Current location:world >>
VOX POPULI: Time to end the excessive pursuit of convenience with deliveries
world6People have gathered around
IntroductionUntil about 40 years ago, it was a daily task of rookie reporters at The Asahi Shimbun’s local branc ...
Until about 40 years ago, it was a daily task of rookie reporters at The Asahi Shimbun’s local branch offices to take turns going to the train station, carrying a bag of their colleagues’ handwritten articles and black-and-white developed photos.
The bag would be deposited at the station’s dedicated counter to be transported by night train to the head office where the articles would be typeset.
This process was called “genko bin,” which translates as something like “article shipping.”
One of my superiors recalled fondly, “We were supposed to take turns according to our daily duty roster, but I was made to do it every day because I was at the bottom of the totem pole.”
My superior was young then and society itself must have been young, too.
Various parts of the nation were connected by rail to enable the movement of goods. For a long time since the end of World War II, rail transport played the central role in logistics.
But in 1986, the rapid growth of parcel delivery trucking services caused the trains specializing in the transport of items and luggage to be decommissioned.
I have brought up these old stories because I recently came across the expression “modal shift” in The Asahi Shimbun.
New overtime regulations for truck drivers went into effect on April 1, putting an end to their traditional style of work. The idea of a modal shift is to switch from trucking to rail and sea transport.
Come to think of it, this is no big deal—we’ll just be going back to the old genko bin days.
I suppose the issue now is how best to rectify the problems that we’ve created in the course of our pursuit of convenience.
If we are no longer able to live without the conveniences we’ve become accustomed to, then we’ll just have to do the obvious: Pay a fair price for the meticulous service we expect to get, so that delivery workers will receive higher wages.
There are people driving their vehicles at midnight and then sweating as they run up the stairs to meet the package delivery deadline, making sure they are punctual to the second.
You are looking at only one side of the situation if you believe that just one click is all it takes to get your order delivered to your door within the day.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 3
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Worldly Weave news portal”。http://ukraine.fictionsmistress.com/news-57e299934.html
Related articles
'Constantly learning' Imanaga off to impressive start with the Chicago Cubs
worldCHICAGO (AP) — The road for Shota Imanaga from Japan to the major leagues included at least one shar ...
【world】
Read moreIn Search of 'Treasures'
worldContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
【world】
Read moreWeifang: A City of Crafts and Folk Arts
worldContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
【world】
Read more
Popular articles
Latest articles
Tom Brady and Jay
Inheriting Patriotic Virtue in Family 'Born with the Red Gene'
Promoting Family Education, Raising Happy Children
Young American Sharing Traditional Chinese Culture with World
Independent UN experts urge Yemen’s Houthis to free detained Baha'i followers
'Bethune in Daqing' Brings Light Back to Patients
LINKS
- Pipa star lights up French streets
- Paris 2024 official stamp unveiled at Postal Museum
- Cuba announces unilateral visa exemption for Chinese citizens
- Guangzhou blow out Xinjiang to stay alive in playoffs
- Australia to host 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup
- Thiago Silva to rejoin Fluminense at contract end
- Paris 2024 official stamp unveiled at Postal Museum
- Hainan hits new records in tourist arrivals, revenue
- Mongolia suspends transfer of citizens due to parliamentary elections
- China iron, steel association slams US tariff hikes