Hasta La Gadget!

The last few years have been a huge boom for toy cameras in Japan, tapping into both retro trends and the embedded camera culture of the country. Two companies are leading the charge: Lomography (the original reviver of plastic camera goodness) and Superheadz (the Japanese equivalent with its own offerings).

Last week was the 25th anniversary of the LOMO LC-A, the Russian model that started it all, with a surprisingly fun party at the Tokyo Lomography “Embassy”.

I was planning to go, but missed out on the party and am wishing I’d made it. As an avid user of my favorite Holga, Horizon, and Blackbird Fly cameras, it’s been great seeing this culture catch on among 20-somethings in Japan. Digital camera makers, by the way, could learn a lot from what’s going on here, especially from a fashion/design perspective.