🎎 Blue aluminum kindergarten milk cup – Japan Antique Roadshow

🎎 This bright blue aluminum milk cup from Japan's 昭和時代 (Shōwa period, 1926–1989) offers a glimpse into the postwar everyday lives of young children in Japanese 幼稚園 (yōchien – kindergarten) or 保育園 (hoikuen – nursery schools). These lightweight cups were a staple of school lunch programs and were used to serve warm milk during lunch and snack times. The simple, riveted handle is typical of utilitarian designs from mid-20th century Japan, and the interior remains unpainted, with visible turning marks from the manufacturing process.

This particular piece features the hand-etched name 細川 (Hosokawa) on the underside—presumably the name of the child who used it, written with care either by a parent or teacher to ensure it found its way back to its owner after mealtime. While there is no stamped maker’s mark like the 富士 (Fuji) logo seen on some other cups of this type, the style and form suggest this was likely produced by a regional workshop during the mid to late Shōwa era.

Despite its wear—scuffs, scratches, and small dings—this piece remains solid and charming, and is a nostalgic memento of Japan’s Showa-period domestic culture.

The cup weighs approximately 20 grams, measures 4.5 cm in height, 7.5 cm across the top, and 4.5 cm across the base. It’s ideal as a conversation piece, a collectible item, or a small vessel for display or creative reuse.

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