
The Osaka area’s Kansai Electric Power Company, also known as KEPCO, has recently released a new commercial that’s a nostalgia-inducing picture-walk through the last 65 years of life in Japan.
This April marks a historic moment for Japan, as the electricity market has been deregulated, opening the market to more competition and, hopefully, lower prices. With this in mind, and in celebration of its 65th anniversary, Kansai Electric Power Company is taking the opportunity to celebrate its long history.
The result? Smile, a commercial that will undoubtedly bring a smile to your face.
The commercial uses a series of photos of families and kids to look back in time, starting with 2016 and moving backward. Every photo highlights some piece of electrical device or achievement that was the hit of the year.
▼ A lot has changed in the cell phone world since 2008.
▼ Where would Japan be today with their prized karaoke machines?
▼ Skipping a couple of decades, we’re drawn to this one for obvious reasons…
▼ What fun that must’ve been…
▼ Can you imagine a time when this simple TV was the cutting-edge of technology?
▼ The dawn of the washing machine
▼ Celebrating 65 years of KEPCO!
These are just a sampling of the different stages of our electrical history, so be sure to watch the whole video to get the whole picture. Just imagine how the world will be using electricity in another 65 years!
Sources: Japaaan Magazine, Forbes
Images: YouTube/関西電力株式会社








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