1928 Japan Emperor Hirohito Enthronement Imperial Banquet Ceremony Postcard

Title: 1928 Japan Emperor Hirohito Enthronement Imperial Banquet Ceremony Commemorative Postcard

Front Description:

A finely printed illustrated commemorative postcard depicting the Imperial banquet held on the first day following the completion of the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Hirohito (Showa), rendered in a detailed artistic illustration style with selective red and grey colour printing. The scene shows an enormous formal state banquet taking place inside a vast ceremonial hall, viewed from an elevated perspective looking down the length of an extremely long white-clothed banquet table that extends deep into the background. Each place setting consists of a large individual lacquer tray bearing multiple dishes, bowls, plates, and decorative food presentations including what appears to be a whole red sea bream (tai), a traditional auspicious fish, prominently displayed at the foreground setting. The chairs lining both sides of the table feature ornate circular backs decorated with bold red and white geometric designs. The guests and attendants are shown in a mix of formal Western-style military dress uniforms adorned with red sashes and epaulettes, traditional Japanese court dress (sokutai), and kimono, indicating the presence of both Japanese dignitaries and foreign diplomatic representatives. The walls of the hall are decorated with elaborate painted murals depicting landscapes with pine trees and pavilions. A large decorative ceiling is partially visible in the upper right, richly patterned. The lower caption printed in blue Japanese reads right to left: 御大禮記念（御即位式御終了後第一日目の御儀）, translating as: “Commemoration of the Great Imperial Ceremony — The Ceremony of the First Day After the Completion of the Enthronement Ritual.”

Back Description:

POST CARD is printed in large spaced green capital letters across the top centre. A plain dotted-outline stamp box is positioned in the upper right corner. Along the far right edge, printed vertically in green Japanese characters: サンとれ商典 (San Toré Shoten — likely the publisher or printing house name). The left half of the card is entirely filled with a pre-printed descriptive text block in blue Japanese hiragana and kanji characters, arranged in horizontal lines running right to left, serving as an explanatory caption or commemorative description of the scene depicted on the front. The text reads as a formal account of the Imperial enthronement banquet proceedings. The full text as printed reads: 大正十一月十一日より大礼の儀を執り行はせられ、御即位式は十一月十日、即ち即位礼正殿の儀にて厳かに行はれ、翌日より饗宴の儀が始まり、宮中において盛大なる御饗宴が催され、内外の賓客を招き、御馳走を賜はり、帝国の威儀を示されたるものにて、御大礼の記念として発行せられたるものなり — translating broadly as: “Beginning on the 11th of the month of Taisho [Showa 3, 1928], the Great Ceremony was conducted; the Enthronement Ceremony was solemnly held on November 10th in the Seiden Hall; from the following day the banquet ceremonies commenced, and a grand imperial banquet was held in the palace, inviting guests from home and abroad, conferring imperial hospitality, demonstrating the dignity of the Empire; issued as a commemorative of the Great Imperial Ceremony.” The address area and lower right half are blank and unwritten. The card is unposted with no stamp affixed.

Estimated Era: Showa Period Japan, 1928 (Showa 3), issued to commemorate the formal enthronement of Emperor Hirohito, which took place in Kyoto in November 1928. A historically significant Imperial commemorative postcard.