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Originally Posted by RCAkid
It is quite interesting to look at the differences in styling from US sets to the sets from Japan.
The Japanese sets seemed much more utilitarian while the American sets were much more ornate and focused much more on the aesthetic. It really shows the differences in culture. Just from the designs, it seems that the Japanese viewed these sets as much more of a kitchen appliance; while the Americans wanted much more ornate cabinetry and tended to treat the tv's they were in love with as a piece of furniture and a focal point of the home.
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It's hard for us in the U.S., especially those not born before 1970, to visualize that the typical postwar Japanese lifestyle (and resultant utilitarian approach) was much different than ours. It would be equivalent to the Southern States circa 1870 or so. The place was in ruins, the average family had a meager income, and the typical Japanese home was small compared to our spacious lifestyle. I still remember seeing a film about life in contemporary Japan as a school kid. The housewife would actually keep a piece of cloth over the modest TV as if it were an heirloom. The televisions produced back then, as well as the radios, were simple out of necessity. It was the economic necessity of adapting those products to American tastes that made them look more typical later on.
Compare that to the advertising for television in the 1940's and early 1950's. Men wore dapper suits, ladies wore evening gowns, it was a formal gathering for TV night! TV was, at first, truly a trophy for the affluent person, in a richly-appointed cabinet, often making up a sizable part of the cost!