I think about the past and having to purchase a pre-paid phone card in Japan and use them while calling on a green payphone back or gray when I was a college student.
And surprisingly, you will still seem around. Some in bad shape but for some, still being utilized.
As of the end of March 2020 (Reiwa 2), there are approximately 146,000 general public telephones (green and gray public telephones) installed nationwide, and approximately 109,000 of them are equipped with “minimum outdoor communication”.
They are classified as “Class 1 public telephones”, which are required to be installed as a universal service under the Enforcement Regulations of the Telecommunications Business Law.
According to soumu: The remaining approximately 37,000 telephones (as of the end of 2020) are being installed by NTT East and West Japan as “class 2 public telephones” in locations where high usage is expected, depending on actual usage.
At the end of 2002 (Heisei 14), when the universal service system was launched, approximately 584,000 general public telephones were installed in NTT East and West Japan, but as of the end of 2020 (Reiwa 2). In total, the number was approximately 146,000, which is a reduction of approximately 439,000 units over 18 years.
However, looking at the usage status, the number of calls in 2002 (Heisei 14) was approximately 1.18 billion, but in 2020 (Reiwa 2), the number of calls has decreased to approximately 30 million, per device. The number of communications has decreased from approximately 2,000 times in 2002 (Heisei 14) to approximately 200 times in 2020 (Reiwa 2).
It made me wonder if US payphones. According to Slate, in 1995, there were 2.6 million but as of 2022, there were only fewer than 10,000 and no guarantee they would work. But while some companies are responsible for private pay phones in certain areas, most of the bigger companies such as AT&T, Sprint and Verizon sold their public phones, years after Maroon 5 released their hit song “Payphone” in 2012.
But there are companies trying to merge today’s technology with old payphone technology for a VoIP based payphone, but no need to pay, it would be free and run off donations. For metropolitan areas, this may be important, especially for those who are unable to obtain a government paid cell phone.
A good idea and would be good for Japan to adopt, considering there are many people who are in the lower class or homeless that can benefit with such services.
But in Japan, there is a bit of a different perspective to low income/homeless versus the United States (ie. in a society with students that strive to be on top education-wise and parents strict of their children getting into a good school, many Japanese are less compassionate for those who don’t follow that path),
There is talk about bringing back payphones due to recent kidnapping and illegal confinement cases. But a study was done with elementary school students to raise awareness for disaster emergency message by dialing “171”. Back in 2010, a study showed that 44% of elementary students did not know how to use a public payphone. So, this led to Japan Public Telephone Association to hold “public telephone classes” for elementary students and how to use them in case of emergency.
But whether those green phones will still be around or not, or upgraded in someway to newer technologies in Japan, we’ll have to wait and see.
