Some things never change, even when they do.

It’s often been said that the Internet just isn’t what it used to be. The days of signing a guestbook for a quirky niche hobbyist webpage on Geocities has given way to a sandstorm of obtrusive ads, endless questions about cookies, two-factor authorizations, and having to prove you’re not a robot several times a day.

But there is one place where the magic of the early World Wide Web is still alive, and it is the official website of major Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe. As the legend goes, it was originally a fan-made site in the ’90s, which was so good it was picked up by Abe’s agency and used as his official site, likely sometime in the late ’90s. Very little has changed about it since then except the information which is regularly updated with the actor’s latest projects.

Because of that, opening up the site instantly transports you back to the Internet of the ’90s, and I mean “instantly” in the truest sense of the word. No matter what computer or device you’re using, you can’t help feeling in awe at the blazingly fast speed at which all the pages load. It is true Internet joy in its purest form.

As a result, the website has become a legend in Japan as a symbol of what the Internet was and should still be: fast, clean, and fun. Its extreme speed and lightness also makes it great to experiment with, much in the way people like to run Doom on all kinds of machines, and some in Japan challenge themselves by making Hiroshi Abe’s website appear on unlikely screens.

▼ Hiroshi Abe’s page on a copy machine

I also highly recommend bookmarking the site too, because there are times where I can’t tell if my Internet is completely cut off or just being throttled. In cases like that, the Hiroshi Abe website will load under even the most throttled connections and let you know right away what your connectivity situation is, while also checking if he has any new films on the way.

Abe has been asked about why it’s been kept this way, and he says it was originally made by a fan, so he wants to respect their creation, and especially now that it has this legendary status, he wisely sees no point in changing it.

However, it was recently learned that as a result of changes in the system website’s host, Nifty, the Hiroshi Abe website will be converted to https encryption sometime before June 2026. For most, this won’t change much, but it will make the website inaccessible to old computers and devices that aren’t compatible with https. But as I mentioned before, the site is an excellent way to check connectivity, so people who like to work with retro gear will not be able to use this retro site as easily, which is kinda sad.

Others online seemed OK with the switch though, and even applauded the increased security https would bring, just as long as the content doesn’t change.

“Another part of our culture coming to an end… But it’s for security, so it can’t be helped.”
“You shouldn’t be using a browser that can’t communicate over https.”
“We need to protect it like the cultural heritage it is.”
“With better security, fans can browse the site with peace of mind.”
“It’s a little sad I can’t connect on my retro PC.”
“Thanks for everything, Hiroshi Abe’s homepage…”

That last comment may have been a little too gloomy. The website itself will still be around and have the same ’90s warmth it always had. The only difference is that it won’t be quite as universally accessible as it was before to those really into working with old machines.

▼ No more free rides for this Macintosh SE/30.

It’s kind of a bummer, but at least we can still bask in a living relic of online life.

Source: Hiroshi Abe, Smart Flash, My Game News Flash
Featured image: ©SoraNews24
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