Shōwa nostalgia - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Showa retro) Nostalgia for the Shōwa era

Shōwa nostalgia (Japanese: 昭和ノスタルジア) includes nostalgia for certain aspects of the postwar Shōwa era. Shōwa retro (昭和レトロ) is retro related to the Shōwa era. The Shōwa retro boom (昭和レトロブーム) includes increased popularity and sales of Shōwa retro goods and services. (The expression also loosely includes increased popularity of some things from the early part of the Heisei era). The beginnings of periods of increased nostalgia have been dated to 1974, 1986, 2005, 2012 and 2017.

Overview

As of 2017, three quarters of the Japanese population were born in the Shōwa era. By 2004, the expression "the good old Shōwa days" (古き良き昭和, furuki yoki Shōwa) was in use.

Neo Shōwa (ネオ昭和) is a fusion of the culture of the past Shōwa and current Reiwa eras.

Enthusiasm for Shōwa retro is not confined to Japan or to Japanese people. As of 2024, there is a Shōwa retro boom in Thailand, where people are enthusiastic about Shōwa era anime.

Film and television

Manifestations of Shōwa nostalgia include television programmes about the Shōwa era, such as Takeda Tetsuya no Shōwa wa kagayaiteita, broadcast from 2013 onwards.

It has been said that the film Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005) caused a period of increased Shōwa nostalgia. From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) is nostalgic about 1963 Japan. The director said that he was nostalgic about late 1950s to early 1960s Japan. Other Shōwa nostalgia films include Hula Girls (2006) and Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (2007).

Television programmes made in the Shōwa era, before self-imposed restrictions by the industry, are popular with young people. Extremely Inappropriate! (2024) satirizes the excessive safety of Reiwa era television by contrasting it with Shōwa era television. As of 2023, Takeshi's Castle (1986 to 1990) is popular with young people and got a new season on Amazon Prime Video.

Music

It has been said that the resurgence of city pop began with nostalgic crate digging by Japanese DJs at the end of the 20th century. It has been said that the city pop boom was the beginning of a period of increased interest in Shōwa retro. Older people are nostalgic about the songs "Mayonaka no Door" (1979) and "Plastic Love" (1984). It has been said that the interest of young people in Shōwa retro came to public attention around 2017 when, amongst other things, a dance that uses the song "Dancing Hero (Eat You Up)" (1985) became popular. As of 2024, there is nostalgia for the artists Meiko Nakahara and Saki Kubota, who created songs in the new music genre in the 1980s. It has been said there is a "Shōwa song boom" (昭和歌謡ブーム) and that Shōwa era kayōkyoku songs have become popular among young people. Episodes of The Best Ten have been rebroadcast in Japan and the Shōwa era music of Akina Nakamori and Seiko Matsuda, and others, has become popular in South Korea. The 2023 music video for ClariS' cover version of "Samishii Nettaigyo" (1989) is an homage to Wink, the original artists. A performance in Tokyo in 2024 of a cover version of "Aoi Sangosho [ja]" (1980) by Korean band NewJeans went viral in South Korea and Japan. As of 2023, the song "Gakuen Tengoku" (1974) was popular on TikTok. There have been karaoke rankings and opinion polls on people's favourite Shōwa era songs. It has been said that the popularity of 1980s female idols with young people is partly attributable to the appearance of Kyoko Koizumi and Hiroko Yakushimaru in Amachan (2013).

Manga

It has been said that the publication of Sunset on Third Street in 1974 caused a period of increased nostalgia.

Video games

Shōwa retro includes handheld versions of arcade games such as Pac-Man (1980) and Galaga (1981).

Toys

Adults are expressing Shōwa nostalgia by collecting capsule toys. There is nostalgia for Shōwa era toys, and the Shibamata toy museum (Japanese: 柴又のおもちゃ博物館) in Shibamata has a collection of them.

Miniatures

There are Shōwa retro miniatures, such as the Shōwa series (Japanese: ザ・昭和シリーズ) of miniature replicas of Shōwa era electrical appliances.

Sport

The Oriental Witches volleyball team were featured in NHK Shōwa nostalgia television programmes.

Fashion

Shōwa retro includes the revival of Shōwa era fashions such as the taiyozoku clothing style. There are Shōwa retro sneakers, and there are shops for clothing produced in the Shōwa era.

Food and drink

Manifestations of Shōwa retro include the revival of kissaten and tableware with floral patterns, and the consumption of dagashi and ice cream soda (クリームソーダ). McDonald's Japan produced the "Kissa Mac" range of food in 2023.

Shopping

There are Shōwa retro shōtengai (shopping streets). The Sagamihara Vending Machine Park consists of retro vending machines from the Shōwa era.

Analogue technology

Manifestations of Shōwa retro include the revival of disposable cameras, such as the Fujicolor Utsurundesu (写ルンです; 1986), and cassette tapes, and vinyl records.

Cars

The Mitsuoka M55 is a Shōwa retro car from Mitsuoka. There are collectors of Shōwa era cars.

Second-hand goods

As of 2023, the value of some second-hand Shōwa retro goods produced in the Shōwa era had doubled. Shōwa era retro goods have become popular as Christmas gifts.