TOYOTA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM TOP EXHIBITIONS/VIRTUAL MUSEUM Postwar Zone The most common sights on the streets of Japan at the time were the bicycle and the motorcycle. Bicycles came in a variety of types, from general-purpose to special women's design and some built as luggage carriers. They were used widely in everyday life at the time as a means of transportation and carrying freight. Occupation Army's Material Wealth Astounds the Japanese Rising from the Ashes of War The Bicycle as a Prized Possession

Much like that postwar symbol, the Silver Pigeon, this bicycle was made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as part of its movement toward meeting civilian needs. Using the skills garnered from manufacturing fighter planes, Mitsubishi made the frame from pressed duralumin and rivets. Actually riding it is lighter than it appears, and the ride itself is smooth. This bicycle was designed with a covered seat to carry a passenger to its front, rear, or sides. Before and during the war it was dubbed the kouseisha, which was a kind of jury-rigged contraption popular in those times. Immediately after the war, when there was a shortage of vehicles, these were used as a principal means of transportation through the cities.

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