Love Affair with the Fax Machine is Cultural

Bloglet- Japanese Love affair with the Fax Machine is Cultural

On this Valentine's Day, we reflect on the long standing attraction of tech-savvy Japan for the 200 dpi, monochromatic transmission of paper documents.  In the Washington Post article, "In Japan, Fax Machines remain important because of language and culture", reasons for the lasting affection include the Japanese language with kanji characters that were not easily handled by computers of the day, i.e. the 1970's and 80's when the facsimile technology was created.  As a result, Japanese businesses, government and around 50% of the households adopted the fax machine rather than computers/email for electronic transmission of documents.  The New York Times' article, "In the High-Tech Japan, the Fax Machine Roll On", provides additional insights into the abiding embrace of the facsimile including tried and true, reliable business practices in which paper faxes are integral to their success, as well as the joy and pleasure of receiving handwritten faxed notes and greetings.  In the U.S. where many public elementary schools are considering dropping cursive handwriting, the art of penning a handwritten greeting may soon be a thing of the past along with the fax machine.  However, for now, in Japan, the love affair with the fax machine endures!

© Stephen J. Weyer, Stites & Harbison, PLLC, 2013

Send email feedback- sweyer@stites.com