～The Black Rotary Phone (Kuro-Denwa)～
information
Introduced in Japan in 1933, the black rotary phone was widely used in regular households since 1952. Models such as the "Type 4" and "Type 600" were manufactured as the standard devices for the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (now NTT). Their iconic black color came from the use of highly durable phenolic resin.
In 1978, the transition to automated rotary-dial switching was completed across Japan, marking the golden age of the black rotary phone.
Famous for being built to "last 50 years," these phones were incredibly robust and provided a highly reliable means of communication that remained fully functional even during power outages.
Rotary phones are a rare sight today because push-button phones, which were introduced in the late 1960s, rapidly replaced them from the 1980s onward. However, their antique look has made them highly popular as interior decor and photography props.
Try it yourself!
The mechanism is simple: you insert your finger into the hole of a number, rotate the dial all the way to the finger wheel stop, and let it spin back on its own. Go ahead and dial any number that comes to your mind! It might take a little knack, but here is a little secret... this phone is actually connected to somewhere else inside this building!
