Heisei Nostalgia Strikes Back! RIP SLYME’s Return and the TV Industry’s New Gold Rush

The phrase “Heisei single digits” has been trending on social media.

“It’s a slang term referring to people born in the early Heisei era — implying they’re now ‘old’ or ‘uncool.’ At the same time, content celebrating or revisiting what that generation grew up with has been spreading rapidly,” explained a reporter for a sports newspaper.

A music writer points out that behind this nostalgia trend lies the revival of artists who once defined the Heisei era.

“On July 2, ORANGE RANGE released a new Reiwa-era music video for their hit ‘Ikenai Taiyō,’ packed with 72 ‘Heisei throwbacks.’ It became a huge hit, especially among those in their 30s and 40s, and quickly topped multiple music charts.”

RIP SLYME also reunited in April for a one-year limited comeback. In August, a group of former high school students — who had gone viral 11 years earlier with a parody video of RIP SLYME’s hit ‘Nettaiya’ (Tropical Night) — released an updated “working adult” version that racked up 3.9 million views. Their appearance on the popular YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE further boosted attention, bringing RIP SLYME back onto the charts.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, hit songs from the Showa and Heisei eras have been trending on TikTok, and the TV industry has followed suit,” said a broadcast writer.

The music show Music Generation (Fuji TV), which features hits from the Reiwa, Heisei, and Showa eras, became a regular program in 2024. Similarly, 80 Songs That Supported the Japanese People Over 80 Years: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa (Nippon TV), aired in August, reflects the growing number of nostalgia-based specials.

“The fact that this year marks the 100th year of the Showa era plays a big role. From a broadcaster’s standpoint, reusing old footage helps cut production costs, and since people of all ages can enjoy it, ratings are stable. It’s cost-effective. You only need one writer, and there’s little compliance risk. It’s become a new goldmine for the TV industry,” said a production company director.

Riding the Heisei nostalgia wave, artists and entertainers are also seeing more work.

“Since RIP SLYME’s reunion is time-limited, they’re accepting nearly every offer — they’re in high demand. There’s a strong chance they’ll appear in this year’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen (NHK New Year’s Eve special) in the ‘Heisei Hits’ segment. As for younger talent reacting to the Heisei boom, Yuchami (24) has become a go-to. She’s well-versed in Heisei pop culture and has a good rapport with Toshifumi Fujimoto (54), which makes her easy to use,” said a producer from a key TV network.

Of course, not everything is positive. The same broadcast writer raised concerns:

“Many younger staff members don’t fully grasp the feel of the era. They’ll overhype songs that weren’t actually big hits. Cost-cutting has made research sloppy. Even if nostalgia programming is cheap and gets decent ratings, the current oversaturation makes it look like a stopgap — and viewers are starting to get tired. Unless networks invest more time and money into nurturing new staff and shows, variety programs will lose ground to online streaming content.”

As television continues to live off the past, one has to wonder: what will be left when that legacy runs dry? It may be time to pause — and reflect.