With several months, we will see the new challenge that we have never faced before; it is called Y2K, or millenium bug. Here in Japan, many people have been already informed about it through broad information networks, such as Internet webs. However, the quesution is, how many of you who live in Japan as foreiners know about it, and, if, so, how much do you know about it?
At the early stage when computers began to be used in general, their equipments for memory storage were highly expensive. To save such costs on the machines enploying computers or semicounducter tips, it has been commonly practiced to input years'numbers not with full four figures, but with last two figures, as you often see or fill in; if you put 00, it means the year 1975. The problem is this: this easy practice will result in the coming year 2000 to be recorded as 1900, which computers may interpret as the year 1900. If this happens, such computers will not run properly.
Our life is broadly supported by direct and indirect mainipulations of a numerous number of computers. What if these computers - even they are relatively small number as whole - should make errors or stop its works? Various trobles will come to bring about at the monent of the turn of the years from 1999 to 2000. There is no accounting to estimate exactly how much this trouble will be and how long it will affect. As for our living condition, the worst situation will be as follows; the infrastructurer such as electricity-, water-, gas-supplies will halt; telephone lines will be disordered: automobiles will run without control: trains and airport will be used up, unable to carry out their services. If the import of oils stops and our country's oil storage is used up, we will have no way for food transportation. Japan is using more computers than any other countries in the world. Besides, about 40% of our food and almost surely be most damaged by the "millennium bug".
Of cource, the central goverment, local goverments, and each company are engaged on this problem to cope with (For example, JTB, Japan Travel Bureau announced that all the pakage-travel tours whose flied services will be across the turn of the years will be suspented). However, as a matter of fact, the number of the computer programs to be corrected and the number of tips to be alternated are tremendously huge. What is worse, we are running short of fund, time, and engineers to renew them. Although each party charging with this problem are making every possible effort, it is considered impossible to make it perfectly sure against the coming troubles. Thus, it is wise for us citizens, including you foreigners, to prepare for it on both living and mental states.
Having to face such troubles away from home countries, you may be shaken or feel uneasy. However, it is possible to reduce, or avoid damage with enough prepareation. First of all, it is necessary to promote the intercommunication within each community of your country-fellow and strengthen the ties among the people.
Here are some examples to be put in practice:
* Prepare storage of food, water, first-aidkit, fuel, candles, or other necessities by each person family, or your fellow community.
* Avoid traveling neither by land sea, nor by air during the turn of ther years. Also avoid using elevators at this period.
* Prepare the copies of bank account books and other importand documents by the end of this year.
* Make sure of the communication networks in your fellow community to get correct information and be aware to keep presence of mind, not to be disturbed by groundless rumors.