Japan in the 1920s Through Fascinating Vintage Photos

The 1920s in Japan, often remembered as the era of Taisho Democracy, was a vibrant decade defined by a fascinating tension between rapid Westernization and deep-rooted tradition.

In burgeoning cities like Tokyo and Osaka, the rise of the “Salaryman” and the iconic Moga (Modern Girl), who sported bobbed hair and flapper dresses, signaled a shift toward cosmopolitan consumerism, jazz clubs, and cinema. However, this “roaring” decade was also a period of immense resilience, following the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, Japan underwent a massive industrial and architectural transformation.

While liberalism and labor movements flourished in the cafes of Ginza, the decade remained a fragile golden age, balanced precariously between the artistic freedom of the post-WWI boom and the looming economic hardships that would soon give way to 1930s militarism. These vintage photos, via Wolfgang Wiggers, capture everyday life in Japan in the 1920s.

The Komusō, the "priests of nothingness" or "monks of emptiness" were wandering non-monastic lay Buddhists. They wear a straw basket hat and play the shakuhachi bamboo flute, Japan, circa 1920s

A crowd of children, Japan, circa 1920s

A picnic, Japan, circa 1920s

A walk, Japan, circa 1920s

A wandering monk with a group of curious children, Japan, circa 1920s

An afternoon full of joy and laughter, Japan, circa 1920s

By the river, Japan, circa 1920s

In the monastery, Japan, circa 1920s

Little helper, Japan, circa 1920s

Mother and child, Japan, circa 1920s

On the Hozu River, Japan, circa 1920s

Probably the effects of an earthquake, Japan, circa 1920s

Teatime, Japan, circa 1920s

The big bell, Japan, circa 1920s

The buddha in the park, Japan, circa 1920s

The entrance to the Kasuga-taisha shrine in Nara, Japan, circa 1920s

The old mill, Japan, circa 1920s

Yomeimon Gate at Nikko, Japan, circa 1920s