Showa (Page 2)
Whether you like trains or really old buildings, you’ll want to check out this limited-time attraction in Tokyo.
Visit this tucked-away cafe in a popular sightseeing area to experience the atmosphere of a place where time has stood still.
The family of a Baptist missionary stationed in Japan in the 1930s sent DVDs of the Reverend’s home movies of the era to the Hiroshima town of Onomichi.
While dollhouses have been popular in Europe for centuries, they didn’t really develop a strong showing in Japan until the 1970s. However, since they’ve gained a foothold in Japanese society, they’ve gained popularity and a number of domestic craftsmen have appeared. One of the hottest dollhouse makers in Japan (a phrase we never thought we’d write) has gotten a lot of attention online due to the high quality of the miniatures–particularly the dollhouses based on Japanese buildings!
The Showa period (1926-1989) was a time of immense change for Japan when the country went from being an imperial power to a poverty-stricken post-war nation and then becoming an economic powerhouse that dominated automotive and electronic industries around the world. Twenty-seven years since that era ended and the current Heisei era began, fond memories of “Showa Japan” still flood many Japanese minds.
But a recent online poll asked netizens to take off their rose-tinted glasses and consider the aspects of daily Showa-period life that, while seeming completely normal back then, would be unthinkable now. Join us after the jump for a look at the slightly grim feedback.
In the 22nd year of the Meiji era (aka 1889), the very first Japanese kyūshoku (school lunch) was served up at an elementary school in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. Although the first menu was very simply prepared, it provided the growing children with an important source of nourishment that not all of them could receive at home.
Fast-forward to 2015–Japanese schoolchildren (and their teachers!) continue to eat school lunches every day, as opposed to children in many other countries who bring their lunches from home. If you’re working in a Japanese school, you should already be familiar with the daily feeling of either excitement or disappointment when you see the lunch menu for the day. But just consider this–would you rather eat the types of lunches served today, or those that were served 100 years ago? Read on to learn about the evolution of Japanese school lunches and decide for yourself!
It goes without saying that corporal punishment is unforgivable. At least that’s the mode of thinking these days (and boy are we glad for it), but it wasn’t always the case. In the Showa Period (1926 to 1989), it was incredibly common in elementary, middle, and high schools. In fact, it was so common that it seemed almost inconceivable for a school not to have corporal punishment.
Still, we wondered what it was really like, so the prestigious RocketNews24 Japan team took a survey to find out what sorts of punishments were common in the Showa Period. Read More










7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Why do foreign tourists queue up to eat at Tokyo Little House?
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Japanese man arrested after pretending to be foreigner while trying to rob convenience store
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Ninja theme park suddenly closes in Japan, shadow warriors undone by shady real estate deals
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan’s Rabbit Island in danger of becoming Boar Island, tourists asked to follow feeding rules
Japanese gacha machine in Shibuya now sells tiny capsule terrariums
12-year-old foreign tourist missing in Japan, police asking for help finding her [Video]
Stay at a hotel with a bed for your plushie in Japan
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Japanese man arrested after pretending to be foreigner while trying to rob convenience store
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Ninja theme park suddenly closes in Japan, shadow warriors undone by shady real estate deals
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
Burger King Japan brings back its insane all-you-can-eat One Pounder Challenge
You can send your suitcase from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Shinkansen for same-day delivery… but it’ll cost you
Pokémon and Polaroid reveal collaboration with adorable Pikachu and Eeveelution camera and film
Starbucks Japan releases two new seasonal drinks that blur the line between summer and autumn
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
“New York-style” tsukimi mochi burgers to appear at Wendy’s Japan this fall
Japanese gacha machine in Shibuya now sells tiny capsule terrariums
New Shinkansen Supreme Class private cabins get try-before-you-ride displays at Tokyo, other stations
Tokyo pub prohibits talking or keeping your phone out, only lets you drink in morning on weekends