Shōwa nostalgia

Shōwa nostalgia^[1] (Japanese: 昭和ノスタルジア)^[2] includes nostalgia for certain aspects of the postwar Shōwa era.^[1][3][4][5] Shōwa retro (Japanese: 昭和レトロ) is retro related to the Shōwa era. The Shōwa Retro Boom (Japanese: 昭和レトロブーム) includes increased popularity and sales of Shōwa retro goods and services.^[6] (The expression also loosely includes increased popularity of some things from the early part of the Heisei era).^[7] The beginnings of periods of increased nostalgia have been dated to 1974,^[7] 1986,^[8] 2005,^[7] 2012^[9] and 2017.^[7]

Manifestations of Shōwa nostalgia include television programmes about the Shōwa era, such as Takeda Tetsuya no Shōwa wa kagayaiteita,^[10] broadcast from 2013 onwards.

It has been said that the film Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005) caused a period of increased Shōwa nostalgia.^[2][7][11] From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) is nostalgic about 1963 Japan.^[12][13] The director said that he was nostalgic about late 1950s to early 1960s Japan.^[14]

It has been said that the city pop boom began with nostalgic crate digging by Japanese DJs at the end of the 20th century.^[15][16] It has been said that the city pop boom was the beginning of a period of increased interest in Shōwa retro.^[17] Older people are nostalgic about the songs Mayonaka no Door (1979) and Plastic Love (1984).^[18] 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^[7] that uses the song Dancing Hero (Eat You Up) (1985)^[19] became popular.^[7] As of 2024, there is nostalgia for Meiko Nakahara and Saki Kubota as artists in the new music genre in the 1980s.^[18][20] It has been said there is a "Shōwa Kayo Boom" (Japanese: 昭和歌謡ブーム)^[21] and that Shōwa era kayōkyoku songs have become popular among young people.^[22][23][24] Episodes of the The Best Ten have been rebroadcast in Japan^[22] and the Shōwa era music of Akina Nakamori and Seiko Matsuda,^[25] and others,^[26] has become popular in South Korea.^[25] The 2023 music video for ClariS' cover version of Samishii Nettaigyo is a homage to Wink.^[27][28]

It has been said that the publication of Sunset on Third Street in 1974 caused a period of increased nostalgia.^[7]

Shōwa retro includes the revival of Shōwa era fashions such as the taiyozoku clothing style.^[29] There are Shōwa retro sneakers.^[30] There are shops for clothing produced in the Shōwa era.^[31]

Manifestations of Shōwa retro include the revival of kissatens^[32][33][3] and tableware with floral patterns,^[9][34][35] and the consumption of dagashi^[3] and ice cream soda (kuriimu sōda).^[9] McDonald's Japan produced the "Kissa Mac" range of food in 2023.^[36]

There are Shōwa retro shōtengai (shopping streets).^{[37][38][1][3][39]} The Sagamihara Vending Machine Park consists of retro vending machines from the Shōwa era.^[40][41][5]

Manifestations of Shōwa retro include the revival of disposable cameras, such as the Fujicolor Utsurundesu (1986),^[42][43][6] and cassette tapes.^[7][44]

The Mitsuoka M55 is a Shōwa retro car from Mitsuoka.^[45][46][47] There are collectors of Shōwa era cars.^[48]

As of 2023, the value of some second hand Shōwa retro goods produced in the Shōwa era had doubled.^[49] Showa era retro goods have become popular as Christmas gifts.^[50]

There is a Shōwa retro museum in Ōme, Tokyo (Shōwaretoro shōhin hakubutsukan).^[51] There are Shōwa retro exhibits at the Retorosupēsu-zaka kaikan in Nishi-ku, Sapporo^[52] and at the Shōwa Era Lifestyle Museum in Kitanagoya.^[53]

• Katsuyuki Hidaka (日高勝之). 昭和ノスタルジアとは何か――記憶とラディカル・デモクラシーのメディア学. 世界思想社 (Sekai Shisosha). 2014. Excerpts. NDL.
• Kohei Takano. 昭和ノスタルジー解体 「懐かしさ」はどう作られたのか. 晶文社 (Shobunsha). 2018. Excerpts. Review.
• 世は「昭和レトロブーム」だなんて　湯浅博. Sankei Shimbun. 4/8/2023.
• 「昭和レトロ」が新しい　非日常感、若者ひき付ける. The Nikkei. 20 April 2021.
• 若者なぜ昭和レトロ. The Nikkei.
  • 〝大人の遊び場〟に魅了　「逆に新しい」. The Nikkei. 19 December 2021.
  • アナログ感満載の個性　温かみに新鮮さ. The Nikkei. 19 December 2021.
• 貯金箱は「眺める」モノへ　レトロ人気で落札価格2倍. The Nikkei. 20 September 2023.
• ＜昭和レトロ探訪＞　（１）　名古屋の「広小路キッチンマツヤ」. Chunichi Shimbun. 30 April 2023.