For shopsBecome a stockist (consignment or wholesale)
For shops looking to stock Showa retro goods
Series total200,000 copies
Two photo books by doll artist Ishii Michiko, “Photo Story: Showa no Kodomotachi.”
We are looking for shops to stock them on consignment (you pay 80% of the list price for what sells) or wholesale (you buy them at 70% of the list price).
Terms
Consignment
Pay only for what sells, at 80% of list price
Wholesale
Buy the items at 70% of list price
Individual customers can buy the photo books from the photo book page.
Photo bookseach¥2,200(tax incl.)
Showa no Kodomotachi (Children of the Showa Era) is a body of work in which doll artist Ishii Michiko traced her memories of being a child in the Showa 30s (1955–1964) and recreated those scenes with dolls and dioramas.
The works are in two parts: Part 1, “Hometown (Furusato),” about people living in the countryside, and Part 2, “People of the Sea (Umi no Hito),” about people who live by the sea.
Every doll has its own face, full of life.
In every scene, a nameless someone lives one very real day.
Prefectures where exhibitions have been held
34/47prefectures
Dolls that have been seen
by many people at exhibitions across Japan.
64 titles / 332 figures
All of Showa no Kodomotachi (Part 1 Hometown, Part 2 People of the Sea)
100+ venues
Places where exhibitions have been held (across Japan)
1,500,000+
Total visitors to the exhibitions
What makes Showa no Kodomotachi special
64 titles / 332 figures
The doll works form Part 1, “Hometown (Furusato),” and Part 2, “People of the Sea (Umi no Hito),” with 64 titles and 332 figures in all. Every figure has a different expression, and every work is one of a kind. Each doll was handmade, one by one, by doll artist Ishii Michiko. Work on Part 2, “People of the Sea,” began in 2011 and was completed in 2016.
Shown at more than 100 venues across Japan
Exhibitions of Showa no Kodomotachi, which depicts life in the Showa 30s with dolls and dioramas, have been held at more than 100 venues across Japan. Venues have included museums, art museums, department stores and local government events. The works have been shown at an event at Nagoya Dome and at the Hamada Children's Museum of Art. In total, more than 1.5 million people have visited, and we have received many moving comments.
2000 Edo-Tokyo Museum
The Showa no Kodomotachi Doll Exhibition was held at the Edo-Tokyo Museum as a co-sponsored event of the “Tokyo 2000 Festival.” The 380-tsubo (about 1,250 m²) hall recreated the world of the Showa era, with full-scale sets of the Showa 30s and Showa no Kodomotachi bronzes.
A pioneer of the Showa boom
Ishii Michiko held her first solo exhibition in 1993, and from 1995 requests for exhibitions came from all over Japan. Her exhibitions across the country, starting with the 2000 exhibition at the Edo-Tokyo Museum, are said to be one of the sparks of the Showa 30s boom and the origin of the Showa boom.
Chosen for public commemorative projects
The works have been shown at events such as the 2007 project commemorating the establishment of Showa Day (organized by Hachioji City with the support of the Cabinet Office), the closing of an elementary school in Minamiuonuma, Niigata, and the “Rediscovering Richness of the Heart Project” in Ono, Fukui.
Dioramas
At exhibitions, the dolls are set among dioramas and backdrops of the four seasons made and supervised by the artist, Ishii Michiko. From the trees and houses, shrine and lotus pond of “Hometown,” about people living in the countryside, to the seaside life of “People of the Sea.” The dioramas are built at roughly one-quarter scale, so finely made to match the world of the works that they look real.
Visitors' voices
At the exhibitions, some visitors are moved to tears as they recall their own childhood or their mothers, while others chat with friends about the old days as they look at the dolls. Over the years, the letters of thanks and comments we have received would fill dozens of cardboard boxes. The images show some of the handwritten comments sent to us (in Japanese).
Carefully made photo books
“Photo Story: Showa no Kodomotachi” is a series of photo books of scenes from the Showa 30s, shot with the dolls placed in real locations and finished with high-definition printing. There are two volumes: “Hometown,” about people living in the countryside (62 pages), and “People of the Sea,” about people who live by the sea (68 pages, including four works on gatefold pages). Photography by Yamamoto Kunihiko. Each work comes with a short story written by Ishii Michiko.
Bronze sculptures
Bronze sculptures based on the dolls stand at public facilities and other places. The works made in bronze are “Crybaby (Nakimushi),” “The Quarrel (Kenka),” “Who Goes Farthest? (Tobashikko),” “Peeking Between the Legs (Matanozoki)” and “Little Rascal (Wanpaku).” In places where local people come and go, the bronze children quietly bring a sense of nostalgia to those who see them. They come in life size and one-quarter scale, and are made to order.
NewspaperIn the media
Whenever exhibitions were held, the works were widely covered by newspapers across Japan and featured on TV news. They have appeared in magazines such as “Ginka,” “Seiryu” and “Serai,” including on a magazine cover. They have also been introduced on radio programs and in web articles, and featured in live TV broadcasts. They were used in a TV commercial for Iwatani Corporation, and once appeared in hanging advertisements inside Kintetsu trains.
Items
Dolls and text: Ishii Michiko / Photography: Yamamoto Kunihiko. Besides selling them in shops, they can be used to spark conversation in facilities, or as commemorative items and gifts.
No.01
List price¥2,200(tax included)
Part 1. A photo story of dolls depicting the lives of people in the countryside.
No.02
List price¥2,200(tax included)
Part 2. A photo story depicting people who live by the sea, including panoramic double-page spreads.
No.03
Made to orderList price One set (10 designs) ¥1,000 (tax included)
Large postcards about the size of two palms (167 × 214 mm). The back of each card tells the story of the work. Five sets, A to E (10 cards plus one bonus card per set). Printed after we receive your order (please ask us about delivery times).
Inside the photo story
Each work comes with its story, alongside the photographs (the text is in Japanese).
Bronze objects are not available on consignment.
How they might look on your shop shelves
Sales record
Photo books “Photo Story: Showa no Kodomotachi” series total
200,000 copies
On event days and similar occasions
Hundreds of copies in a day
On event days and similar occasions, hundreds of copies have been sold in a single day.
Shops
We hope people of every generation will pick up these scenes of children in the Showa 30s.
We look forward to hearing from shops like these.
01
Alongside nostalgic goods and old books, a scene from Showa-era life.
02
A book visitors can pick up after seeing an exhibition.
03
For the photo book shelf, or a corner of local or Showa-era books.
04
A book of hometown scenes for the travel souvenir shelf.
05
As a get-well gift, or a present for the family.
Other shops are also welcome to contact us.
Souvenir postcards
Large yatsugiri-size postcards with photos of the Showa no Kodomotachi dolls.
Scenes of children in the Showa 30s, for a note to someone dear.
01
With older eyes in mind, these picture postcards are made in yatsugiri size (167 × 214 mm).
They are larger than standard postcards, so in Japan they go by non-standard mail (standard size, up to 50 g), with ¥140 postage (Japan Post rates as of October 2026).
02
On the back (the address side), each card tells the story of its work (in Japanese).
03
Five sets, A to E, with 10 designs each. The list price is ¥1,000 (tax included) per set of 10 designs.
Contact us and we will send you a brochure of all 50 designs.
Made to orderPrinted after we receive your order.
Postcards are available for wholesale only (shipping is paid by the shop).
Orders start at 10 cards per design, with a minimum of 100 cards in total.
Please ask us about delivery times.
Terms
You can stock our products on consignment or wholesale.
Consignment
80% of list price
Rather than paying for stock up front, you pay only for the items you sell, at 80% of the list price.
We take back unsold items if they are in good condition when we check them. Items that are dirty or damaged may not be accepted. Shipping costs for returns are paid by the shop.
Wholesale
70% of list price
You buy the products at the wholesale price (70% of the list price).
Flow
01
Inquiry
Use the form below to tell us your type of shop and the products you are interested in.
02
Terms
We explain the terms, such as order quantities and payment.
03
Start of business
Once the terms are agreed, we deliver the products.
With wholesale, you buy the products (wholesale price: 70% of the list price). Any unsold items remain your shop's stock.
With consignment, you pay only for the items you sell, at 80% of the list price. Unsold items can be returned (we take them back if they are in good condition when we check them; shipping costs for returns are paid by the shop).
Yes. You can buy them wholesale at the wholesale price (70% of the list price), from 50 copies per photo book title (postcards: from 10 cards per design, with a minimum of 100 cards in total). Consignment (you pay 80% of the list price only for what sells) is also available.
For wholesale, the minimum is 50 copies per title.
For consignment, we send at least 25 copies of each of the two titles, Hometown and People of the Sea.
Once you tell us how many copies you want, we send the products with an invoice enclosed.
We are sorry, but for your first order and for large orders, we ask for payment in advance.
We accept bank transfer only.
For consignment, we send the products free of charge (only for returns are shipping costs paid by the shop).
For wholesale, shipping is charged. We ship from Tokyo, and the cost depends on the quantity.
Postcards (wholesale only) are also shipped at the shop's expense.
As a rule, we ship within three business days (postcards are made to order, so please ask us about delivery times).
We take them back if they are in good condition when we check them. Items that are dirty or damaged may not be accepted. Shipping costs for returns are paid by the shop.
We agree on this individually with each shop.
We look forward to hearing from museum shops, bookstores, roadside stations (michi-no-eki) and tourist facilities, shops in senior and welfare facilities, shops in hospitals and medical facilities, and others. Other shops are also welcome to contact us.
Yes. The large yatsugiri postcards are available for wholesale only (not on consignment). They are printed after we receive your order (made to order). Please ask us about delivery times.
Yes. Contact us and we will send you a brochure of all 50 designs.
Postcards are printed to order in set quantities, so orders start at 10 cards per design, with a minimum of 100 cards in total.
They are larger than standard postcards, so standard postcard postage does not cover them. In Japan they go by non-standard mail (standard size, up to 50 g), with ¥140 postage (Japan Post rates as of October 2026).
Bronze objects are not available on consignment.
Contact
Please tell us your type of shop, the products you are interested in, and whether you prefer consignment or wholesale.
We will explain the terms, such as order quantities and payment.
We have received your inquiry.
We will review it and contact you.
Inquiries made on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and during the New Year holidays will be handled on the next business day or later.
If you do not hear from us within a few days, please contact us by phone.
You can also talk to us by phone:+81-428-26-2592