Japan Decided to Get Rid of Floppy Disks

A government committee has found that Japan continues to use floppy disks and CDs for filing applications and other forms in almost 2,000 cases. The government intends to change the legislation.

Taro Kono, Japan's digital minister, said that the Japan Digital Agency intends to change the rules to allow the use of modern online services, as current methods, and primarily online downloads, are not covered by Japanese law and are therefore not technically permitted. Kono has promised to rewrite these regulations, which hinder the country's digital agenda, as soon as possible.

Low levels of digital literacy, conservative attitudes and a bureaucratic culture are among the reasons why Japan has failed to adopt modern office solutions.

Kano said at a press conference:

I'm looking to get rid of the fax machine, and I still plan to do that. Where does one even buy a floppy disk these days?

The phase-out of floppy disks began last year even though Sony stopped producing them back in 2011. Last year, Tokyo began switching to online storage formats.

Recall that the floppy disk was invented in 1971, according to IBM, and gained popularity in the 1980s as a primary way to store and share information and run programs. The 2000s saw a shift from floppy disks to CDs, DVDs and eventually USB sticks.