Commercial Advertising & the War
Chain Store & Hanatsubaki, 1936–1941

Around 1936, even as corporate designers and ad men attempted to preserve a cosmopolitan image, the shadow of war began to fall over all aspects of Japanese society. Shiseido’s graphics were no exception. This was particularly conspicuous in the covers of the internal public relations magazine Chain Store, where photos now included not only military aircraft, but other militaristic themes including patriotic banners and women engaged in martial group activities. Another popular Shiseido periodical, titled Hanatsubaki (Camellia) introduced such subjects as warships and a beautified shadow of a warplane, all in full color.

Shiseido’s acquiescence to the rising tide of nationalism took a visible public form in 1940, when it began to date its periodicals in accordance with the purportedly legendary founding of Japan by Emperor Jimmu, who was said to have established Japan’s first Imperial capital in the year 660 BC. By this reckoning, 1940 became the year “2600,” 1941 became “2601,” and so on. This form of dating continued throughout the war.