Telegram Not Dead STOP Alive, Evolving In Japan STOP 144
itwbennett writes Japan is one of the last countries in the world where telegrams are still widely used. A combination of traditional manners, market liberalization and innovation has kept alive this age-old form of messaging. Companies affiliated with the country's three mobile carriers, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank, offer telegrams, which are sent via modern server networks instead of the dedicated electrical wires of the past (Morse telegraphy hasn't been used since 1962), and then printed out with modern printers instead of tape glued on paper. But customers are still charged according to the length of the message, which is delivered within three hours. A basic NTT telegram up to 25 characters long can be sent for ¥440 ($4.30) when ordered online.
Makes sense (Score:4, Insightful)
They also still use faxes for similar reasons impenetrable and unfathomable.
Japan is still pretty backwards in some ways (Score:3, Insightful)
Implying that cash isn't a superior method of getting paid.
Re:$4.30? (Score:2, Insightful)
That's about the rate for Hallmark greeting cards here. I imagine the telegram in Japan has similar cultural significance.