Heisei was an era that lasted from 1989 to 2019. Beginning in the afterglow of the bubble economy, it saw pop culture flourish while people's lives were dramatically transformed by the emergence of the internet and mobile phones. Focusing on "romance" during this time, the "Heisei Romance Exhibition" is currently being held at the Roppongi Museum. Visitors can relive the forms of love that unfolded over approximately 30 years through a vast collection of items and stories. We will introduce the "Heisei Romance Exhibition," held from April 7 to June 28, 2026, as we take you through the venue.

Located slightly away from the bustle of Roppongi, Roppongi Museum opened in January 2019 and adopted its current name in 2021. The "Heisei Romance Exhibition" is held in this museum, which opened during the transition from the end of Heisei to the beginning of Reiwa.

The exhibition starts in a school hallway. You are enveloped in a unique atmosphere where you can almost hear the sound of school slippers and the chime. Even the casual notices on the walls are all from that era. The warmth of "someone" who lived through Heisei truly lingers here.

Next, move to a space that faithfully reproduces a high school classroom of that time. Wooden desks and chairs, scratched tabletops, and a blackboard with a faint dusting of chalk. On the desks are pencil cases featuring characters popular back then and nostalgic stationery. Sitting down according to the number on the ticket you drew in the hallway brings back memories of those days.

After a while, the opening movie of the "Heisei Romance Exhibition" begins. Displayed on the blackboard-style monitor in front of you are items and cityscapes symbolic of the Heisei era. From here, you embark on a journey tracing the history of love over approximately 30 years.

Reaching inside the desk, you find a letter. It’s a "passed note," the kind exchanged among female students during class back then. This exhibition adopts the popular "mockumentary" style (a method of expressing fictional events in a documentary style). The stories of the characters unfold through these letters, as well as flip-phone screens, radio advice segments, exchange diaries, and couple accounts.

This exhibition introduces the approximately 30 years of Heisei across three areas: "Early, Mid, and Late." During "Early Heisei Romance (1989–1999)," there wasn't an environment where messages could be sent anytime, anywhere like today. Perhaps that's why the time spent thinking about one's partner was so long and profound. The exhibition area displays 8cm CDs, cassette tapes, radio submission postcards, and letters that colored the romances of that time.

In a corner of the area, there are two desks. Many likely felt their hearts race during casual conversations during breaks or the moment they secretly borrowed an eraser during class.

Before mobile phones became widespread, the only way to contact friends or lovers directly was the home landline. When calling someone you liked, the biggest hurdle was "the father or mother answering." At the booth, you can actually pick up the receiver of a push-button phone and call the number written on a memo.

"Making dates in the Heisei era was quite a task. Time and place had to be strictly decided in advance.

To prevent missing each other at the meeting spot, people used ""message boards"" near station ticket gates. They communicated their status with chalk-written words like ""I'm heading ahead"" or ""Waiting at ○○."""

Pagers became an explosive boom from the early to late 1990s, especially among high schoolers. Since early models could only send numbers, unique "pager codes" developed. Scenes of young people lining up at public phones to press buttons for codes like "0840 (Good morning)," "428 (Shibuya)," "14106 (I love you)," and "0510 (Where are you now?)" were part of daily life. Later, pagers allowed Katakana characters via two-touch input. At the booth, you can try the "Fast Pager Typing Challenge" to input numbers within a time limit.

Moving into the 2000s, the landscape of romance changed significantly with the spread of digital devices. In the "Mid-Heisei Romance (2000–2009)" area, MDs (MiniDiscs) and early digital cameras symbolic of youth culture were on display.

The go-to hangout for youth back then was the family restaurant. They’d stay for hours with just the drink bar and a plate of fries, talking all night about school, the future, and most of all, their crushes. A family restaurant sofa booth is reproduced here.

Essential to Heisei entertainment were rental shops like "TSUTAYA." The nostalgic J-POP CD covers and drama DVD cases in the exhibition trigger flashbacks just by looking at them. Many surely remember checking the shelves from corner to corner.

The stars of this area are the "Galapagos phones" (flip-phones). Mobile phones quickly became a must-have for Heisei youth. Making custom ringtones, lighting up antennas, and protecting important emails. The days of texting all night while fearing "packet death" (excessive data charges). The flipping mechanism and the tactile feel of typing on buttons held a unique charm not found in smartphones.

The "Deco culture," covering flip-phones and planners with rhinestones and stickers, is another icon of this era. Passion was poured into expressing individuality and standing out. At the booth, there was also a corner where you could actually write in a planner. Try writing your feelings from back then using nostalgic "Gal-moji" (Gyaru script).

As Heisei approached its end, "smartphones" finally debuted, and SNS permeated daily life. The "Late Heisei Romance (2010–2019)" area expresses the era when romance shifted from being "a secret between two people" to something "seen by others" through timelines.

SNS visualized romance. In an era of posting wonderful moments with lovers and confirming happiness through "likes," some people found themselves swayed by others' emotions and vast amounts of information despite the convenience.

The climax of the exhibition is the "Message Corner" styled like a planner. Here, visitors can write down their Heisei memories or things they can only say now.

The gift shop features a dazzling lineup, from fancy stationery of early Heisei to popular character goods and original exhibition items. Unique goods like mini clear files reproducing flashy wallpapers and clear multi-pouches featuring typical flip-phone screens are also available.

Next to the shop, photo sticker booths are also installed. The classic pastime of the Heisei era was undoubtedly "Purikura." Taking photos now with friends or partners will let you take home the excitement of those days.

The "Everyone's! Heisei Romance Exhibition CAFE" is also located on-site. The menu includes items like "'Everyone's eating, right? I'm ordering!' Family Restaurant Fries" and "'Let's definitely go eat after club activities today.' Creperie Crepes," which seem to evoke conversations from back then. Each table provides a "Heisei Romance Exhibition Original Profile Book," where you can record your "dark history" or "golden era" while enjoying conversation.

This exhibition is filled with ways to actively enjoy "Heisei Romance." For adults who enjoyed their youth during Heisei, it's a place to meet their "former selves," and for Reiwa youth who grew up with digital technology, it's a space where "analog love" might seem refreshingly new. Furthermore, if you check the exhibits thoroughly, the conclusion of the characters' romances in the mockumentary will be revealed. Why not travel back in time to the Heisei era in Roppongi?

<Heisei Romance Exhibition>
Dates: April 7 (Tue) – June 28 (Sun), 2026
Venue: Roppongi Museum
Address: 5-6-20 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
*For more details, please check the official website below.
https://heiseirenai.jp/
(C) Heisei Romance Exhibition