Re:Is Am Radio Dead?
by Scoundreller on Tuesday January 31, 2023 @08:49PM
(#34605246)
> it was the oldest worker (in his 70s) who got to set the station.
Is this (oldest worker's choice) a Japan thing, or just a thing at that worksite?
Probably not a universal rule that the oldest chooses the radio station, but Japan used to have a strong culture of age based seniority and social hierarchy. A traditional Japanese introduction involves a slight verbal dance around sharing your age and profession, so the meeting parties can determine their relative social status and what type of honorific language may be appropriate for each to use.
I think seniority has become a bit less of a factor especially for younger generations who are starting to ease away from some of the more rigid hierarchies.
Fast forward and now I live in Japan. My first job required a long ride by car to deliver/pick up supplies then do manual labor. Like most manual labor jobs there was a radio on all the time and it was the oldest worker (in his 70s) who got to set the station. I listened to hours of AM radio in Japanese. Baseball games (they feel more alive over AM than in person oddly enough), news, shopping (yes, shopping channel like advertising by radio), stand-up/comedy routines and the odd oldie track from the 70s or earlier that sounded even more nostalgic due to it being on AM. This is what finally gave me a love for what it had to offer. It may be a dead format in the west but in Japan it seems to still kick around.