"100 Views of Great Tokyo in the Shōwa Era" by Koizumi Kishio / kk003_1929_w105_bank
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The completion of the Mitsui Bank building (at left), designed by the New York architectural firm of Trowbridge
and Livingston, may have been the impetus for Koizumi's print. Tokyo's reconstruction as an up-to-date,
international city, eager to be on par with other Western capitals, such as London, New York, and Paris, is
expressed by the bank's classical colonnaded façade in the European Beaux Arts tradition. The electric
lamp posts and automobiles reinforce the impression of Tokyo's modernity.
The Mitsukoshi Department Store
(to right of bank) highlights Japan's adoption of Western-style commerce during the Meiji period (1868-1912).
The building remained standing after the earthquake; it was reconstructed by 1927, with modifications continuing through 1934.
Mitsui Bank and Mitsukoshi Department Store (#3), April 1930 [May 1929]
The Wolfsonian–FIU, Miami Beach, FL, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection |
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