"Why are super-high-tech Japanese obsessed with faxes?" In the
wake of the Tokyo Olympics, people from overseas who saw or knew the fax numbers that accept support messages have raised such voices online.
Posts such as "Japan still uses fax machines in 2021 !?"
So I checked the fax situation in Japan.
Have you been caught all over the world?
Posts have been noticeable on the internet since the end of last month when the Olympics opened.
There was a post saying "My country may not be as developed as Japan, but I don't use fax", and there is also a post from Japan saying "It's dangerous! Did you get caught all over the world!" did.
Certainly, in Japan, when TV and local governments solicit support messages for athletes, they often introduce not only the reception form and email address but also the fax number.
With the spread of the Internet network around the world, faxes that mainly use telephone lines may seem outdated to foreigners.
Still popular
When I looked up how many people had a fax machine, I found a surprising number.
This is the result of a survey conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in the 2nd year of Reiwa on the status of possession of information and telecommunications equipment.
2.1% of people in their 20s and 1 in 50 have faxes, and 9.4% in their 30s and 1 in 10 people.
However, in the 40s, 1 in 4 people (25.8%), and in the 50s to 70s, it exceeds 40%.
Nearly 40% (38.9%) of people in their 80s or older have a fax.
FAX is very active in Japan.
Fax from my grandchildren ...
"I demand is no doubt tends to decrease. However, if we will stop the sale of fax, troubled people will have will come out,"
the FAX for the home was let me hear the story I am a spokesperson for Panasonic.
While many manufacturers have stopped selling, we are still handling it.
"In many cases, people who do not use smartphones are needed instead of exchanging letters."
"I've heard
people
say that they keep the fax letters from their grandchildren and look back over and over again."
I want to go, the person in charge said so.
Some people use it properly
I went to Sugamo to actually hear the voice of the user.
There were many people in their 60s and 70s on that day, and about half of the respondents had faxes.
Mr. Masaki Nishiyama, 71, told me, "I have a smartphone, but I use fax for fax."
He said that he had friends who couldn't use smartphones and computers, and that it was convenient when sending information about gatherings and events to those people (Mr. Nishiyama).
"The more we age, that even I do not If you do not respect thought I want you to send in harder. Accustomed FAX is to start using a new thing"
among those interviewed, the message of the celebrations will send a FAX of handwriting rather than e-mail There were other people who used it properly.
Olympics for all generations
In June, the government announced the abolition of the fax principle in administrative procedures, and is promoting digitalization.
FAX may gradually become obsolete in Japan as well.
While there is a view that digitization is lagging behind in Japan, I think it is also important that there is a way to convey your thoughts by fax at the Olympic event that all generations can enjoy. ..
I also found such a post.
"It's mainly for the elderly, isn't it diversity in a sense?"