Preserving the Shōwa Era

A curated digital repository of 3D assets and material culture from Japan (1926–1989). Connecting researchers and educators with digital heritage.

About the Archive

The Shōwa Digital Asset Archive is a project created and led by Dr Christopher Gerteis (SOAS University of London).

It serves as a central hub for discovering digital representations of Japanese history. Unlike traditional museums, we do not host physical artifacts. Instead, we aggregate metadata on 3D models, photogrammetry scans, and digital reconstructions hosted across the web, facilitating the study of 20th-century Japanese material culture.

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Search the Catalog

Filter listings by period, object type, space, platform and licence. Find the perfect digital asset for your research.

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Submit Findings

Found a high-quality 3D model of a Shōwa-era radio, building, or vehicle? Submit the link to our curators.

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Research & Education

Mission statement, pedagogical guides, and citation standards for using 3D assets in academic work.

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