The Shōwa era was a long stretch of 64 years, spanning the prewar and wartime years, the postwar recovery and period of high economic growth, and on into the start of the bubble economy. Sodegaura City Local Museum in Chiba Prefecture is marking 100 years since the era began with a new special exhibition that brings that span of history to life.
The exhibition was put together in partnership with the museum's volunteer citizen curators, drawing on items they contributed themselves alongside pieces from the museum's own collection. For anyone who lived through the Shōwa era, it's a chance to meet "the self of back then"; for younger visitors, it offers a window into a time that feels both distant and familiar.
Exhibition Overview
- Exhibition name: Special Exhibition I "Everyone's Shōwa, My Family's 100 Years" (Shōwa Centennial Project)
- Dates: July 4 (Sat) to August 23 (Sun), 2026
- Venue: Sodegaura City Local Museum — 1st floor lobby and 2nd floor special exhibition room
- Admission: Free
- Closed: Every Monday except public holidays, and the day after a public holiday
Exhibition Structure
I. Prologue — Youth and Daily Life in Wartime (lobby display)
- The life of Miyadera Ryūzō
II. From Postwar Recovery to the High-Growth Era — The Booming '30s (Shōwa 30s)
- Rising up from the burnt ruins
- Stylish home appliances and chic accessories
- The things everyone longed for
III. The Izanagi Boom Arrives! — The Buoyant '40s (Shōwa 40s)
- How many can you name? Guess what these were
- A Shōwa fashion show
- Family outings
IV. From the Oil Shock to the Bubble — The Flashy '50s to '60s (Shōwa 50s–60s)
- The things everyone was obsessed with back then
- Things you don't see much anymore
- Shōwa's last big blowout
V. Welcome to a Shōwa Home!
- A recreated Shōwa-era living room and reception room
Related Events
Exhibition Guided Tours
July 4 (Sat) and August 2 (Sun), from 11:00 AM
Play "Shōwa" with the Citizen Curators
August 2 (Sun)
- Morning session: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Afternoon session: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
- Venue: Local Museum 1st floor training room, hands-on learning room, and lobby
- Join the citizen curators for hands-on Shōwa-era children's games such as stilt walking (takeuma) and spinning tops (koma-mawashi).
- Free, no advance reservation required
VR Goggle Experience: The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
August 8 (Sat) and August 15 (Sat)
- Morning session: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Afternoon session: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Duration: approximately 10 minutes
- Using VR goggles borrowed from the city of Hiroshima, visitors can experience the atomic bombing and its aftermath.
- No advance reservation required; admitted on a first-come, first-served basis for the morning and afternoon sessions separately
