Yashica portable tape recorder

Bummer. That's a nice one -- even if you have to use an ear plug.

It reminds me of the Aiwa portable I bought for myself in my teens. It turns out that the Yashica you found looks like it's a (less toy-like) rebranding of a different Aiwa model - a TP-30a or a TP-32a... reel-reel.com/tape-recorders/?_sfm_recorder_manufacturer_id=8259

There weren't many non-photo/non-optical items under the Yashica name, and I've seen more literature and advertisements for various items, than the actual items themselves. There were transistor radios in at least two models (YT-100 - AM w/ 6 transistors, and the YT-300 - AM/FM w/9 transistors), the calculator I've seen listed on ebay.com has a digital LCD readout and no paper tape, like most from the 1970's. There was at least one model of a portable record player (1962, YP-500 w/ radio), plus any number of watches and clocks... but those may have been promotional or dealer items, and not retail consumer items like the others.

On page 80 of the July 1960 issue of Electronics Illustrated is a very short single page blurb on Yashica's entry into electronics, but don't expect to read it as anything but advertising copy. There's no real meaty details on when/why or anything else.

There's also one more electronics item that's photo related and similar in nature to the slide scanner that biggles3 posted about earlier, and it might still be in production in Singapore or Brazil - or at least that's where several are working, and/or up for sale... the YP-120 Color Photo Printer.

As claimed in the sales blurbs for it, they will print out photos in 12 seconds. Here's a video of one in action:



EDIT to add:
I managed to find the model I had on reverb.com, so it might show up there and not just on your usual web haunts for photo gear.  My long gone, but much beloved 1960 Aiwa Teal/Cream TP-40 model, was listed and apparently sold at $50. They did have an Aiwa TP-30 up for sale from a seller in Serbia, but it's apparently long gone.