Still Big in Japan: The Fax Machine

Thursday, 14 February 2013 | by Pat's Picks

The high-tech Japanese have a surprising idiosyncrasy, says the New York Times: they love the fax machine. Last year, 1.7 million fax machines, complete with the slick paper roll, were sold in the country; In the US the fax has become such a relic the Smithsonian is adding two to its collection. So why the love? Some say it’s simply a refusal to discard something that works while others say it’s more personal: “There is still something in Japanese culture that demands the warm, personal feelings that you get with a handwritten fax.”

SOURCE: New York Times