Shiny Toys
What’s stunning about technology in Japan that everyone possesses the very latest gadget. The same thing also seems to apply to public infrastructure, but the Japanese are so cleanly that even things from thirty years ago appear brand new.
Everything that can be is automated. Traditional Japanese doors are sliding screens, so modern doors are all powered glass sliders. There’s a couple of vending machines on every city block that sell beer, cigarettes, hot canned coffee and electrolyte drinks. How long would an unattended beer machine last in Europe or America? If you wander around enough you can find machines selling batteries, books and even stranger things. Public toilet seats are heated and have several touch-pad controlled bidet settings. The bidet extends on a delicate little robotic arm. They are always immaculate, vandalism does not exist.
Mobile phone culture in Japan is completely pervasive. Everyone does everything with their phone and has for a long time. Everyone totes about a tiny transforming toy with thumbprint security that’s also a PDA, 2 megapixel video camera, photo editor, MP3 player, email client, web browser, bluetooth and IR remote, GPS with map, and radio. I’m sure I left something out. Oh yeah: videogames, chat clients, and barometers. This year’s phones will have bone-phones for quiet conversation and payment chips for use at the store. Half the people in any train are absorbed with their phone’s non-voice features. At temples most people took photos with their phones. The serious photographers unfolded shiny digital tubes that looked like space weapons.
The Japanese enjoy the best trains in the world. They go everywhere, are fast, clean and whir like electric toys. Major routes are served by bullet trains. Automobiles all have full color GPS mapping devices. Parking garages are all strictly vertical arrangements with elevator bays. Half the bicycles are compact models you can fold up and wear on your back. Taxi doors open with servo motors.
If you’ve ever wondered why Japanese websites take so long to load, its because a 100 megabit ADSL connection only costs $40 a month. This means that the Japanese have high quality movies on demand and high quality video telephone. I hear the Korean government is rolling out 100 megabits free to every citizen this year.