Box of 10 Anne Tampon o.b. non-applicator tampons

Box of 10 Anne Tampon o.b. non-applicator tampons with finger covers, with price sticker (¥170), Carl Hahn GmbH, Germany or Japan, 1968

Digital tampons, so named because they could be inserted with a single finger (or digit) rather than requiring an applicator, became increasingly popular from the 1950s after Dr Judith Esser-Mittag, a German gynaecologist, developed an applicator-free design that expanded widthways. The device became known as the o.b., standing for ‘ohne binde’ which translates to ‘without (a) pad’.

The Anne Tampon was an o.b. tampon adapted for the Japanese market. The pack contains plastic finger protectors (or cots) to prevent fingers from coming into direct contact with the genitals or menstrual fluid.

The tampon’s name comes from ‘Anne’s day’ (Anne no hi): a Japanese euphemism for menstruation supposedly inspired by Anne Frank’s enthusiasm and candid writing about her period in The Diary of a Young Girl.