At a recent event in Tokyo¡¯s Suginami Ward to teach older people how to use a smartphone, 76-year-old instructor Hiroshi Nomura begins his lecture by showing the class where the power button is.

¡°Press it for two or three seconds and release after you see a blue light turn on,¡± he says in a friendly tone, asking the 17 participants to manipulate the smartphones themselves. ¡°Unlike televisions, smartphones take time to get up and running because they are driven by programs, just like PCs.¡±