What Casio watch does 90-year-old Kon Omura love to wear when he's working out? "Full of energy!"

Amidst the Showa retro boom, Kon Omura, a talent who dominated the era, is once again in the spotlight. Since the early days of television, he has been loved by a wide range of generations under the nickname "Kon-chan," and has continued to be active as the face of numerous commercials. Now, in 2018, Kon Omura has started serious weight training with RIZAP, and at 90 years old, he is making headlines by demonstrating his power to lift barbells and perform squats.

When you think of Showa retro, this is the man! Kon Omura, who became the face of the era.

　When thinking of entertainers who were active in the Showa era, Kon Omura is often the first name that comes to mind. He gained explosive popularity in the early days of television and was affectionately known as "Kon-chan" by people of all ages. He began to gain popularity, especially among children, through skits during movie interludes and the comedy period drama "Tonma Tengu." In the early 1960s, when there were still few television programs, he was already juggling 11 regular programs, which shows just how influential he was at the time.

　In Misa Yamamura's suspense series "The Red Hearse," he played the role of Takao Akiyama for over 30 years, from 1992 to 2023, adding color to the series alongside Momiji Yamamura. The comical banter between the two was a beloved staple scene that perfectly eased the tension of the story.

In high demand as a commercial spokesperson.

　When discussing Kon Omura, his success as a commercial spokesperson is indispensable. He lent his face and name to products in various industries, including Daihatsu Midget, toy manufacturer Epoch, and Oronine ointment, and reigned as a national image character. Among them, the Oronamin C commercials that began airing in 1965 are particularly memorable. Enamel billboards of Kon Omura, wearing a fedora and glasses that had slipped down, holding an Oronamin C bottle, were installed all over the country and remain etched in the memories of many as a symbol of "Showa retro."

　Even today, these retro signs fetch tens of thousands of yen on auction sites, and some even reach over a hundred thousand yen. As an essential icon in places that evoke the atmosphere of the Showa era, such as the Yokohama Ramen Museum, Kon Omura's signs continue to exude a strong presence.

He's absolutely full of energy! Kon Omura has started weight training.

　In 2018, at the age of 86, Kon Omura began serious weight training. Before starting to go to the gym, he had poor posture, bent knees and hips, and even getting up from a chair was a struggle. However, once he started, he said he was "having so much fun," and in just two months he lost about 10 kg and reduced his waist circumference by 9 cm, creating a sensation with his remarkable rejuvenation.

　Even now in his 90s, he continues to do strength training such as barbell squats, and his performance shows no signs of decline. At the "Reiwa 4th Year Humor Award Ceremony" held at a hotel in Tokyo in December 2022 (he was 91 years old at the time), he demonstrated his training form by performing about 60 squats with a 40kg barbell, thrilling the audience with his impressive performance. This can be said to be an amazing result born from effort and perseverance.

　I discovered an interesting item on the Instagram account of Kon Omura, who actively shares his strength training efforts. In an image posted in August 2023 (when he was 91 years old), he can be seen in a dignified training pose with his back straight, wearing a wristwatch on his left arm. The watch shining on his wrist was a Casio "Pro Trek."

What is Casio's "Pro Trek"?

　The watch worn by Kon Omura is the Ref. PRW-3100YC. The "Pro Trek 3100 series" is an outdoor model suitable for serious mountaineering, featuring a world time function that also supports Himalayan time zones, Triple Sensor Ver.3 equipped with three sensors for altitude measurement, barometric pressure/temperature measurement, and compass measurement, and Multi Band 6 radio-controlled solar power. The use of a metal bezel achieves a high level of balance between design and practicality, giving it a tough yet smart impression.

　It boasts a wealth of practical features, such as an alarm that warns of sudden changes in atmospheric pressure and an LED light that automatically turns on when you tilt your arm beyond a certain angle in the dark. While incorporating numerous features useful for mountaineering and camping, such as sunrise and sunset time displays, it's also 0.3mm thinner than previous models. This watch is built to withstand heavy use while seamlessly blending into everyday life.

　Looking back, the Ref. DPX-500, launched in 1995, is the origin of the Pro Trek brand. Since then, the brand has produced a succession of models that meet the demands of professionals, such as the Ref. DPX-300 equipped with a thermal scanner and the Ref. PRT-1400 with altitude measurement capabilities extended to 6000m.

　Among them, the Ref. PRT-1GPJ, which appeared in 1999, attracted a great deal of attention as the world's first outdoor watch with built-in GPS functionality. Known affectionately as the "Satellite Navi," this model was a groundbreaking timepiece that was the first to measure the latitude and longitude of the current location and display the direction and distance to a destination in a wristwatch size, and it is registered as a Future Technology Heritage at the National Museum of Nature and Science.

　Since the 2000s, Pro Trek has continued to release innovative models such as the Tough Solar model Ref.PRG-50 and the Ref.PRX-2000T, which automatically corrects the time by receiving standard radio waves from six stations around the world, with the mission of keeping accurate information and time even in the harshest environments. That is the DNA of the "Pro Trek" series.

　Even at over 90 years old, Kon Omura's dedication to daily training symbolizes the modern "active senior." Wearing a Pro Trek watch, honed on the front lines of the outdoors, on his left wrist, we hope he continues to look stylish for many years to come.