| Name | RED No. 5 Automatic Desktop Public Telephone Set |
| Date | 1955 |
| Manufacturer | Tamura Electric Works for NTT |
Development of the RED No. 5 Automatic Desktop
| In May 1955, Japan began developing a new generation of public telephones that fundamentally changed how calls were paid for. Earlier systems required callers to deposit coins only after the receiving party answered, which often caused technical and billing problems. If a caller delayed payment, the recipient could hear the caller while the caller heard nothing in return, yet the exchange still recorded the call as connected. To solve these issues, the No. 5 Automatic Desktop Public Telephone Set and the No. 5 Automatic Booth-Type Public Telephone Set were introduced in December 1955. These new telephones required payment before dialing, establishing a system that would become standard throughout Japan. The redesigned mechanism also included an automatic coin return linked to the receiver hook, allowing coins to be refunded if the line was busy or unanswered. This represented a major improvement in reliability, fairness, and user convenience. The pay-before-calling system remained the basis of Japanese public telephony for decades. In 1982, Japan moved further toward a cashless future with the introduction of telephone cards, allowing calls to be made without coins and beginning a new era in public communication technology |
Below- Spotted one in the 1967 Japanese TV series “Ultraseven”
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