日本のよいものを世界へ

Holding period

2022.09.10 〜 2022.12.18

A look back at life in the Showa era with the history of vehicles

The Showa-kan is holding an exhibition of photographs from its collection that show life during and after World War II.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first railroad in Japan. The first railroad line opened between Shimbashi and Yokohama in 1872, and after the Taisho period (1912-1926), by the early Showa period (1926-1989), major trunk lines were constructed throughout Japan. In urban areas, streetcars, buses, and cabs also became widespread, and people used these vehicles on a daily basis.

When the Sino-Japanese War began in 1937 and the effects of the war intensified, fuel was controlled and people were urged to refrain from unnecessary and non-urgent use of trains, such as for travel.
After the war, combined with the damage from the war, the transportation situation continued to deteriorate. Railroads were overcrowded as people returned to rural areas to buy food and traveled back from the outside world. Scooters became popular as affordable vehicles amid the lack of transportation, and truck production boomed due to reconstruction projects and special procurement demand from Korea, which stimulated the recovery of the Japanese economy.

In the 1950s, when it was decided to host the Tokyo Olympics, the transportation network, including the Shinkansen bullet train and expressways, was developed at a rapid pace. Along with the rapid economic development, motorization also progressed.

Through the vehicles that were active in the Showa period, it is also an opportunity to take a new look at the world and transportation conditions of the time. Why not take this opportunity to trace the history of transportation?

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