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| Advertising
Inserts Reflect Japanese Culture |
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The history of newspaper advertising inserts, which are most
closely connected to our daily lives, harks back to the Edo
Period when newspapers were not even published yet. In those
days, advertising inserts were called "Hikifuda" or drawing
cards, and served many purposes ranging from the opening of
a new store or sales in businesses to advertisements for medicines
or cosmetics. "To draw" in "drawing cards" came from the meaning
of "drawing the public's attention" or "to distribute," that
is, "a card for drawing customers' attention," or "a card for
distributing widely." Unlike immobile advertisements such as
signboards or "noren" (shop entrance curtains), advertising
inserts became widespread as an advanced means of advertisement.
In the Edo Period, there was another type called "Bira" - a
bill, or "Ebira" - a bill with picture, that differed from the
Hikifuda in playing the role as a modern poster. "Hikifuda"
were not only distributed but also applied onto something. They
were also used as what is now called direct mail or product
catalogues distributed to specific customers only. (We recommend
the book "Genre history of Hikifuda Ebira" by Taijiro Masuda
for further information).
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| The Birth
of Newspaper Advertising Inserts |
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In the Meiji Era, "Hikifuda" came to be understood in the broad
sense of "advertisements." In 1872, two years after the first
newspaper was published in Japan, "Hikifuda" were distributed
as "supplements to newspapers" in the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun.
In the latter part of the Meiji Era, they were called "sou kokoku"
or inserted advertisements. As time progresses from the Taisho
Era to the Showa Era, the current form of advertising inserts
of newspaper was established.
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| Advertising
Inserts in the Edo, Meiji, Taisho Eras and the First Part of
the Showa Era |
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We introduce old advertisements
of the Edo and Meiji Eras, one Example each, and three examples
from the Taisho Era and one Example from the Showa Era from
the "Taijiro Masuda Collection (Held in trust Orikomi Service)."
The example from the Edo Period is the Hikifuda of "Hinoya-Sosuke,"
a shop selling medicines, and the signs of the products of "Ninjindaijyoen"
and "Kinoutan" can be recognized. Considering the title, "Diagram
of the opening of shop in Edo," it seems to be an advertisement
announcing the opening of a new shop.
The example from the Meiji Era is the Hikifuda of the "Mitsui
Kimono Shop." This is the predecessor of the present Mitsukoshi
Department Store, located in Suruga-cho, Nihonbashi Ward, Tokyo.
This picture shows the look of briskness in the store. |
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All three examples from the Taisho Era are department store
advertisements.
The stores' names are "Matsuzakaya" in Ginza, "Takashimaya"
in Kyobashi, and "Isetan Kimono Shop" in Kanda-Myojin-Shita.
The advertisements' titles say "Grand sale for summer goods
at new low prices," "Bargain sale for summer goods," and "Clearance
sale." These titles are in common use even in our day. "Isetan
Kimono Shop," the predecessor of the present Isetan department
Store used to be in Kanda-Myojin-Shita.
The example from the Showa Era is an advertisement for "Entaku,"
or a taxi charging a flat fare of one yen, which clearly describes
the situation in those days. It is an advertisement announcingthe
opening of a new business office of the Tokyo Uniformed Fare
Taxi Corporation in Yotsuya-Okido. The advertisement says that
wherever you go within Tokyo by taxi, the charge is a flat fare
of one yen. It seems to be the forerunner of advertisements
for the single-price shops of today.
Similarly, the current newspaper advertising inserts fully represent
the situation today as a mirror of society, although they exist
as transient, momentary media. It is truly a part of Japanese
culture, through which we can see the public's manners and customs
just like we can through "Hikifuda".
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