6 ms·

Japan has one of the most legacy tech as they probably automated them first and an ageing population probably is resistant to change. They still use fax and tel

Japan has one of the most legacy tech as they probably automated them first and an ageing population probably is resistant to change. They still use fax and telegrams quite a lot

midoridensha 3y ago
>They still use fax and telegrams quite a lot Telegrams? Is this some kind of joke? I've never seen anything resembling a telegram here. Faxes are still used between businesses, which is much the same as the US where they're ubiquitous in the real estate and legal industries.
- brigandish 3y ago
  > Telegrams? Is this some kind of joke? I've never seen anything resembling a telegram here. They're used for special occasions, you can even get them printed on pretty paper and put in pretty envelopes.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- tkgally 3y ago
  Telegrams are still commonly used in Japan to send messages of congratulations and condolence. https://www.denpoppo.com/ https://www.denpoppo.com/ https://www.ntt-east.co.jp/dmail/ https://www.ntt-east.co.jp/dmail/ Wedding and funeral ceremonies often include a segment where someone reads aloud messages that have been delivered by telegram.
  - midoridensha 3y ago
    This doesn't seem like a technological issue at all, unlike Fax machines. Unless I'm missing something, this is basically like the old-fashioned "singing telegrams" in the US, except without the singing part: you're just hiring a person to deliver a message in-person and read it aloud. The message isn't being transmitted over actual telegraph wires.
- throwaway2037 3y ago
  I didn't know that US real estate agents still use faxes. Really??? What are they sending? Floor layout?
  - _def 3y ago
    Just guessing, but maybe signed contracts
    - throwaway2037 3y ago
      Good point. I wonder if they fax for "round one", then use courier on bike for "round two".
  - lost_tourist 3y ago
    most don't, they use email and signed pdfs like most people, i'm sure there are some hold outs though.
- est 3y ago
  I remember few years back Tokyo's Covid-19 numbers plateaued because the hand-written fax system https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan-internet/fax-loving-japan-to-introduce-online-system-for-reporting-coronavirus-idUSKBN22D4FB https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan-... https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13373419 https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13373419
  - supernova87a 3y ago
    The UK's virus numbers did too. But because they ran out of Excel rows and didn't know it.
_def 3y ago
That's an interesting take. I always thought in Japan they have this sentiment of "it's good enough" for machines because in comparison it seems like a lot of old tech like this is still around over there. And I really love that, a lot of modern (software) engineering seems like an economic scam to me that really isn't necessary. Also, I bet the system shown here (once loaded) is super responsive. I keep crying over weird and sluggish web/Elektron interfaces I have to deal with every day
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  Laziness is the mother of all inventions, as the old saying goes. Japanese are not lazy, they are one of the most capable people on the planet, but that also means they don't innovate or see the value of new inventions. A great example is that in the west, we have specific kitchen tools for everything. An apple peeler, for example. Specifically to peel and only peel apples and only apples. Why? Because everyone's a lazy bastard. But in Japan? One kitchen knife for everything. Yes, one single kitchen knife. For everything. Why? Because everyone is skilled with the kitchen knife to do anything and everything with it, so they don't need to innovate and invent apple peelers. Or another great example: Japan started using telephones and then mobile phones and that was good enough for them. The west wanted even more convenience and invented smartphones. As you put it, doing it the old fashioned way is "good enough" for Japan because they aren't lazy. They are both among the most advanced and regressive people on the planet.
  - loriverkutya 3y ago
    I started to have an interest in Japanese kitchen/cooking lately and every cookbook I have lists more than one type of knife as an essential. Also this article mentions that the chef of the restaurant in the Japan House in London: “Akira has used many different types of knives in the past, but these days he finds that one sturdy knife and one small petit knife are enough to prepare almost any Japanese dish.” So I’m not sure where you information is coming from but sounds more like myth than fact. Article: https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/discover/japanese-knives-part-one/ https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/discover/japanese-knives-par...
- 3y ago
HPsquared 3y ago
Kind of like how Britain has the oldest train lines.
arnaudsm 3y ago
That explains why Japan feels like the future in the 80s. Tokyo has this amazing retro-futuristic vibe.
YetAnotherNick 3y ago
Idk about others but I would like to have a fax, or even a email where it would cost people to send me mail for direct access to me.

Japan has one of the most legacy tech as they probably automated them first and an ageing population probably is resistant to change. They still use fax and telegrams quite a lot

midoridensha 3y ago

>They still use fax and telegrams quite a lot Telegrams? Is this some kind of joke? I've never seen anything resembling a telegram here. Faxes are still used between businesses, which is much the same as the US where they're ubiquitous in the real estate and legal industries.

brigandish 3y ago
> Telegrams? Is this some kind of joke? I've never seen anything resembling a telegram here. They're used for special occasions, you can even get them printed on pretty paper and put in pretty envelopes.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
tkgally 3y ago
Telegrams are still commonly used in Japan to send messages of congratulations and condolence. https://www.denpoppo.com/ https://www.denpoppo.com/ https://www.ntt-east.co.jp/dmail/ https://www.ntt-east.co.jp/dmail/ Wedding and funeral ceremonies often include a segment where someone reads aloud messages that have been delivered by telegram.
- midoridensha 3y ago
  This doesn't seem like a technological issue at all, unlike Fax machines. Unless I'm missing something, this is basically like the old-fashioned "singing telegrams" in the US, except without the singing part: you're just hiring a person to deliver a message in-person and read it aloud. The message isn't being transmitted over actual telegraph wires.
throwaway2037 3y ago
I didn't know that US real estate agents still use faxes. Really??? What are they sending? Floor layout?
- _def 3y ago
  Just guessing, but maybe signed contracts
  - throwaway2037 3y ago
    Good point. I wonder if they fax for "round one", then use courier on bike for "round two".
- lost_tourist 3y ago
  most don't, they use email and signed pdfs like most people, i'm sure there are some hold outs though.
est 3y ago
I remember few years back Tokyo's Covid-19 numbers plateaued because the hand-written fax system https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan-internet/fax-loving-japan-to-introduce-online-system-for-reporting-coronavirus-idUSKBN22D4FB https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan-... https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13373419 https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13373419
- supernova87a 3y ago
  The UK's virus numbers did too. But because they ran out of Excel rows and didn't know it.

_def 3y ago

That's an interesting take. I always thought in Japan they have this sentiment of "it's good enough" for machines because in comparison it seems like a lot of old tech like this is still around over there. And I really love that, a lot of modern (software) engineering seems like an economic scam to me that really isn't necessary. Also, I bet the system shown here (once loaded) is super responsive. I keep crying over weird and sluggish web/Elektron interfaces I have to deal with every day

Dalewyn 3y ago
Laziness is the mother of all inventions, as the old saying goes. Japanese are not lazy, they are one of the most capable people on the planet, but that also means they don't innovate or see the value of new inventions. A great example is that in the west, we have specific kitchen tools for everything. An apple peeler, for example. Specifically to peel and only peel apples and only apples. Why? Because everyone's a lazy bastard. But in Japan? One kitchen knife for everything. Yes, one single kitchen knife. For everything. Why? Because everyone is skilled with the kitchen knife to do anything and everything with it, so they don't need to innovate and invent apple peelers. Or another great example: Japan started using telephones and then mobile phones and that was good enough for them. The west wanted even more convenience and invented smartphones. As you put it, doing it the old fashioned way is "good enough" for Japan because they aren't lazy. They are both among the most advanced and regressive people on the planet.
- loriverkutya 3y ago
  I started to have an interest in Japanese kitchen/cooking lately and every cookbook I have lists more than one type of knife as an essential. Also this article mentions that the chef of the restaurant in the Japan House in London: “Akira has used many different types of knives in the past, but these days he finds that one sturdy knife and one small petit knife are enough to prepare almost any Japanese dish.” So I’m not sure where you information is coming from but sounds more like myth than fact. Article: https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/discover/japanese-knives-part-one/ https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/discover/japanese-knives-par...
3y ago

HPsquared 3y ago

Kind of like how Britain has the oldest train lines.

arnaudsm 3y ago

That explains why Japan feels like the future in the 80s. Tokyo has this amazing retro-futuristic vibe.

YetAnotherNick 3y ago

Idk about others but I would like to have a fax, or even a email where it would cost people to send me mail for direct access to me.