The Era of Technological Establishment in Japan

"Mohaya sengo dewanai" (The restoration era is over) was a familiar phrase in Japan in
1956. Coincidentally, higher economic development started with the Japanese electronics and
parts sector witnessing a turning point around that time. Therefore, the government started
promoting the electronics industry and enacted "Denshinho" (Special Measures Act for
Electronics Industry Promotion) in 1957 (Takashi, 1993, p.43-44). Large companies have
therefore started to dominate the industries of consumer electronics and home electrical
appliances. Aside from that, the popular demand for television rose rapidly, along with the surge
in home electrical appliances that started in 1953. According to Takashi (1993), almost every
Japanese housewife thought of owning a washing machine, a TV set, and a refrigerator. Value-
related television sets production doubled every year from 1955 to 1958, and consumer
electronics ' overall annual growth rate from 1955 to 1960 was about 60% (p.44).
In addition, there is a sequence in the film where the Suzuki family throws away an old
wooden fridge as they purchased a new refrigerator that is much more practical than before. In
order to keep their food fresh, the old one uses a big ice block each time which is impractical
compared to the new ones.

References:
Takahashi, Y. (1993). Progress in the electronic components industry in Japan after
World War II. Technological Competitiveness: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives on
the Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Industries, 37.