Retrolicious

November 10, 2004 1:49 PM

The Japanese Product Design Database features old product designs from the 60's on. Stuff like Sony's Portable Record Player (1982) and Suzuki's 360cc Micro Sportscar (1971). (via)
posted by Ufez Jones (24 comments total)

This is a great find, thanks for this.
posted by btwillig at 2:03 PM on November 10, 2004

Wow, it's like a 1978 version of gizmodo. That portable record player looks fantastic.
posted by mathowie at 2:03 PM on November 10, 2004

amazing, thanks Ufez
posted by matteo at 2:09 PM on November 10, 2004

NATIONAL POPMECA! (Thanks Ufez Jones!)
posted by carter at 2:19 PM on November 10, 2004

[awesome]
posted by chrid at 2:20 PM on November 10, 2004

Zat shit is hyyyyype, Merci. I loves the set dressing in the display ads, including the mini-can of bud, the two superman novelizations and the astrology book. Japanese marketers understand me.
posted by Divine_Wino at 2:26 PM on November 10, 2004

Nice find. Someday, we and all of our works will look just as ridiculously out-of-time as this family, out for a drive in their "new highway car, Compagno Wagon".
posted by vorfeed at 2:30 PM on November 10, 2004

Nice! Bravo!
posted by Dick Paris at 2:36 PM on November 10, 2004

I so want one.
posted by jpoulos at 2:37 PM on November 10, 2004

Action machine indeed!

On preview. Me too, jp.
posted by Dick Paris at 2:39 PM on November 10, 2004

gleepglop says [this is fucking awesome].
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:43 PM on November 10, 2004

dude. dude. DUDE!!!! the trunk bike is killer! and make sure you scroll down for:

1. leotarded lady using her shiny new trunk bike as a pineapple holder

and on that same page,

2. See popular 80s ska outfit Madness as they strike a pose in support of this fabulous new product. Wait, that pose has been struck before!
posted by glenwood at 3:04 PM on November 10, 2004

How awesome is this? I want one of those little Honda stowaway bikes! And love the Suzuki little sporter car.

Very cool stuff indeed!
posted by fenriq at 3:11 PM on November 10, 2004

[this is triple fucking awesome]

psst, Divine_Wino: that's an anthology book you're looking at.
posted by neckro23 at 3:38 PM on November 10, 2004

fantastic find!
posted by mr.marx at 3:50 PM on November 10, 2004

WTF is with all the white folk in those ads? I thought Japan was filled with... well, with Japanese.
posted by five fresh fish at 3:59 PM on November 10, 2004

fff, to sell to the round eye you must look like the round eye!
posted by fenriq at 4:23 PM on November 10, 2004

They're not selling to round-eyes, though: the ads are all written in Japanese. It just plain weirds me out that Japanese advertisers think that Japanese people want to be white. It weirds me out even more to think that the Japanese advertisers might not be incorrect.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:52 PM on November 10, 2004

I get the impression that much of the photography in these brochures was meant to be used in both Japan and America(/Europe/Canada), with the appropriate language text of course. Hence the Anglos.
posted by neckro23 at 6:16 PM on November 10, 2004

Forget the Suzuki, if you could find a good example of this Toyota Publica Convertible it would probably be gold now.
posted by George_Spiggott at 6:51 PM on November 10, 2004

Who watches the... oh, never mind.

Totally awesome site...
posted by bdave at 9:19 PM on November 10, 2004

I had complete technolust for this when I was a kid.

I'm such a geek.
posted by lowlife at 6:30 AM on November 11, 2004

Someday, we and all of our works will look just as ridiculously out-of-time as this family< ?i>

Holy shit! Someone warn that child that he is about to be abducted by those other strange people!
posted by terrapin at 6:41 AM on November 11, 2004

Sorry.
posted by terrapin at 6:42 AM on November 11, 2004