Matchbox Labels

Matches were first produced within Japan in 1875. The hobby of collecting matchbox labels began in the early 1900s. Numerous hobbyists enjoyed collecting these elaborately designed labels, and they can be found in a number of scrapbooks held in the Library's Special Collections Room.

• 1. For Sale Within Japan
• 2. For Export Sale
• 3. For Advertising

1. For Sale Within Japan

Matchbox labels can be classified broadly into those attached to matchboxes for retail sale, and those used as labels for matchboxes distributed for advertising and promotional purposes. The former type can be further divided into those for domestic sale and those for overseas export. The labels in this scrapbook are mainly for advertising, but some are also from matchboxes for retail sale.

Labels of matchboxes for domestic sale feature all kinds of motifs, including auspicious items, animals, people, and mythological scenes. Some of these remain in use to the present day, having survived many mergers and amalgamations in the match manufacturing industry.

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2. For Export Sale

The export of made-in-Japan matches began around 1877. Many were exported to other countries in Asia, with China the main destination. This demand diminished, however, once domestic production gathered momentum in China, and Japanese match export volumes fell into decline following a peak in 1919.

Distinctive designs were created for the labels of matchboxes for export, featuring uniquely Japanese elements and also reflecting the tastes of the destination country. Labels designed for China often made use of auspicious motifs. The designs of those bound for India included famous people such as Mahatma Gandhi and scenes from Hindu mythology.

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3. For Advertising

Matchboxes for advertising and promotional use became popular from around the mid-1920s. Many of these are rich in design elements and retain a timeless attraction even today. However, the market for matches gradually declined when lighters came into general use.

These labels are advertisements for dance halls, which provided patrons with ballroom dancing partners for a fee. The label illustrations show scenes such as men and women dancing together and women in Western-style dresses.

These are mahjong parlor advertising labels. Each parlor had its own highly creative designs with a range of subject matter including mahjong tiles, animals, and people.

These are barber shop labels. They feature illustrations of the distinctive long, thin, vertical barber poles, people, and other subjects. Some barbers, however, chose not to use illustrations at all and instead promoted themselves using slogans such as "Hygienic facilities! Technically skilled! Attentive and courteous!"

These labels were issued by theaters and cinemas. The label promoting the film City Streets starring Gary Cooper says "coming soon," suggesting this label dates from 1931.

These are fruit parlor labels. Two of them, both with the same design of a mandarin orange against a black background, are from a parlor named Sembikiya. A closer look reveals that one of these two labels includes the words "parlor opening." The address suggests that this label was issued in 1930, when the store opened in the Itōya Building.

These are labels advertising taxi companies and gas stations. In the mid-1920s, a flat fare of 1 yen was introduced for a taxi ride anywhere within the city. This led to the use of the term "1-yen taxi," which appears on many of the taxi company labels shown here.