Any DU'ers that have visited/lived in Japan.....

[Fountain79]

I was curious if you felt that you went to Japan you were getting a glimpse into our personal techonological future. I've often heard that Japan often has items that we will see in a few more years in the U.S. The reason I ask is because I currently live in Colombia, South America, yes the one in the news, and I have noticed that there are some technological stuff that hasn't quite reached here i.e. blue tooth, HD DVD(R.I.P.), Blue Ray, etc. Instead they are using personal technology that I saw about 3-4 years ago.

Just curious

[momophile]

1. I was only there for one week

and mainly in Kyoto, but the only thing that I saw technology wise that hadn't made it here yet were all the damn Pachinko machines. but maybe they are here now. I don't go to casinos very often.
:shrug:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. They were into some things years before Americans were

When I went there a few years ago, I see people on the trains tapping on the keypads of little electronic devices. I thought it was some kind of new game, but a resident American told me that it was this new thing called "text messaging" and that the little electronic devices were their cell phones--which could also take pictures.

Many years ago, I went there and met my first ATM. I also saw stereo TV and digital cameras for the first time there.

Another thing they had before we did was docudramas based on scandals. I was astonished the first time I saw one back in about 1977.

I was there most recently in November 2007, but I don't remember any startlingly new inventions.

[Tektonik]

3. Japan and Western Europe don't have shockingly new inventions

Although, their governments help proliferate good technologies throughout the public much faster than the US ever would (broadband internet for example).