This study aimed to analyze newspaper advertisements from the late 19th century through the early 20th century to ascertain how condensed milk and milk powder were gradually accepted in the lives of Japanese citizens, mainly in Tokyo. The number of advertisements for condensed milk and powdered milk published in the morning issue of Asahi Shimbun were tabulated based on records in the newspaper’s digital archive “Kikuzo II” Tokyo edition (collected from 1879-1999) and classified by advertiser and brand. The content of advertisements including advertiser, advertisement text, and illustrations were also reviewed. Analysis revealed fierce competition between imported and domestic products in the 50 years from the 1890s to 1941, triggered by World War I and the Great Kanto Earthquake. It was also confirmed that condensed milk played a key role from the 1890s to 1910s, and milk powder and condensed milk played parallel roles in the 1920s and 1930s as essentials for infant formula in artificial nutrition.

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According to records about containers used for storing milk in the history of Japan’s dairy industry, “jars” were in circulation in ancient times, as were “bamboo tubes” in early modern times. Due to the characteristics of milk being (1) produced daily, (2) easily curdled, and (3) liquid, its handling was a constantly problematic. As Japan approached the Meiji Restoration and the culture of milk consumption was transferred once again from other countries, milking operators developed commercial enterprises. However, the fact that milk is a “liquid” singlehandedly makes transporting it an obvious problem; hence, unlike for other agricultural products the container used for this purpose was extremely important. In the early Meiji era, tin cans were replaced with glass bottles for transportation. Nevertheless, the purpose of these containers has changed with the passage of time, as has their capacity and form in various ways, resulting in great improvements in the dairy industry. Due to the characteristic in particular of (4) being the first beverage, apart from breastmilk, that infants drink, dealing with sanitary aspects was an urgent mission; disinfection (sterilization) steps were incorporated, which greatly changed the treatment of glass bottles. This also required enormous expenses in facilities for milking operators, who shifted from family operations to companies, leading to a reorganization of the market milk industry. Furthermore, paper containers were introduced in the Shōwa era, some 95 years after the Meiji era. This revolutionized logistics and changed the structure of the dairy industry, resulting both in a reexamination of“ milk logistics” and expansion, while popularizing milk and promoting awareness. The aim of this study is to discuss how the use of milk bottles in Japan’s dairy industry has led to their playing a role in promoting and raising awareness of “the value of milk” via their form and decorations, focusing on a period of approximately 95 years from the early Meiji era up until 1964.

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