Made in Japan: A Collection of Vintage Japanese Canned Food Labels

Long before food packaging became sleek and minimal, Japanese canned goods were decorated with colorful labels filled with playful lettering, detailed illustrations, and wonderfully unexpected designs.

This compact visual book brings together approximately 550 canned food labels printed in Japan from the Meiji era through the early Showa era. The collection includes labels created for both the Japanese market and export, featuring everything from fish, meat, and shellfish to fruit, vegetables, and prepared dishes.

Every page offers something new to discover: boldly illustrated fish, cheerful fruit, ornate borders, unusual color combinations, and charming English lettering made for overseas customers. Together, the labels reveal the creativity and strong visual sense found in Japan’s early commercial and packaging design.

Although many of these designs were created decades ago, they still feel remarkably fresh today. This is a lovely book for graphic designers, illustrators, collectors of vintage paper goods, and anyone who enjoys retro Japanese design.