Located in a corner of central Tokyo, the Museum of Lost Media lives up to its name.
From Betacam videotapes to floppy disks and vintage Sony equipment, the museum is a showcase for vintage cameras and telecom equipment, including a 1916 Japanese-made “Lily” camera, its oldest exhibit.
Among the cluttered shelves of the three-room museum, visitors like 59-year-old Mika Matsuda can step back into the past and the equipment that was once in everyday use.
“It’s fascinating not only for generations unfamiliar with these objects, but also for those who lived through those times,” Matsuda said Saturday.
“Looking at these pieces I feel like I’m experiencing a flashback of our lives. It reminded me of how things were back then – I used to have so much fun,” she said.
Opened in January 2023, the museum was founded on the belief that all media except paper and stone will eventually “die,” explained museum deputy curator Barbara Asuka.
Donated items are mostly displayed for visitors to pick up, encouraging a full sensory experience, she added.
“There’s a lot of information you can gain by holding it, like the wind,” Asuka said.
“We want visitors to experience these objects with all five senses instead of looking at the display through glass,” Asuka said.
The museum regularly accepts donations from museum visitors such as Hisashi Ito, who brought a small wristwatch and tape from his personal collection on Saturday.
“Even if I keep these devices at home, they will probably be thrown away when I die,” said the 56-year-old car designer.
“It’s better to share them and let people enjoy them.”
The Museum of Lost Media’s hours vary, according to its website.
General admission costs about 2,000 yen ($12.70).
Tickets for donors and students are 1,000 yen.
($1 = 157.6900 yen)
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Image Source : nypost.com