Meiji 1868–1912

The Meiji era was a time of radical change in Japan. During the preceding Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate had imposed an isolation that lasted more than 200 years. Once reinstated, the young Meiji emperor initiated a broad range of reforms encouraging commercial and social interactions with the West. Western ways, however, were not simply appropriated. Instead, enterprising businesses adapted Western technologies and customs to meet the needs of Japanese consumers. Shiseido, founded in 1872 by Arinobu Fukuhara, provides a fascinating example. Begun as a Western-style pharmacy dispensing European medicines instead of Chinese herbal remedies, the store was located in the Ginza in central Tokyo, a new business district destined to become Tokyo’s epicenter of fashion.

Shiseido began selling cosmetics in 1897. Traditional Japanese makeup colors had been red, black, and white while beauty rituals for women included shaved eyebrows, blackened teeth, and elaborate ornamented hairstyles. In both the East and the West, women’s roles underwent dramatic developments and makeup followed suit. With the adoption of Western-style dress, Japanese women began using modern cosmetics. Shiseido’s early products, notably toothpaste and skin powders, provided healthy alternatives to many homemade versions which often included limestone powders and lead.