A roundup of nostalgic Showa-era home appliances, including rare ones you don’t see anymore!
Showa-era home appliances are full of warmth and personality that are completely different from modern conveniences.
From rotary-dial black telephones and wood-grain cathode-ray tube TVs to refrigerators that required you to make ice manually, these were products you grew attached to precisely because they took a bit of extra effort to use.
In this article, we’ll showcase a wide array of nostalgic Showa appliances.
From staple models that supported daily life back then to products with surprisingly unusual ideas when viewed today, we’ll present a rich roundup of Showa-era gadgets brimming with nostalgia and discovery.
A roundup of nostalgic Showa-era home appliances, including rare ones you don’t see anymore! (1–10)
calculator
An essential for office work and household budgeting: the calculator! Some people might think calculators haven’t changed much from their initial release to today.
In fact, there are various types tailored to different uses to make them easier for users—such as ten-key calculators, calculators for learning mathematics, office calculators, and financial calculators.
It’s interesting to look at the differences among them, isn’t it? The world’s first calculator was apparently released in 1963.
For those who often use calculators at work or at home, we hope you’ll choose one that suits your needs.
futon dryer
Your ally in winter! Let’s introduce the futon dryer.
Futon dryers are handy on days when sun-drying is difficult and as a measure against dust mites.
In winter, some people like to switch on the futon dryer before bed and slip into a warm futon.
The first domestically produced futon dryer was reportedly released in 1977.
Even today, futon dryers continue to evolve, now featuring functions like timers and deodorization.
There are also models with stylish designs, so if you’re interested, be sure to check them out.
electric rice cooker
Nostalgic home appliances! Let me introduce the electric jar rice cooker.
Some households may still be using it today.
Released in 1972, the electric jar made a splash as a groundbreaking appliance that integrated the cooking and keep-warm functions of an electric rice cooker into a single unit.
It eliminated the hassle of transferring freshly cooked rice to a separate warming jar, which likely contributed to its popularity by reducing household chores.
While modern rice cookers have evolved in form, I believe there are still quite a few people who use electric jars to cook rice even now.
Products that can be cherished and used for a long time are truly wonderful.
microwave oven
Now an essential part of daily life! Let us introduce the microwave oven.
Today’s microwaves come in many varieties to suit different forms and uses, such as models with oven functions, steam functions, and even cordless types you can use outdoors.
On social media and in the media, you’ll also see easy recipes that can be made entirely in the microwave.
In Japan, the first domestically produced microwave was developed in 1961 for commercial use.
By 1965, a household microwave was released, and it remains one of the home appliances that continues to evolve today.
Walkman
Bringing music closer to you! Introducing the Walkman.
A Walkman refers to a portable digital audio player.
These days, the mainstream style is to install a music app on your smartphone and listen with earphones.
This time, let’s focus on the Walkman.
Released by Sony in 1979, the Walkman spread and evolved from a style of carrying cassette tapes to enjoy music, to formats like CDs, MiniDiscs, and memory cards.
It’s no exaggeration to say it created a culture of enjoying music casually while on the go.
color TV
From black-and-white to color! Introducing the color television.
Does anyone remember what year we transitioned from black-and-white TVs to color? Sharp released a black-and-white TV in 1953 (Showa 28), and color television was adopted in Japan in 1960.
From around 1968 into the 1970s, various companies rolled out their color TV models, and they gradually became common in households.
Just imagining the excitement of seeing images that were once in black and white suddenly come to life in color makes your heart race, doesn’t it?
black-and-white TV
A wonderful home appliance that delivers moving pictures! Presenting the black-and-white television.
When we think of TVs today, slim models with high resolution and large screens come to mind.
But when televisions first came out, they were black-and-white and quite bulky.
In 1953 (Showa 28), Sharp released a black-and-white TV, and television broadcasting began.
It seems that TVs gradually spread into households during the Showa 30s (the late 1950s to 1960s).
The excitement of those who saw a black-and-white television for the first time must have been incredible.