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This gallery highlights the lifetime matchbox collection of Masahiko Fukaya (1929-2017) from the Kinuta/Setagaya neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan.

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#phillumeny #japan This matchbox label can be dated to between July 1943 and March 1947.
Historical Clues on the Label:
"東京都牛込区" (Tokyo-to, Ushigome-ku): The address printed on the side reads "Tokyo-to, Ushigome-ku" (東京都牛込区) along with the local town name.
The "Tokyo-to" (東京都) designation: Implemented on July 1, 1943, when the former Tokyo Prefecture and Tokyo City merged into the Metropolis of Tokyo (Tokyo-to). Before this date, it would have been "Tokyo-fu" (東京府).
The "Ushigome-ku" (牛込区) designation: This distinct ward existed until March 15, 1947, when Ushigome-ku merged with Yotsuya-ku and Yodobashi-ku to form the newly established Shinjuku-ku (新宿区).
Because the label explicitly uses the administrative title 東京都牛込区 (Metropolis of Tokyo, Ushigome Ward), it must have been printed during this narrow window of roughly 3.5 years during World War II and the immediate post-war period (1943–1947). by @kinuta.collection

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6 hours ago

#phillumeny #japan This is a vintage matchbox label from a historical establishment in Tokyo, dating from the pre-WWII or early Shōwa period.
Here are the details gathered from the text printed on the label:
Name: おるお喫茶 (Oruo Kissa / Tea Room Oruo) — written in old-style right-to-left kana at the top.
Business: 小林氷店 (Kobayashi Ice Shop) — listed as a retailer or vendor of ice, which commonly operated as a sweet/ice shop or café in the early 20th century.
Location: 麻布四ノ橋角 (Azabu Shi-no-bashi Kado / Corner of Shi-no-bashi Bridge, Azabu), located in the Azabu area of Tokyo (currently within Minato-ku).
Phone Contact: 電高輪三九九五 (Telephone Takanawa 3995) — reflecting an early Japanese telephone exchange format where subscribers were listed under a regional exchange name (Takanawa) followed by a local number by @kinuta.collection

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a day ago

#phillumeny #japan Most likely 1930s–1950s (prewar Shōwa to early postwar), with my best guess around the 1930s–40s.
What points to that range:
∙ Text direction and glyphs: “喫茶” at the bottom is written right-to-left (茶喫 as you read left to right), which was standard in prewar signage. Postwar Japanese shifted to left-to-right.
∙ Wording: 自製パン・洋菓子 (“homemade bread and Western sweets”) with 喫茶 (café) is typical of the Taishō-to-early-Shōwa café and bakery boom.
∙ Art style: Flat orange and black with white highlights, bold sawtooth shadows and a Deco-influenced, graphic-poster look are characteristic of 1930s commercial design.
∙ Format: A small slide-style box with a plain wood tray and a thin printed label is typical of older Japanese “label” matchboxes, which collectors (yūtō / マッチラベル) often date to before the 1950s. by @kinuta.collection

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2 days ago

#phillumeny #japan Based on the text, typography, and administrative details visible on the label, this matchbox label dates to late 1928–1940 (specifically the early Showa period, late 1920s to 1930s).
Key Dating Clues
1. Address: 日本橋区 (Nihonbashi-ku)
Nihonbashi Ward was one of the 15 original wards of Tokyo City.
In March 1947, Nihonbashi Ward merged with Kyobashi Ward to become modern-day Chuo Ward (Chuo-ku). This places a firm upper boundary of early 1947 on the label.
2. Venue: ダンサー (Dancer / Dancing Hall)
The large stylized katakana on the right reads ダンサー (Dansā, written right-to-left: サーサンダ).
Dance halls became wildly popular in Tokyo starting in the late 1920s, with the boom really taking off after 1928–1930.
Under war mobilization regulations (specifically October 1940), commercial dance halls across Japan were strictly banned and forced to close, giving us a strong practical end date of October 1940.
3. Text Direction (Right-to-Left Katakana)
The katakana ダンサー is written horizontally from right to left (サーサンダ).
Horizontal right-to-left reading was standard in pre-WWII Japanese print design and fell out of common commercial practice shortly after WWII.
4. Location Details: 南茅場町十一 (Minami-Kayabachō 11)
Minami-Kayabachō in Nihonbashi-ku was a well-known commercial/financial district in pre-war Tokyo (near modern Kayabachō, Chuo-ku). by @kinuta.collection

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3 days ago

#phillumeny #japan
This matchbox dates to the 1950s (Shōwa 20s to early 30s), specifically circa 1950–1960.
Key Evidence & Analysis:
Location & Theater: The side of the matchbox lists the location as 新宿文化劇場横通 (Shinjuku Bunka Gekijō Yokodōri / Alley beside Shinjuku Bunka Theater).
The venue originally opened in 1937 as Shinjuku Eiga Theater and was renamed Shinjuku Bunka Gekijō (Shinjuku Bunka Theater) in November 1948. It retained this name through the 1950s until it became the famous Art Theatre Shinjuku Bunka in 1962.
Telephone Number Structure: The phone number is given as TEL (30) 3707. Two-digit exchange prefixes in the Shinjuku/Tokyo central network were standard during the mid-to-late 1950s before shifting to three digits as automated direct dialing expanded in the 1960s.
Establishment Context: The matchbox advertises both 純喫茶エルザ (Jun-kissa Elsa / Pure Tearoom Elsa) on one side and BAR ELSA on the other. Elsa in Shinjuku was a well-known establishment in the 1950s post-war era, serving as a popular jazz coffeehouse and bar for intellectuals and moviegoers visiting the adjacent cinema. by @kinuta.collection

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4 days ago

#phillumeny #japan This matchbox dates to the early Shōwa period (late 1920s to 1930s), printed on July 27th of an unspecified Shōwa year (likely between 1927 and 1935).
Evidence & Details on the Matchbox:
Production Date Stamp: Along the bottom border of the building illustration, the delivery/print stamp reads right-to-left: 納ナツマ昭和十… 七月二十七日 (Shōwa 10-something, July 27th Delivery/Accepted).
Business & Main Location:
Business Name: 鹽瀬總本家 (Shiose Sōhonke), the famous centuries-old Japanese confectionery maker.
Headquarters/Store Location: 内の丸有楽町 (Yūrakuchō, Uchi-no-maru).
Branches: 渋谷駅前 (Shibuya Station-front branch).
Building & Services: The building illustration shows their multi-story store featuring:
鹽瀬菓子 (Shiose Confectionery)
喫茶 (Tea room / Café)
食堂 (*Dining room / Restaurant)
突喫堂 (*Billiards hall / Lounge)
Imperial Supplier Crest: The top face features the Imperial Household official supplier mark:
宮内省御用達 (By Appointment to the Imperial Household Ministry) along with the Go-shichi no Kiri (Five-Seven Paulownia) crest. by @kinuta.collection

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5 days ago

#phillumeny #japan This matchbox dates to the pre-war Shōwa period, specifically the late 1920s to 1930s (circa Shōwa 3–12 / 1928–1937).
Evidence & Typographic Details:
Production Print Stamp: Along the bottom edge of the blue front face, the print mark reads right-to-left: 納社グンマ昭和… (Shōwa... Gunma Printing Co. Delivery).
Business Names & Locations:
Main Business: 甚兵衛 (Jinbei)
Main Store Location: 日本橋白木屋うらび住友銀行前 ( Nihonbashi, behind Shirokiya Department Store, in front of Sumitomo Bank)
Telephone (Nihonbashi): 電日本橋二七三二 / 二七三三番 (Nihonbashi 2732 & 2733)
Ginza Branch:** 錦銀座支店京橋尾張町一ーサ (Ginza Nishiki Branch: Kyōbashi Owari-chō 1-sa)
Nihonbashi Branch: 日本橋きん藤ビル地階 (Nihonbashi, Kin-fujō Building Basement)
Orthographic Clues: The text uses pre-war right-to-left script across all faces (e.g., 階地ルビ藤んき, 番三三七二/二三七二橋本日電). by @kinuta.collection

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5 days ago

#phillumeny #japan This matchbox dates to the 1930s (pre-war Shōwa period), specifically between 1932 and 1939.
Key Evidence & Railway Context:
The image is a railway route map titled「近道―澁谷―橫濱―近道 (Short Cut — Shibuya — Yokohama — Short Cut).
Destination Landmark: At the Shibuya end, the map features an illustration of 東橫食堂 (Tōyoko Shokudō / Tōyoko Dining Hall), located inside the Tōyoko Department Store at Shibuya Station, which opened in 1934.
Railway Station Names & Spellings:
澁谷 (*Shibuya) and 橫濱 (Yokohama) use traditional Kyūjitai kanji characters typical of pre-war printings.
Intermediate stations shown along the Toyoko Line include 多摩川園 (Tamagawa-en), 大原山 (Ōharayama / former name for the area near Gakuen-mae/Jiyūgaoka), 大井町 (Ōimachi), 品川 (Shinagawa), and 綱島溫泉 (Tsunashima Onsen) (renamed Tsunashima Onsen in 1933). by @kinuta.collection

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6 days ago

#phillumeny #japan

This matchbox dates to the pre-war Shōwa period, specifically circa 1928–1940. Key Evidence & Analysis:
Pre-War Ward Name (小石川區): The image reveals the address as 小石川町三丁目七六 (Koishikawa-chō 3-chōme 76). Koishikawa Ward (Koishikawa-ku) was an administrative ward of Tokyo City that existed prior to 1947, when it was merged with Hongō Ward to form modern-day Bunkyō Ward.
Orthography & Text Direction: The main lettering runs vertically from top to bottom and right to left, using pre-war character forms and phrases:
技術本位 (Gijutsu Hon'i / Quality Technique First)
山嵜調髪所 (Yamazaki Barbershop)
(春日通リ) (Kasuga-dōri/ Kasuga Street)
Design & Visual Elements: The barber pole feature, art deco typographic framing, and three-color block print design are typical of Japanese commercial ephemera from the late 1920s through the 1930s. by @kinuta.collection

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7 days ago

#phillumeny #japan Based on the local administrative and historical business landmarks printed on the matchbox, this box dates to 1952–1963 (mid-1950s Showa period).
### Key Dating Clues
1. Landmark Reference: ユニオン座前 (In front of Union-za Cinema)
The location text reads 東横線学芸大学ユニオン座前 (Toyoko Lin, Gakugei-daigaku, in front of Union-za Cinema).
The Union-za (ユニオン座) was a local movie theater located along the west exit shopping street of Gakugei-daigaku Station. According to Tokyo theater directories (全国映画館総覧), it opened on April 1, 1952, and closed around 1963.
2. Station Name: 学芸大学 (Gakugei-daigaku Station)
The station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line was officially renamed from Gakushoin-mae to Gakugei-daigaku Station in July 1952 (following the relocation of Tokyo Gakugei University).
3. Typography & Orthograph
The text uses standard left-to-right modern Japanese horizontal script, post-war simplified kanji characters (such as 学 instead of the pre-war 學), and post-war orthography (珈琲の店パルム — Coffee Shop Palm). by @kinuta.collection

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7 days ago

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8 days ago

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9 days ago