Clocktown is perhaps the most advanced civilization in a Zelda game to-date, sporting a late 1800s/early 1900s vibe with hydro-powered machines, republican political meetings, a bustling tourism industry and an economic miracle in-play. The town has multiple stores and shops, some of which act as simple pawn shops, martial-artistry dojos, a bank and even a modernized post-office. Throughout Clocktown we see many instances of man-made machines, such as the waterwheel inside of the Clocktower that runs on hydrodynamic motion. The bomb shop houses electric light and a schematic of a rocket ship that is meant to take mankind to the moon. We see constant references to the different races around Termina coexisting in economic harmony, buying and selling and trading the available wares from their respective provinces. All of this is a stark contrast to the medieval setting we last saw in Hyrule. Link has essentially gone through to this dimension, or perhaps even gone through time ( considering the focus of the game ). I'd like to take a moment to focus on different characters and their direct ties to the technology and history of Clocktown as a whole.
Guru-Guru hasn't changed much at all, save for the fact that he now has a BACKSTORY. Interestingly enough, he was part of a music troupe that consisted entirely of animals with him being the only human. This gives us insight into the budding entertainment industry throughout Termina, which includes the Gorman Troupe jugglers and dancers, the Indigo-gos, and countless game-type shops found in western Clocktown. Not to mention that these characters, as well as karaoke singers and gig-based bands, offer live shows at the MILK BAR, a members-only club/bar adjacent from the Stock-Pot-Inn...
Which is run by Anju and her strict mother. This inn is two-story and has several rooms available throughout the year, but Anju states that it becomes extremely crowded and impossible to book a room during the Carnival of Time. This denotes an active tourism industry, since even the above listed entertainment troupes compete for a spot to perform during the carnival. Anju is also concerned with a big wedding, in which she will wear a self-made mask for her fiance...
Kafei, the son of Madame Aroma and Mayor Dotour. Whether or not the Mayor is an elected official or if it is an inherited position is unclear, but the meeting seen between himself, mutoh the carpenter and Captain Viscen of Clocktown’s military forces shows a diplomatic and republican ( of belonging to a republic ) way of decisive thinking. Ultimately the decision falls to Mayor Dotour, but only after he listens to the advice of the townspeople. however, during this meeting we can actually see a reference to two coexisting parties; Mutoh acts in the best interests of Economic Capitalism, wanting the carnival to go on as planned despite the blatant dangers. Captain Viscen acts in the interests of the military, who want the townsfolk to flee so that they have the best chances of surviving and to hell with the carnival. Kafei also seems to have a good friend in the owner of the Curiosity Shop, who his father claims is a bad influence on him. During the mission in Ikana Canyon when you are attempting to retrieve Kafei’s mask alongside him, you encounter several new forms of technology. This includes a conveyor belt, an alarm system and a locking mechanism. The owner of the hideout, Sakon, also appears to keep the crime rate in Clocktown quite high.
Next up? The Bombers Gang; a group of do-gooders that go around town befriending and helping out the townsfolk. Once Link joins, he is given a notebook and several stickers to use inside of it. ( and on that note, everything on the desks of others seem to show that they write using ink pens. ) they also show him a secret entrance to, in my opinion, one of the most advanced places in the game: The Astronomer’s Observatory. Composed of a gigantic telescope with enough power to look at the moon and stars, it is here that Professor Shikashi engages his occupation as an astronomer and studies outer space.
Granted, this particular post is only to make note of the technology in Clocktown, but there are numerous other sources of technology; this includes The Great Bay Temple, the entire musical setup at Zora Cape ( which includes electric guitars, bass guitars, drum sets, Speakers, etc. ) and of course the music-box house in Ikana Canyon.... and a lot of other stuff, really. Like the Pictograph Box!!!!
Link must’ve felt an insane amount of culture shock upon coming to termina. The only thing that could really resemble this sort of technology in Hyrule would be the jukebox in Castletown or the Windmill in Kakoriko Village. Leaving Termina must’ve been equally difficult however. Even though he’d been going through the same three days over and over again, the advancements and accommodations in this world must’ve been very easy to get used to. And as we go into the era of Twilight Princess, we can see that many of these aspects never flourished in Hyrule at all.
