The first iPhone made me feel a Japanese atmosphere

Thirteen years ago, the first iPhone model (iPhone 3G) was released in Japan.

A lot of orders from so-called early adopters, who were interested in new technology and gadgets, were coming in for the first iPhone.

On the other hand, most people didn’t show any interest in it.

They didn’t understand what a smartphone was, and that was average at that time.

Of course, I was the same as them as I didn’t have any knowledge of smartphones, and I was not good with computers.

However I ordered an iPhone 3G. 

So, the people around me were very surprised.

Everyone curiously asked me, “Why did you buy such a cutting-edge gadget?”

I answered, “The iPhone 3G resembles traditional Japanese lacquerware, so I liked and bought it. Its design made me imagine Inro”.

But they said, “The iPhone 3G has a future design in contrast with traditional Japanese design, and, in the first place, Apple is a U.S corporation”.

I couldn’t say anything back.

A few years later, I saw the news about the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, who had passed away. 

At that time, I knew that he was familiar with traditional Japanese Zen discipline.

After that, I read some books written about Steve Jobs.

According to them, he seemed to have a profound knowledge and experience of Zen.

The simple design and operability of the iPhone 3G seemed to be conceived by his insights that had been cultivated in Zen and traditional Japanese culture.

So I might feel a kind of traditional Japanese atmosphere like a lacquered Inro from the iPhone 3G.

Now, I use the latest iPhone.

It is thinner and wider than the iPhone 3G, and it is more user-friendly. But I cannot feel any Japanese atmosphere.

Only the first iPhone made me feel a Japanese atmosphere.