“Guardians of the Future: How a Tokyo Museum Is Keeping Technology Alive”

Nestled in a nook of central Tokyo, the Extinct Media Museum certainly lives up to its title.

Featuring Betacam videotapes, floppy disks, and classic Sony gadgets, the museum showcases antiquated cameras and telecommunications devices, including its oldest artifact, a 1916 Japanese-made “Lily” still camera.

Amid the crowded shelves of the three-room museum, visitors like 59-year-old Mika Matsuda can rewind to yesteryears and the devices that were once commonly utilized.

“It is captivating not just for generations unfamiliar with these artifacts, but for those who experienced those eras,” Matsuda stated.

“Observing these items makes me feel like I’m reliving our past. It took me back to how things were in those times – I used to have a wonderful time,” she remarked.

Inaugurated in January 2023, the museum was established based on the conviction that all forms of media equipment, with the exception of paper and stone, will ultimately “fade away,” deputy museum curator Barbara Asuka elaborated.

The predominantly donated pieces are arranged in a manner that allows visitors to interact with them, promoting a comprehensive sensory experience, she added.