O’clock at Day in Yoshiwara (Usugesho) from the series The Twelve Hours of the Yoshiwara Odake Kokkan (Japanese, 1880–1945) Publisher/ Sunbikai Japanese Late Meiji era 1906 – Buy Postcards
Advertisement for Calpis/ First Prize Winner for Poster Design Anro Jahne (dates unknown) Publisher/ Calpis Inc. Japanese Taishô era 1924 – Buy Postcards
Calpis/ A Fine Competitor for Poster Design Kokusai kensho boshu posuta no uchi kasaku Artist Unknown Publisher/ Calpis Inc. Japanese Taishô era 1924 – Buy Postcards
Calpis/ A Fine Competitor for Poster Design Kokusai kensho boshu posuta no uchi kasaku Artist Unknown Publisher/ Calpis Inc. Japanese Taishô era 1924 – Buy Postcards
Commemorating the Completion of 5000 Miles of Railroad Track Artist unknown, Japanese Printed by/ Tokyo Printing Company (Tokyo insatsu kabushiki kaisha) Japanese Late Meiji era 1906 – Buy Postcards
Commemorating the Formation of the Youth League of Shinkyo Airlines Artist unknown, Japanese Publisher/ Manchuria Airline Association (Manshu hiko kyokai) Japanese Early Shôwa era – Buy Postcards
Commemoration of the Exhibition of Communication Science Tsushin kagaku tenrankai Artist unknown, Japanese Publisher/ Osaka Mass Communication Service ( Osaka teishin kyoku) Japanese Early Shôwa era – Buy Postcards
Female Nude Seated in Water Ichijô Narumi (Japanese, 1877–1910) Publisher/ Japanese Postcard Club (Nihon hagaki kurabu) Japanese Late Meiji era 1906 – Buy Postcards
Illuminated Sign ‘Bayer Aspirin’ in Central Osaka Dai-Osaka chushin no Baieru asupirin daidenshokuPrinted by/ Morikawa Printers (Morikawa insatsu jo) Japanese Taishô–early Shôwa era – Buy Postcards
Itohan of Kobe (from an unidentified series) Kobe no Itohan 神戸のいとはんArtist unidentified, Japanese Japanese Early Shôwa era 1933 – Buy Postcards
New Designs (from an unidentified series) Shin gara moyo 新柄模様Artist unknown, Japanese Publisher/ Mitsukoshi Kimono Store (Mitsukoshi gofukuten) Japanese Late Meiji era 1904 – Buy Postcards
Spring Festival at the Onsen Onsen no haru-matsuri 温泉の春祭りArtist unidentified, Japanese Publisher/ Beni-ya ryokan Japanese Taishô–early Shôwa era – Buy Postcards
Woman with Loose Hair Holding an Uchiwa 団扇Wada Eisaku (Japanese, 1874–1959) Japanese Late Meiji era – Buy Postcards
Woman with Umbrella 雨上がりIchijô Narumi (Japanese, 1877–1910) Japanese Late Meiji era – Buy Postcards
Itohan of Kobe (from an unidentified series) Kobe no Itohan 神戸のいとはんArtist unidentified, Japanese Japanese Early Shôwa era 1933
Postcards are now in the Flashbak Shop.
Would you like to support Flashbak?
Please consider making a donation to our site. We don't want to rely on ads to bring you the best of visual culture. You can also support us by signing up to our Mailing List. And you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For great art and culture delivered to your door, visit our shop.
