A Japanese siege gun, known as an “Osaka Baby,” fires during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. War accelerated Osaka’s industrialization, driving a dramatic shift from light to heavy industry.| OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN
Interior of the Toyobo cotton mill in Osaka’s Sangenya area. Cotton mills played a crucial role in transforming Japan from a feudal into an industrialized nation. Toyobo started off this revolution.| OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN
Osaka Castle in 1929. There is no main castle tower, and the castle is surrounded by factories instead of trees. At this time, Osaka was a city of smoke.| OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN