May 10, 2023

"Retro boom," which Reevaluates the Appeal of Analog Products, is Now Spreading around the World

Japan is truly a modern-day "Zipangu," the land of gold, where treasure-trove sleeps, with abundant second-hand goods, including hit products and rarities from the 1980s and 1990s, when Japanese products dominated the World. More and more people are visiting Japan for shopping.

While the way it enjoys music is shifting from CDs to distribution services, the value of "owning" and the unique analog sound quality are gaining an evaluation, and the vinyl record boom is rekindling around the World.

Film cameras are also retro treasures. Film cameras became popular around the World after social networking influencers posted a series of photos. For young people accustomed to high-resolution cameras such as smartphones, the unique feel of the film is fresh. Well-selling is a film camera from the 1980s and 1990s.

The "Contax T" series is top-rated, which Kyocera began selling in the 1980s and took the World by storm as high-end compact cameras. For example, the product became very popular after being introduced by world-famous model Kendall Jenner. The price was several tens of thousands of yen before COVID-19 and has soared from 100,000 to 200,000 yen. These days, more and more visitors to Japan are looking to buy not only film cameras but also digital cameras with low resolution from the early 2000s.

The well-stocked "retro games" are also a drool-worthy draw for visitors to Japan. Game cartridges such as "Famicom" and "Game Boy" released in the 1980s and 1990s were very popular, as were the "Super Mario" and "Final Fantasy" series. Some software that cost a few hundred dollars before COVID-19 has more than doubled in price.

The 1980s and 1990s, highlighted by the retro boom, were when stylish Japanese home appliances and electronic devices equipped with the latest technology and trends dominated the global market. Japanese people also boasted purchasing power both at home and abroad. Japan's charms are rediscovered by the retro second-hand goods booming from inbound tourism consumption.