Hi how are you? Today’s topic is the QR code, now used not only throughout Japan but worldwide, becoming indispensable to daily life and industry.
This is the development story of its creator, Mr. Masahiro Hara, along with a couple of his supporters.
The other day, I came across an article like this: Top 5 Patent Technologies the World Would Struggle,
For over 30 years now, the inventor has been searching for something more convenient to improve the efficiency of managing car parts inventory.
The order is as follows:
5th Place: Blue LED
This invention made white LED lights possible. From streetlights to smartphone screens, it illuminated the world. Without it, we might still be surrounded by fluorescent and incandescent lights.
4th Place: Lithium-ion Batteries. Without this technology, smartphones, laptops, and EVs wouldn’t exist. Its ability to store large amounts of energy compactly has made life convenient for people worldwide. Japanese researchers brought it to practical use, transforming modern society into a battery-driven world.
Without Japan, portable electronic devices would likely never have become widespread.
Third place goes to Shinkansen safety technology. Traveling at nearly 300 km/h, it boasts the world’s highest safety record. This technology has been adopted by high-speed rail systems overseas, with collision avoidance and emergency braking systems serving as models.
Furthermore, it features a mechanism that automatically stops upon detecting earthquake tremors. Without this technology, high-speed rail would be plagued by accidents, making it impossible to ride with peace of mind. Thus, Japanese technology protects human lives.
Second place goes to instant ramen. Okay, it’s food, so maybe you wouldn’t call it technology… but it’s saving the world, right?
First place goes to the QR code. Being able to pay with your smartphone without pulling out your wallet is thanks to this invention. It’s also used for managing factory parts and hospital medical information.
Just a simple 2D code has streamlined logistics, healthcare, and finance worldwide. If Japan hadn’t created it, we might still be stuck in long checkout lines, and information management would be far more inconvenient.
Check out the video to see them with a strubggle.
Subtitles in English, Narration in Japanese
Contents
QR Code celebrates 20 years since its birth and wins European Inventors Award
On the evening of June 17, 2014, local time, the development team behind the matrix-type two-dimensional code “QR Code” received the Popular Prize, selected by public vote, at the European Inventor Award ceremony held in Berlin, Germany.
The European Inventor Award is presented by the European Patent Office (EPO) and has been recognizing inventions of outstanding technical, social, and economic merit annually since 2006. The QR Code development team received the “Popular Prize,” which is determined by public vote.
The reason for the Popular Prize award was that since its development in 1994, the QR code has been recognized for its “20 years of proven application, achieving widespread recognition among general consumers across diverse regions and age groups.”
Surging ‘QR Code Abuse’ Scams
In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in fraud cases exploiting QR codes, with various tactics being used. Below are two examples of methods that have been employed, so I’ve included them here.
No.1
A case where someone created a fake flyer claiming rent payments would be made online, leading victims to transfer money to the scammer’s account.
No.2
A case where someone paid for a purchased item via PayPay, but when the item was out of stock, the seller claimed they would refund via PayPay—yet no refund was ever issued.
There are still many other scams out there. Everyone, please be extremely careful. Thanks for visiting
