[3-choice quiz] Can you get them all? Showa Quiz

Last updated:2025/4/26

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

We’re in the Reiwa era in the 2020s, but what’s capturing the attention of many young people is Showa-era culture.

Under the label “Showa retro,” people are incorporating Showa-inspired culture and fashion, as well as items with a nostalgically Showa-like vibe, into their everyday lives.

In particular, it’s said that the digitally native generation admires the uniquely “analog” feel of the Showa period.

In this article, we present a variety of Showa-related topics in quiz format.

We also explain some fun bits of trivia, so whether you’re from the Showa generation or from a younger generation, be sure to check it out!

[3-choice quiz] Can you get them all? Showa Quiz (1–10)

When it comes to the three must-have home appliances of the Showa era, they were the black-and-white TV, the electric washing machine, and what was the third one?

electric refrigerator
electric rice cooker
fan

See the answer

electric refrigerator

In fact, among the three sacred treasures of the Showa era, the electric refrigerator was the one that spread somewhat more slowly than the other two. It’s said this was because electric refrigerators were expensive when first released, and because people could manage with everyday strategies—like buying ice from the ice seller to chill things, or avoiding purchasing perishable foods in amounts that would go to waste.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

In what year was the late-Showa era smash-hit item “Walkman” released?

1974
1979 (Showa 54)
Showa 58 (1983)

See the answer

1979 (Showa 54)

Released by Sony in 1979 (Showa 54), the Walkman stereo cassette player is a historic product that influenced the lifestyles of young people not only in Japan but around the world. Today, fueled in part by the boom in Showa-era retro culture, resale prices for the first-generation Walkman are reportedly soaring.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Who designed the Tower of the Sun, the symbol of Expo ’70 held in Osaka?

Tadanori Yokoo
Kenzo Tange
Taro Okamoto

See the answer

Taro Okamoto

Many people probably think of the Tower of the Sun when they hear about the Japan World Exposition held in Osaka to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the end of the war. Created by Taro Okamoto, the “explosive artist,” the Tower of the Sun truly served as the symbol of Expo ’70 in Osaka and is still beloved by many today.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

What is the title of Shintaro Ishihara’s novel, released in 1955, that spawned the buzzword “Sun Tribe”?

The Sun of Kurobe
Child of the Sun
Season of the Sun

See the answer

Season of the Sun

When Season of the Sun was published in the July issue of the literary magazine Bungakukai, Shintaro Ishihara was still in his early twenties. Its content was sensational for the time and sparked mixed reactions, but it went on to win the 34th Akutagawa Prize.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Which of these three theme parks that opened in the Showa era is the newest?

Seibuen Amusement Park
Tokyo Disneyland
Fuji-Q Highland

See the answer

Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland, which turned 40 in 2023, opened in 1983. Fuji-Q Highland opened in 1964 (Showa 39), and Seibuen Amusement Park, which was renovated in recent years, opened in 1950 (Showa 25), so they all have a very long history.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

What health device, released in 1978 (Showa 53), became a big hit?

hanging exercise machine
Styly
treadmill

See the answer

hanging exercise machine

The hanging exercise equipment—now being reevaluated for its benefits under names like pull-up machine and chin-up stand—might be used as a laundry rack at your parents’ house, but why not try doing pull-ups again for your health?

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

What is the nickname of the Shōwa-era great singer, Hibari Misora?

landlady (female proprietor/hostess of a traditional Japanese inn or restaurant)
boss lady
young lady

See the answer

young lady

When it comes to Hibari Misora, her nickname “Ojo” (young lady) is well known. It’s said that after she starred in the 1953 film Ojōsan Shachō (The Young Lady President), her mother and manager, Kato Kimie, began calling her “Ojo.”

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem