[Small Collection of Documents and Maps Promoting Japanese Investment in New York City Following World War I]

[Japan, 1924. Very good.. Four broadside documents, two maps, and a stamped envelope. Folded for postal delivery, minor overall wear and some toning, a few small areas of insect damage. A small but notable collection of documents and maps documenting the New York region in the early-1920s. The two folding maps depict New York, with one in color, and the other being a reprint of a map from the New York American of Sunday, January 22, 1922 showing the NYC area marked with concentric circles representing increasing land values. The text around the map promotes a very positive view of the real estate market in the New York area. The four broadside documents are essentially leaflets reprinting various New York Times and other articles, each measuring around 20 x 7 inches, and printed all in Japanese. These broadsides encourage potential Japanese investment in a syndicate promoting urban redevelopment in New York and its surroundings, report on the New York Port Authority, business opportunities in NYC, and more.

The material was produced by the New York Land and Building Company, one of a number of schemes created in Japan during or immediately following the First World War promoting speculation in relatively risky investment schemes. The NYLBC was founded by Japanese real estate speculator Okamoto Yonezo, and was a fascinating precursor to later Japanese overseas investment and emigration efforts. The present documents and maps provide important insights into the economic and social relations between Japan and the United States on the eve of the 1924 Exclusion Act.