Hanni of NewJeans performs Matsuda Seiko's "Blue Coral Reef" during a fan meeting at Tokyo Dome. Captured from YouTube

"When I saw Hanni (NewJeans member) singing 'Blue Coral Reef,' it reminded me of Seiko Matsuda's performance at Haneda Airport. It's something the 40s and 50s generation can't help but react to."

Kanae Hagiwara (pseudonym), a housewife in her 40s living in Tokyo, shared how she naturally reminisced about Seiko Matsuda while discussing the K-pop girl group NewJeans with her friends.

NewJeans held a fan meeting at Tokyo Dome on June 26 and 27, drawing over 90,000 fans. Hanni's rendition of Matsuda's "Blue Coral Reef" stirred the audience, making a huge impact.

Known for being particularly quiet during performances, the Japanese audience sang along loudly to the chorus during Hanni's performance.

The reason for the strong reaction from the Japanese audience is that it evoked memories of the legendary 1980s Japanese singer Matsuda.

Many Japanese fans shared posts and videos on social media, expressing how it felt like returning to the 1980s. The performance Hagiwara referred to is when Matsuda, after an event in Sapporo, Hokkaido, on Aug. 14, 1980, hurriedly arrived at Haneda Airport in Tokyo and sang "Blue Coral Reef" on the runway.

This live broadcast performance, where she wore a fluttering light blue dress with a happy expression, remains one of Matsuda's iconic performances.

Hanni, appearing in a blue-striped white T-shirt, a long white skirt, and short bobbed hair, reminded the audience of Matsuda. Thanks to Hanni's performance, both younger and older generations in Japan shared a nostalgic moment.

Comments on X (formerly Twitter) included, "Best song choice," "Targeting uncle fans" and "The men around me went wild."

A comparison photo of NewJeans' Hanni, left, and 1980s Japanese pop star Matsuda Seiko shared by a Japanese X user / Captured from X

Nostalgia for Japan's golden era

The popularity of Hanni's performance is seen as a successful hit amid the retro trend. It invoked "Showa nostalgia," resonating with the older generation while appealing to the younger generation's retro culture, leading to a cross-generational celebration.

The Showa period's final years in the 1970s and 1980s, before the bubble economy burst, were Japan's golden era. Showa is the official calendar Japan used during the reign of its former Emperor Showa.

Japan flourished with economic power surpassing the United States, and its culture, including music, manga and broadcasting, set trends across Asia.

Megumi Ushikubo, a generational and trend critic, commented in the Asahi Shimbun's weekly magazine AERA, "The popularity of Hanni's 'Blue Coral Reef' performance lies in its charm of retro appeal and its expression of the Showa era's attractiveness that today's youth favor."

As Hanni's performance demonstrated, today's hit products in Japan are not digital but analog, driven by a growing desire for Showa nostalgia.

Fujifilm's instant camera, Instax, exemplifies this trend. The camera has become so popular that it's hard to find in stores around Tokyo, where they are often sold out.

These cameras and their films sell out immediately upon restocking, with some stores reserving them in advance.

An employee at a store of the Japanese electronics shop Bic Camera in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, said, "The products and films sell out as soon as they arrive. The display shelves have been empty for a while."

Instax is a must-have trend item for the Zalpha generation born from the mid-1990s to early 2010s. Launched in 1998, it sold a million units annually by 2002, enjoying popularity until the early 2000s. However, sales plummeted with the rise of digital cameras and smartphones.

Sold-out signs are posted for Fujifilm's Instax film cameras at the Japanese discount store Don Quijote's Tokyo Ginza store, July 14. Korea Times photo by Ryu Ho

Gen Zalpha, generation discovers analog charm

The Zalpha generation, who have never experienced film cameras, has revived interest in these products.

The trend of gifting instant-print photos is popular because it allows sharing special experiences with loved ones.

It's a new way of supporting idols, where fans take photos of their favorite group members and give them at fan meetings and signings. These photos also serve as fashion items, decorating phones or bags.

In 2018, Instax's annual sales reached 10 million units. Fujifilm's "Instax effect" led to record-breaking revenues for three consecutive years starting in 2021.

The resurgence of analog cameras has also been driven by an increasing number of people feeling digital fatigue. Instax's popularity has spread beyond Japan, with cumulative sales exceeding 80 million units by last year.

Other companies have joined the film camera trend. On July 12, Japanese office equipment and camera manufacturer Ricoh launched the Pentax 17 film camera, the company's first film camera in 21 years.

Suzuki Takeo, who planned the new product, told the Sankei Shimbun, "There are more people wanting to buy film cameras, but they have to buy second-hand. With new film cameras, customers can enjoy them with product warranties."

Mai Nagata, director of the marketing firm Shibuya109 Lab, explained to Jiji Press, "Young people are attracted to the uniqueness of analog experiences that are hard to find in digital."

She added, "While it's easy to view photos and videos on social media, analog requires hands-on experience, which they find attractive. They consider the 'inconvenience' of analog and retro culture as something special."

A wall inside a convenience store in Tokyo is filled with gashapon capsule toy vending machines on July 14. Korea Times photo by Ryu Ho

Retro strategy targets 30s to 50s demographic

The retro trend isn't limited to the younger generation. People in their 30s, 40s and 50s are also spending on nostalgic items. These generations, who spent their childhood during the Showa era, feel a strong sense of nostalgia for those times and have the purchasing power that the Zalpha generation lacks.

Professor Shin Seung-kyu from Aoyama Gakuin University said, "Unlike the younger generation that grew up during Japan's 'lost 30 years' (economic stagnation), the older generation experienced economic prosperity and cultural richness. Even now, the main consumer base in Japan is not the youth but the older generation. Companies need them to open their wallets to make money."

Collecting capsule toys, where you insert a coin and get a small toy in a plastic capsule, has become a popular new hobby for Japanese women. These machines offer characters from popular past childhood favorite animations like "Crayon Shin-chan," "Hello Kitty" and "Doraemon."

Yusuke Tsuzuki, a director of the Japan Capsule Toy Association, told the South China Morning Post, "The main customers of capsule toys have shifted from children to adult women over the past decade due to the declining child population."

Capsule toy machines, once found in neighborhood stationery stores or supermarket corners, are now in specialty stores or large shopping centers as the customer base has shifted to adults.

Men in their 30s to 50s are also part of the retro consumption trend. Old game consoles that were popular in the past are regaining popularity among this demographic. Nintendo's "Family Computer" (Famicom), released in 1983, is a prime example, with 62 million units sold and becoming a must-have item for boys.

After being discontinued in 2003, second-hand trading became active. A representative from Book Off, a second-hand book and game store, told the Yomiuri Shimbun, "Sales of Famicom-related products last year were seven times that of 2020, with the main customers being men in their 40s and 50s."

Shin explained, "Japan has a culture that longs for the Showa and bubble eras. Companies are trying to tap into the purchasing power of those who harbor such sentiments."

Flags bearing NewJeans members' portraits flutter in front of Tokyo Dome ahead of their concert and fan meeting, June 27. Yonhap

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.