Key Points
- Essayist and former young carer Mikan Oshidari is campaigning to protect “analog rights” as Japan rapidly digitalizes government and social services.
- Oshidari argues that for the elderly and people with disabilities who cannot use digital tools, analog options like paper forms and face-to-face counters are a form of essential “welfare.”
- Her petition to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly was dismissed on procedural grounds, highlighting the difficulty individuals face when trying to bring the digital divide to the attention of policymakers.
- The movement draws inspiration from international precedents in countries like Sweden and the U.S., where laws have been enacted to ensure analog access to essential services.
Full Transcript (English)
Host (Jun Hori): Today on 8bitNews, we are discussing the digital divide and the perspective of young carers. We received a message from someone directly involved in these issues. Currently, there is a strong push by the government and local authorities toward digitalization. While it is rational and efficient, it assumes an environment where everyone can use digital tools. Is that really possible for everyone? To ensure no one falls through the cracks, we must consider various perspectives. Our guest today is Mikan Oshidari, who has been independently petitioning the government. Welcome.
Guest (Mikan Oshidari): Thank you for having me. My name is Mikan Oshidari. I work as an essayist and have published books. I am also a young carer—or “youth carer”—and I am currently active in submitting petitions and requests to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly and other prefectural assemblies.
Host: Could you tell us about the specific content of your petition?
Guest: I have been active in the Tokyo and Saitama assemblies. This is the petition I submitted to Tokyo. The title is “Analog is Welfare, Digital is Essential: Protecting the Right to an Analog Life Without Being Forced into Digitalization.” The theme is the coexistence of digital and analog systems.
Host: If you don’t mind, could you read the first few lines for us?
Guest: “I am a 32-year-old woman with elderly and disabled family members. I live with anxiety regarding a digitalization that leaves vulnerable people behind. My family cannot use digital devices like smartphones or PCs at all. Currently, they handle tasks via phone, face-to-face counters, or mail. However, when the internet is required, I must handle the procedures, do research, and print things out for them. I have someone I want to marry, but they live far away. If I marry, I must leave this house. But I cannot leave my family behind when they cannot use a smartphone or PC. If this were 20 years ago, before this level of digitalization, I might have been able to marry and leave. But in 2024, I feel I have to give up on my own life. The social isolation of the elderly who cannot use digital tools is called the digital divide. Current measures like ‘smartphone classes’ or subsidies are insufficient and feel unkind to those of us actually living this reality. I tried to teach my family to use a tablet, but they couldn’t remember the steps. I got frustrated, and they lost confidence and withdrew. Why can’t vulnerable people be allowed to live as they are? In countries that digitalized early, face-to-face counters have disappeared and hospital appointments are only online, leaving many isolated. Analog tools are like wheelchairs or canes for the vulnerable—they are a form of welfare. I ask that you protect the right to an analog life so we can live without fear.”
Host: That is a very powerful message based on your actual experience. I’m sure many others feel the same way.
Guest: Yes, when my story was featured in the newspaper, I received many messages from elderly people saying they felt the same way and were struggling. It is a serious problem that isn’t being made visible enough.
Host: You mentioned being a young carer. How has that shaped your view on this?
Guest: My family members have mental illnesses and developmental disabilities. They find it very difficult to “update” their knowledge. Once they learn one way of doing things, it’s fixed. They can’t just switch to a smartphone. I’ve cared for them since I was a child, trying to make sure they can live peacefully. But digitalization is something I can’t fix for them on my own.
Host: What specific instances made you realize the severity of this?
Guest: Recently, even booking an appointment at the tax office requires LINE. Then there is the “Tokyo App” which requires My Number card registration to get points. Even ordering sweets from a shop that used to take phone orders has moved entirely online. The biggest trigger for me was the abolition of the 104 directory assistance service in March. For my family, who can’t use the internet, 104 was a lifeline. I told them it was ending, but they couldn’t accept it. I still see them trying to call 104, hoping it might connect. It feels like they’ve been abandoned by the world.
Host: That’s heartbreaking. People often dismiss these complaints as people being “old-fashioned” or “lazy,” but it’s not that simple.
Guest: Exactly. It’s not about being lazy. For some, it is a genuine cognitive or physical barrier. Even for me, I have an anxiety disorder. I worry about what happens if my phone breaks or if I lose access to a digital pass. I prefer paper because it’s reliable. We shouldn’t be forced to choose only one way. For example, some people with developmental disabilities find handwriting difficult and prefer PCs. We need options, not a single digital mandate.
Host: How did the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly respond to your petition?
Guest: It wasn’t even debated. I received a document stating that the petition was “not suited for committee deliberation.” The reason given was that the issue was “too broad” and covered too many different departments, so a single committee couldn’t decide on it. It’s like a school where the health committee handles the toilets and the discipline committee handles skirt lengths—because my request for “analog rights” affects everything, they said no committee could take it.
Host: That sounds like a systemic failure of the petition process. If a problem is widespread, it should be more important, not less. Did any politicians help you?
Guest: I emailed almost every member of the assembly. Only two replied. One has been very supportive and taught me how to file the petition. The other invited me to an event as a sort of “token” guest, but then stopped replying to my emails once the event was over. It felt like I was just being used for show.
Host: That’s disappointing. Politicians often talk about “no one left behind” and “diversity,” but when it comes to the actual implementation of digital policy, they seem to ignore the errors occurring on the ground. You mentioned some international examples earlier?
Guest: Yes, Sweden, which was a leader in cashless payments, passed a law in March to make accepting cash mandatory for essential goods to protect against the digital divide and for national security. In San Diego, they passed an ordinance that if a business offers digital coupons, they must also provide paper versions for the elderly. Oregon is also looking at laws to ensure paper options for rental applications. These places are realizing that total digitalization has serious flaws.
Host: Japan often follows international trends, so perhaps we can learn from these “analog-back” movements. What are your next steps?
Guest: I’m planning to submit petitions to the Chiba and Saitama assemblies in September, and another to Tokyo in December. I’m also joining a group of plaintiffs in Tachikawa who are suing over the “Tokyo App,” arguing that making the app and My Number card mandatory for inflation relief measures is discriminatory. I want to eventually take this to the national level. I’m not saying “stop digital,” I’m saying “keep analog as an option.”
Host: It’s about universal design in the truest sense. We will continue to follow your activities. Thank you for coming today.
Guest: Thank you. Analog is welfare. I hope for a society where people can live as they are without being forced to change. Please take an interest in this issue as something that affects everyone eventually.
