Japan declares war on floppy disks for government use

According to foreign media, Japan’s Digital Affairs Minister Taro Kono has ‘declared war against the use of floppy disks and other outdated technology by bureaucrats in the country.

Taro Kono said that even in Japan around 1900, a business still needed CDs, mini-discs, and other such storage devices for official work.

He said the rules would be updated to allow people to use online services as well.

We all know that Japan is famous for its use of advanced technology. But its government offices are still running on very old technology.

A Japanese government committee has identified 1,900 jobs that require the use of floppy disks for data.

During a news conference last week, Taro Kono criticized the country for still using antiquated technology.

He said that I want to get rid of the fax machine. And we are planning for it.

Then while talking about the storage devices, he said that ‘Nowadays, where does one even buy a floppy disk from?’

• Android 14 will allow for satellite support on your phone
• World’s first sports car ready to fly

This is not the first time that Japan has been in the headlines because of these old habits. Such a perception about this country is very strange because worldwide Japan is considered to be at the forefront of the technology race and is known for creating new products.

In 2018, the country’s cybersecurity minister admitted that he had never used a computer. He said that he does all the IT-related work with his staff.

By the 2010s, US officials were also found to be monitoring their nuclear arsenal with the help of floppy disks. However, he reportedly called it quits towards the end of the decade.

When and why was the floppy disk invented?

The floppy disk was invented in the 1960s. It was given this name because the product at that time was flexible. However, decades later, the floppy disk is considered an archaic technology because there are more durable and better devices on the market for storage than the floppy disk.

For example, more than 20,000 floppy disks would be required to transfer data from a typical 32 GB USB stick to a floppy disk. So now its use is almost disappearing.