People are always praising Japan for being a perfect mix between modernity and tradition. Honestly, Japan is a mesmerizing country, hard to grasp, sometimes confusing, but always surprising and bringing unforgettable experiences. Japan enthusiasts may find their happiness in visiting Japanese castles, gazing at the picturesque of tiny streets of Gion in Kyoto, hunting rare anime goodies in Akiba or being amazed by all these giant buildings in Shinjuku. But, in my case, my fondness for Japan is somewhere else and it’s not all about Edo’s period, feudal Japan or samurai.

Personally, I actually have something for Meiji era (1968-1912), Taisho era (1912-1926) and even more for showa era (1926-1989). Why particularly choosing this 3 ones? Meiji flags up the end of the Sakoku (isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate, I will not talk about it much here but you should definitely check the work of the historian Arano Yasunori who underlines how Japan wasn’t actually so isolated).
De facto, with the end of the Sakoku, a deep cultural revolution came: new literary genres emerged, a new painting technique completely different from traditional ukiyo-e appeared, prefecture system was established (ending the daimyo system) and new types of entertainment sprang up. It was not only a political change, Japanese culture was deeply altered. Taisho era, stuck between Meiji and Showa, flaunts its frivolity with modern gals, new café in Ginza and the first western style hairsalon opened by a certain Chieko Yamano, just coming back from New-York for her training. Taisho was not only the great kanto earthquake. Modern Japan took shape with showa era, from 1926 to 1989, which covers WWII, Japanese economic miracle and 1964 Olympic Games. The economic bubble was about to burst when showa era ended. No need to say that a lot happened during that era; tastes and trends changed a lot.

Over the years I found myself being quite obsessed with Retro Japan. I love all these things from old times, when Modern Japan emerges with its kissaten, music, TV shows, books and so on. It’s all about daily life items from a recent past that doesn’t seem to be modern anymore but not old enough to be considered as antiques or relics; it’s all about simple things such as dishes, clothing or even stationery goods.
I’m not sure how this blog will turn… I mean, I want to share with people my passion for remains of a changing Japan where lay the foundations for a modern Japan and its pop culture. But I’m still not completely sure about what kind of articles I will write in the future but I really do hope you’ll enjoy this blog a lot.