Osaka women packing cosmetics at Nakayama Taiyodo Club Cosmetics, a pioneer in scientific management, with bold marketing and cutting-edge products. Firms like this drove Japan’s modernization.
The Duits Collection holds a number of rare photos taken after the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima. This article briefly explains what makes these images so special. With one exception, it is very unlikely you have seen them before.
On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb obliterated Hiroshima. About 40% of the estimated 350,000 inhabitants died before the year ended. This is the story of a 19-year-old nurse who miraculously survived.
A Japanese siege gun, known as an “Osaka Baby,” fires during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. War accelerated Osaka’s industrialization, driving a dramatic shift from light to heavy industry.
Interior of the Toyobo cotton mill in Osaka’s Sangenya area. Cotton mills played a crucial role in transforming Japan from a feudal into an industrialized nation. Toyobo started off this revolution.
Osaka Castle in 1929. There is no main castle tower, and the castle is surrounded by factories instead of trees. At this time, Osaka was a city of smoke.