125 years of Public telephones / Payphones in Japan

Are there still public telephones / payphones in Japan? Yes there are. Far more than in my home country. I have noticed the number has reduced since I first came to Japan in 2000, but I have also always clocked at least one public telephone in every town or city I've visited. In general they are installed in public facilities such as train stations, city boulevards, parks, city halls, airports, and large hotels.

Public telephones are not used as much as they used to be, but there is still a need for them. For one, there are still people such as senior citizens, who don't have a mobile phone. Moreover, in the event of a disaster they play an important role. For example, often after an earthquake payphones are easier to connect than a mobile phone. Sometimes they are the only convenient means of communication in an emergency.

Today is public telephone day because it is the anniversary of the first public telephones to be installed in Japan. On this day, September 11th, 1900 a public telephone was installed at Shimbashi and Ueno stations in Tokyo. This year marks 125 years of public telephones. 

Have you ever used a public telephone in Japan? For my first few years in Japan I relied on them to call home. I would international phone cards, which could be used at any public payphone, to ring home. I was very grateful that there were plenty of public telephones at the time.