00:20
Hello, and welcome to Japanology Plus.
I'm Peter Barakan.
00:24
Just as in England we talk about
the Victorian or Edwardian era,
00:28
in Japan every emperor is given an era
name, and the years are numbered.
00:32
So for example, we are in, currently,
year number four of the Reiwa era.
00:39
The Showa era was one of the longest,
lasting from 1926 to 1989,
00:45
during which time Japan
went through militarization,
00:48
the destruction of World War 2,
00:50
and the subsequent dramatic economic
revival, which culminated in the 1980s.
00:57
Since then, there's been 30 years
of pretty much economic slump,
01:00
so people who lived through the Showa era
now look back on it as the good old days.
01:05
And even among the younger generation,
01:07
there's a kind of fad for Showa nostalgia,
and that's our theme for today.
01:13
The street you see behind me here
01:16
is actually part of an amusement park
just outside Tokyo.
01:20
And this street is a kind of
trip back to the 1960s.
01:24
We'll take a look.
01:27
The amusement park
has been open since 1950,
01:35
but part of it was recently refurbished
to look like a 1960s shopping street.
01:42
Since opening in its new form, the park
has been even more popular than expected.
01:56
Kono-san, good morning.
01:57
Good morning.
01:58
Thank you for joining us today.
02:00
It's my pleasure.
02:04
Our guest is Professor Kono Kohei,
of Ibaraki University.
02:09
He studies nostalgia for the Showa era,
and where that feeling comes from.
02:18
-Let's have a look around!
-Yeah, let's have a look.
02:21
They used to have things similar to
this in London when I was a kid, actually.
02:26
Oh, really? Three-wheeled vehicles
really epitomize the time, don't they?
02:32
There were a lot of small,
independent businesses back then.
02:36
So small, maneuverable
trucks were really useful.
02:41
You'd see a lot of them on the streets.
02:43
I like the design; they look quite cute.
02:51
They've made it look a bit dirty,
just to add a bit of authenticity.
02:57
Right.
02:58
And here's a red telephone.
03:01
Right, you used to see these
everywhere, didn't you?
03:04
Yes.
03:04
They're another iconic feature
of the Showa era.
03:08
They were the most common type
of public phone.
03:11
Later, there were green ones.
03:13
Oh yeah. Those are the ones
where you can use a card.
03:16
And they're all push phones, right?
03:17
These ones are the dial phones,
and they only took 10 yen.
03:20
Yeah.
03:21
Oh my god! All these old cigarettes.
03:24
I used to smoke these!
03:26
Yes, it's a cigarette shop.
03:28
That's what it says on the sign.
03:31
There'd always be a public phone
in front of these shops.
03:36
Back then, merchants would pitch
their products directly to passers-by.
04:08
Was this actually a common sight
back in the '60s?
04:12
We just saw a performance
in front of a shop.
04:15
But merchants would also sell things
in the middle of the street.
04:19
Overripe or damaged produce
would be sold at a discount.
04:24
That happened a lot.
04:26
The merchants' voices
were really distinctive;
04:30
they were powerful and engaging.
04:32
My parents told me that
during their university days,
04:36
on their way home from dates,
04:38
they'd buy bananas in front of
the train station at sales of that kind.
04:43
So yes, it was common.
04:47
So why did a modern theme park
recreate a '60s street?
04:53
Was there a special reason for doing this?
04:56
We're living in
an increasingly digital world.
04:59
It's convenient, of course,
but it weakens the bonds that link us.
05:06
People yearn for a sense
of connection with others,
05:09
and so we wanted to recreate a world
where that feeling came first.
05:15
That was the idea behind
our refurbishment.
05:20
You always hear two things
about the Showa era.
05:24
First, people didn't have much,
but they did have dreams.
05:30
Second, people shared heart-warming bonds.
05:34
I hear that a lot.
05:35
In other words, people worked together
to achieve happy and fulfilling lives.
05:40
That positive image is something
we often associate with the Showa era.
05:46
Of course, it wasn't
as if everything was perfect.
05:50
Cities weren't clean.
05:52
There would be all sorts
of unpleasant smells.
05:56
And there was widespread poverty.
05:59
But when we look back, those negative
aspects are canceled out by the positives.
06:06
I think that's the essence of nostalgia.
06:13
The Showa era spanned over 60 years.
06:17
Soon after it began,
06:18
the world was hit by the Great Depression,
06:21
and unemployment soared.
06:24
Japan moved towards militarism,
with dire consequences.
06:35
The Second World War devastated
the nation's industrial base
06:38
and rocked Japan to its core.
06:44
Then in the '50s,
the economy started to recover.
06:48
Industry and technology gathered momentum.
06:51
By 1956, a government white paper
was saying that the bad days were over.
06:57
Economic growth quickly accelerated,
and a modern nation emerged.
07:11
By the 1980s, Japanese products
were celebrated around the globe.
07:16
Japan was an economic superpower,
07:19
and a renowned US academic coined
the phrase Japan as number one.
07:27
In the 1960s,
07:28
a key benchmark of quality of life
for many Japanese was home appliances.
07:36
Televisions, washing machines
and refrigerators
07:39
were status symbols for the nation:
07:42
cornerstones of a happy life.
07:46
In subsequent years, a stream
of unique appliances were invented.
07:55
A Japanese company developed
the world's first electric rice cooker.
08:05
This device was designed to prepare
a fried egg, a slice of toast,
08:11
and a glass of hot milk.
08:13
Manufacturers were constantly
coming up with new ideas.
08:19
This telephone has two dial pads.
08:22
It can be used from either side,
without rotating the phone.
08:30
Appliances displayed a sense of
originality and individuality that
08:35
everyday items these days seem to lack.
08:42
Oh my god!
08:45
Fridge.
08:47
Vacuum cleaner.
08:48
Looks like something
from outer space, doesn't it?
08:51
I don't think it has much suction.
08:54
It doesn't work very well.
08:55
I wonder if they…if people would buy
this sort of stuff if it was on sale, now.
09:00
They're actually really popular.
09:03
The designs are so different.
09:05
Do you see the green and red toasters?
09:08
Oh, are those toasters?
09:09
Actually that's quite cool;
I wouldn't mind a green toaster like that.
09:15
Many Showa-era products
are back in demand.
09:19
Here's one example:
radio-cassette players.
09:24
When they first appeared in the 1960s,
they were revolutionary.
09:29
People could record a radio
broadcast onto a cassette!
09:35
Through the '70s and '80s,
they got smaller and smaller.
09:40
Their designs were bold and colorful.
09:43
They became an essential element
of youth identity.
09:49
Matsuzaki Junichi repairs and
sells Showa-era radio-cassette players.
09:55
He's noticed a new interest
among young people.
10:01
For the young people of today,
smartphones have existed since birth.
10:06
They listen to music
through wireless earphones.
10:09
I don't think they listen to music
through speakers much anymore.
10:15
So for them,
10:16
the fact that radio-cassette players
have built-in speakers is intriguing.
10:22
I think they find the act of
playing music out loud entertaining.
10:27
I'd say it could well be an unusual
experience for young people these days.
10:35
Radio-cassette players like this
10:36
became incredibly popular
in Japan during the ‘80s.
10:41
I remember them well.
10:43
Did you have one yourself?
10:45
I didn't have one like this.
10:46
I had a cassette player, but then,
10:48
everybody had a cassette player
back in those days.
10:51
Showa-era radio-cassette players
10:54
have become quite popular
among the young people of today.
10:59
I think the reason
they enjoy using these devices
11:02
is because of the physical sensation.
11:06
Their physicality is quite appealing.
11:08
The way they feel.
11:10
The button goes “clunk”
when you press it down.
11:14
The dials click when you rotate them.
11:16
And the tape goes round and round.
11:19
You get a direct sense
of how the machine works.
11:22
And people really enjoy that.
11:26
Let's try it out.
11:30
I'll just open this up.
11:32
It's been a long time since
I've used one of these.
11:35
I'm not sure I can still do it.
11:37
It's pretty simple.
11:39
I'll just press the play button.
11:49
I mean, even with CD players,
they've always had a remote control.
11:53
So you never really touch the player,
11:55
except when you were
putting the disc in, or taking it out.
11:58
So yeah, it's a much more
tactile experience.
12:01
I understand that.
12:04
I think that young people enjoy
using devices they interact with
12:09
because they're different from
using the screen on a smartphone.
12:14
I think they're embracing old gadgets
as a reaction to the modern age.
12:20
And it's not just young people.
12:23
People like us are smartphone users too,
12:26
and a machine like this generates
a strong sense of engagement.
12:31
That tactile appeal is a crucial element
of Showa nostalgia, I would say.
12:39
Another extremely important aspect
is the visual design.
12:45
These products are
always so fun to look at.
12:48
This radio-cassette player is bright red.
12:51
Showa-era products often have bold colors.
12:54
They're full of personality.
12:57
Creative design flourished
during the Showa era.
13:04
This shop specializes
in products from the '60s and '70s.
13:09
It stocks a range of colorful items.
13:15
Back then, a great variety of
products were made in bright, vivid tones.
13:23
Glasses with floral designs
were very popular,
13:26
and the surge of nostalgia
for the Showa era
13:29
inspired companies
to start making them again.
13:35
Young people enjoy sharing photos
of them on social media.
13:42
Floral patterns are
a classic element of Showa design.
13:46
Products bearing floral motifs were
especially common in the kitchen,
13:50
and on the dining table.
13:56
This trend is thought to have originated
with vacuum flasks, like this one.
14:05
Previously, most vacuum flasks
were in plain colors.
14:10
But this one with a floral motif,
was a hit when it was released in 1967.
14:16
The designer came up with
the idea after seeing bouquets of flowers
14:19
on Western dining tables.
14:25
The motif itself was based
on kimono designs,
14:28
and so to Japanese consumers
it seemed familiar.
14:36
With a bouquet, you arrange various types
of flowers in a roughly circular shape.
14:43
Back then, that style
of decoration didn't exist in Japan.
14:48
I thought that
products with a bouquet-style pattern
14:51
could generate a really positive feel.
14:56
Floral patterns were used
in more and more products,
15:00
brightening the kitchens and
dining tables of the Showa era.
15:10
Why did people like those flower
designs so much, do you think?
15:15
First of all, people were
enjoying a higher quality of life,
15:19
and so they were able to
think more about how things looked.
15:23
It was a golden age for that.
15:26
And I think a big reason
behind the popularity of floral motifs
15:30
was the Westernization of dining habits.
15:34
People ate less rice, and more bread.
15:38
They started enjoying more Western foods.
15:41
Previously, almost everyone
ate at a low table,
15:44
but dining tables with chairs
started to replace them.
15:48
Not everyone made the change, but the
ratio started moving in that direction.
15:53
And as that happened,
15:54
Japanese started to see a dining table
as a bright and cheerful space.
16:02
Products with floral motifs were
a perfect match for that outlook.
16:07
It was almost like decorating
the table with real flowers.
16:11
So now we're seeing those
Showa period designs coming back again,
16:16
after quite a long time.
16:18
Modern goods tend to have
simple yet elegant designs.
16:23
Showa items on the other hand feature
bright colors, and elaborate shapes.
16:30
In a way, they're over the top.
16:33
But that's become their strength.
16:35
Showa products feature
an insistent, bold appearance
16:39
that modern Japanese
actually find really appealing.
16:44
That's my take on it.
16:53
The extravagant and colorful energy
of the Showa era
16:56
was also visible in architecture.
17:02
This is the Nakagin Capsule Tower.
17:04
It's an apartment complex
made up of separate capsules.
17:08
When it was completed in 1972,
17:11
it was the world's first capsule-style
building that was actually used.
17:20
Each capsule covers an area
of about ten square meters.
17:25
It contains a distinctive circular window.
17:28
A cupboard unit with a built-in TV…
17:32
and a prefabricated bathroom.
17:36
At the time, bathrooms
like this were still quite rare.
17:42
It feels a little like being
on board a spaceship.
17:50
The building's 140 capsules
were designed to be removable.
17:54
When they got too old,
they could be replaced with new ones.
18:02
The tower exemplifies a Japanese
architectural movement called Metabolism.
18:08
The idea is that the individual capsules
are like cells in a living organism.
18:14
If they're regularly replaced, then in
theory the building could exist forever.
18:21
The tower was designed by a
world-renowned architect, Kurokawa Kisho.
18:40
At the time,
18:41
Japan's population was growing
and its cities were expanding to match.
18:47
New buildings needed to have the
flexibility to deal with changing conditions.
18:55
The Nakagin Capsule Tower
was seen as a perfect solution
18:59
for the problems of its time—
a blueprint for the future.
19:06
But in the 50 years
after its construction,
19:09
not a single capsule was replaced.
19:16
It fell into disrepair, and
a decision was made to demolish it.
19:24
A campaign to enable
the building's DNA to live on
19:27
is being led by a former resident:
Maeda Tatsuyuki.
19:34
According to the “Metabolism”
concept that Kurokawa developed,
19:38
buildings should evolve to
suit the changing needs of the times.
19:43
That was the idea.
19:46
So although the Nakagin Capsule
Tower will disappear,
19:51
I think the capsules themselves
should be preserved.
19:56
They could be displayed in art galleries
and museums, or people could stay in them.
20:02
I think that reusing the capsules would
be a way of honoring the original concept.
20:13
Perhaps the capsules will
indeed live on in some form,
20:17
and inspire the architecture
of the future.
20:29
Another valuable piece of
Showa heritage is this style of cafe.
20:33
These, too, are being enjoyed
by a new generation.
20:39
When I first came to Japan,
this was pretty much all you saw.
20:43
They didn't have any of
the chains back in those days.
20:46
Showa cafes would serve green melon soda,
and actually that's still common,
20:52
but flavors like lemon and
strawberry were available, too.
20:57
And back in those days, spaghetti…you
could only usually get two types.
21:00
There was this one, Napolitan,
21:02
and then there was Bolognese.
21:05
Yes.
21:07
It wasn't until the 1990s
that pasta dishes diversified.
21:13
In the window, it says, “Cafe Victoria.”
21:17
That font was really popular in the '50s.
21:22
When recreating that time period,
the lettering is very important.
21:26
Yeah, that's interesting actually.
21:28
Because fonts do change quite a lot
from period to period, don't they?
21:31
That does look very old fashioned now.
21:35
The cafe here was built especially
for this amusement park.
21:40
But genuine Showa-era cafes
haven't completely vanished.
21:45
They do still exist, here and there.
21:49
Young people enjoy going to them,
and taking pictures for social media.
21:55
That's been happening a lot
in the last three to four years.
22:01
The urban landscape in Japan
is constantly changing,
22:06
and older buildings tend to
get knocked down.
22:13
Traditional cafes,
22:15
which do so much to embody
the atmosphere of Showa times,
22:19
are becoming quite rare.
22:23
This one, in Ueno, Tokyo,
has been open for half a century.
22:27
It has a classic ceiling.
22:29
and a dazzling chandelier.
22:38
The phone here has a dial pad.
22:42
The interior has barely changed since
the 1970s, when the cafe first opened.
22:50
Recently, the number of younger customers
has increased dramatically.
23:16
For young Japanese, the classic menu
is a key part of the experience.
23:27
The cafe's recipe for Napolitan,
23:30
a ketchup-flavored spaghetti dish,
has never changed.
23:36
Young customers enjoy ordering
much-loved drinks and dishes
23:41
in an original Showa setting.
23:45
Chain cafes are just utilitarian.
23:48
You buy a coffee, spend a short time
drinking it, and then you leave.
23:55
But with traditional cafes,
you can really take your time.
24:00
The dishes and menus
are visually appealing.
24:04
The food smells good,
and of course it tastes great too.
24:09
These cafes are about more than
just eating and drinking.
24:13
And that added value is
an important part of their appeal.
24:19
It's weird, you know,
there's cafes everywhere now.
24:22
You take two steps
and there's another cafe.
24:25
And these old-fashioned Japanese-style
cafes…I just haven't seen them in so long.
24:31
Chain cafes all feel quite similar.
24:35
But each traditional cafe
has its own interior design.
24:40
They have an enjoyable individuality.
24:43
There's another important point.
24:46
Buildings and facilities that
showcase a Showa-era atmosphere
24:51
are gradually disappearing.
24:55
Cafes are just about the only place where
you can still experience that atmosphere.
25:01
So when young people feel like
enjoying that Showa ambience,
25:06
a traditional cafe is
usually where they go.
25:10
That's why those cafes are
undergoing something of a revival.
25:14
Walking around here today,
25:15
there's a lot of really young…
I mean, like, young teenagers.
25:18
Obviously, they have absolutely
no clue about the Showa period.
25:22
I was wondering why
they would find it of interest.
25:26
And then I suddenly thought,
wait a minute,
25:28
for example there's
Hayao Miyazaki's animation films,
25:32
which are, of course, enormously popular.
25:35
And those feature a lot
of Showa period stories.
25:41
Perhaps they have a sort of virtual
image of that in their brains already.
25:47
Yes, it's true that a lot of children's
anime and manga are set in the Showa era.
25:54
It gives those young people
a sense of what that time was like.
25:58
They can picture it in their heads.
26:01
Of course, they don't have any direct
experience, so these are vague images.
26:07
But they are there.
26:10
You could call it nothing more than
a fantasy, invented only in the mind.
26:16
But that allows people
the creative freedom
26:19
to build their own vision
of Showa-era Japan.
26:25
For example,
26:26
they might combine something from the '60s
with something from the '80s.
26:31
Or they might combine something Japanese
with something that existed abroad,
26:36
during the same time.
26:39
They'll take something fun,
or something cute,
26:42
and put those elements together
to make a brand-new version
26:45
of the Showa era that's all their own.
26:49
Is there something special
about that period, do you think?
26:53
Well, we can't stop the passage of time,
26:57
but in Japan, the Showa era
will always be the last period of history
27:01
before the arrival of the internet.
27:04
That won't change.
27:06
Of course, that's true not just
for Japan, but for everywhere.
27:11
But when you consider goods
with a strong material impact—
27:15
that culture reached
a peak in Showa-era Japan.
27:20
Back then we saw the ultimate
embodiment of that idea.
27:25
And I think there's real value in that.
27:28
Perhaps one day, people will no longer
feel any nostalgia towards Showa times.
27:34
But I do think that
an appreciation for Showa values,
27:37
such as tactile pleasure
and bold design, will persist.
27:43
I certainly hope they will persist.
27:47
Thank you very much.
27:49
Thank you very much.
