1930's Japanese New Year Greeting vintage antique Postcard : Mickey Mouse Playing War "Happy New Year, Banzai " Disney

1930's Japanese New Year Greeting vintage antique Postcard : Mickey Mouse Playing War "Happy New Year, Banzai "

Disney films started coming to Japan in the late 1920's to early 1930's. Government & Military knew US could be Japan's future enemy because of what was happening in China, but People largely welcomed & loved this imported culture. About 10 years later, people lost this culture. Pacific War started.

Late 1940's ( post war) Dino Restelli / San Francisco Seals : Japanese Menko Baseball Card / old Japan vintage antique toy

Late 1940's ( post war) Dino Restelli / San Francisco Seals : Japanese Menko Baseball Card


A card toy made in commemoration of the visit of San Francisco Seals to Japan and matches with Japan team. First US baseball team's coming to Japan after WW2, welcomed enthusiastically by Japanese people, who were eager to see real plays of the origin country of this sport.

Late 1940's ( post war) Joe DiMaggio / New York Yankees : Japanese Menko Baseball Card / old vintage antique japan toy

Late 1940's ( post war) Joe DiMaggio / New York Yankees : Japanese Menko Baseball Card

Joe DiMaggio was quite well-known to Japanese people, too. He visited Japan several times.
Many Japanese players admired & "worshiped" him.

During the pacific war, baseball games were not much active in Japan. After the war, the mid 1940's, no wonder, people loved & missed this sport too much to take long to make it active again.  Also, a lot of toys , magazines etc relating to MLB  restarted to be made after the war.

1910 Japanese Baseball Photo vintage antique Postcards Commemorative for University of Chicago vs. Waseda University Baseball Match / japan old rppc

1910 Japanese Baseball Photo vintage antique Postcards Commemorative for University of Chicago vs. Waseda University Baseball Match / japan old rppc

Baseball , One of the important imports from US., fit for the Japanese national character, and people had been enthusiastic about this sport since the Meiji Era 1890's.

Also, a good suitable method for interactions between Japanese people & Americans.

Many of universities, mostly in Tokyo, tried to invite US baseball teams to have games, wanting to feel the origin of this sport.

In these postcards, the memorial stamps saying

"Commemorative for the Visit of Chicago University Baseball Team , Autumn, Meiji 43 (1910)" 

More precisely, the stamp says the chicago team " 来襲 = Rai-shuu ( = came to attack, assault) instead of saying just "visited", which is because they knew the Chicago ( and any other baseball teams from US) was a tough opponent and there was only a slim chance to win, so it seems they added a bit of humor & self‐ridicule to the stamp.

1930's Boosting Importing American culture to Japan : Betty Boop , Popeye , Mickey Mouse Disney , Shirley Temple etc

Japan - US relation history is not only " war & postwar". Before the pacific war, both political & civilian cultural interactions were quite active. In the 1930's, a lot of US movies came to Japan and gained huge popularity. Especially, animations stunned Japanese people.
Betty Boop was called " Beti san " in Japan.

1930's Betty Boop ( Holding "Hagoita" ) & Mickey Mouse : Japanese New Year Greeting Postcard vintage antique

1930's Betty Boop , Mickey Mouse & Pluto : Japanese New Year Greeting Postcard vintage antique

1930's Betty Boop Japanese Menko Cards Vintage antique toys

1930's Popeye & Olive : Japanese New Year Greeting Postcard , vintage antique old card

Shirley Temple was very popular in the 1930's in Japan, too.

1930's Shirley Temple : Japanese New Yer Greeting Postcard , vintage antique old card

Some Japanese fan of Shirley Temple had privileges to meet her. She is giving a Japanese traditional doll.

1930's Shirley Temple & Japanese School Girl Giving Her Souvenirs : Japanese New Year Greeting Postcard , vintage antique old card

1930's Shirley Temple & Japanese Traditional Kimono Dolls given by her Japanese Fans : Japanese New Year Greeting Postcard , vintage antique old card