Billboard/Signboard Architecture in Tokyo from Late 1920s
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
37 mm ISO 200 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/11
Billboard/Signboard Architecture in Tokyo from Late 1920s
Location: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, Tokyo
Timestamp: 15:28 on October 25, 2023
The East Zone of the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Tokyo is dedicated to preserving a slice of local urban life from the early days of the Showa Period (1926-1989). This area showcases a variety of shops, a public bath, a bar, and other shops that were readily found in a typical Japanese urban neighborhood during that era.
I was most impressed with how preservation efforts went beyond the exteriors; to include meticulously recreated interiors, featuring original cabinets, desks, counters, and even products sold during that time. I was pleasantly surprised to see tools, receipts, handwritten notes, and other small relics, which helped to provide me with an authentic glimpse into the past within these preserved/restored buildings.
On the left side of my shot, there's Takei Sanshodo stationery store (武居三省堂) built in 1927. A striking feature is its signage: 堂省三. Unlike contemporary Japanese signs written left-to-right, this shop's name is read right-to-left, following the pre-war norm.
Nowadays, horizontal writing is almost always read left-to-right. However, there are still some cases where the use of right-to-left order can be seen, such as on the sides of commercial vehicles displaying a company’s name or brand. This way, the text is often written from the front to the rear on both sides of the vehicle.
I’ve also seen right-to-left writing on the signs of some food stalls when attending local festivals. There are even a few gates at temples or shrines where the wording is read right-to-left. I’ve also seen signage or ads where designers used right-to-left writing for artistic effect or to add a touch of nostalgia to the flier or signage.
In the center of the photo stands Hanaichi Florist (花市生花店), which was also constructed in 1927. This shop exemplifies "kanban-kenchiku" (看板建築), where buildings had a typical wooden-style residence (home/tenanted) behind the storefront but featured flat, modern facades to attract passersby on the street side of the building. My dictionaries translate 看板建築 as “billboard architecture” or “signboard architecture” although I am not sure if this is proper English, of even if such a style of architecture can be found outside of Japanese old-style urban neighborhoods.
After spending hours searching online, I could not find a real-world example of so-called billboard/signboard architecture outside of Japan. Yes, there are shops with signboards on the facade, but is the portion of the building behind the storefront being used as living quarters of the owner and/or tenanted spaces? Would love to find examples of kanban-kenchiku used in countries outside of Japan. Another hurdle to finding similar overseas examples might be the simple fact that billboard/signboard architecture is not really English!
On the right side of my photo is the Maruni Shoten Kitchenware Store (丸二商店・荒物屋), which was built around the 1930s. This shop illustrates how owners would create a distinct retail space in front of the living quarters on both sides facing the street.
The materials I could see being used on the facades of all three kanban-kenchiku buildings in my photo varied from mortar grafted in patterns of Greek temples with impressive classical pillars and gables. Some designs incorporated Art Nouveau decorations with copper plating and boards, which, although shiny when new, developed a patina over the decades. Some of the buildings even showed the remnants of damage caused by gunfire from the guns of soldiers/militia/police on the streets of Tokyo, or from the blasts, shrapnel, or debris caused by the intense firebombing raids over Tokyo during WWII.
References:
Google Maps—Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum:
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum: East Zone (Japanese)
① 武居三省堂（文具店）（たけいさんしょうどう）
② 花市生花店（はないちせいかてん）
③ 丸二商店（荒物屋）（まるにしょうてん）
Rebecca Shiraishi-Miles—Is Japanese Read from Right to Left or Left to Right?
