Who would have thought the Japanese would be so resistant to digitization?
An Associated Press (AP) story yesterday, “Japan steps up push to get public buy-in to digital IDs”, echoed the many conversations I have had across time with my Japanese students and my own experience: why is the digital transformation so slow in a country where consumer electronics are so popular (Tokyo’s Akihabara district is dedicated to gadgetry of all kinds), and that has long been in the forefront of technological change.
AP says the Japanese are refusing to accept the introduction of digital ID cards, to the point that the government has had to threaten people who refuse to obtain one with the possible loss of public health benefits. Health cards, with no photo, were accepted several decades ago, but are set to be replaced in 2024 with a new digital identity card, assuming the government can overcome resistance, which has even prompted online protests that have garnered more 100,000 signatures.
The initiative, which began in 2016 and has so far gained very little traction, is as simple as assigning a number to each citizen, equivalent to that of Spain’s DNI or a Social Security number in the United States. However, despite the routineness of the procedure in light of experience in many other countries, many Japanese say it would be an invasion of their privacy, could lead to the theft…
