Why Japan has so many vending machines
There's a very interesting answer to why Japan has so many vending machines. It's an economic story but it's also a story about how Japanese society values robotics and automation.
Questions
1. Give some of the reasons why Japanese retailers have resorted to the use of vending machines.
2. What are your thoughts on Japan's high regard and fascination for automation?
3. What are the downsides of too much automation?
4. What can be done to mend the demographic crisis in Japan?
5. Is automation a good solution to labor shortage? Explain your answer.
Vocabulary
1. fiasco - an event that is completely unsuccessful, in a way that is very embarrassing or disappointing
2. artisanal - (of a product, especially food or drink) made in a traditional or non-mechanized way
3. caveat - a warning that you need to be careful about something, especially about a choice or decision that you are thinking of making
