1890-1910s Meiji Era Lithograph-Topical Ointment Advertisement-Hikifuda-New A4 Frame

Original late Meiji to early Taishō era (Late 1800s-Early 1900s) Japanese advertising print, known as a Hikifuda—a colorful promotional handbill distributed by shops and manufacturers.

This example advertises a medicinal ointment called “Seimyo-ko” (清妙膏), also described as “Akakōyaku” (Red Ointment). The medicine was sold by Hara Seieido, a pharmacy located in Saga Prefecture in Kyushu.

The advertisement features a striking and humorous illustration of two toads pulling a cart filled with medicine, a motif commonly used in Japanese pharmaceutical advertising of the Meiji period. Such imagery was intended to be memorable and visually engaging while promoting the reliability of the product.

Small illustrated scenes around the central image depict the ointment’s uses, including treatment for:

• Burns and cuts

• Bruises

• Skin irritation and itching

The text indicates the medicine was for external use and includes a notice warning customers to beware of imitation products, emphasizing that the trademark was officially registered.

Hikifuda prints like this were widely distributed through pharmacies, traveling salesmen, and local shops. Today they are valued both as examples of early Japanese commercial art and as historical artifacts documenting medicine, advertising, and graphic design during Japan’s modernization in the Meiji era.