Fujifilm’s Utsurundesu Film Camera Celebrates 40th Birthday

Tokyo, July 14 (Jiji Press)–Fujifilm Corp.’s Utsurundesu single-use film camera, sold as QuickSnap outside Japan, celebrated its 40th birthday this month, enjoying a recent resurgence in popularity. A younger generation of users has bought into its analog photo-taking experience, including rolling the scroll wheel, peering into the viewfinder and pressing the shutter button. The first Utsurundesu model was released on July 1, 1986. It was developed through outside-the-box thinking: simply sticking a lens onto a roll of film. At a time when cameras were expensive, difficult to carry and tricky to use, the Utsurundesu camera embodied a concept of “enabling anyone to take photos easily, anytime and anywhere,” according to the Japanese company. Rigorous cost-cutting efforts helped keep the product’s price at 1,380 yen, and later models were introduced at prices below 1,000 yen. Over time, Utsurundesu evolved to feature models with built-in flash and plastic bodies, replacing the original paper bodies. Reminiscing about her high school days, a woman in her 50s said that the Utsurundesu camera “was a staple for school trips.” “My friends and I used to show each other the developed photos and have them reprinted,” she said. After hitting a peak around 1997, sales slumped with the spread of digital cameras and mobile phones. Utsurundesu’s popularity, however, revived in the second half of the 2010s. An official at discount store operator Don Quijote Co. said that sales have followed an upward trend in the post-pandemic period. The Loft Co., a variety goods retailer, temporarily experienced shortages of the product due to strong demand. A woman in her 20s who uses the disposable camera on her trips said that the photos taken with Utsurundesu are “more special than those taken on a smartphone.” A shopper in her 20s from China purchased two such cameras at a Loft store in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza area, saying that she hoped to take lots of photos during her stay in Japan. Over the years, Fujifilm has sold over 1.7 billion Utsurundesu cameras. The firm announced that it will start selling a waterproof model and a black-and-white film model in August, the first Utsurundesu releases in 20 years. “We hope to provide products and services that broaden the unique photo-taking experience offered only by our Utsurundesu cameras,” a Fujifilm official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]