High Tech Japan????

 I'm on several Facebook groups about Japan.  Some of them are for expats who call Japan home, some are for tourists looking for ideas and some are people who haven't been here but love Japan and all things Japanese.  The last groups posts are the most frustrating, they see Japan through rose-colored glasses. One thing that comes up a lot is how high-tech Japan is.  It's true that Japan does have a lot of technology in place.  For example, last November Mikey and I went to a restaurant, we were greeted by a machine that asked how many were in our party, then gave a ticket with our table number on it.  At the table, the menus were already there and an iPad to order.  The meal arrived on a robot.  The only staff interaction was when Mikey's meal came, he had ordered a hamburger steak and it was served on a very hot iron plate.  Also paying was a staff member.  I liked to go to the restaurants and be greeted by the staff, then seated and also order from a person so I could ask questions.  

The same is true in most stores.  Self-checkouts are normal.  In some places, the staff still scan the products and you pay at a machine, but recently, doing everything yourself is getting more popular.  I miss the interaction with the staff and a chance to practice my Japanese.  Also, I feel some elderly people miss the chance to talk.  There are a lot of old people who live by themselves and the only conversation they get is going to the store and chatting with the staff.  Even if it's only basic greeting, it means something to lonely people.    

But Japan still relies on older technology.  Every week for the past 15 years our phone rings and it's somebody trying to send a fax.  Yes, that is still a thing in Japan.  Most businesses send faxes to each other.  I have no idea why.  Email is just as fast, then there are many different messaging apps that are free to use but faxes are the way to go.

Then there's this.

A telephone directory

Who uses these anymore?  This was delivered to me last week.  I have no idea why.  Even though I can't read or write Japanese using my phone I can find most businesses, dentists, and hospitals in this area and beyond.  Last week I wanted to go to a supermarket, they have a store in this city but I wanted to go to a bigger one in the next city.  I put the name in Google Maps, in a few seconds I got a list of stores, with telephone numbers, directions and opening times.  If I tried to use the telephone book it would have taken a lot longer, I would have to use an app on my phone to translate the Japanese.  Also because I had an idea where the store was but not the address it would have taken longer to figure out which store I wanted to go to.

So high-tech Japan?  Yes and no!!