Once a pioneer in cashless transactions, Japan is now lagging behind as the world’s biggest economies increasingly embrace electronic payments － because its ageing population still prefers physical money.

在全球各大經濟體如今逐漸擁抱電子支付之際，曾開創無現金交易的日本已落居人後，因為其人口老化的社會仍偏愛實體金錢。

Four out of five purchases are still made with cash in Japan. But in South Korea, some 90 percent of transactions are digital, while Sweden aims to be a cashless society as early as 2023.

日本每5筆消費中，有4筆仍以現金交易。但在南韓，已有90%的交易數位化；瑞典則最快在2023年，就可望成為無現金社會。

In Japan, where crime and counterfeiting is virtually non-existent so people feel more comfortable carrying cash, consumer response has been sluggish.

在犯罪和偽造幾乎不存在、人們對於攜帶現金感到自在的日本，消費者對於無現金化顯得意興闌珊。

At Katsuyuki Hasegawa’s bike repair shop customers are invited to settle their bills using PayPay － a tie-up between Softbank and Yahoo. But only two or three people a week are using the service.

在長谷川勝之（譯音）的腳踏車修理店，雖鼓勵顧客使用由軟體銀行與雅虎合資推出的行動支付PayPay，但每週只有2至3人會使用這項服務。

"We get lots of old people who like to chat while getting out their money. They don’t need quick transactions," says Hasegawa. "Personally, I prefer cash. With PayPay, you don’t keep track of your money."

40歲長谷川說：「我們有很多老人家喜歡在掏錢時閒聊，他們並不需要迅速的交易。我本身也更喜歡用現金，用PayPay就沒辦法掌握自己的錢。」

Lawmakers’ disaster helmet drill sparks Twitter debate 國會議員的防災安全帽演習引發推特熱議

Some Japanese lawmakers giggled in November during a drill to practice the use of disaster prevention helmets, at least one of which was put on backwards, prompting Twitter users to question if they were making light of a life-and-death matter.

某些日本國會議員在11月的一場練習使用防災安全帽的演習中咯咯笑，還至少有一名議員把安全帽戴反，促使日本推友質疑國會諸公是否太不把攸關生死的防災當一回事。

Video images broadcast on television and other media showed Finance Minister Taro Aso smiling after successfully donning one of the collapsible plastic helmets, and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi wore a broad grin.

電視與其他媒體播放的影片畫面顯示，財政大臣麻生太郎在成功戴上一頂折疊式塑膠安全帽後面露微笑，外相茂木敏充則是咧嘴笑到露牙。

"You never know when disaster will strike," Tadamori Oshima, the Lower House speaker, said at the end of Tuesday’s session, wearing one of the white helmets with gray chinstraps that are reminiscent of traditional samurai headgear.

「你永遠不會知道天災何時來襲，」戴著一頂有著灰色下頦帶、類似傳統日本武士頭盔的白色安全帽的眾議院議長大島理森，在週二的會議結束時如是說。

"I want you always to be on alert."

「我希望各位隨時保持警戒。」

Despite getting instructions on how to unfold and wear the helmets, at least one parliamentarian put his on back-to-front. Others needed a helping hand.

儘管有人指導如何展開與戴上安全帽，仍至少有一名國會議員把安全帽戴反，另有議員需要人幫忙才能戴上帽子。

Some Twitter users called the lawmakers’ levity off-key.

部分推友稱國會議員的輕浮態度很不妥當。

"The Speaker （of the Lower House） was talking about being on alert, but others were laughing," said one.

「（眾議院）議長正說要保持警戒，但其他人卻嘻皮笑臉，」有人如此說。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1338522 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1338579