shimokawasachiko 目次
Will fully automated stores or services become usual?
POINTS： Shortage of Workforce / Prevention of Infectious Diseases / Foreign Languages / Acceptance / Convenience / Cost
観点：労働力不足 / 感染症防止 / 外国語 / 受入れ / 利便性 / 費用
完全無人化店舗の背景
高齢化社会が進む日本では深刻な労働者不足が懸念されています。日本では２０００年代中頃から、セルフチェックアウトシステムを導入したスーパーが現れ始め、最近ではAIを利用し無人化したコンビニも数店舗ながら存在します。ガソリンスタンドのセルフ化も近年、」急増しています。ある程度の年齢の人にとっては、セルフレジが導入された当時に惑った事も、今では当たり前の日常と化しています。ですが、高齢者はどうでしょうか？
企業にとっては、何がどの世代に売れているのかなども瞬時に明確になり、マーケティング戦略もたやすくなり、人件費削減にもなりますから、デメリットは初期投資が高額であるということだけでしょうか。
また今後、今以上の業種でセルフサービス化が進んでいくと思われますが、完全無人化の店舗は日本社会において、どのような年代にも受け入れられるでしょうか？
The University of Denver opens cashier-less grocery stores.
肯定派：完全無人化の店舗やサービスは一般的になる (254語)
Yes Or No : Will fully automated stores or services become usual?
POINTS： Shortage of Workforce / Prevention of Infectious Diseases / Foreign Languages
Introduction
Fully automated stores or services, such as unmanned convenience stores or receptions of hotels and gyms, will expand in the future because they are preferable in terms of the workforce, prevention of infectious diseases and languages.
コンビニ、ホテルやジムのリセプションなどは、労働者・感染症予防・言語の観点から完全無人化が望ましく、こういった店やサービスは将来増えるでしょう。
Discussion 1
As the whole population in Japan shrinks, the number of convenience stores and accommodations will also decrease. But, there will still be a significant shortage of human resources. Stores or services that are operable without humans should be automated so that a surplus of people could work in other sectors where advanced technology cannot satisfactorily replace human staff, such as nursing homes or in more specialised areas like psychiatrists.
日本全体の人口は縮小しているので、コンビニや宿泊施設の数も減少するでしょう。しかし、それでも著しい労働者不足になることでしょう。従業員がいなくても営業可能なお店やサービスは機械により自動化されるべきです。そうする事により、浮いた人員は老人ホームのような最新テクノロジーが完全には人間のスタッフの代わりにならない他のセクターで働いたり、心療科医のようにもっと特別なスキルを要する職業に就くことが可能になります。
Discussion 2
Another reason is that automated stores or services reduce contact with people, which is ideal as the prevention measures of infectious diseases. Particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the world realised that humans are vulnerable to contagious illnesses, and other transmittable diseases, such as the monkeypox virus, have started to threaten humans. Some scientists also believe that new infectious diseases will appear one another in the future.
他には、無人店舗やサービスは人との接触を減らします。これは理想的な感染症予防対策です。特に新型コロナ感染症蔓延後、人間は感染症に弱いと世界中の人達が気付き、さらにはサル痘などの他の感染症が人類を脅かし始めました。今まで発見されなかった新しい感染症が次々に出てくるだろうという科学者もいます。
Discussion 3
Automated stores can also allow businesses to provide their services in various languages. Inbound tourism to Japan will likely recover from the dramatic loss caused by COVID-19 soon. Accommodations will need to offer their services in different languages, where indeed automation is the best applied. It will even solve a shortage of night shift workers.
自動化店舗により様々な言語でサービスを提供することも可能になあります。日本への外国人観光客も新型コロナによる激減から間もなく回復するでしょう。宿泊施設はその需要に違う言語で応えなければならず、まさに自動化が最大限に活かされるところです。そして夜間労働者不足さえも解決してくれるでしょう。
Conclusion
Although initial investment might be costly, not only companies but also society can receive benefits from making stores or services automated, which would accelerate their expansion in the future.
初期投資は高くつくかもしれませんが、前述のように、企業だけでなく社会も店舗やサービスを無人化することにより恩恵を受けることができ、これにより無人店舗やサービスの拡大が加速するでしょう。
肯定派：全文（音声付き）
Fully automated stores or services, such as unmanned convenience stores or receptions of hotels and gyms, will expand in the future because they are preferable in terms of the workforce, prevention of infectious diseases and languages.
As the whole population in Japan shrinks, the number of convenience stores and accommodations will also decrease. But there will still be a significant shortage of human resources. Stores or services that are operable without humans should be automated so that a surplus of people could work in other sectors where advanced technology cannot satisfactorily replace human staff, such as nursing homes or in more specialised areas like psychiatrists.
Another reason is that automated stores or services reduce contact with people, which is ideal as the prevention measures of infectious diseases. Particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the world realised that humans are vulnerable to contagious illnesses, and other transmittable diseases, such as the monkeypox virus, have started to threaten humans. Some scientists also believe that new infectious diseases will appear one another in the future.
Automated stores can also allow businesses to provide their services in various languages. Inbound tourism to Japan will likely recover from the dramatic loss caused by COVID-19 soon. Accommodations will need to offer their services in different languages, where indeed automation is the best applied. It will even solve a shortage of night shift workers.
Although initial investment might be costly, not only companies but also society can receive benefits from making stores or services automated, which would accelerate their expansion in the future.
否定派：完全無人化の店舗やサービスは一般的にならない (241語)
Yes Or No : Will fully automated stores or services become usual?
POINTS： Acceptance / Convenience / Cost
Introduction
Fully automated stores or services, I believe, will not be in great demand in Japanese society due to difficulties of adopting advanced technology by the elderly, potential loss of convenience and their initial high costs.
完全無人化店舗やサービスは、高齢者にとって最新技術を受け入れる事の難しさ・利便性喪失の可能性・その高額な初期投資額から、日本社会において需要が高くなるとは思いません。
Discussion 1
Most of the older generations in Japan prefer using cash rather than cashless payments, such as credit cards or electronic money. People still use a bankbook, which is outdated in other countries, to keep records of their transactions in the country famous for its advanced technology. Senior citizens are, therefore, likely to be in trouble requiring the assistance of human staff in fully automated stores.
日本では高齢世代のほとんどが、クレジットカード・電子マネーといったキャッシュレス決済より現金を使うほうを好みます。最新技術で有名なこの国では、出入金の記録を残すのに他国では時代遅れな通帳が未だに使われています。ですから高齢者は無人店舗では困ってしまい、従業員の手助けが必要となることでしょう。
Discussion 2
Many people may think automated convenience stores can be successful and helpful in Japan. But, the new style of convenience stores cannot replace traditional stores offering various services rather than daily necessities. If they are unstaffed, many handy services, such as dropping or picking-up parcels, paying utility bills and purchasing stamps, will become unavailable. Convenience stores then would become inconvenient for most Japanese.
多くの人は、日本では完全無人コンビニは有益であり上手くいくと考えるかもしれませんが、いまある様式のコンビニでは生活必需品だけでなく色々なサービス設ける事ができ、新様式の無人コンビニが取って代わることは出来ません。もし従業員が誰もいなければ、宅配物の受取り発送手続き・切手の購入といった多くの便利なサービスが損なわれることになります。それでは、コンビニが多くの日本人にとって不便なものになってしまいます。
Discussion 3
Finally, it would cost a fortune to make stores or services automated. Installing new machines and changing configurations inside stores must be troublesome for some tiny stores. I would have to say it is a risky investment for many businesses, while they know older generations prefer traditional styles of shopping or services.
最後に、店舗やサービスの無人化は多額の費用がかかるでしょう。新しい機械の導入や店の中の配置換えなど極少ストアには煩わしいものに違いありません。多くの会社は高齢世代は今まで通りの買い物の仕方やサービスを好んでいるのを知っており、店舗無人化は危険な投資と言わざるを得ません。
Conclusion
Although more automated stores or services will be available in urban areas, they will not take over conventional styles of shops. Hence they will not become common.
都市部では無人店舗やサービスが増加すると思われますが、従来通りの様式のお店に取って代わることはないでしょう。ですから無人店舗が一般化することはないでしょう。
否定派：全文（音声付き）
Fully automated stores or services, I believe, will not be in great demand in Japanese society due to difficulties of adopting advanced technology by the elderly, potential loss of convenience and their initial high costs.
Most of the older generations in Japan prefer using cash rather than cashless payments such as credit cards or electronic money. People still use a bankbook, which is outdated in other countries, to keep records of their transactions in the country famous for its advanced technology. Senior citizens are, therefore, likely to be in trouble requiring the assistance of human staff in fully automated stores.
Many people may think automated convenience stores can be successful and helpful in Japan. But, the new style of convenience stores cannot replace traditional stores offering various services rather than daily necessities. If they are unstaffed, many handy services, such as dropping or picking-up parcels, paying utility bills and purchasing stamps, will become unavailable. Convenience stores then would become inconvenient for most Japanese.
Finally, it would cost a fortune to make stores or services automated. Installing new machines and changing configurations inside stores must be troublesome for some tiny stores. I would have to say it is a risky investment for many businesses, while they know older generations prefer traditional styles of shopping or services.
Although more automated stores or services will be available in urban areas, they will not take over conventional styles of shops. Hence they will not become common.
まとめ
無人化されすべて機械化されたコンビニなどは、人によっては面白い経験となるかもしれません。実際利用した人の感想は、「迅速で快適な経験だった」という意見が多いようです。
時間がない時は良いのかもしれませんが、レジの人と挨拶を交わしたりすることもなくなるのは、個人を社会から断絶するのを助長してしまうかもしれません。海外では、レジで気軽に話をします。釧路のスーパーでも話までは行かなくとも挨拶は皆していました。東京はとても業務的な対応で、必要なことしか話しません。
店舗・サービスの自動化・無人化が進めば、もっと孤立し精神的に辛い思いをする人たちが増えてくるのではないかと心配です。
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