The Entity That Left Behind

I've been living in the countryside for about half a year. Unlike the urban area, here in Yoshino Town, Nara Prefecture, it's a peaceful area surrounded by mountains. It truly feels nice, and the nights are quiet with a clear view of the stars. The countryside is a good place. That's for sure. However, it may not be entirely correct. Perhaps. It's important to note that this is a personal impression.

The Showa Style

Regarding the organization, there's an undeniable sense of being outdated. This is because the majority of the employees are elderly. If the leader were younger, the issue might not be as serious as it could be. However, the countryside is stuck in the Showa era, with a clear seniority system. They don't even attempt to introduce simple existing technologies to streamline tasks. It might be troublesome or they may simply not want to change. Despite the fact that the tasks may not be that much , they would take their time to process them, enjoying the feeling of having worked on something. I find it wasteful. Let me give you some examples.

Example 1: I asked an old man to handle a task. The request was made face-to-face to avoid miscommunication. Since the results didn't come as I expected, I messaged him on LINE. No response, even after a day. Since there was no contact, I went to confirm it in person. I received an excuse that he couldn't respond because he was at the hospital the previous day. I got the result without an apology. In my mind, I screamed, "If you couldn't contact me, at least report the reasons and results on LINE!" The room he was in was always filled with the smell of cigarettes and something strange. It was tough.

Example 2: The same old man printed out an email and made a special trip to deliver it. It was so analog that I was surprised. He knows my Gmail, so it would have been easier to forward it. I was speechless, astonished at the unnecessary effort.

Justice Lies In Showa Style

Even so, the majority are grandpa & grandma. In the first place, there's no sense of discomfort. Their analog Showa style is just the way it is. The term "old nuisance" is nowhere to be found. In the countryside, the Showa style is considered as justice. However, sadly, times are changing, and the economy is not isolated. The productivity gap between urban and rural areas is getting bigger and bigger, and I think that left-behind rural businesses will disappear. I believe one solution is early business succession and the transfer of authority.

Bye!