The 1960s and '70s were not only the decades of heroes. A look back on news and incidents shows us how rapidly society was changing. Here are some examples.
1961: "Sudara-bushi (Sudara Song)," one of the year's biggest hits, by comedian Hitoshi Ueki, depicted an easygoing salaryman who cannot stop barhopping after work and ends up sleeping on the platform. The song heralded the era of "irresponsible" workers. The year's popular words included reja (leisure) and puraibashi (privacy).
1962: Ken'ichi Horie reached San Francisco in his yacht Mermaid in August, 93 days after leaving the city of Nishinomiya. The first Japanese erotic movie, "Nikutai-no Shijo (Meat Market)," premiered in March.