A cassette for WALKMAN in a colorful, exceptionally slim case.
Normal. Since 1983.
First Generation, 1983
54 minutes - ¥500.
The case came in three colors: blue, yellow and red. The cassette had a black shell. The label matched the case’s color scheme, with its design upside down compared with conventional labels. The tape was equivalent to AHF, which was at the top level at the time. Only a 54-minute recording time was available.
Second Generation, 1984
46 minutes - ¥450.
The case now came in five pastel colors: orange yellow, marine blue, light blue, fancy red and emerald green. The cassette itself also changed to a transparent colored shell matching the case. The recording time was changed to 46 minutes only.
Third Generation, 1993(?)
Price unknown.
The third generation was released around 1993 and sold exclusively in convenience stores. It used a gray case with rounded corners. Looking at the top of the shell shows that the mold could accommodate detection holes for all tape positions. The existence of 60- and 70-minute versions has also been confirmed.
Explanatory Note
This cassette was released under the same name as Sony’s WALKMAN portable music player. It emphasized portability and musical qualities, with outdoor use in mind.
The first generation’s distinctive feature was its plastic case, which revived the case used for K around 1971. The cassette was sandwiched in a holder like a book cover and snapped shut: a simple way to put it away. Even when closed, the case was almost the same size as the cassette itself. It was an exceptionally slim case with excellent portability, and it looked stylish and cool as well.