Blog #3: Old Technology Becomes Part of Japan

In The New York Times an article titled, “In High-Tech Japan, the Fax Machines Roll on” tells the remarkable history of how fax machines have played a big role of keeping Japanese ties strong than the importance of business itself.

As we know Japan is known for their high-tech gadgets and bullet trains. In many aspects, they are more technologically advanced than other countries; however, there is one area where Japan has remained in the 80’s. For instance, 1.7 million of the old-style fax machines were sold to Japanese households just last year. In the United States, the device is seen as an artifact and even has been added to the Smithsonian collection.

There are multiple reasons why the fax machines have been hard to replace in Japan. First, the fax machines have grown deep roots into their society. What does this mean? According to Yuichiro Sugahara, owner of his family-run lunchbox company, he explains, “There is still something in Japanese culture that demands the warm, personal feelings that you get with a handwritten fax.” For example, a decade ago at his company he tried to modernize by allowing orders to be taken online. His sales quickly plummeted. Today his business is thriving. But what’s his secret? Every morning thousands of orders are made and coming in by fax! Orders for about 62,000 lunches pour in and about half of them are from faxes.

The second reason is for safety concerns. Many banks have stayed with the fax because customers grow suspicions of the internet. Many do not feel comfortable putting information on the internet so banks and customers prefer to do business over fax.

A third reason why fax machines have stuck around is because of the lack of young people and the ever growing aging populations. Japan has even been explained to have the Galapagos effect, where they hold on to the things they are comfortable with. Since the majority of their population consists of elders then they are less reluctant to let go of what they are used to. Handwritten messages have long been a necessity in Japan and faxes have appealed and continue to for older Japanese who do not feel comfortable using a keyboard. Japan is dominated by older generations who are still more likely to have a fax number than an e-mail.

The fax businesses are looking for more modern ways to stay in business and help Japan let go of an old idea. They are doing this by not eliminated the fax machines but modernizing them by allowing older generations to fax through smart phones, where the fax would show up as a message to the screens of phones.  Hopefully, this tactic will allow room for the younger  generations to develop. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/world/asia/in-japan-the-fax-machine-is-anything-but-a-relic.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&ref=technology


Melanie Maldonado
2/15/2013
4:58 pm