Bank branches in NZ understand that the more the customer can do themselves, the less the bank has to do, and in turn the less service the bank has to provide. As a result, we can do a lot of our banking online or from our smartphones, so visits to the bank are quite rare for a lot of people once everything is set up.

Japan didn't seem to get the memo. It seems they are actively trying to stop the tide of advanced technology entering their shores. Passbooks abound, fees abound, local banks abound, and I have to go to three banks once a month to do my banking. I can do it online, but the fees get you, and their online banking is from the last century so it can be hard to trust.

Seems to me like a field that is wide open for a bit of disruption, if only they could get the culture to follow suit.

But more than that is the discussion around menial jobs. Banks in NZ have, as part of a strategy, removed these at times menial jobs and (perhaps?) pushed them into other places. Japan is actively tried to keep them to keep the unemployment rate low.

I'm of the opinion that we should be getting rid of menial jobs as much as possible and replacing them with jobs that require active engagement and creativity. That's the main distinction between AI and is too, originality. I feel that people in Japan are happy to have jobs, but Japanese people tend to stick to the default option, and for those in menial jobs, it's no wonder they don't feel appreciated.

I'm not saying it can be changed overnight, and some people do honestly enjoy doing these jobs, but we need to give more opportunity to those who don't, and as it's currently set up that's not happening. (Or is that the point?)