Introduction

"I find myself watching that show broadcasting on TV right now, 'Something about Winter, Something about Spring'. I wonder what draws me in."

Using this question as a starting point, we will examine the phenomenon of return to Heisei retro and the 90s from the perspective of a "slow civilization." The crucial point is that people do not choose the Heisei era because they necessarily "love" it, but rather because it possesses a structure that is "just slow enough."

1. Why "Something about Winter, Something about Spring" Captures Attention

Rikiya Imaizumi’s Style and "Margin"

This drama is a love story directed and written by Rikiya Imaizumi, starring Hana Sugisaki. Its defining characteristics are:

- "Restraint of narrative ups and downs" — Not a flashy drama, but a structure that meticulously follows the protagonist's presence and fragments of thought.

- "Cinematic techniques" — Priority is given to the tone, pacing, and silence of dialogue, as well as the overall "air" of the work.

- "A love story of everyday wear" — Quiet, ordinary moments of daily life are carefully depicted.

In other words, a relaxed tempo where "it is hard to immediately grasp what is happening" and "margins of space that do not crowd information" serve as the work's primary draw.

The "Contrarian stance" of the Digital Age

Today's media environment is filled with short-form videos, skippable content, and constantly updating social media. Furthermore, with the proliferation of AI, the speed of information generation, processing, and consumption has accelerated even more. As digital acceleration continues non-stop—or rather, intensifies—works like "Something about Winter, Something about Spring," which leave room for quiet observation, naturally foster a desire in viewers to keep watching.

This sentiment resonates directly with the return to the Heisei era as a slow civilization.

2. Clarifying the Causal Relationship: Digital Acceleration → Desire for Slowness → Heisei is Chosen

The order is not reversed

While it is often explained as "Heisei retro → digital fatigue," the causal relationship is actually the reverse.

1.  Digital Acceleration — Social media, short-form videos, and constant connectivity. Furthermore, with AI, the speed of information generation, answering, and creation is increasing dramatically. The world is accelerating further. 

2. Desire for Slowness — Tired of the acceleration, people seek slowness, margin, and relaxed time. 

3.  Heisei is Chosen — The Heisei era is selected as the "speed" that satisfies this desire. 

Why Heisei is Chosen: "Just Slow Enough"

People choose Heisei not because they love it, but because it is "just slow enough."

 Showa: "Too slow" — Does not fit modern sensibilities. 

Reiwa: "Too fast" — Exhausting, as it sits at the forefront of digital acceleration. 

Heisei: "Just right" — The perfect sweet spot of slowness. 

In other words, Heisei is chosen because its "speed" matches the desire for slowness. This is the essence of the Heisei revival as a slow civilization.

Visualization of the Phenomenon (Gradual Expansion)

Under this structure, the phenomenon has visually manifested in the following stages since the late 2010s:

1. Recognition of nostalgia: In the late 2010s, early Heisei music and visuals individually regained attention. 

2. Reevaluation: Redefined through modern values as something "unique," "free," and "possessing a feeling missing from today." 

3. Social media trend: Re-edited and circulated under tags like "retro-style" and "very Heisei." 

4. Revival: Heisei, remade in a modern way, establishes itself as a form of expression. 

In recent years, the movement has also shifted from simply "feeling nostalgic" to a stage of "sharing emotions" (emotional consumption).

Quiet Resistance to a Civilization of Speed

The return to Heisei retro is not mere nostalgia.

It represents a "quiet resistance to a civilization of speed."

Information is constantly updated, skipped, and consumed. We live in a world where efficiency and optimization are praised as virtues. AI is pushing this acceleration even further: instant answers to questions, immediate text generation, and the creation of images in a flash. The time humans spend thinking, working with their hands, and waiting is continuously shaved away. In such environment, people are constantly rushed. Digital acceleration has fundamentally altered our very sense of time.

Within such a world, people are trying to reclaim certain elements once more.

Slowness — Not rushing. Waiting. An experience where results do not appear instantly, like a film camera waiting to be developed.

Margin — Not packing things too tightly. The quiet time that exists at the opposite end of information overload. A gap where the brain can find rest.

Observation — Looking instead of consuming. An attitude of not rushing to conclusions, much like carefully following a protagonist's presence or fragments of thought.

These movements represent a quiet effort to reclaim what the civilization of speed has taken away. It is not a loud protest. Instead, people simply choose slow things, leave margin, and observe. The accumulation of those small choices forms a quiet resistance.

And the era coincidentally chosen for that purpose was Heisei. Showa is too slow, Reiwa is too fast. Those seeking a comfortable level of slowness happened to discover the "speed" of the Heisei era.

3. Why Heisei is Chosen Now

The Desire for Slowness Born from Digital Acceleration

First, there is "digital acceleration." Social media information overload, short-form videos, and constant connectivity continue to drive up the speed of information. The arrival of AI has accelerated this trend even further. Ask ChatGPT and you get an instant reply; generative AI produces art in seconds. The processes of human thinking, waiting, and working with one's hands are increasingly bypassed.

As a result, a "desire for slowness" emerges.

- Fatigued by acceleration, people seek analog and inconvenient experiences.

- Elements on the opposite end of efficiency, such as film cameras and handwritten planners, are reevaluated.

- A desire to reclaim a "mental margin."

Thus, Heisei is selected as the "speed" to satisfy that desire. Not out of a simple love for Heisei, but because it is "just slow enough."

Content with a "relaxed margin" like "Something about Winter, Something about Spring" is embraced as something that answers this desire for slowness.

The "Freedom" of the 90s and 2000s

The culture of that era is reevaluated as being "free and less constrained."

- A looseness absent from the current social media era.

- An unpolished state of self, free from perfect self-presentation.

- The resurgence of Y2K (the 2000s), where technology and "cute" blended together.

Areas, Cafes, and Photography — Trends as a Lifestyle

The desire for slowness born in response to digital acceleration also manifests as concrete lifestyles.

Popular Areas: Shimokitazawa, Nishi-Ogikubo, Nakameguro

- Shimokitazawa — An area where vintage clothing and cafe culture merge. Shops combining vintage clothing with coffee, and Showa-retro kissaten (such as Cafe Negura) are highly popular. Spaces decorated with goods from the 1950s to 70s offer classic menu items like cream soda and napolitan. Vintage clothing and goods are consumed alongside "leisurely time."

- Nishi-Ogikubo — Known for its relaxed atmosphere. Dotted with vintage clothing, antiques, and old utensil shops. Its appeal lies not in flashiness, but in the joy of finding treasures and spending time with margin visiting unique stores.

- Nakameguro — A trendy area where cafe culture gathers, featuring specialty coffee and late-night cafes. Symbolizing a photogenic, relaxed weekend, it pairs walks along the river with cafe hops.

Cafe Hopping

- The hashtag "#CafeHopping" has over 7 million posts on Instagram. Search interest for stylish cafes grew about 1.7 times between 2020 and 2024.

- Interior trends are split between minimalist-industrial and retro/traditional house styles, with spaces using wood and antique furniture proving popular.

- Cafe hopping is not merely about consuming a space, but about experiencing leisurely time itself—a consumption of "margin" that stands in opposition to efficiency.

Evocative Photography (