From Floppy to Flashy: Japan finally unhooks its floppy disk obsession

In a technological leap, Japan has finally abandoned the use of dated floppy disks in administrative operations this week. This discontinuation comes 13 years after the last floppy disks were produced in the country. 

Predominantly utilised in the 1970s, floppy disks were gradually replaced by flash drives and internet cloud storage. In Japan, however, these devices remained in use much longer than in other advanced nations.

The shift away from floppy disks in Japan began two years ago, led by Taro Kono, the country's digital minister. Despite the cultural attachment to older technologies, Japan has now modernised its data handling. 

The town of Tsuwano exemplifies this progress, replacing its stockpile of floppy disks with a faster, more accurate digital database in April 2023. 

For years, numerous businesses were obliged to submit documents to regulators on floppy disks, as mandated by more than 1,000 laws and directives. Sony, once a main manufacturer of the disks, stopped production in 2011, and this week, Mr. Kono announced that all of those laws have been revoked.

However, the elimination of floppy disks, while marking progress, also brings concerns. Mr. Kono noted, "Now we have to be careful about data security", acknowledging that the old system was immune to hacking risks.

- CyberBeat