It looks like things are about to get bad in Tokyo. We've been lucky so far in Japan, despite being one of the first countries outside of China to get the virus we haven't seen the kind of disaster that's happening in Italy, Spain, Iran or the US yet. But cases have started to spike in Tokyo (suspiciously mere hours after they announced the postponement of the Olympics, leading everyone to suspect the government was massaging the numbers until then) and it looks like our luck might be running out. And as Tokyo goes so goes the entire country
I picked up a really neat set of cards featuring scenes from around that city ("Famous scenes of Tokyo") the other day which I thought I'd share.
The set comes in a cute little matchbox with a color photo of the Imperial palace. Open it up and a bunch of black and white photo cards (roughly the size of 1951 Bowman cards) spill out.
Its got a lot of great vintage images of the city, including Korakuen Stadium!
For train buffs like me its also cool that it has cards of Tokyo Station, Ueno Station and the Tokyo Subway.
This card here allows me to date the set as having been released sometime between 1953 and 1958.
This is not Tokyo Tower, but its predecessor "Television Tower". This is kind of an interesting inclusion in the set because hardly anybody in Tokyo would know what this is today. It was Tokyo's first TV tower built after the war, completed in 1953, and was a very famous landmark in the city for a very short time. It had an elevator to a viewing platform at 154 metres high, the highest in the city. In 1958 however the much taller and more famous Tokyo Tower, which still exists, was completed and replaced this one. Based on this, the set must have been released somewhere in that 1953-1958 period.
The backs of the cards have little write ups (in Japanese) about each of the places on the front. Its been kind of nice flipping through them and looking at Tokyo in the 50s, happier times!
Oh wow! I didn't know anyone else collected these boxed sets. I must have 10-20 of them from all different subjects. Mainly different places across Japan. Very cool, I love these types of sets and as you pointed out...Happier times.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only one I have. It fell under the category of "It caught my eye and the price (500 Yen) was right" so I bought it. I might get more though, these are pretty cool!
DeleteYeah they are!!
DeleteThese are really cool. I recognize some of these as places I saw last year. It's wild seeing Tokyo Station looking pretty much the same but there not being any high buildings around it.
ReplyDeleteI know those are Buddhist symbols on the gate for the "Asakusa Suvenier Center" but it's very disconcerting.
Yeah, it is weird how different Tokyo Station looks today despite the building being the same.
DeleteI also get that feeling of discomfort, especially on maps where it is used as the symbol to denote a temple.
Great looking set. Sending positive thoughts across the Pacific. I hope you and your family are able to stay safe... while we ride out this storm.
ReplyDeleteThanks, we are still safe and hope you and yours are too!
DeleteThe Television Tower card is really fantastic, although it's not really that old, so it makes me wonder why hardly anyone would know about it? Do folks in Japan, Tokyo in particular, not care about their (and their cities) history?
ReplyDeleteLike Ryan below says, it simply wasn't around long enough to have formed a historical impression on the city, which is compounded by it having been replaced by a much more famous tower!
DeleteI have a Kyoto set of these, and this one is really cool too. I've picked up some different sets like these as well; I have a Tobu train card set from their museum. I should keep my eyes open more for photo sets.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Buddhist symbol, isn't it the opposite direction from the .. other one?
Jon, since it only existed for about five years, and it wasn't very big, and that was 60-70 years ago, it's not that important. Some 70+ people might remember it, but a very large portion of Tokyo's current population didn't live here back then. Most of my students don't know there was a cable car at Shibuya Station, either.
Oh wow, I love train cards too (train stuff in general actually), I'd love to see those Tobu ones. The Kyoto set must be quite nice.
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