These 1920s posters for Japan's industrial expos had a whimsical, psychedelic vibe, not unlike Fritz Lang partying with Jules Verne in the Harajuku. In the 40s, this playfulness gave way to Orwellian styles that are militaristic, monochromatic, and scary.
What's absolutely incredible about this series of posters is that they convey the ideological evolution of Japanese society through industrial fair advertising - the designs go from freewheelingly futuristic to downright fascistic. Check out these stunning prints (and oodles more) at Pink Tentacle.
Sea and Air Exhibition – Tokyo, 1930
Grand Exposition in Commemoration of the Imperial Coronation – Kyoto, 1928
Sea and Air Exhibition – Tokyo, 1930
International Hot Spring Tourism Exposition – Beppu, 1937
National Defense Science Exposition – Tokyo/Kanagawa, 1940
National Defense Science Exposition – Hyogo, 1941
National Defense Science Exposition – Hyogo, 1941
DISCUSSION
Great designs but yah, creepy to see the development. While these fairs were celebrating the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere my grandparents were desperately fleeing the Enlightenment and Scientific Progress the Japanese were bringing to Shanghai.