First issue of Weekly Playboy - intersection of high economic growth and youth culture (1966)

First issue of Weekly Playboy - intersection of high economic growth and youth culture (1966)

The first issue of Weekly Playboy, published in 1966, marked a major turning point in Japanese magazine culture. At the time, Japan was in the midst of its rapid economic growth, urbanization was progressing rapidly, and young people's lifestyles and values were changing dramatically. As the consumer society expanded and weekly magazines became a major source of entertainment and information in addition to television and movies, Playboy brought to the forefront a visual stimulation that had never before been seen in weekly magazines.

The photogravures of actresses and models meant more than mere idol photos, and presented a "new image of women" that symbolized the times. Their healthy and fleshy proportions, urban fashion, and eyes that spoke through the camera were a departure from the purist and homely images of the past. The magazine visualized the desires and aspirations of the young people who led the consumer society, and became a benchmark for new lifestyles.

At the same time, "Heibon Punch" (first published in 1964) also enjoyed great success as a weekly magazine for young people, and the two magazines expanded the gravure culture by competing with each other. This was not merely a form of sexual visual expression, but was also linked to the advertising, fashion, and film industries, and encouraged the revitalization of urban culture as a whole.

The appearance of actresses on the cover or in gravure became a major status alongside film and television appearances, and they were widely remembered as the "faces" of the times. The appearance of Weekly Playboy was a symbolic event of the consumer society and youth culture of the late Showa period, and its influence led to the later flourishing of idol culture and gravure magazines.