★ ​​Second volume in the centennial celebration of Kodomo no Kagaku ("Children’s Science")​​—a beloved Japanese science magazine—featuring ​​curated historical tech insights (1950-1980s)​​ from ​​internet pioneer Tsugio Kogai​​.
★ ​​Exclusive collaboration​​ between ​​Tsugio Kogai (former CTO of Livedoor)​​ and ​​Japan’s "Father of the Internet" Jun Murai​​, offering ​​unfiltered behind-the-scenes stories of Showa-era technological evolution​​.
★ ​​Bonus digital unlock​​: Scan QR code to access ​​original 1983 journal archives​​, reliving the ​​home appliance revolution and space race​​ firsthand.
★ ​​Niconico-popular tech commentator​​ reexamines ​​pollution, energy crises, and futuristic predictions​​—drawing startling parallels to today’s challenges.

As Japan marks the ​​100th anniversary of the Showa era​​, this book revisits its ​​scientific and technological turning points​​—from Cold War tensions to the birth of the Shinkansen.

Published as the ​​second installment in the Kodomo no Kagaku 100th-anniversary series​​, this volume is ​​carefully curated by leading tech expert Tsugio Kogai​​, who digs into ​​1950s-1980s magazine archives​​ to decode Japan’s technological journey.

Covering:
•​​Cold War aerospace races​​ (Soviet military tech, nuclear power, the atomic age)
•​​Space exploration​​ (Sputnik shock, Apollo missions, Japan’s own space pioneers)
•​​Modern comforts & mobility​​ (Shinkansen’s rise, maglev dreams, early EVs, helicopters, home electrification)
•​​Hidden costs of progress​​ (pollution crises, energy shortages, postwar societal strains)

Through ​​vintage monthly publications’ dense historical records​​, readers witness ​​how yesterday’s futuristic visions compare to today’s reality​​.

Tsugio Kogai​​
​​Investor & Programmer​​ | Former ​​CTO & Director of On The Edge (later Livedoor)​​, leading the company to IPO.
​​Tech historian​​ with deep ties to Japan’s digital evolution, offering ​​unique insights into how Showa-era innovations shaped modern Japan​​.

Foreword
A Nostalgic Look Back at a Beloved Hobby and Play

Part 1: The Cold War Era
•How Aircraft Advancements Changed the Course of War
•Cutting-Edge Soviet Military Technology
•The Dawn of the Nuclear Age
•The Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy

Part 2: The Space Race
•When Space Exploration Became a Reality
•The Sputnik Shock
•Soviet Leadership in Space
•The Apollo Moon Landing Program
•The Post-Apollo Era
•Exclusive Interview: Japan’s Space Development Legend, Yasunobu Kawakatsu

Part 3: A Life of Abundance
•The Dream Superexpress: The Shinkansen
•The Unopened Maglev and the Ahead-of-Its-Time "Green Window"
•The Wave of Automobile Popularization
•The Surprisingly Early Birth of Electric Vehicles
•The Age of Civil Aviation
•The Highly Anticipated Helicopter
•The Progress of Home Electrification

Part 4: Prosperity’s Shadow
•The Scars of the 1950s War
•The Spread of Modern Illnesses
•Problems of the Automobile Society
•The Crisis of Pollution
•Struggles with Energy and Food

Reader Conversations
•My Relationship with Kodomo no Kagaku
•Tsugio Kogai in Conversation with Jun Murai (Secrets of the Dawn of the Internet)
•Tsugio Kogai in Conversation with Aono Kiyohisa (Looking Back at the 2003 "Future Life" Special Issue)

Columns
•A Decade-by-Decade Cover Gallery (1950s–1980s)
•The Search for the Snowman
•The Truth About UFOs
•The Mystery of Telepathy
•The Hypno-Learning Method