THE TOKYODROP EDITORIAL

RETRO CULTURE

Stories and little discoveries from our RETRO CULTURE collection.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi cats illustrated as the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print

Kuniyoshi’s Cats Were Making Jokes Long Before the Internet

Cats that spell fish, dress as actors and turn the Tōkaidō road into one long joke. A closer look at the mischievous cat prints of Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

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Nostalgic Sanrio character-inspired keepsakes and stationery arranged on a warmly lit collector's desk

Sanrio Beyond Hello Kitty: The Characters Worth Rediscovering

Remember that rainbow-eared rabbit or the two little baking bunnies? Rediscover five Sanrio characters, their surprising stories and where to find their...

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Heisei retro still life: a pink flip phone, purikura photo stickers and an open decorated scrapbook

Heisei Retro: The Japan of Flip Phones, Stickers and Too Many Charms

Before you could post a memory, you had to find somewhere to stick it. Step inside Japan’s Heisei years of decorated flip phones, purikura booths, overf...

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Showa retro-inspired Japanese cafe still life with green cream soda, character toys, a vintage radio and a cassette

Showa Retro: Nostalgia for a Japan You Never Knew

Cream soda, soft-vinyl monsters and cassette tapes. Why does Showa retro feel nostalgic, even to people who never lived through the era?

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