
Recently, our Japanese reporter Yoshio visited his parents’ house and decided to finally take a stab at tidying up his childhood room, which had been left untouched ever since he moved out. In the process, he was surprised to find many lost relics and treasures from his childhood, and became caught up in a wave of nostalgia for several hours. Needless to say, he didn’t get much cleaning done in the end…
If you’re the nostalgic type, perhaps you’d like to take a peek at the treasures that Yoshio dug up, some from over 20 years ago!
New York Times Square postcard
“This postcard is from sometime in the 1990s. You should take a look at the billboard advertisements in the background–there’s one for Suntory, and right above it is an ad for Samsung. Super nostalgic!”
MiniDiscs
“MDs truly revolutionized the development of portable music. I wonder what kids nowadays would say if they saw one of these?”
Sakura Bank bankbook
“Sakura Bank was one of the predecessors of Mitsui Sumitomo Banking Corporation. Now that I really think about it, Sakura Bank has a pleasant, Japanese-sounding name…”
J-PHONE cellular phone
“I was curious to see what pictures were saved in the phone. I tried charging it, but it didn’t turn on.”
Tons of collectible cards
“I found a variety of cards from shows like Downtown no Gottsu Ee Kanji [a Japanese variety show from the mid-90s] and packages of J-League Chips. Kids in those days loved getting the freebie cards that came bundled with certain snacks.”
“Your life will change [GOOD LUCK]” CD
“I can’t remember when or where this CD came from. Apparently, it’s supposed to have a subliminal effect on your mind when you listen to it, and get rid of any stress you have.”
NBA basketball cards
“I collected these cards in middle school. They were sold in packs, and I spent all of my New Year’s money on buying them. I’ve got thousands of cards lying in storage here.”
Tons of old games
“Here are Dragon Quest III and Game Boy Basketball. In any case, Dragon Quest III was a masterpiece. My games are still in really good condition.”
Voice clock
“I assembled this voice clock in my middle school drawing and manual arts class. I recall that using the soldering iron was a terrible hassle. What kinds of things do you remember making in your classes?”
Mr. Children [a Japanese pop rock band that’s now been around for over 25 years] CD single
“I listened to this song a lot when I got really bad test grades. It’s really nostalgic for me. However, when I opened the case, Mr. Children’s ‘Es’ CD single was inside. Where did ‘Everything (It’s You)’ go?”
Here are some more close-ups of some of the loot that he found:
Yoshio was born in 1981, so that makes him 34 years old today. Did any of our readers in their mid-30s or above feel particularly nostalgic? By the way, Yoshio still hasn’t finished cleaning his room yet, so we might be back for a second round of his treasures!
All images © RocketNews24






















Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make
Pikachu to cuddle with kimono-clad beauty on Tokyo street as part of flower art event
Kinotake Mother AI developed to study Japan’s divide between chocolate cookie snacks
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make
Pikachu to cuddle with kimono-clad beauty on Tokyo street as part of flower art event
Kinotake Mother AI developed to study Japan’s divide between chocolate cookie snacks
Starbucks Japan reveals second sakura cherry blossom drinkware range for 2020
Sanrio’s best-loved butthole defies physics in adorable sumo collaboration[Photos]
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
What do you eat when you catch a cold? We asked 11 of our Japanese reporters
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals second sakura cherry blossom drinkware range for 2020
Sanrio’s best-loved butthole defies physics in adorable sumo collaboration[Photos]
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
What do you eat when you catch a cold? We asked 11 of our Japanese reporters
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Sexy Japanese actress strokes turtle head in tourism promotion video drawing complaints【Video】
Adult Cream Pie coming to McDonald’s Japan
We try a $10 Japanese grape from a bunch that retails for over $400 【Taste Test】
Make a Burger King Whopper at home with new CooKING Burger @Home delivery set
20 things to buy at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo store
Beautiful Japanese actress’ mediocre ball-on-a-stick skills have Internet crushing hard【Video】
Plain, protein, and yakisoba…there’s a takoyaki for all at this specialty shop in Tokyo
Nier Automata’s creator is confused by Square Enix’s new fan art guidelines