The official portrait of Suzuki Zenko, who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 1980-1982. Source: 首相官邸ホームページ, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A photo from Andrews Air Force Base of Nakasone Yasuhiro, who served as Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the LDP from 1982-1997. His premiership oversaw the privatization of the national railway system. Source: Public Domain
The official portrait of Takeshita Noboru, who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the LDP from 1987-1989. Source: 首相官邸ホームページ, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A portrait of G7 leaders, including Nakasone Yasuhiro (far right), at the signing of the Plaza Accords, which was intended to depreciate the international value of the US Dollar to balance trade deficits worldwide. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plaza_Accord_1985.jpg
A map which shows the various companies that now operate the privatized rail system throughout Japan. “JR” stands for “Japanese Rail.” Source: Vladsinger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A chart displaying the change in average property prices in Japan from 1956 to 2022. If we focus on the 1980s, we can see spiking after 1986, followed by an inversion in 1992 which represents the collapse of the asset price bubble which previously inflated values. Source: Public Domain
A photo from 2023 of Studio Ghibli’s headquarters building in western Tokyo. The animation studio made some of the most enduring and iconic films in the history of Japanese animation and continues to produce acclaimed animated films to this day. Source: Akonnchiroll, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A photo of Miyazaki Hayao, who co-founded Studio Ghibli and remains one of its best-known leaders. Source: Natasha Baucas, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Donkey Kong Game & Watch console, released in 1981, featured an innovative clamshell design and a four-directional control referred to now as a “D Pad,” which would become incredibly influential in future home gaming. Source: Rogerdahl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Nintendo “Family Computer” home gaming system, better known as the “Famicom” was released in 1983. This 8-bit gaming system featured two attached D-pad game controllers and a cartridge system for swapping games. Source: Public Domain
The Nintendo Entertainment System was electronically nearly identical to the Famicom system, but featured a VCR-like insertion interface and a more muted, minimalist color scheme. Its release in 1985 led to Nintendo dominating the video game market for decades to come. Source: Public Domain
The Sega Corporation released the “Master System” in late 1985 in hopes of outselling Nintendo’s console but Sega’s more limited catalog was often a deciding factor among gaming enthusiasts. Source: Public Domain
The cover of a collected edition of Usagi Yohimbo comics. The rabbit samurai’s adventures in an Edo Period Japan populated by anthropomorphized animals originally hit comic shelves in 1984 and remains popular today. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Usagi_Yojimbo_The_Ronin.jpg
The cover of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book, which was released in 1984. The originally satirical idea has become a franchise in its own right and continues to spawn films, cartoons, and toy figurines today. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tmnt1cover.jpg
