Hello everyone,
And welcome to the first issue of the TÉKUNI Newsletter, a project about technology in Japan. You can read more about it here.
Every issue of TÉKUNI focuses on a specific theme and has an interview with a tech expert commenting on said theme.
For this one I have spoken with Natalie Meyer, founder of Tokyoesque, about how Japan’s tech space is reacting to the coronavirus pandemic.
The links I’ve included in the section below the interview are mainly from Japan-based publications, but there may be some from EU and US publications as well.
👩💻 TÉKUNI Exclusive - Interview with Natalie Meyer
Natalie founded Japan market research & localisation agency Tokyoesque in 2014.
Combining her Silicon Valley, start-up background with her knowledge of Japan and Japanese, Natalie linked Tokyoesque with several international organisations.
Among these were the Tokyo Olympic & Paralympic Games.
Given the theme of this issue of TÉKUNI, I have asked Natalie how she thought the tech sector in Japan was reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think there are two types of companies in Japan, one is the type that is forward-facing and trying to make the most of the latest trends.”
The other one would be the type that, although interested in these trends, would not be not actively incorporating them into their workplaces.
“Unfortunately, COVID-19 hit [these companies] hard. For example, their productivity levels went far down.”
Natalie went on discussing how the outbreak has highlighted the necessity for practical applications that can quickly and safely help navigate virus-infected spaces.
“As Japan is a country that prides itself on the highest levels of hygiene, it's natural that new technologies will continue to be developed across this sector.”
In terms of remote working solutions, Natalie said Japanese company executives have struggled to get their employees set up to work from home.
“We just helped our client SignRequest launch in Japan, and video conferencing solutions like Zoom have picked up steam there too.”
From recent data gathered from Tokyoesque, there has been a lot of reliance on foreign companies to provide the necessary infrastructure for remote working in Japan.
“While startups and smaller companies in Japan might embrace the remote working style more readily post-Coronavirus, I think many of the large corporations will return to their usual format.”
In terms of the technologies used by the Japanese government to tackle the pandemic, Natalie explained the main ones were those related to air purity and decontamination.
“For instance, Deep-UV LEDs developed by Nikkiso have been used in filters that tackle airborne allergens.”
Other uses of tools to enhance safety are are contactless technologies which negate the need for people to touch objects potentially contaminated by viruses.
One example of this is Kyoto-based firm Glory, which employs facial recognition algorithms to permit entry into buildings.
My interview with Natalie finished with a brief discussion over Japan’s contact tracing app.
The app was released earlier this month, and it was supposed to alert people when they have been near someone infected with the coronavirus.
A bug in the app caused the program to have caused false alerts, and the Japanese Government temporarily removed it from smartphone stores.
When asked her point of view about the efficacy of the contact tracing app in Japan, Natalie said that, as with anything that potentially compromises personal privacy, this was a delicate issue.
“It's worth noting that Japanese users tend to be very wary about their private information.”
“The ability to have absolute trust in the app will be really crucial in being most effective among the Japanese population.”
Trust that, given the past issues with the app, could be already potentially under threat.
❓ Want to find out more about how coronavirus is impacting Japan’s tech space?
🔗 Here is the newsletter’s link section:
Researchers create tiny bronchi to develop drug for COVID-19 - Kyodo News
Vaccine clinical trial starts in Japan - NHK News
Banks and cashless payment providers prepare for "digital yen" - Kyodo News
"Mixed reality" medics test diagnosis from a distance - NHK News
Phone app informs train riders with up-to-date crowd conditions - Kyodo News
Robot built for Japan's aging workforce used in coronavirus fight - Reuters
Supercomputer simulates virus transmission - NHK News
Pandemic accelerates deployment of fiber-optic networks - The Japan Times
Ultraviolet-ray robots used to destroy the coronavirus - The Asahi Shimbun
Japan defense data may have leaked after cyberattack in mid-Dec - Kyodo News
Global smartphone sales plunge 20% in pandemic-hit quarter - Yahoo! News
Nintendo confirms 140,000 additional accounts were hacked - Kyodo News
Japanese researchers confirm coronavirus testing in sewers - Reuters
Rise in game addicts prompts enhancement of consultation system - Kyodo News
Glitches force gov't to temporarily shut down contact-tracing app - Kyodo News
Online recruitment gives students in Japan insufficient firms’ info - Kyodo News
'Virtual security guard' makes trial debut NHK News
Japanese fabric zaps germs with electricity - Nikkei Asian Review
Robot spots people not wearing masks - NHK News
Researchers eye tech wearables as virus early warning system - MSN News
Computer deduces partition height to prevent virus spread - The Asahi Shinbun
Meeting Geisha online - NHK News
Cutting-edge technology connecting fans and virus-affected sports - Kyodo News
AI system makes sure hands are being washed properly - The Asahi Shimbun
Contactless service kiosk upgraded to take temperatures - The Japan Times
Japanese startup creates 'connected' face mask for coronavirus - Reuters
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