テクノロジー Tekunorojii (Technology)

Written by Spencer Harrington

Yes, Tokyo is idolised as one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world. People picture this neighbourhood as ‘electric this’ and ‘neon that’, a place where  the world’s robots, gadgets and gizmos are conceived and created and which is more reliant on machines and devices.

These ideas about Tokyo are usually gleaned from movies, cartoons and stories, yet they are not far from the truth. Among the developed countries, Japan is further advanced than others. Coming from little old New Zealand, where we generally enjoy the simple things in life and don’t mind doing things ourselves, it really is noticeable.

A lot of the technology found here only applies to Tokyo and its enormous population and networks. For instance, Tokyo is primarily a cash city, with no such thing as eftpos.  However they do use a pre-pay system. This system of payment has been around for many years and is one of the main forms of purchasing certain goods and services, such as public transport. The Seibu Train Company has recently invented a prepay card specifically for parents. When they drop their child off at the train station before school, the card will send a text message to the parents’ mobile phone letting them know when the child gets through the gate on the other side, and again when the youngster is coming home from school. Definitely a great idea for parents’ peace of mind.

Perhaps once just used for public travel, now there is not much you can’t purchase with one of these cards.. If I ever found myself short on cash, my Pasmo card could be scanned in taxis and buses, as well as paying for goods at convenience stores, supermarkets and fast food joints, even random vending machines. You can also download money onto your cell phone and simply place your cell phone over the scanner and pay with your phone credit. These are incredibly useful ideas for one of the biggest consumer cities in the world.

Random fact: The city’s population is approximately 13 million, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding a whopping 35 – 39 million. This makes Tokyo the world's most populous metropolitan area and the world's largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US$1.479 trillion, surpassing even New York City, ranked second on the list.

As a whole, Tokyo isn’t too different from other major cities; even Auckland isn’t far behind in terms of  key technology. But it’s the smaller technological advancements and aids that make this concrete jungle live up to its futuristic hype. Every department store, shop and eatery in Tokyo sports automatic glass doors. Almost all public, and the majority of private, bathroom faucets operate on motion detectors and all toilets in the greater Tokyo area (and I'm assuming most of Japan) have electric heated toilet seats, complete with automated lid lifter, heated bidets and the option of rushing water sounds to mask your ‘business’.

Most people are aware that the Japanese car industry  leads in technological innovation. Many of us have owned a Japanese car and probably think we get the same vehicles as our Japanese counterparts. Let’s just say, the plastic caps that are slotted in the dashboard of your Japanese export car  suggesting there may have been a button in its place, are there for exactly that. All locally produced vehicles have TV monitors in them. The TV’s are used for the ‘reversing’ camera that most cars have, or for making the most of Japan’s world leading GPS, or even for watching the latest J-pop music video (dangerously, there is no cut-off for the screens when you start the car so you may even watch while driving).

Positioned along the expressways and overpasses that weave throughout the concrete landscape are the usual overhead road signs showing routes up ahead. Nothing new, right? Only in Tokyo, these overhead signs double as a ‘to-the-minute’ traffic warning system, informing drivers of up-coming congestion. Using LED controlled maps on the overhang, these signs even suggest optional less congested routes to take …Auckland could definitely benefit from this!

Even construction and road works get with the 21st century. Who needs a ‘Go-Stop Man’ when you can use a cartoon looking robot to do the same job 24/7 with no complaints? Even the road cones and directional arrows light up and often flash cautions to oncoming pedestrians.

But it’s the public transport systems that really stand out. Japan was the first country to build dedicated railway lines for high speed travel. Carrying up to 151 million passengers a year and hitting speeds of over 320km/h, the “Shinkansen’s” (Bullet train) technologies and success have influenced other railways across the world. The local railway system is just as impressive and employs multiple forms of rail. Among the 55 different private railway networks are standard electric trains, subway trains, multiple monorail systems (some of which operate electrically, without a driver), local Shinkansens, and even the world’s longest suspended monorail system, located in Chiba (something I thought was only possible on roller coasters!)

Yet it’s a simple system found in taxis that I am most impressed by. Hailing down a cab after a big day of shopping, there’s no need to worry about finding an extra finger to reach the handle…the driver’s rear doors open automatically! I love it, even just for the novelty. It’s a great representation of the little technological details Japanese engineers are celebrated for. And it makes living here a lot of fun.

However, the down side is that a lot of these systems, screens and machines can really numb the brain. Many are designed simply for an aesthetic or novelty purpose, I don’t believe that other cities are missing out on anything usefully futuristic or futuristically useful.

That's what Tokyo's for...futuristic fun.