It's the end of an era. The cassette Walkman, Sony's most iconic product has ceased production in Japan. Since it hit the market in 1979, the Walkman has revolutionalised the way people listen to music. But now, it's time to face the music.

Before the iPod, before the iPhone - there was the Walkman.

Earlier this year, Sony made the decision to stop Japanese shipments of new cassette Walkmans. The company made no formal announcement, except for a brief statement on the website saying the current domestic inventory would be the Walkman's last.

Sony says it will continue to sell the product overseas, especially in the Middle East and Africa where there's still market demand. The remaining production of the cassette Walkman is outsourced to a Chinese contracter. Currently, a brand new Walkman sells for about 49 U.S. dollars.