ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
Technology

Tokyo says long goodbye to beloved floppy disks

Reliability cherished by bureaucrats, but maintenance fees had become a burden

A 2015 solar eclipse in Prague viewed through a floppy disk. In Japan's municipal offices, the once-ubiquitous disks are only now being phased out of use.   © Reuters

TOKYO -- As Japan tries to bring more government functions into the digital age, local authorities in Tokyo are starting to leave behind the floppy disks they used for decades to store and move data.

Meguro Ward plans to put all work involving floppies and other physical storage media online in fiscal 2021, and Chiyoda Ward plans a similar transition within the next few years. Minato Ward moved its payment procedures from floppies to online systems in 2019.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more