62 years of dramatic change in daily life, values, culture, and the economy
The 62 years from December 25, 1926, to January 7, 1989, are known as the Showa era.
Showa is one of Japan’s era names (gengo), and it is the longest in modern Japanese history.
This long period saw major events that shook the nation, including World War II, the Showa Depression, and rule under GHQ, dramatically transforming Japan’s politics, culture, daily life, and values.
Let’s look back on the Showa era through its timeline, culture, and everyday norms.
The early and late phases of the Showa era were so different that they could be treated as separate periods. Here, we’ll look back by dividing Showa into early, mid, and late stages.
In early Showa, Japan’s wartime boom from World War I ended, and the country fell into a postwar recession.
As the recession worsened bank finances, the Showa Financial Crisis also hit.
Then came the earthquake recession triggered by the Great Kanto Earthquake, followed by the Great Depression sparked by the Wall Street crash in New York. Japan’s economy kept deteriorating, and the country as a whole grew poorer.
As the military tried to rebuild Japan, it launched operations in Manchuria on its own authority. This led into the Second Sino-Japanese War and then World War II.
World War II effectively ended for Japan after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. In 1945, Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration and the war came to a close.
Japan then began rebuilding the nation under GHQ administration.
Under GHQ rule, Japan implemented many policies to rebuild and create a new postwar society.
One of the first steps was the breakup of the zaibatsu.
Zaibatsu were powerful conglomerates centered on family-run parent companies.
Because these groups had formed a key part of Japan’s wartime economic base, they were dismantled to prevent Japan from regaining the capacity to wage war.
Japan had been unable to export due to international sanctions, but exports resumed under GHQ administration.
The following year, the Korean War began, boosting trade with the U.S. military and bringing an economic boom to Japan.
However, the boom ended with the war, and Japan slipped back into recession.
That recession soon gave way to a boom, driven by advances in heavy and chemical industries.
Japan then entered what became known as the “high economic growth” period.
During this time, Japan kept growing at an average annual rate of around 10%.
In comparison, Japan’s 2019 growth rate was 0.3% year on year, and even going back to 2009 it never exceeded 5%, showing just how fast the economy was expanding then.
As Japan grew richer, living standards rose quickly.
Households gained appliances like TVs and refrigerators, and imported foods and instant foods became common.
The oil shock, which drove up prices for petroleum-based products, pushed Japan into recession again, but it ended quickly thanks to growth in high-tech and service industries.
Later, a U.S.-led weak-yen policy helped trigger Japan’s bubble economy, an era of extraordinary prosperity.
The Showa era included war, and the economy swung repeatedly between recession and boom.
As that happened, culture kept evolving, and everyday life changed dramatically.
From here, we’ll introduce some signature aspects of Showa culture and how they shifted over time, so you can imagine the lifestyle and values of people in the Showa era.
Until around the 1920s, rice and fish were at the center of the Japanese table. As Western influence gradually grew, refrigerators became common during the high economic growth period, and the arrival of instant foods transformed everyday meals.
Staples expanded to include bread and pasta, people ate meat more often, and American fast food like hamburgers gained popularity alongside the rise of eating out.
In the turbulent Showa era, fashion also changed dramatically.
Here’s a quick look at major trends by decade.
| Decade | Popular fashion |
|---|---|
| 1930s | With the war making Japan poorer, women often wore simple, practical clothing such as kappogi aprons and monpe work pants |
| 1940s | After the war, American styles such as flared skirts became popular |
| 1950s | Movie-star fashion took off, especially looks inspired by Audrey Hepburn and the film “Season of the Sun” |
| 1960s | Hippie, mods, and Ivy League style trends |
| 1970s | American subculture spread to Japan, and casual staples like jeans and down jackets became established |
| 1980s | Bold individual styles and bodycon (body-conscious) dresses that accentuated women’s figures |
As you can see, even within the Showa era, fashion trends shifted greatly from decade to decade.
If you dig deeper into Showa fashion, you can also picture how people’s values changed, so it’s worth exploring if you’re interested.
The Showa era is often called the golden age of idols.
In particular, the 1980s are known as the peak idol boom, with stars like Seiko Matsuda, Akina Nakamori, and Kyoko Koizumi, who are still famous today.
Compared with idols in the Reiwa era, Showa-era idols often feel more mature in style and presence.
If you enjoy idol culture, comparing Showa and today can be a fun way to see how tastes have changed.
Have you heard the term kanban kenchiku?
Even many Japanese people don’t know the name.
Still, many of these buildings remain today, so you’ve likely seen them before.
Kanban kenchiku refers to wooden buildings whose street-facing facade is made flat and wide like a signboard, often finished with copper plates or tiles.
After the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, about half of Tokyo’s buildings were destroyed or partially destroyed.
Kanban kenchiku became a popular architectural style during the city’s rebuilding.
Key features include:
・A flat front covered with copper plates or tiles
・Wooden construction
・A narrow frontage with deep depth
Seeing these buildings in person often brings a strong sense of nostalgia.
Movies reflect the daily life and values of their time.
Watching films that were popular in the Showa era can be a fascinating way to imagine how people lived, communicated, and what they believed in.
A film that had a major impact on Showa-era youth was “Season of the Sun,” which depicts youth sexuality and violence.
The characters are young people who grew up in postwar society, rejecting traditional values with a dry, rational mindset, enjoying sailing by the sea, and finding a kind of beauty in disorder and delinquency.
Perhaps because many young people at the time also questioned mainstream values, the lifestyle and fashion shown in the film became a huge trend.
Young people who imitated the characters were called the “Sun Tribe” (Taiyozoku).
By watching films that shaped youth culture in Showa, you may get a real feel for the era’s social mood and values.
The “Wakadaisho” series, starring hugely popular actor Yuzo Kayama, captures the upbeat mood of Japan during the high economic growth years.
Across the series, the basic plot is the same:
“The hero, affectionately known as Wakadaisho, gets caught up in some kind of trouble. As he struggles to resolve it, he’s obstructed by his rival, Aodaisho. He overcomes the interference and solves the problem.”
This makes it a great pick for experiencing the spirit of high-growth Showa Japan.
“The Yellow Handkerchief,” starring legendary actor Ken Takakura, was a major hit in the Showa era and is still regarded as a classic today.
It’s a road movie about three heartbroken men traveling through Hokkaido in a single car and getting caught up in various troubles along the way.
The story may sound simple, but the performances make it deeply moving by the end.
If you haven’t seen it yet, watching it when you’re nursing a broken heart might make it even more relatable.
The beloved long-running series “It’s Tough Being a Man” (Otoko wa Tsurai yo), known to virtually everyone in Japan, also began in the Showa era.
The broad story is similar in every installment: the main character, Tora-san, returns to his hometown of Shibamata in Katsushika, Tokyo, ends up causing some trouble, sets off on a journey, falls in love on the road, doesn’t find lasting success in love, and then comes home again.
The film’s warmth comes from Tora-san’s heartfelt connections with people he meets and with his family.
Because the basic plot stays the same, the human kindness at its core stands out even more.
Even if you didn’t grow up in Showa, these films can leave you thinking, “So this is what Showa warmth felt like,” with a mix of nostalgia and comfort.
Today in Shibamata, you can visit the Katsushika Shibamata Tora-san Museum, which recreates the neighborhood as it looked around the early 1960s.
It also features the set used for Kurumaya, the dango shop where Tora-san returns, making it a must for fans.
Life in the Showa era was far less convenient than it is today.
Even so, it was also a more easygoing, warmer time in many ways.
And despite repeated booms and recessions, the high-growth years filled people with hope.
Looking back, there were many “normal” things in Showa that feel unimaginable now.
Learning about them is a fun way to picture what everyday life was like back then.
Today, smoking is restricted in more and more places, and spaces where you can smoke are limited.
Given the health risks of secondhand smoke, that makes sense.
In the Showa era, though, people could smoke right in their airplane seats.
And not just on planes, you could smoke on trains and even in office meeting rooms, with ashtrays everywhere.
TV regulations were looser in the Showa era, and it wasn’t unusual for female nudity to air during dinner time when families watched together.
Today, you wouldn’t see that even late at night, which is pretty surprising.
There were also many other TV shows with content too extreme to broadcast in Japan now, so looking up Showa-era television can be fascinating.
In Japan today, you must be 20 or older to buy alcohol or cigarettes.
If you look under 20, staff may ask for ID.
In the Showa era, though, it was common for kids to buy alcohol or cigarettes as an errand.
In schools, corporal punishment such as slapping students was considered normal when teachers disciplined kids.
Some parents even told teachers, “If my child misbehaves, please hit them.”
It was seen as necessary for education.
That, too, is hard to imagine today.
The Showa era was a time of huge change, but also of warmth and hope.
Here are a few spots where you can still feel that Showa vibe today.
If you want a taste of Showa nostalgia, consider adding them to your itinerary.
A ramen-themed museum where you can try regional ramen from across Japan.
You might be wondering what this has to do with Showa.
Inside, the streetscape recreates the atmosphere of 1958 (Showa 33).
So you can enjoy ramen along with a retro Showa setting.
Stretching for about 670 meters, Sunamachi Ginza Shopping Street still has some kanban kenchiku buildings like the ones mentioned earlier.
You can snack as you go, with street foods like yakitori and oden, making it a great place to enjoy Showa retro vibes and local eats at once.
Nonbei Yokocho, a compact alleyway near Shibuya Station, is home to just under 40 tiny bars and eateries.
With its Showa-retro atmosphere, it’s a fun spot for drinks and casual bites.
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima
A statue of MacArthur, head of GHQ
A streetscape image from late Showa
An image of instant ramen, first sold in the Showa era
Jeans that became established in Japan during the Showa era
An image of Showa-era idols
Kanban kenchiku still found in Ishioka City, Ibaraki
