Page 36 - september-23

JAPANESE TIN TOYS:

A Craze That

Rebuilt Post-War Japan

1950s Tin Toy by Matsudaya, Santa Claus Riding
Japan – battery-operated Big X8 Reindeer: Reindeer hops.
11-inch Bandai 1960 Rambler Station Space Explorer Ship s Wind-up. Manufacturer
Wagon sold for $130 on 1stdibs.com
old on eBay for $151.31 unknown. The Collection of Bruce Elsass

By Bruce Elsass, collector, the Golden Glow of Christmas • Introduction by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor

t the end of World War II, Japan and his allies in the United States occupied
had seen more than its share of death much of the country, causing widespread
Aand destruction when nuclear military, political, economic, and social
bombs hit the major cities of Hiroshima reforms.” This is when smaller, decorative
and Nagasaki. It was time to establish items and all other products were marked
the “new” Japan, hold those accountable “Made in Occupied Japan.” Designers,
for War Crimes, make reparations around manufacturers, and the Japanese workforce
the globe to those countries and their turned to creating “happier” and “playful”
people who were harmed during WWII by goods as their focus. Costume jewelry was
Japan, and rebuild this nation in order to something the women in the U.S. and
move forward. abroad bought to help with the rebuilding
As part of the new 1947 Constitution, 1950s Japanese of Japan. The mechanical and electronic
Article 9 (known as the “No War” clause) Made Tin Race Car innovations developed during the war were
made the manufacture of military weapons applied to moving toys and smaller, more
and other war instruments obsolete in advanced production of those toys. And
Japan, responding to perceptions that Japan was extremely militaristic. there is a story about a designer who turned a tin can into an intricate
According to eMint.com, a museum of toys located in Singapore, “The model car and gave rise to the tin car toy craze that followed.
Constitution and other policies from this time also emphasized
non-military industrial activity, both to demilitarize the country and Vroom Vroom
create an economic bulwark against Communism in East Asia.” Between World War I and World War II, some Japanese companies
According to Visit-Nagasaki.com, The Allied forces occupied and were creating beautiful models of American cars while here in the U.S.
managed Japan from 1945 to 1952. “General Douglas A. MacArthur
it was proving tough to get into the model car market unless you were

1950s Ichiko ride-on tram toy 1960s Chinese Tin Duck Wind Up Family 1950s Yonezawa Wind Up Hovercraft with Box

34 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles