P56 Antique Japanese Vertical Advertising Poster – Kanpan (Dried Bread), Tomoe Shōkai, c. 1910s–1920s

Striking Japanese vertical advertising poster from the late Meiji to early Taishō period (circa 1910s–1920s), promoting Kanpan (乾燥衛生パン) — dried, long-lasting bread produced by Tomoe Shōkai (巴商會) of Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture, Japan.

Kanpan is the Japanese equivalent of hardtack or ship’s biscuit: a preserved bread developed for long-term storage, travel, emergency supplies, and institutional use, and later also adopted for household consumption.

The poster prominently advertises the product’s hygiene, durability, and reliability, and notes its suitability for hospitals and official use. The central illustration shows a young woman opening a steaming food container, surrounded by packaged bread, combining modern food technology with a reassuring domestic image.

The design is framed by elegant decorative borders with strong Art Nouveau / early modern design influence, and features the Tomoe (巴) crest, the emblem of the Tomoe Shōkai company. The tall, narrow format gives the poster a refined, architectural and highly decorative presence.

A rare and historically important example of early 20th-century Japanese food advertising and commercial design, ideal for collectors, galleries, and interiors with an appreciation for Japanese design history and Meiji–Taishō era aesthetics.

Manufacturer: Tomoe Shōkai (巴商會), Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture
Product: Kanpan (Dried Bread)
Size: 79 × 25.5 cm