"Small shops are disappearing fast from our neighborhoods. You can drive to a large shopping outlet and save money, but my mother living alone can’t buy what she wants when she wants," a friend of mine complained when driving to his second house in Yamanaka-ko where his mother lives. While large shopping outlets bring cheaper prices, they are isolating older people and depriving them of the pleasure of shopping and talking with shop owners and neighbors nearby. Convenience stores are filling this gap but are designed more for young people living alone in cities, not in remote towns.

I read an article about a 83-year-old woman buying music from the Web. She said, "I bought ‘My Way’ the other day from the Web. I am embarrassed buying popular music or music for a younger generation at a shop because of my age, but through the Web I don’t have to worry and can buy anything I want. Besides it is cheaper. Only ¥200 per song." Could E-commerce be the best solution to the disappearing "Mom & Pop" stores for old people? There are a number of efforts ongoing to drag the elderly into the world of E-commerce. There are even sites created solely for the elderly, including sites that help solve PC problems.

However, there is a 1998 statistic that shows only 5.4% of people older than 61 use the Internet in the United States, and 0.7% in Japan. This number should grow very fast as the present users age. So the E-commerce will be a great future for old people. But is it really? I doubt it would happen with the present PC architecture. Simply stated, the PC is still too clumsy for old folks.

There is an interesting experimental trial going on in Osaka, Japan. A talking teddy bear is given to an elderly person living alone. The bear speaks to the person, saying something like; "It is cold today, isn’t it? How are you this morning?" He or she responds to the doll, which is being monitored remotely, and the central station can judge how he is doing or if he is alive by the voice or the way the person responds. In the town where I live, there is another set-up for similar purposes. A thermopot (a fancy teapot) equipped with a special sensor is provided to an elderly person living alone. Each time the person makes tea using the hot water kept in the pot, (Old folk love hot tea. I have never met an old person who doesn’t keep a thermpot in the home.), the sensor sends a signal to the remote monitoring terminal, which relays signals to the central monitoring station several times a day.

Just imagine…a grocery teddy bear begins talking as Sachiko enters the kitchen in the morning, "Hi Sachiko, how are you this morning? I have a special bargain for you today. California oranges have just arrived, and I am giving them away at cost so you can have a taste of America today." The monitor sitting next to him is turned on and shows a California grower chopping oranges with the majestic Mount Fuji in the background. "Not now. Thank you anyway. See later," she replies and walks to the next tatami room. "Hi, fisherman, do you have good tuna for sashimi today?" "Well, let’s see. We have some great Chutoro. I guarantee you’ll like it," replies the teddy fisherman. "Let me see it. Looks fine. OK give me 100 When," she says. "Everything will be delivered to the same cyber kiosk at the corner, right on time. Thanks a lot. Domo!" When Sachiko goes to the cyber kiosk to pick up her order, it is more than that. This is her chance to socialize with other people. She may spend 30 or 40 minutes chatting with the owner or other customers who are picking up their deliveries ordered through teddy bears.

Above is only a fantasy but who knows. Maybe you remember the science fiction movie, "2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY," where HAL 9000, the self-aware computer, is programmed to emulate the human mind. Maybe it isn't really science fiction; maybe the future is here now. All kinds of experiments are taking place in Japan as our population ages faster than any other OECD nation and the burden on the government's resources is increasing daily. According to government statistics, in 1995 there were 2.2 million people older than 65 living alone. For these people, it is a matter of life and death. It would be a true tragedy if we leave them on their own just because of the economic burden, especially in this era of expanding Information Technology. Solving this issue of the elderly living alone will certainly be the dawn of a new era for all and will no doubt open up new doors to E-commerce.

You may address any comments concerning this editorial by email to Mr. Eto