Japanese Postcards

Japanese artists traveling to Europe to study oil painting at the beginning of the twentieth century became enthralled by the postcard, which was then enjoying a veritable boom. Immediately they sent cards to their friends and began to create their own compositions--many of which were influenced by contemporary European styles, particularly Art Nouveau. However, by 1905 celebrated Japanese artists from a variety of backgrounds had also embraced the postcard format.

The craze for postcards in Japan during the first decades of the twentieth century was so great that several women's magazines featured tear-cut cards to promote their sales. Department stores, breweries, and organizers of sporting events commissioned cards for advertising. Furthermore, postcards became the favored format for New Year's greetings--a popularity that continues today.

Thanks Grow a Brain