REWIND 巻き戻し: Japanese Streetwear Inspired by 80s and 90s Tech

REWIND 巻き戻し by 5C5V: double-exposure film photo of a B面 cap and A面 tee against Tokyo at dusk

Written by the founder of 5C5V

REWIND 巻き戻し (makimodoshi, "rewind") is our new collection of Japanese streetwear built around 80s and 90s Japanese tech: cassette tapes, Walkman-era headphone stereos, pagers, CRT televisions and game cartridges. There are seven designs across box tees, long sleeves, hoodies and sweatshirts. Each one carries a small piece of everyday Japanese life from that time. Shop the REWIND collection.

Double-exposure film photo of a young man in a black B面 cap and cream A面 tee, Tokyo city lights over his face at dusk

What REWIND is about

巻き戻し is the word printed next to the rewind button on a Japanese tape deck. That's where the collection gets its name. Press it and the tape winds back to something you already know.

The things in REWIND were ordinary at the time. A pager on a school bag. A telly that turned to static after the last programme. A game that wouldn't load until you blew into it. That's what makes them worth remembering.

Every design starts with the Japanese printed on the object itself: a button label, a pager code, a TV closedown card. We keep it on the garment and explain what it means.

Why I made REWIND

I started 5C5V to make Japanese streetwear with meaning. I never wanted to stick a kanji on a cap and tell people to buy it because it's Japanese. Every piece has to carry something real.

Japanese tech from the 80s and 90s felt like the right place to go next. The language around it is lovely once you know it. The play button on a tape deck says 再生 (saisei), which also means rebirth. Teenagers sent each other love notes in numbers. Those small details are the whole point of REWIND.

The seven REWIND designs

Sunaarashi 砂嵐: the channel slept

砂嵐 (sunaarashi) means "sandstorm". It's the Japanese word for TV static. When Japanese channels went off air late at night, they showed a closedown card that read 本日の放送は終了しました (honjitsu no hōsō wa shūryō shimashita, "today's broadcast has ended").

On the back is a wood-cabinet CRT television, its colour bars breaking up into static, with the closedown caption on screen. A green clock reads 02:30, and under it: THE CHANNEL SLEPT. WE DIDN'T. On the chest there's a small 砂嵐 with a red dot.

Man in the black Sunaarashi 砂嵐 TV tee sitting in front of a static-filled CRT in a 90s Tokyo apartment

Pokeberu ポケベル 4649: numbers said everything

In 90s Japan, teenagers carried a ポケベル (pokeberu, pager). It could only show numbers, so they turned numbers into words by reading each digit as a sound. 4649 reads as よろしく (yoroshiku, nice to meet you, or take care of me). 14106 reads as あいしてる (aishiteru, I love you).

The back shows a grey pager reading 14106 above a lined card of six codes everyone knew, from 0840 おはよう (ohayō, good morning) to 3470 さよなら (sayonara, goodbye), with a red heart next to 14106 and NUMBERS SAID EVERYTHING. On the chest, a small green pager screen reads 4649.

Woman by a green Tokyo phone box at dusk wearing the Pokeberu ポケベル 4649 pager tee

5C-5V Spec Sheet ヘッドホンステレオ: made to play

In the 80s, Japanese catalogues sold the personal cassette player as a ヘッドホンステレオ (heddohon sutereo, "headphone stereo"). We invented our own, the model 5C-5V, and drew it the way an 80s product catalogue would.

The back is the catalogue page: an isometric red cassette player and headphones, with ten numbered parts listed under 各部の名称 (kakubu no meishō, "names of parts"), including 巻き戻し rewind and 再生 play. The spec table lists 40–15,000 Hz, NORMAL, HIGH and METAL tape, and compatibility with 五都 (goto, five cities). The footer reads MADE TO PLAY. On the chest, a small 5C-5V wordmark.

Woman on a Tokyo train platform wearing the grey 5C-5V Spec Sheet ヘッドホンステレオ tee, back print visible

A面/B面: the side they didn't promote

A面 (A-men) and B面 (B-men) mean side A and side B of a cassette or a single. 面 (men) means side, or face. The A-side was the song the label pushed. The B-side was where the good stuff often hid.

A small A面 sits on the chest. Lower down the back is a big, bold B面. with a red dot and THE SIDE THEY DIDN'T PROMOTE. It's for anyone who always flipped the tape over.

If the B-side idea is your thing, it turns up again on a Tokyo platform after the last train in our NEON DAWN collection, on the Shūden B-men tee.

Woman on a Tokyo rooftop wearing the cream A面/B面 tee, B面 back print visible

Fuu フーッ: blow, insert, pray

フーッ (fū) is the sound of blowing. Anyone who grew up with a console knows the ritual: blow into the cartridge, push it back in and hope it loads. In Japan, Famicom games were called カセット (kasetto, cassette), which is why our caption talks about a cassette.

The back has a pixel-art teal cartridge with a Mt Fuji label and a made-up game, 五都クエスト (Goto Quest, "Five Cities Quest"). Three puffs of breath come off it, over the caption カセットを挿す前に、フーッ。 (kasetto o sasu mae ni, fū: "before you insert the cassette, blow") and BLOW. INSERT. PRAY. A small フーッ sits on the chest.

Double-exposure film photo of a young woman in the cream Fuu フーッ sweatshirt with Shinjuku neon layered through her hair

Saisei 再生: play, and rebirth

On a Japanese tape deck, the play button is labelled 再生 (saisei). The same word means rebirth, or regeneration. I love that. You press play and something comes back to life.

The back carries a huge 再生 with PLAY / REBIRTH and a tape counter reading 000 underneath. On the chest is a small row of tape-deck buttons: rewind, stop, play, fast-forward and a red record dot.

Man digging through vinyl in a Shimokitazawa record shop wearing the black Saisei 再生 sweatshirt

Haipoji ハイポジ: the step up from normal

ハイポジ (haipoji) is short for "high position", the Japanese slang for Type II chrome cassette tape. Tape came in NORMAL, HIGH and METAL, and high position was the step up from normal.

Across the front runs a band of three tape-position blocks: NORMAL in blue, HIGH in yellow and METAL in black, with ハイポジ written underneath. On the back, just under the collar, sits a small cassette icon with TYPE II. It's the one REWIND design where the main print is on the front.

Haipoji ハイポジ Type II tape sweatshirt in Dust, front and back

Caps and beanies are next

You might have spotted a B面 cap in the photos. REWIND headwear is on its way: embroidered caps and beanies with B面, 4649, 再生 and a row of tape-deck buttons. I'll post here when they're in.

Fit, making and delivery

Every REWIND piece is made to order, which keeps waste down. It takes 2–5 business days to make, then 2–6 business days for UK delivery (£3.95, or free on orders over £100).

  • Box tees are oversized and boxy with dropped shoulders. Take your usual size for the relaxed look, or size down for a closer fit. Sizes S to 4XL.
  • Long sleeves are relaxed, not oversized. Take your usual size. Sizes S to 3XL.
  • Hoodies and sweatshirts are oversized and roomy. Take your usual size for the big, relaxed shape, or size down for a closer fit. Sizes S to 3XL.

Wash cold and inside out, no bleach, hang or lay flat to dry, and never iron over the print. REWIND is an open run, so every design here stays available.

REWIND questions, answered

What does 4649 mean on a Japanese pager?

On a Japanese pager, 4649 means よろしく (yoroshiku): "nice to meet you" or "take care of me". In 90s Japan, pagers could only show numbers, so people read each digit as a sound: 4 is yo, 6 is ro, 4 is shi and 9 is ku. In the same way, 14106 read as あいしてる (aishiteru), I love you.

What is 砂嵐 on Japanese TV?

砂嵐 (sunaarashi) literally means "sandstorm". It's the Japanese word for the static an analogue TV shows when there's no signal. Japanese channels used to close down late at night, showing a card that said 本日の放送は終了しました ("today's broadcast has ended") before the screen went to static.

What does 再生 mean?

再生 (saisei) is the Japanese word for play on a tape deck or any media player. It also means rebirth, regeneration or renewal. That double meaning is why the 5C5V Saisei sweatshirt and hoodie print it large with PLAY / REBIRTH underneath.

What is ハイポジ tape?

ハイポジ (haipoji) is Japanese slang for "high position" cassette tape, also called Type II or chrome tape. Cassettes came in normal (Type I), high (Type II) and metal (Type IV) positions. Type II gave a cleaner sound with less hiss than normal tape.

Why did people blow into game cartridges?

People blew into game cartridges because they believed dust on the connector stopped the game loading. Blowing rarely fixed anything: reseating the cartridge usually did the work, and moisture from your breath could make the contacts worse over time. In Japanese, the sound of that puff is フーッ (fū).

What is a B面?

B面 (B-men) is Japanese for B-side: the second side of a cassette, or the flip side of a single. 面 (men) means side. The A面 (A-men) was the song the label promoted, and the B面 was where the lesser-known tracks went, which is often where the good stuff hid.

How do 5C5V REWIND tees fit?

REWIND box tees are oversized and boxy with dropped shoulders. Take your usual size for a relaxed look, or size down for a closer fit. They come in sizes S to 4XL.

Is REWIND a one-off drop?

No. REWIND is an open run, and every design stays available. Each piece is made to order after you buy it: 2–5 business days to make, then 2–6 business days for UK delivery.

0 comments

Leave a comment