Japan¡¯s capital expenditure boom is shifting to the services sector, stirring fears that self-checkout systems and software will take the human touch out of omotenashi, the country¡¯s vaunted commitment to hospitality.
The economic forces at work are undeniable. The working age population is forecast to shrink by about one-third in the next half century, and companies simply cannot hire enough workers.
Turning to automation raises productivity and removes a bottleneck to economic growth ¡ª but marks a retreat from a services-oriented culture where the customer is king.
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