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Amy, from Inside Japan’s US office has been travelling back in Japan, visiting colleagues and seeing new places. Japan is one of those countries where traditions are strong and don’t change at all for years and years, but at the same time, things change so quickly. Amy reflects upon just three changes in Japan since her last trip in 2013.
Smartphones
I have to admit that I called this one wrong when I told people that smartphones hadn’t quite caught on yet in Japan. They are EVERYWHERE, or at least everywhere I happen to look. There are still a few holdouts, of course, or people who prefer the flip-style cell phones (older folks, elementary school children, etc.), but it seems that if you want to be cool and hip now, you’ve got to have a smartphone. And it certainly is more entertaining when riding the train to watch your neighbor play the Japanese version of Candy Crush than it is to wonder if you were supposed to get off at the last station.
IC Card Credit Meters
Granted, I’ve only seen this device once at a “konbini” near JR Kamakura Station, but what a GREAT idea, as in why hasn’t someone thought of this sooner! Most of our customers are given IC cards as part of their package as they are convenient when travelling on local train in Tokyo for example. You can also use the cards to buy food and drinks at some vending machines. However!!! Don’t have any cash on hand but also can’t remember if you have enough credit on your IC card to pay for your onigiri? Just hold your IC card to the back of the meter, push the black pad, and bam! Instant credit check. If this doesn’t become standard in every konbini in a few years, I’ll be shocked, simply shocked.
On-Call JR Operators
I went to JR Kyoto Station to reserve a seat on the Shinkansen using my JR Passand was resigned to waiting in the long, long line when a station attendant asked me why don’t I use the automated ticket machines instead. I explained that I had a JR Pass and had to use the ticket office only to be told that that wouldn’t be an issue since they had an on-call operator. “An operator?” I thought. “What could that possibly mean?” So I followed the attendant and was surprised to see that several ticket machines did indeed have an intercom/phone system where you could place your JR Pass under the camera, request a train reservation, and the operator would take care of it for you. This service is very new—from February, actually—and currently only in Japanese, but according to the station attendant they may offer it in English if there is enough demand. So everyone with a JR Pass, use this machine!
