ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides the socio-cultural meanings underlying Showa nostalgia by conducting a thorough analysis of nostalgic representations in the relevant media products, particularly films and television programmes. It discusses the relevant theoretical background and previous studies concerning Showa nostalgia. The book presents the results and issues in European and American memory studies related to this monograph. It examines the films Always: Sunset on Third Street and Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad, which served as the basis for Showa nostalgia to become a social phenomenon. The book also provides the media's narrative about the technological development and innovation that were positioned as the 'positive' legacies of post-war development and the 'light' of rapid economic growth. It proposes the relationship between the positionalities and life histories of the creators of the same generation and the narrative.
