# Where can I get a 1966 Japanese 'Magazine for Men'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** magazines-newspapers\ **Created:** [June 29, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260 "2025-06-29T16:01:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/1 "2025-06-29T16:01:14Z")
This is a long-shot, but does anyone know where I can get this 1966 Japanese men’s magazine? (@TokyoBayer , maybe?) [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/JelSw2c.jpeg "Decision Heibon Punch No. 36 January 18, 1966") ](https://imgur.com/JelSw2c) **_WHY_ do I want this magazine?** Because my dad is in it. He’s at the top-left. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/PEyltFl.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/PEyltFl) It would be nice to have a copy that isn’t moisture damaged. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/2 "2025-06-29T16:24:53Z")
This is the magazine. Might help in your search. > **[Heibon Punch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heibon_Punch)** > > Heibon Punch (平凡パンチ, Heibon Panchi) was a weekly Japanese men's magazine published by Heibon Shuppan (currently known as Magazine House). It was first published on April 28, 1964, and continued until 1988. The magazine featured articles on lifestyle, fashion, sports, political issues, and sex, rivaling with Weekly Playboy, launched two years later. > Heibon Punch was influential in promoting American fashion trends, such as the Ivy look, to Japanese male youth in post-World War II Japan. > Some of... ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/3 "2025-06-29T21:25:46Z")
Here you go (It’s actually from 1966): > **[Decision Heibon Punch No. 36 January 18, 1966 issue Heibon Publishing #PC3Y3S...](https://www.ebay.com/itm/146173961524)** > > Remote area fees may apply. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/4 "2025-06-29T21:56:51Z")
Thanks! And thank you for the date correction. There’s a Yamaha ad with ‘1964’ in it. Turns out that was the date of their championship. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/5 "2025-06-29T23:53:04Z")
[Moderating] Corrected dates from “1964” to “1966”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/6 "2025-06-30T00:46:42Z")
Domo arigato gozaimasu! ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/7 "2025-06-30T03:58:27Z")
It looks like it pops up on auction sites. It may be possible to purchase here in Japan, but I’m not sure if sellers will ship overseas. Send me a PM. Maybe we can find a way ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/8 "2025-06-30T04:15:17Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Send me a PM. Maybe we can find a way I _think_ I sent you a PM. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/9 "2025-06-30T13:17:56Z")
Got it! The history of the magazine is really cool. The title is 平凡パンチHeibon Punch, where heibon means “ordinary” and punch comes from the English word and has the meaning of a strong impact. Thus the meaning is this magazine is a strong punch to mundane life. The 1960s was an interesting era in Japan. It saw rapid economic growth as the country had come out of the absolute poverty of the immediate post war period. It’s often called the “Golden Sixties” and seen as the classical 昭和時代 Showa Era, with what many Westerners think of the start of the salary man, with lifetime employment, wife at home with two kids and complete transformation from nationalist led war craziness to the rise of an economic superpower. At the same time, the youth, like their Western counterparts were questioning it all. My ex-wife was born in the early 60s and her parents, growing up in the war, were part of the “great generation” that dedicated their lives to building a peaceful economic powerhouse. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/10 "2025-06-30T13:25:26Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > The history of the magazine is really cool. Any idea why most of the early covers had paintings of several black men on them? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/11 "2025-06-30T13:48:02Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > The 1960s was an interesting era in Japan. We lived in Yokosuka when I was 3-4, so the memories have faded (a few stand out). I know we went to Tokyo at least once. What was normal then, now seems that at the time it was ‘modern and shiny’. Lots of chrome plating on transistor radios and toys. The magazine is moisture damaged, so I only opened it to the page with dad’s picture. But I remember some of the photos (and cartoons), and it seemed more stylish then that it is now. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/12 "2025-06-30T14:35:20Z")
Would anyone care to translate the text at the bottom of the page my dad is on? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/13 "2025-06-30T14:40:26Z")
Google Translate is having fits but I think it is…. The faces of the sailors chatting on the deck look very cheerful and like they are enjoying their lives. The 7th Fleet markings are vividly painted on the hull of the ship. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/14 "2025-06-30T15:37:32Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Any idea why most of the early covers had paintings of several black men on them? I would guess the association with Jazz culture. That was a huge cool factor in early-60s Japanese youth pop culture. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/15 "2025-06-30T16:05:45Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The faces of the sailors chatting on the deck look very cheerful and like they are enjoying their lives. The 7th Fleet markings are vividly painted on the hull of the ship. Thank you. How did you get the text into Google Translate? I’ve uploaded an image of the text. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/kpwet6n.png "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/kpwet6n) ETA: I can read the ‘7’, anyway! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/16 "2025-06-30T16:17:02Z")
The Google Translate app and website have an option to detect and translate text in an image. The only wrinkle is that AFAICT, the image has to be stored on your computer or phone, not just a URL, so you need the additional step of downloading the image from the web into local storage. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/17 "2025-06-30T16:18:44Z")
The Google translate app on iPhone let’s you just point your camera at the text and the translation appears in the camera view. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/18 "2025-06-30T16:18:52Z")
On a Mac or iOS device these days, the OS is doing text recognition in the background at all times. I was able to just click on the text in Johnny’s image and it offered the option to translate. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/19 "2025-06-30T16:19:13Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > o you need the additional step of downloading the image from the web into local storage. I took a screenshot, so it was on my computer. I had to upload it to show it here. 😉 > [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > I was able to just click on the text in Johnny’s image and it offered the option to translate. I hadn’t thought of that. Clicking on the image just takes me to imgur. But there, I could select the text and past it into Google Translate. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The Google translate app on iPhone let’s you just point your camera at the text and the translation appears in the camera view. I’ve never used that app. Pretty nifty! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260/20 "2025-06-30T16:32:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I hadn’t thought of that. Clicking on the image just takes me to imgur. But there, I could select the text and past it into Google Translate. TBH, I don’t know when that got added to the iPhone/Mac bag of tricks. But I love that at least within my hardware ecosystem, all text in images is selectable in any app. [![](https://i.ibb.co/PG0b8LPs/Where-can-I-get-a-1966-Japanese-Magazine-for-Men-Cafe-Society-Straight-Dope-Message-Board.png) ](https://i.ibb.co/PG0b8LPs/Where-can-I-get-a-1966-Japanese-Magazine-for-Men-Cafe-Society-Straight-Dope-Message-Board.png) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-1966-japanese-magazine-for-men/1020260.md?page=2)