Why can't we be more Japanese?

Is Japan really the place where hot Asian girls are on every corner singing J-Pop tunes and families are out walking their robot babies? Unfortunately no. However, damn if the haven't garnered the market on cool electronic and devices to help with everyday life. Case in point: their "smart card".


We have those here in the states you say? Yes we do however the ones we use are set for a pre-defined operation like a phone card. In the land of the rising sun, they use their smart cards for EVERYTHING. They pay bills, buy clothes, train fare, purchase delicious snack treats from vending machines. You name it. Almost everything in Japan has either a card reader or an electro magnetic field that lets you swipe or wave your card to pay for goods.Are there problems? yes. Because this is an active device that has A LOT of personal info on it you can get "jacked". The Japanese have a protector (think lead vest to an x-ray) that blocks off transmission of the card unless you take it out and use it. And sure, the cases and the cards come in all the cute Asian loved themes: Hello Kitty, pop stars, cosplay characters.

It must be nice.