Showa Modern: 1920s-30s Japanese Sign & Store Design / Seigensha

The Showa Modern: 1920s-30s Japanese Sign & Store Design by Seigensha presents a comprehensive collection of design from Japan's Showa Modern era, showcasing over 200 valuable materials from the late Taisho to early Showa period when Japanese cities underwent major transformations. This book documents the design of signboards, street decorations, and show windows from the 1920s-30s, when cafes, bars, fruit parlors, and clothing stores lined the streets and urban culture flourished.

Signboards and street decorations were important elements of the cityscape during this era. This collection introduces the ideas of pioneering designers and the world of diverse, attractive designs that defined early 20th century Japanese urban aesthetics. Featured examples include signboard designs, sales street decorations, show windows, stores and interiors, and creative design lettering and layouts. Contributions and commentary by Asako Hirayama (Writer, Anecdote Collector, Designer) and Yu Ito (Specially Appointed Professor, Kyoto Seika University International Manga Research Center).