He was broadcasting the event live over the Internet. But it never responds. Common sense suggests that there's something unhealthy about an obsession with a robot dog, or any other machine for that matter. But in Japan, these gadgets serve an important social purpose, linking people who have been disconnected in an impersonal, urban world. Men wanting more illicit companionship use telephone clubs that allow them to select a woman's picture, dial her up from a phone booth and arrange to meet.
People use the gadgets to overcome their reserve and make contact.
There is a history to this cultural impulse. Auntie has been replaced by fiber cable and semiconductor chips. The program's main feature is the cartoon character a user can transmit along with his or her e-mail. This all sounds like a strong argument for Japanese to embrace the Internet. Therefore, they have had little incentive to become more efficient.